Astrocartography Lore: Living on the Pluto AC Line
In astrology, Pluto is a powerful planet associated with intense transformation, rebirth, power, and mystery. As a result, most astrocartography readings will recommended that you avoid Pluto lines. Despite these warnings, I moved to my Pluto AC line in 2022, and lived there for a year and a half. This is my story.
I moved to my Pluto AC line in 2022, after three years of severe academic and career burnout coupled with some unfortunate financial trauma. I found the laid back beach town (Mazatlan, Mexico) through a YouTube video and decided to move for a career break as a reward for finishing graduate school. The town was within 300 miles of my Pluto Ascendant line, which resonated with me since I wanted to live a slower life, reset my nervous system, and grow spiritually and psychologically. So in the summer of 2022, (literally like two weeks after graduation), my boyfriend and I uprooted our lives and made the move to Mexico!
About a month into the move, we signed a lease for a beautiful luxury apartment in a neighborhood that I absolutely adored. The cost of living was so low that I was able to cut my work schedule down to 15 hours a week, making me abundant in free time! Obviously, I spent lots of said time exploring Mazatlan - the food, the beaches, the neighborhoods and culture. But more importantly, I had time to reverse my “hustle culture girl boss” conditioning and create systems of slow and intentional living.
“I had the time to reverse my “hustle culture girl boss” conditioning and create systems of slow and intentional living.”
I started almost every single morning in deep reflection, spending hours in meditation, affirmation, journaling, and rituals. Channeling the intensity of Pluto, I braved new depths of my shadows and found ways to integrate them into my whole. I initiated a complete renovation of my psyche, adopting new beliefs while evicting those that did not serve me. A lot of memories concerning my mother and my childhood resurfaced, and though deeply uncomfortable at times, they ultimately made for significant healing for my inner child.
The changes weren’t just internal, though. Transformation even extended to my physical body (as expected on the ascendant line). For the first time in years, I evaluated my beliefs around my beauty and my self-image. The woman that I had grown comfortable with all my life looked very different than the woman I had become after 2020. I had gone from 170 to 200 pounds, exhibited signs of aging/chronic stress, and perhaps most impactfully, traded in my emotional support blanket of wigs and weaves for a set of teeny-weeny locs. All of this was happening during the most chaotic time of my life, so the impact had never fully HIT ME until I got to Mazatlan.
Coming to terms with my new appearance meant coming to terms with new identity, femininity, and perception in the world. It was deeply intimidating and transformational work, especially in the age of plastic surgery, photo editing, and face-scrambling filters. I spent LOTS of time in the mirror, attempting to reduce the conditioning of fear and shame around being perceived. The process? Painful. The outcome? Liberation. I finally learned to detach desirability/the male gaze from my own personal beauty standards. Instead of sex appeal, I prioritized health and aesthetics - and never felt more beautiful. I adopted new beauty routines that felt like self-care instead of obligation or labor. I focused on mobility and posture instead of “hourglass workouts”, and all of a sudden the motivation to be more active came easily. I also became far more interested in fashion and my authentic sense of style!
About nine months into my move to Mexico, I was all but euphoric. It felt like my life was getting better each day. Granted, I wasn’t hitting ANY of my financial goals, but I still lived in luxury. My nervous system was more regulated than ever, and my anxiety and stress took a nosedive. On top of self-development, I studied astrology, crafted medicinal teas, and enrolled in virtual belly dancing classes. I was in love with my apartment, my neighborhood, my routines, my boyfriend, and my newly adopted cats, Luna and Isis.
Then, like whiplash, a series of unfortunate events began in July 2023 (hello venus rx). First, we lost the lease to our apartment and had to find new housing. I didn’t understand why it felt so devastating for me at the time, but in hindsight I fully understand why. I was finally at peace in my spirit (and nervous system) because I felt so grounded in my apartment/neighborhood. I had set down roots, and the move ripped me from my comfort zone and completely warped my sense of stability and security. Honestly, if I knew then what I know now, I would have just moved back home when it happened. But I didn’t. I stayed and it only got worse.
Not even a week later my phone got stolen at the grocery store, which was also extremely traumatic for me. As a visiting tourist, I depended on my phone for not only communication, but work, transportation and community events. Then to add insult to injury - I was shipped a new phone from America and a FedEx worker stole it at customs! It was like as soon as one problem started, another one was already on the way. I couldn’t catch a break.
Next, my laptop -which I depended on for work- broke down and needed to be replaced. TWICE. When we finally moved out of our apartment, the process was chaotic, expensive, and disorganized. It didn’t help that the first few nights in the new place, the cats howled nonstop between 12-4 AM, so I got no sleep. I could literally go and on…as more time passed I experienced more chaos…missed flights, power outages, no internet, no running water…anything that could go wrong DID.
By August I was spiraling so uncontrollably that I decided to add some nails to the coffin myself. I broke up with my perpetually on-again, off-again boyfriend, as I finally realized that he was an unhealthy attachment for me. In fact, I theorize that my life started falling apart BECAUSE I was clinging on to this relationship. Like I mentioned, Venus was in retrograde during this whole period, and I was definitely feeling the tension. You can learn a lot about yourself and others under pressure. And what you learn means a LOT more when you’re planning to spend forever with someone.
We split cordially, and made plans to cut our lease and go back to the States together. Pluto and I had gone head to head and I was left waving the white flag. I just wanted to go home and forget that the last two months had ever happened. Unfortunately, in an unexpected turn of events, my arrangements fell through and my ex ended up moving back home alone. Meanwhile, I was trapped in another traumatic rehoming situation, forced to get a new apartment on my own…with two cats…last minute…during the peak season for snowbirds and tourists. As a result, I completely drained my savings and the last threads of my sanity.
“I moved into a beautiful new apartment in the colorful Centro neighborhood in October of 2023. By November, the beautiful oceanfront city had turned into my personal hell.”
I moved into a beautiful new apartment in the colorful Centro neighborhood in October of 2023. By November, the beautiful oceanfront city had turned into my personal hell. I hated being there. I hated the eternal sunshine and waving palm trees. I hated that it had been 85 degrees for 6 months straight. I hated waking up and feeling like I was living the same exact day over and over again. It was driving me crazy to SEE that I was living in a literal paradise, but FELT nothing but overwhelming resentment and angst each day.
I missed my apothecary and art business. I missed Trader Joes and TJ Maxx. I missed sweater weather and apple cider. I missed comedy shows and pole dance classes. In all my longing, I realized that I was miserable because I had literally lost everything. I had already given up my life in Chicago, but my life in Mazatlan as I knew it was in shambles all around me. I had lost my home, my neighborhood, my routines, my boyfriend, and many of my closest friends were leaving the city. Pluto had isolated me completely, leaving me with nothing but lonely echoes of what life used to be.
Eventually, I decided to call it quits and cut my lease 9 months early. I just couldn’t do it anymore. Luckily, my mom offered to fly out and help me move back to the U.S. Ironically, I couldn’t even escape the scene without feeling Pluto’s wrath. The day after she arrived, I caught a terrible upper respiratory infection for the first time in 1.5 years. It has been a month since that day and I’m STILL experiencing some of the symptoms!
Even though I’m currently settled back in the States, the drama from my Pluto AC still lingers. There was a huge conflict with the woman who subleased my apartment, turned out she is extremely manipulative (very plutonian) and is essentially refusing to pay for the things I left her in the apartment as agreed. Regardless, I feel so much relief and freedom that I don’t even care to argue with her anymore. I’m just happy to be back home…sandwiched between my Moon IC and Sun MC lines (very comforting). I’m excited to relaunch my apothecary, and unexpectedly, I’m even excited for the darkness and the cold. Mexico’s climate was so perfect that it felt stagnant. Like time was frozen in space. I yearned to witness the seasons change…to be joined by the Earth in her transformation. I never thought I would resonate so deeply with gray skies and leafless trees, but I’m honestly so grateful.
“Moral of the story? Pluto lines hold an IMMENSE amount of power, but with great power comes great responsibility. ”
Moral of the story? Pluto lines hold an IMMENSE amount of power, but with great power comes great responsibility. Would I recommend someone travel to a Pluto line? 100%…for a SHORT-TERM visit. I think Pluto lines are especially beneficial for the intention of regeneration or release, however, I would NOT recommend a Pluto line for long-term living with the expectation of smooth sailing.
If it HAD to be done, I would recommend living no closer than 400 miles, to weaken the planet’s chaotic intensity. At the end of the day, whatever you ultimately decide, just have clear intentions and a tight exit strategy. Or risk being pulled too deeply into the void.
Lauren Victoria, NCC, LPC is a licensed mental health professional and certified sound & vibration healer who specializes in spiritual counseling, astrology readings, and psychological tarot. Learn more about her on Instagram at @mutedearthvirgo