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Sky & cycles

Why Does the Moon Change Signs Every Few Days While Pluto Takes Years?

In an astrological calendar, the Moon is in one sign today and in the next a couple of days later. Pluto can remain in one sign for years. The difference can seem almost magical until you look at the scale of their motion.


The Moon orbits Earth relative to the distant stars in about 27.3 days. The zodiac circle is divided into twelve equal sections, so on average the Moon spends a little over two days in each one. That is an average: the exact time of a sign change is calculated from the positions, not found by simply dividing the calendar.

Pluto is a dwarf planet on a much more distant orbit around the Sun. One revolution takes about 248 Earth years. Its path is elongated, so its speed along the orbit varies; an observer on Earth also sees periods of apparent backward motion. That can mean a return near a sign boundary, so dividing 248 years evenly into twelve parts in advance would be misleading.

Astrology continues to include Pluto despite its astronomical status as a dwarf planet: that is a choice within the tradition. So a lunar sign change is marked on a specific date in the calendar, while Pluto’s sign change is considered on a scale of several years.

The stars speak. The choice is yours.


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