By design, astrology helps us find our people, whether we're scouring compatibility theories or bonding over a shared planetary placement. Some of these groups are bigger than others — and, turns out that our favorite sorta-planet, tiny little Pluto, can encompass whole generations of people within its placements.
Unlike the sun, which takes roughly a month to move through each sign, Pluto can spend anywhere between 14 and 30 years in a single sign. Pluto's most recent stay in Scorpio lasted from 1983 to 1995, meaning most folks who call themselves (or are called by others) "millennials" have this placement in common, making them what astrologers refer to as the Pluto in Scorpio generation.
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Of note: Considering the generality with which the term "millennial" is used, not everyone who identifies as a millennial may necessarily have this placement. You can always have your natal chart read if you want to be sure about where Pluto happened to be at the moment of your birth.
The fact that this planet takes its time orbiting, along with its physical distance from our home here on Earth, means it probably isn't top-of-mind for even the most thorough astrology fan. After all, the outer planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and, of course, Pluto) don't usually have a direct impact on our lives in the same way the inner planets do. That said, our outer planetary placements can influence us in powerful yet unseen ways. When you consider the effects of Pluto when it's in Scorpio, the parallels appear eerily accurate.
Astrologer Annie Heese writes that Pluto touches all things related to control and the unknown in our lives. It can dictate how individuals deal with cooperation as well as their willingness to confront their subconscious and internal issues. When Pluto appears in Scorpio, the sign that it naturally rules, its influence is filtered through a rather dark lens.
Easily the most, shall we say, intense sign of the Zodiac, Scorpio craves constant change, evolution, and discovery. Those with Pluto in this sign tend to resist authority figures and confines of any sort since these forces tend to hinder their ability to change. They seek out new and different ways of tackling issues, preferring instead to make their routines rather than following the pack. Pluto's reputation as "the destroyer" planet goes hand in hand with Scorpio's penchant for the unconventional — no wonder millennials have been blamed for "killing" so many so-called fixtures of American life.
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This generation is defined by the internet boom of the '90s and were some of the first kids and teenagers to enjoy chat rooms and early social media (LiveJournal, anyone?). They probably had particularly angsty teen years and are known to have a dark sense humor — some will admit to being drawn to the flat-out macabre side of life.
Pluto in Scorpio is an inherently rebellious placement, but that doesn't mean it's all edge and no heart. People born into this generation can be very romantic (when they want to be) and, once they find their passions, rarely waver from them.
Whether you identify with your Pluto placement or not, this is easily one of the largest astrological groups that claim you as a member. There are certainly others like you who would rather resist associating with a Pluto-Scorp combo, but, we'd argue, that urge in and of itself sounds pretty darn Scorpio-Plutonian.