The Karmic Destinies of The Boomer Generation and Generation X.
L. Waddington
Change is definitely in the stars. Marked by Pluto leaving Sagittarius after a 15-year reign, and moving into Capricorn, the ideals of the Baby Boomer Generation are fading away, as the children of Generation X have grown up and are now in, or near, their 40's. The Boomers are retiring, and the X-ers are now graduating into the leadership roles once held by Boomers until recently.
There is much debate as to what dates the Baby Boomers were born, and when Generation X-ers were born. For the sake of Astrology, I consider the Generation born with Pluto in Leo to be the "Boomer Generation", and the Generation born with Pluto in Virgo to be "Generation X". The next Generation, the "Millenials", who are already beginning to turn 30, were born with Pluto in Libra.
In June of 1939, Pluto left Cancer for the last time, and entered Leo where it would stay until June of 1958 when it entered Virgo.
Those born between June of 1958 until the end of 1972 are "Astrologically", Generation X.
Astrologically speaking, Barack Obama is our first Generation-X President. Born in 1961, he has Pluto in Virgo, unlike his recent predecesors (GW Bush and Clinton), who were both born with Pluto in Leo.
How does this make the current President different? He puts the hard work and the details ahead of "image". President Obama was chastised for not wearing a jacket and tie in the Oval Office. Typical Generation X behavior; disregarding "image" altogether. On the other hand, late-Boomer President Clinton was often criticized for focusing on "popularity polls". Generation X started small companies, versus The Boomers, who started corporations. Generation X showed up at for work wearing jeans and Converse. The Boomers adhered to a strict dress code of slacks and collared shirts. Generation X was chastised for being lazy. It's not that they were lazy, it's that they'd been let down by the whole "image" thing before. Not only that, they were perfectly content and grateful for everything their Boomer parents had provided for them; a nice house in the suburbs, video games, and rock and roll music! They didn't feel the need to change the world, because the Boomers had already done that. Generation X is now burdened with finding more practical solutions to maintain the Boomer lifestyles we were "blessed" with (or now just addicted to). Suit and tie not necessarily required.
The energy of the Baby Boomers is that of Fire, Particularly, Leo energy. Leo energy is represented by creativity, performing, fun, games, "drama" and "the stage", romance and recreation. Leo is proud, and wants to lead. The energy of Leo is that of fire; positive and energetic, but lacking in actual substance. Because Leo is "on stage", it's really all a big performance; it's all about "the image".
The Boomer Generation inspired the world by producing some of the most progressive art and literature. They pretty much invented rock and roll music and the entertainment industry. They turned art and music into a commodity. Politically, the Boomer Generation taught us how to stand up and "roar" for what we believe in. They taught us how to protest and rally, to protect our "pride". They believed we could inspire others to collectively change the world through expression.
On the downside, Boomer Generation is responsible for some of the culture of "image before substance" we find in today's market. It's all about the presentation. The Michael Phelps' Scandal comes to mind as the perfect example. After being caught on camera smoking marijuana from a bong, Kellogg's decided to drop their sponsorship of Michael Phelps, stating he "no longer fit their IMAGE". "Image" is the key word here. The "Pluto in Leo Image" of Kellogg's cereals is "the breakfast of champions"; supposedly, part of a healthy breakfast and diet. What Kellogg's has failed to realize is that Generation X is now old enough to read the labels, and is well-educated enought to know that a real Olympic athlete would not actually start his or her training regimen by dumping grams and grams of sugar, hydrogenated oils, bleached flour and high fructose corn syrup down their throats. The reality is, cannabis sativa is far healthier for an athlete, as recent studies on medical marijuana have shown, than eating cereals made mostly of sugar and bleached flower. However, the image of the unhealthy "stoner" and healthy baseball players on a box of Special K cereal remains. Marketing and packaging is apparently more important than actual nutrition and health science to to the Boomers.
But, what did the Boomer Generation know of being practical? Their strengths were in their creativity, which every Generation X-er can appreciate. The Boomers' parents were born during the Depression, and made materialism and comfort, especially in the form of owning a home (Pluto in Cancer), top priorities. The Boomers were the first generation to be born into a "push-button/instant gratification/disposable/instant" society. Instant coffee, disposable diapers, instant travel via automobile or air. They are the first generation to experience electricity and air travel as an every day commodity. Practicality was not the Boomer Generation's strong point. The Generation of Pluto in Leo are the "inner child" of the zodiac. We look to the Boomers for Inspiration. We look to Generation-X to implement those ideals in a practical, sustainable, Virgo-ian way.
Now, with Pluto in an Earth sign for the first time since Generation-X was born, there is much forecasting of doom and gloom, as Pluto in Capricorn represents the destruction caused by our lack of discipline and boundaries in the recent past. We seem to have lost our humility somewhere between Pluto in Leo and Pluto in Sagittarius.
However, it's all in how you approach these energies. Are you going to allow yourself to be thrown off of your high horse, or are you just going to jump off gently? Better yet, can you learn to ride with it?
The truth is, it's only been the last 100 years or so that we have gotten used to this wasteful lifestyle that we consider "paradise". One-hundred years ago, there were very few substances being used on a daily basis that were NOT 100% eco-friendly and biodegradeable.
I believe that as Generation-X ages, they will put their good sense to work, and create more practical habits for living. Hopefully, we will become less wasteful and more practical. My hope is that with Pluto in Capricorn now working in harmony with the Pluto in Virgo generation, we will gradually learn to lead healthier, more balanced lifestyles, for the sake of our Mother Earth.
And the great thing is, we get to listen to all that awesome Classic Rock and Roll created by the Boomer Generation while we do it!
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