by Guest Author Philip Brown

Danica McKellar, a member of the Pluto in Libra generation (those born from 1972 to1984), was an actress on The Wonder Years who went on to become a math teacher, math advocate, and author of the book, Math Doesn't Suck. Actress Jessica Alba is also a member of the Pluto in Libra generation. In a recent interview, she commented that: "I've always loved biology, like I'm almost a little obsessed with it.

Science Daily is one of my bookmarks. I'm super dorky."

My own daughter is a college math major and she says that many of her math classmates are also young women. Are women gravitating more towards math and science, fields traditionally dominated by men? If they are, is there some astrology behind this transformation?

The anecdotal evidence is supported by some dramatic statistics. Between 1975 and 1998, the number of men who received Bachelor's Degrees in science or engineering declined slightly, but the number of women receiving science or engineering degrees nearly doubled. And chances are good that your family doctor is a woman. Women now make up about half of all medical school applicants and graduates.

Laws such as Title IX ensuring an equal educational playing field have helped more women go to college. Schools have worked hard to erase many of the artificial barriers which held women back and, in the past, encouraged them to go into teaching or nursing. Women themselves have worked and studied hard to achieve gains.

However, there are also several astrological factors influencing an historical shift to female empowerment in areas traditionally ruled by men.
Venus, Saturn, and the Pluto in Libra Generation
Although the young Pluto in Scorpio generation, also known as Millennials or Gen Yers, has garnered lots of attention, the Pluto in Libra generation (approximate ages: 23-36) is currently having a major impact in all areas of society, culture, and education.

According to the great Renaissance astrologer William Lilly and others, women are ruled by Venus, which in turn is the planetary ruler of Libra. The planet which is exalted in Libra, is able to best express its energies, is Saturn. So the Pluto in Libra generation, a sign ruled by feminine Venus, values the attributes of Saturn -- discipline, hard work, and ambition. Pluto in Libra women have exhibited these qualities in the college classroom and are bringing Venus and dynamic Saturn energy into the workforce, driving themselves into once male-dominated professions.
Jupiter and Pluto in Sagittarius
Jupiter is the planet which rules science, according to Lilly and other ancient astrologers. Since Pluto entered Sagittarius, the sign ruled by Jupiter, in 1995, we have witnessed an unparalleled explosion in scientific development and in the popularization of science through the Discovery Channel, CSI, online science digests, space exploration, and headline-grabbing medical advances. An increasing awareness of our tenuous global ecological balance has also helped to create a young generation of men and women acutely aware of how science will help determine our futures.

Although many have bemoaned the U.S. education system for its unimaginative science curriculum, the young Pluto in Sagittarius generation, whose oldest members are just in middle school, is likely to surprise us by enthusiastically embracing scientific study. Science and technology are embedded in our everyday lives in more and more ways, and the recognition that our world is threatened by the past misuse of science has awakened a renewed sense of its importance.
The Uranus-Pluto Conjunction
In the mid-1960s, a dramatic planetary alignment of Uranus and Pluto (opposite Saturn) occurred at the same time as a cultural revolution which shook the foundations of modern society and culture. As I pointed out in a chapter in my book, Cosmic Trends, one of the lasting effects of the mid-1960’s Uranus-Pluto conjunction—which took place in Virgo, a sign associated with pre-Christian goddess worship—was a transformation of feminine consciousness. The National Organization for Women was formed in 1966, and both Golda Meir and Indira Gandhi emerged as powerful female leaders. Rock singer Janis Joplin personified the revolutionary feminine power being symbolically unleashed through the Uranus-Pluto conjunction in Virgo (a sign whose ruler, Mercury, also happens to be strongly associated with mathematics).

Conjunctions like the Uranus-Pluto pairing have long-lasting effects and we are still experiencing the results of this mid-1960’s astrological growth spurt.
The Age of Aquarius; Eris
Although astrologers differ on its start date, we also can’t discount the influence of the dawning Aquarian Age, which is beginning to usher in a much more egalitarian time, as well as an increased pace of scientific discovery.

Finally, the discovery of Eris—the mythological sister of Mars—(and about which I’ve written on my website) and the elevation of Ceres to the status of a dwarf planet signify a raising of feminine consciousness.