Why is America going through such a tumultuous time lately?
If you look at the birth chart of America, which is cast for July 4th, 1776 at 5:10pm in Philadelphia, PA (the exact time and location of the signing of the Declaration of Independence), it will be clear as to why things have been so intense the last few years.
We're going through what is called a "Pluto return" period. This is when Pluto comes back to its original position in a birth chart after completing its long 248 year orbit around the Sun.
This return will bring up all the themes that Pluto is traditionally associated with; cultural taboos, abuse of power, death, black culture, ruthless methods, paranoia, psychology, and complete transformations.
There is nothing mild about Pluto, it always destroys whatever it touches in a chart and remakes it into something stronger and more functional. It's the Plutonic forces in the world that consumes what is old and weak and transmutes it into something completely new.
The peak of this influence will not occur until Jan 2023 so keep your seatbelts fastened and be prepared for more turmoil. But also don't forget that Pluto usually bring changes that are long overdo and inevitable, and ones that will make us stronger if we don't go down the dark path of fear and negativity. If we stay positive in response to the painful and difficult things we need to come to terms with regarding our culture, history, and how power is used in America, then the most spiritual manifestation of Pluto will be realized; the Phoenix rising from the ashes of our unsustainable past.