I've finally come to appreciate the caveats in most of the standard astrological texts about Pluto and Neptune being principally "generational" planets without a lot to say on a personal level. I do use them in natal analysis as a vital part of constructing a psychological portrait, but have never noticed much effect in predictive work unless coupled with other concurrent planetary influences. Even then, at their rarefied "vibratory level" (for lack of a better analogy), I haven't seen much of an outward manifestation, whether transiting or being transitted. But I know many astrologers see it otherwise.
Yes, the 'generational level is often totally ignored by some Astrologers. To illustrate I ran the interpretation function of Solar Fire on my own chart where I have conjunctions between Mars and Pluto and Saturn and Pluto and got the following:
CONJUNCTION (Saturn) PLUTO Orb 2°08' Applying
You are resourceful and have a pool of enormous energy available when needed. You also have strong desires and a volcanic temper.
CONJUNCTION (Saturn) PLUTO Orb 6°18' Separating
You are an ambitious and powerful person. You are a powerful leader and must learn to use your unique insights for positive purposes.
Now these are clearly directed at me personally and these are so much not me, that I consulted my Ephemeris and using an 8 degree orb
The Mars/Pluto held for just over 30 days around my birth - so EVERYYONE in the world born over that period has a volcanic temper and a pool of enormous energy availalbe when needed.
The Saturn/Pluto conjunction was in effect for 20 months around my birth - so EVERYONE in the world born over these 20 months would be ambitious and powerful people and powerful leaders.
Now I think this actually says more about canned interpretations than it does about Pluto and also about 'silly' Astrologers, who include these sayings in 'personal' profiles, as the author of the interpretations clearly wrote without thinking about the real world. If it's going to be personal to me, then it has to apply to me and no, or few others.
I agree with you about those Pluto transits, etc - I've never found any 'Pluto' effect - though I suppose it's possible it provides some low level background 'radiation'. However that is a heretical statement for most Astrologers these days
To be fair to the author, when it comes to Pluto itself by sign, the 'generational' statement is included and there's no attempt to come up with an interpretation by sign. But it doesn't seem to cross the author's mind that he has actually ignored the 'generational' slow movement in his previous interpretations!
Incidentally, no such disclaimer is made for Chiron, where a clear interpretation is made by sign - and how long does Chiron spend in a sign?
That being said, Pluto is so much a part of the modern psychological approach that It's impossible to do a jungian (or freudian) psychological interpretation without it -
unless the whole fabric of modern Astrology is torn down and the chances of that happening anytime soon are minimal.
Final heretical statement - there
is psychology without Jung