Madonna is ambitious by nature and her survival instincts have always allowed her to place her needs and goals above others with very little remorse. However, the period in which she established her reputation and fame was peculiarly characterized by a near obsessive level of focus upon success and fame. Pluto transits not only make changes on the most profound levels of being, but they also intensify and empower the area of life that is symbolized in the birth chart with an often all-consuming passion. When Pluto conjoins one's natal Jupiter, a thirst and desire for success, personal ambition, and societal influence can become an insatiable desire, even if it is not characteristic of one's overall approach to life or temperament. The period of Madonna's early career was marked by an uncanny and ruthless ambition and an assault on the music industry. Marred by power struggles, manipulations, exploitations, and intense interpersonal conflict, Madonna unapologetically used the leverage, reputations, and influence of others to gain advantage in the music industry. The publicist hired to work for Madonna at the time, David Salidor, said of the rising star, "Madonna was someone fixated on succeeding…None of us knew how she was going to do it—but there was no question that come hell or high water she was going to become a star."(9)

However, not only can the Pluto-Jupiter interface be one of ambition and social climbing, but it can also be characterized by success, and, given the nature of Pluto, success on a titanic, elemental scale. Talent and ambition aside, the period of Pluto conjoining Jupiter was scored by lucky breaks, fortuitous encounters, and successful negotiations. Through the Pluto-Jupiter transit, Madonna signed to Sire Records; became networked to a number of influential New York producers, DJ's, and industry V.I.P's; and was given an entourage of seasoned entertainment professionals to maximize the most of her star quality.

More than lucky breaks and doors opening, the Pluto-Jupiter combination can translate into larger-than-life, over-the-top success. And this certainly was the case for Madonna. Her debut album, Madonna, would easily break the Top Ten of the Billboard pop charts and would ultimately sell over 8 million copies worldwide. Her first and most popular performance in movies (with the exception of possibly her lead role in Evita), Desperately Seeking Susan, was filmed during these years. Music videos, controversial appearances on MTV, and magazine covers would expose—if not overexpose—Madonna to the entertainment-starved public.

At the same time that Pluto was exactly conjoining Madonna's natal Jupiter, 1983's Jupiter-Uranus conjunction was opposing Madonna's Midheaven. When Jupiter and Uranus come into conjunction approximately every 14 years, the world prepares for progressive breakthroughs in one or several cultural arenas; the world embraces the birth of something radically new. The Apollo mission to the Moon, the success of cloning, and the establishment of the personal computing revolution are advances that have correlated with recent Jupiter-Uranus conjunctions. However, and equally importantly, new cultural personas or forms usually make their mark during Jupiter-Uranus conjunctions. Causing both incredible excitement and eliciting controversy, stars and art forms that push the creative envelope during these times are the delight to the young and the progressive and the bane of the conservative and older generation.