Pluto Retrograde – A Time for Powerful Personal Transformation

Pluto is one of those planets that can turn your life upside down, especially when it goes retrograde. But as intense as this perspective might sound — and even a bit scary to some — it can be a good thing. Pluto holds the power of death and rebirth, both literally and metaphorically. It is the dark lord of the zodiac and it forces you face your darker side and overcome your weaknesses. We can learn a lot about ourselves and set our lives on the right track when we work with the energy of this cosmic narrative rather than against it.

Also known as the God of the Underworld, Pluto is the co-ruler of Scorpio, along with Mars. And note that Scorpio is the most intense sign of the zodiac so Pluto’s influence can be very radical. Pluto is exalted in Leo where its cosmic power is even more potent but also more positive.

Every time I do a chart reading, Pluto is one of the first planets I look to due to its life-altering energy. While it is not a personal planet like Mars, Venus, Mercury, the Sun, and the Moon, this celestial body can impact our lives just as much. It brings change but in a very karmic way, unlike Uranus that brings change out of the blue and for the sake of rebellion and upgrade.

Pluto works with truth and aims to uncover even the deeper layers of our lives to heal us and reveal our divine potential. It helps us to understand and heal our traumas and start with a clean slate. With this ultimate purpose, Plutonian energy may influence the end of relationships, careers, and bad habits, to make space for what is truly meant for us. It encourages us to shed what no longer serves us and start afresh with a clearer mind and heart.

What is the Meaning of Pluto Retrograde?

Pluto takes 21 years on average to go through a zodiac sign, which is why its sign placement influences entire generations. It goes retrograde each year for five to six months, which is why we might not feel its impact as suddenly as we feel Mercury in retrograde or major Moon phases.

During its retrograde, it works with our shadow self. It makes us look at ourselves and understand our thoughts and feelings most profoundly. I like to say that we can’t escape ourselves during this time and it can be quite difficult to face our nature honestly and realistically. But this can also be extremely rewarding as we stand to learn a lot about who we really are and how to express ourselves in the world.

Make sure to check the sign of Pluto retrograde and the life sector it impacts to work with its energy. Many natives go with the flow during Pluto retrograde and refrain from participating actively in their personal transformation. I recommend taking control of your life rather than letting things happen to you because we have the cosmic support to stay in the driver’s seat!

Embrace the Energy of This Planet’s Retrograde

Start Journaling and Meditation

Use this period to get in touch with yourself and your life path. Journaling your thoughts and feelings can help you become more aware of your true nature and what you really think and feel as opposed to how you project yourself in the eyes of others. Ideally, we would all be confident and transparent enough to express our true selves each day but that doesn’t often come easily. Myself included…

As you do this shadow work, you’ll likely identify the aspects of your life that require more attention. Meditation can help bring clarity. Create your own meditating ritual in a way that helps you relax and include it in your daily self-care. Meditation can help you open your mind and heart to dimensions that you couldn’t reach with your busy, conscious energy.

Become More Aware of The World Around You

Besides turning your attention towards your own energy, you want to also focus on the world around you. Look at your relationships, both personal and professional, and how they impact your strengths and weaknesses. Analyze your career path or education and decide whether or not it contributes to your life’s purpose.

We can learn a lot about ourselves by looking at these important aspects of our lives and deciding which ones represent us and which ones hold us back. You might be able to observe things that were not obvious before and understand your relationships at a much deeper level as this transit shines its intensity on these aspects.

Focus on Your Life Purpose

This might be easier said than done because our life purpose stays the same but we go through different phases throughout our lives. If you listen to your heart and focus on who you really are, and what you want from life, your purpose will start to gain shape in your mind. Being aware of it will help you to maintain the drive to achieve your goals and lead a harmonious life.

Once you better understand your life purpose, you’ll feel more comfortable letting go of the things in your way and gravitate towards situations and people that are meant to join you on your journey.

Pluto Retrograde Dos and Don’ts

Dos

Make Peace with Your Past

This period may open the door to your past. This may very well be painful. If it does, I suggest you take one last walk through it if you have unresolved issues that keep you up at night. This is a great time to address old conflicts and obtain the closure you need to move on. You won’t have to do this every year during this time but chances are that every now and then, you’ll need to take Pluto’s invitation and address any issues holding you back. This retrograde can help you find the support you need to make peace with them. Unhealed traumas can generate fears and limitations that keep us away from our true potential and locked in a comfort zone.

Finish Old Projects

If you have unfinished projects, this time helps get your priorities in order and bring them to a successful end. Use this time to overcome all those things you were too busy to finish. Pluto holds you accountable in a way that you either take control and change your life or your life will take control and change you. This energy is perfect for work plans and other opportunities that are waiting for you to explore. If you received an important proposal but decided to ignore it or address it later, Pluto retrograde is the “later” you were waiting for.

Visualize Your Ideal Life

Daydream a little about how you’d like your life to be. Drop your self-imposed limitations and think of what you want to accomplish. Imagine your perfect relationship, family life, friends and career path. You can also create a vision board and have some fun with it! Doing this will help Pluto support your wishes and only keep those things and people that contribute to your ideal reality.

Allow Change into Your Life

Some of the transformations this phase brings might be more radical than others and you might not be able to understand their benefit at first sight! However, keep in mind that they are all for your own good and are meant to bring you closer to your true potential. You can embrace change or resist it and unnecessarily complicate your new status quo.

Trust Your Intuition

Pluto might activate your intuition even more during its retrograde because it works directly with your inner self. If you feel like something is off, it may not be so make sure to look further into it. You won’t be led astray by your intuition. Listen to your heart more than usual and try to filter everything that happens in your life through your moral compass. This planet will help you choose the right path and the right people to join you in a brighter future.

Don’ts

Don’t Have a Hidden Agenda

Try to be as honest and open as possible with the important people in your life and forget about having any hidden agendas. With Pluto being a generational planet, it will influence masses of people so if you try to push your desires, others will notice and things may not happen the way you want them to.

Let people know your expectations and speak your mind in an open manner so there is no space for misunderstanding. If you do that in a conscious manner, you’re more likely to gather valuable individuals around you and create a healthy support system that becomes your tribe.

Don’t Tolerate Unhealthy Connections

If you feel trapped in connections that make you unhappy, this is the time to change them or let them go. Pluto retrograde highlights them so you can’t deny them any longer. If you choose to stay in poor relationships, that may be putting your personal growth on pause and the one thing we can’t take back — or acquire more of — is time. I’m not saying breaking up is the only option but rather that you need to address the aspects of your relationship that don’t work for you. Communicate your needs clearly and encourage your partner and others around you to do the same. Together, you can reach a resolution or a healthy compromise before making any radical decisions.

Don’t Ignore Your Greatest Needs and Desires

As you become more aware of yourself and your authenticity during this time, you should also find it easier to identify your needs and desires in various avenues of your life. But being aware of them is not all it takes. You need to own them and manifest your goals by actively working towards them.

If what you want in life is not approved by others, that doesn’t mean you give up. This period is not about people-pleasing. You want to follow your heart and not seek approval to do so because this is your journey and your responsibility.

Tips for Navigating Pluto Retrograde

Pluto retrograde will change your life slowly rather than quickly or abruptly — thank goodness.

Remember that everything starts with yourself and the way you decide to address your life and build your future. This period is a cosmic support system that helps you reach your highest purpose and eliminate the various different things in your life — people, jobs, themes etc — that no longer serve you.

Being attached to unhealthy relationships, patterns or habits will never take you as far as you’re meant to go, so why not let Pluto work its magic during this time and save your core energy? Good vibes and here’s to a much better version of yourself manifesting in good time!

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