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Welcome to Pluto retrograde. Our backward spin through the underworld. Our dance with transformation. Our reclamation of the shadow side. Our return to the depths of our own becoming. Although Pluto retrograde tends to draw less airtime and memes on social than Mercury retrograde, its invitations are equally influential and deserving of attention.
When is Pluto Retrograde?
Pluto retrograde will take place from May 4 to October 13, 2025.
What Does Pluto Mean in Astrology?
It has been theorized that as we look to planets further away from the Earth, the more complex, misunderstood, mysterious, and subtle the invitations and frequencies of the planets. Pluto, sitting at the edge of our known solar system, is no exception.
Pluto is referred to as an outer planet in astrology. It sits outside of the asteroid belt, as opposed to the inner planets of Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. Whereas the inner planets are fast moving and shifting between signs often, the outer planets are much slower in motion, representing years of our lives. When we connect with the movements of the outer planets—which also include Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune—we connect with larger chapters of our life. When they move, we feel the shift deeply. When they transition, we initiate an entirely new era.
Named after the Roman god of the underworld, Pluto and its influence cannot be grasped with the mind. It represents the unseen, the mystery, and the hidden aspects of self and humanity. It is the reserves within us that are not often journeyed, including our shadows, darkness, and vulnerabilities. It is the unconsciousness and power, death and transformation.
Each year, Pluto retrogrades for anywhere from five to six months.
What Does Pluto Retrograde Mean for You?
Retrogrades in astrology represent “re” words, such as review, revise, reconsider, realign, revisit, and so on. They are the one step backward that allow for many steps forward. They are a sacred pause inviting us to look around, review who we are and the direction we are walking, integrate our past experiences, and bring closure to what needs it.
Retrogrades remind us that, no matter how we try, that life is not linear. Our journey is cyclic. We move sideways, upside-down, and every other direction possible in our outer and inner worlds, especially under the influence of Pluto.
Due to its slow movement, Pluto stays in a single sign of the zodiac for up to 21 years. Last year, Pluto underwent an era-defining shift in our cosmos from Capricorn to Aquarius. It was a moment in time during which we, too, found ourselves seemingly straddling two worlds—the old and the new.
Pluto’s current exploration of Aquarius defines a new era that will continue until 2043. And Pluto retrograde is an integral part of the dance.
The backward trajectory of Pluto brings the kind of cracking open that brings change to the foundation of who we are. Pluto journeys through our underworld, our psyche, our unconscious, our emotional body. Pluto excavates. It brings to light. Pluto retrograde shows us what is hidden within us and waiting for healing. Waiting for acceptance. Waiting for closure. Waiting for our presence.
Here, we are revisiting what is ready to be transformed. Throughout Pluto retrograde, we may find what we have labeled “old” emotions, stories, or pain resurfacing. And while transformation is rarely easy, it is deeply nourishing.
It is where we feel imprisoned within ourselves that Pluto asks us to find our freedom. It is within the experiences where we have felt powerless that Pluto invites empowerment. And it is through cracking open from within that Pluto welcomes light into dark spaces. If old stories, wounds, or fears present themselves to you throughout this time, give yourself grace. How can you befriend this part of you? What is waiting on the other side of this wound? What would it feel like to descend into it? What does this part of you need? How can you create safety while you journey with this?
Pluto represents aspects of humanity that, for many, are uncomfortable. To journey through one’s inner shadow and face what sits within the discarded parts of us isn’t easy. It is necessary, however. And it is deeply healing. Pluto is the missing piece of the puzzle that brings us home to the wholeness of our human experience.
This retrograde invites us to be vulnerable while it peels back layers to sit with what lies underneath. To witness parts ourselves we have disowned and cast into the shadow, all so that we may reach into acceptance and reclaim ourselves, piece by piece. To witness what has been keeping us chained, dimmed, powerless, and fearful, all so that we may remember our freedom, power, and light.
Your Invitation
As Pluto begins its retrograde, allow the cyclic journey of your becoming to be what it is. Pluto lives in the realms beyond your control, beyond your grasping. Your role is to allow your humanness to be as messy as it desires for this time. You are quite literally taking a step back, picking apart the pieces, making a mess, and then surrendering as you place them back together in a way that is aligned, empowering, freeing, and real, all just in time for you to find forward momentum. This is all so that you can arrive present, centered, and aligned before continuing forward.
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This article has been updated. Originally published May 16, 2023.
