StarCrossed: Get Your Inner Child Ready for Pluto Retrograde
Pluto's also had a special place in my heart—how dare they declassify it—because it's the most mysterious cosmic being out there. It's the ruler of our unconscious and the keeper of our secrets.
StarCrossed follows a hobby that keeps my passion for reading and research alive—astrology and astronomy. My love for the Universe goes beyond the spiritual and includes the scientific wonders of space.
Did you know Pluto appears to be in retrograde half the time we see it? It shifts into reverse for about five to six months annually. It’s that time of the year again—from May 2 to October 11, 2024, Pluto retrograde will briefly move between Aquarius and Capricorn before staying in Aquarius for two decades. Yes, it’s the Age of Aquarius.
More than being mysterious, Pluto is considered a transformative and evocative cosmic being. This retrograde season allows us to continue letting go of what no longer serves us—unloading excess emotional baggage and even saying goodbye to people and places with which we no longer connect. However, we may also give second chances and make allowances to fit old concepts within our newly drawn boundaries. All of this comes from the introspection and the increase in intuition that the retrograde season encourages.
What Is a Retrograde?
A planetary retrograde is when a planet seems to be moving backward in the sky to people looking up at it here on Earth. No, planets don’t sometimes go in reverse. It’s an optical illusion due to the speed of Earth’s rotation. Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto all retrograde. You may be familiar with Mercury retrograde because it happens so often.
Why is Mercury retrograde so common? The closer a planet is to Earth, the shorter the retrograde—and often more frequent. The farther away it is, the longer the retrograde season. In astrology, we look at what happens in the skies and relate that to what’s happening in our lives. So, discussing what happens during a retrograde season also necessitates learning more about your zodiac sign. While a planet going retrograde typically means chaos and confusion related to what it rules, where the retrograde happens is also important. For example, the Pluto retrograde we’re experiencing now moves from Aquarius to Capricorn and back to Aquarius. Each zodiac sign has different associations, just like planets. For instance, Cancer rules comfort, maternal energies, and self-care.
What Should You Know About Pluto Retrograde?
Contrary to popular belief, retrogrades aren’t necessarily bad. Instead of focusing on the chaos and confusion, we can concentrate on the fact that the season can encourage clarity. With a cosmic being slowing down and appearing to go in reverse, we can take a second look at what matters. We can remedy what’s happened in the past to benefit our present and future. Because Pluto is so far away from Earth, its retrograde season is slower and doesn’t always switch signs. That means that we can really feel its impact on our lives.
Old problems and issues may resurface during this period, but instead of avoiding them, we should take advantage of the season and work on them. You may even find the close you’re looking for as you work to better your life and change your mindset. This Pluto retrograde is for stepping out of your comfort zone. As Pluto appears to stay in place, you can do the same and pause to ask yourself new questions. It is the time to follow your intuition instead of following inertia.
Pluto is the planet associated with the soul and its desires and intentions, and along with the unconscious, it also represents everything that’s repressed and tamped down due to trauma. Pluto cuts through surface-level thinking and challenges you to confront what you don’t want to acknowledge. Therefore, Pluto retrograde must be accompanied by cleaning out your closet in preparation for rebirth. What’s dying and decaying in you? Let it out and replace it with sparks that light you up.
What Should You Know About Pluto’s Age of Aquarius?
While Pluto stations retrograde in Aquarius on May 2, it won’t stay there. From September 1 to November 19, 2024, it will visit Capricorn—mirroring its last visit there last year on June 11 to October 10, 2023. What happened in your life during this period? Revisit that as Pluto revisits Capricorn. Because Capricorn rules structure, limits, patriarchy, and authority, keep those concepts in mind as you do this exercise.
In general, though, this retrograde season is ideal for looking back on what’s happened since Pluto was in Aquarius—since January 20, 2024. That’s not such a long time ago, but it could be a good idea to reassess and reorganize your life during this period. Pluto retrograde in Aquarius could catalyze a drastic shift in existing social hierarchies as Aquarius rules innovation, technology, and collective change.
Why Should You Consider Focusing on Shadow Work During This Time?
During the upcoming weeks, expect old traumas and wounds to resurface, as well as all the unprocessed emotions you’ve repressed to deal with in the future. The future is now! Take this time to focus on catharsis, healing, and letting go.
In mythology, Pluto dwells in the underworld and is the kidnapper of Persephone, which could represent your inner child. Tend to your inner child during Pluto retrograde. Face your shadow, too. And, really, face yourself. At the very least, you should come out of this retrograde season liking yourself more than you did before.
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This is well written. I don’t know much, if anything about this topic, but I never got lost or felt condescension. Nice work!