Guide to Pluto Retrograde

General Information

• Generally a time of reflection about power and control issues in your life. 
• Can bring good fortune with regret and despair
• Pluto stations retrograde once a year for nearly half a year (5-6 months)
• A “Brutal Master” by his unrivaled ability to breakdown structured existence
• Associated with: Society’s Underbelly, Death, Power and Control Issues, Abuse, Meaningless loss, and the resulting existential crisis
• Pluto’s transit can dominate an entire year of our lives, and if a planet is in aspect with Pluto, the area of your natal chart said planet governs will see an effect and that effect can be intense and long lasting 
• Pluto retrograde is a great time to contemplate the way society, big business, and governments need to change
• The focus of the retrograde may change with the sign the retrograde is stationed in (i.e. Pluto retrograde in Capricorn could bring a redistribution of wealth this is due to the fact that the goat is associated with business and Pluto with rebirth)
• Pluto retrograde may give us the opportunity to free ourselves from unhealthy dependencies in the material world
• Gives you the opportunity to be honest with yourself about why you may be negatively motivated by power, fame,  wealth, influence, and dominance.
• It takes a lot of awareness to feel the effects of Pluto retrograde due to the fact that Pluto not only moves slow, but also deals with things on a psychological level.
• A great time to focus on self improvement as well as getting rid of past hang-ups and old habits 
• Pluto retrograde destroys all that no longer serves you

Pluto Facts

• Pluto wants to uncover things from the darkness or hidden realm of your subconscious and bring it to the light so positive changes may occur
• It takes 250 years for Pluto to to go around the 12 zodiac signs
• Pluto belongs to a group of outer planets that we aren’t taught about in school. These outer planets are said to bring global change
• Just because Pluto is a dwarf planet doesn't mean its power, and the effect its power has, is any bit of diminished 
• Pluto is the supreme ruler of the heavens and keeps the solar system in line
• Pluto is a heavyweight status planet, which means it doesn’t get involved with small or personal affairs
• Pluto awakens when it is in aspect with other planets, or when it is changing signs 
• How Pluto will affect you and the the rest of the world is unpredictable 
• Pluto has extreme energy and can be summed up by the general statement “All or Nothing”
• When Pluto is in aspect with other planets it can amplify the power of that planet.

Pluto’s Domains

• Family Lineage and Genetic inheritance
• Ancestors and souls of the deceased
• Eternity
• Karma 
• People of Authority
• Death and the Afterworld 
• Transformation 
• Past life connections
  
• Destruction and Regeneration
• Magma and Earthquakes
• Nuclear Reactors

Pluto Vs Mars

• Pluto, much like mars, has fire energy. There are some key differences

Pluto & Scorpio

• During Scorpio season events with a connection to your past life are more likely to begin. (I.e. you meet and bond with someone you were in a relationship with in a past life. You may take up something that ended in failure in a past life. You might visit a place or country you lived in during a past life.)

Pluto & Saturn

• Both Pluto and Saturn govern karma. 
• Pluto differs from Saturn as it deals with generational karma, and Saturn deals with personal karma

Gaining Pluto’s Favor

• It is hard to gain Pluto’s favor, but some ways you can try include:
• Being decisive (Taking action with decisiveness makes it easier for Pluto to remove what doesn’t serve you)
• Wearing a butterfly motif (Butterflies hold the meaning of transformation, due to the fact that they completely transform from one insect to another. This will help you keep your mind in transformation mode.)
• Take action on days when the moon is in Scorpio
• Strengthen the power of your personal moon sign

Tendencies of people born during Pluto retrograde

• The planet's energy has a tendency to point inward and affect people's personality and behaviors. The most common tendencies of people born during this retrograde include:
• Easily feeling lonely and assuming that no one understands them
• Easily feeling envious of others
• Tending to feel like you are not capable of doing or achieving things
• Ways to remedy this include:
• Becoming an Authority on something by mastering the subject
• Realizing that everything isn’t black and white

Crystals for Pluto Retrograde

Hematite helps you to release patterns of behavior that no longer serve you

Tourmaline helps eliminate fear, making it easier to confront hidden emotions

Amethyst increases your will power and decreases your destructive behaviors

Moonstone allows you to reflect and practice introspection without fear 

Citrine helps you find balance between heavy emotions and feelings of gratitude

Rhodochrosite helps you forgive yourself for the past mistakes and let go of any guilt associated with it

Moldavite helps you connect with your higher self and the wisdom your higher self has. Moldavite is known for not being a gentle healer. It will strip you down to nothing so it can replace it with what you need. Be careful working with Moldavite 

Obsidian helps you scry your thoughts to find out what needs to be released. You can stare into its shiny coating to find images that mean something to you. This will help trigger the thoughts of what needs to be worked on. 

Summary

Pluto retrogrades involve clearing out negative thoughts, awareness, and problems. Good ways to spend your time during Pluto retrograde include; going to the spa or hot spring, going on a retreat, and fasting. These help purify and improve the body’s state. Other ways to spend time during Pluto retrograde is developing skills that haven’t come to the forefront. This will put you in a position to seize the moment when that time comes.