Retrogrades are always made out to be really challenging times that can be used to excuse or to place blame for particular behaviours or what has been said. Personally, I strongly disagree with this so I wanted to help educate others on what a retrograde really is.
Now, retrogrades are not as complicated as a lot of people make them out to be. It's essentially a time when the whole planet experiences an optical illusion that affects a planet between particular dates. The optical illusion is that the planet in question appears to move backwards along its orbit for a while before returning to its normal forward motion. And yes, multiple planets can be retrograde at one time.
Here, I wanted to focus on Pluto retrograde as it is the next retrograde to start on 2nd May 2024. Pluto will start off in the sign of Aquarius but it will move back into the sign of Capricorn for the last time in about 300 years - Pluto's orbit length is 248 years and can spend between 11.5 and 30.5 years in any sign.
This is really interesting to me because the last time Pluto was in Aquarius was in the 1700s, which was known as the "Age of Enlightenment" due to ideals of freedom and equality took centre stage with lots of revolts and revolutionaries. It was all about changing society and is it just me, or is this happening all over again now?
Pluto is the planet of death and rebirth, the shadow side or aspect. of transformation. Within Roman mythology, Pluto was the god of death and it was his stories that informed the name of this planet although its discovery is less than 100 years old at the time of writing this - Pluto was discovered in 1930!
With these as the themes of the next 5-ish months, the sign(s) that Pluto moves through will inform how the energy of Pluto can be expressed and understood. I've already mentioned that Pluto starts this retrograde in Aquarius but will move back into Capricorn before staying in Aquarius from 2025.
With both Aquarius and Capricorn signs being involved, this means that transformation is afoot but likely from an unexpected place or that transformation will be possible but only if we choose to utilise the wisdom of a different perspective. This transformation may be difficult but working hard at what needs to be changed will be the best course of action.
Becaue of this, plenty of people will blame Pluto for transformation happening that isn't to theirstandards or exactly what they expected it to be. I really do shake my head at this because I believe retrogrades are opportunities for us to learn about how we as individuals can be the transformation we would like to see in the wider world, as well as internalising this change within ourselves.
This is just a simplified snapshot of how Pluto's retrograde in 2024 will be as the relationships it has with other planets will also have an effect on these 5 months. But there is a way you can inform yourself how Pluto being retrograde will affect you: a tarot or oracle reading.
While looking online, I discovered a series of spreads by GroundedByTheMoon that I will be using for the various retrogrades that occur (although I may change it up for one particular planet that goes retrograde 3-4 times per year). So here's my personal Pluto retrograde reading that I did using The Enchanted Map oracle deck by Colette Baron-Reid:
What is no longer serving me?
Heal the "Ouch"
With this card, I feel like the message is that I don't need to do anything practical or pragmatic around healing my Self. Healing doesn't just happen when I'm resting, or when I'm consuming healthy or healing-focused foods and drinks. There are many forms of healing but the one I really don't need is receiving assistance and/or advice from others.
At the same time, I feel like there is a possibility that this is not the time for me to get involved when others are wanting to heal. I don't need to guide or advise all of the time and sometimes, it's better to allow others to learn the "hard way" of the kind of healing they most need.
How can I best let it go and release?
Ride the Wave
With this card, I truly believe the message to be that I just need to be. I cannot control the wave's height, strength or power so I have to allow it to inform me of what happens. I have to give up the illusion of control as I really don't have any and this might just be the most freeing thing I can do in general.
Either that or I've already learned the necessary wisdom and now is the time for me to put that wisdom into practice. By doing this, I'll be able to make true forward progress. I've learned all of the lessons to get to this point and now I have to have courage and just do the things that seemed to scare me so much before.
How can I embrace this change?
Magic Prayer
With this card, I believe that the message is that I can embrace this change by giving everything over to Spirit, the Divine and/or whatever else I believe in. I can stay firm and strong in the belief that Spirit will always guide me but I need to give my "burdens" and wounds over to this entity before I can receive that guidance. I am a co-creator with Spirit and new things can only occur when I do not know the final destination of the path that I walk.
Even if I don't get what I need, I can stand in the knowledge that Spirit will always ensure that I have what I need in life. But I have to continuously give my wishes, desires and burdens over to Spirit until it becomes second nature to me to do so.
What emotional healing and rebirth do I need?
Ghostlands, Storm Fields Reversed
With Ghostlands, I feel like this is saying that it's time for me to leave the past behind me. I don't need to have my past hanging over me like a clock that is out of sync with the rest of my life. I need to remember or re-learn how to truly be present in the here-and-now because I have been spending too much time thinking about the past. I can use the past as "inspiration" for how I would prefer my life not to be but I cannot be nostalgic or worry about what happened in the past. It has already happened while the present is currently happening.
Storm Fields didn't appear to me by just jumping out onto my desk while I shuffled as it dived to the floor and as I picked it up, a whisker from my black cat was with it. This card confirms that I need to just be, without being dragged into the chaos and/or drama that occurs in the lives of others. I will only regret being involved with such a destructive occurrence. I need to be present and focus on my own life.
What is unknown, lying beneath the surface?
Come Together
With this card, I feel like the message is that any kind of (good and decent) love should be expressed and shown to the world. As Pluto moves through this retrograde, I can learn about love and its place in my life. But it is important that any relationship I have is equal, with all those involved giving and taking equally. Perhaps this is the time when I can deepen my relationship with the goddesses Diana and Hekate, and with Spirit in general as I am co-creating with them all but they all love me as much as I love them. I will admit that I have a tendency to forget about my relationships with Spirit and the godds so this is timely guidance.
This was rather interesting and definitely made me think about how I can move through this Pluto retrograde. I am rather excited about it now and will definitely be revisiting this in the future.
I hope this inspires you to consider how the retrogrades can have an effect on your life as a part of astrology.
Peace and love to all!!!!
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