Pluto Retrograde 2011: April 9 – September 16

Pluto is the planet of destruction and regeneration, and now that it is in retrograde motion (beginning April 9, 2011, it will be retrograde until September 16) we will spend the next nearly six months re-examining old patterns in our lives.

Retrograde periods don’t have to be scary (as I’ve often extolled about periods of Mercury retrograde); instead, while things have a tendency to get muddled with other retrograde planets (with Mercury, for example, the ruler of communication, things in that arena tend to go haywire), Pluto retrograde is a time of slowing down to experience internal reflection. Retrograde periods are time to break out the “re:” regeneration, renewal, reflection….you get the point. Add “re” to the beginning of a word, and you have a way of positively using a period of planetary retrograde motion.

Pluto represents those pieces of ourselves that we need to “destroy,” or clean up and clear away, before we can experience the new. The Plutonian energy is intense, especially during these next few months of retrograde motion, so be prepared to reflect heavily on what it is you might need to clean out of your metaphoric closets. Now is the time to deal with things (and parts of yourself) that you may have been putting off.

While these coming months may be intense and find us dealing with some scarier shadow parts of our selves, we can also experience the regeneration and transformation that Pluto is known for.