Praise be! Another planet has finally left its retrograde motion and the resulting chaos behind. On October 8, Pluto, the planet of transformation and destruction, will exit its yearly retrograde — the first time since April 25 — in Capricorn. Although Pluto retrogrades aren't as disorderly as others (we're looking at you, Venus retrograde), it's still a time of reflection and growth. But now that it's over... what do we do?
"While Pluto is retrograde we typically go through some kind of an awakening or healing process depending on where Pluto is transiting through your chart, and it varies from person to person," says psychic astrologer Leslie Hale. "Some individuals are put into situations where they look fear in the eye in some manner and are forced to deal with it whether they are willing or not. For others, it is a process of gaining wisdom or insight into something." If any partnerships or financial ventures were delayed during Pluto retrograde, they will now begin to move forward, Hale says.
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Pluto is one of the most intense and powerful planets circling the cosmos, and is linked to themes connecting to our deepest selves, transformation, and the subconscious, according to Lisa Stardust, astrologer and author of The Love Deck. "The retrograde has allowed us to deal with situations around karma, structure, and stability on both personal and collective levels," she tells Refinery29. "We will now become more status-oriented, and will likely feel eager to get rid of any obstacles that are preventing us from thriving professionally."
For almost six months, we've been revisiting some of our most personal deep-rooted psychological material, according to Narayana Montúfar, senior astrologer for Astrology.com and author of Moon Signs: Unlock Your Inner Luminary Power. "When we were dreaming, meditating, and even practicing active psychotherapy or self-analysis, Pluto has been exposing the dark side of our lives, bringing it up for processing and release," she says. "Unhealthy life patterns and toxic relationships, specifically, have been targeted and exposed, shocking even some of the most aware people."
We often feel Pluto's effects on a deeper, more long-term level during its retrograde due to the distance between us and the planet of destruction, and now, we're ready to move forward. "We are now aware of how energetically expensive it is to keep negative, toxic people in our orbit," says Montúfar. While Pluto is direct, we'll have an easier time saying no to things that don't serve us, breaking up with partners who don't respect us, and leaving positions that don't fulfill us. "Pluto has also exposed that living in a constant state of crisis is detrimental to our health and wellbeing, which will drive many to abandon their jobs and current positions of power," she says.
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While this astrological happening may expose toxicity, we must do something to address it ourselves. "It's up to us to integrate these lessons and realisations into our consciousness," says astrologer Stephanie Campos. "When we extend ourselves self-forgiveness, we can begin to heal. This is a wonderful time to actively engage in shadow work and to reframe some pieces of your journey that have left you feeling fragmented in the past." Pluto promises us healing and transformation, but only if we put in that work ourselves.
"Do not suppress the changes," says Iva Naskova, astrologer at the Nebula app. "Making them is most likely inevitable, so the more you resist, the more painful the process can be. Fresh starts can be frightening and intimidating, but they can also be a chance to create a better life for yourself and a new path to amazing opportunities." Get organised, go to therapy if that's something you've been wanting to do, reach out to friends to make amends, and welcome in any positivity you can.
Pluto's direct turn will be felt a bit more intensely than usual due to the fact that it occurs the day before the full moon in Aries on October 9, according to Montúfar, but it's nothing to have a meltdown about. Astrology is constantly changing, guiding, and affecting us — as long as you're listening, you'll be able to come out on the other side anew.