Pluto retrograde 2025 begins on May 4 at 3° Aquarius and ends on October 13 at 1° Aquarius.
Pluto retrograde generally promotes introspection about power and control issues in your life. Pluto retrograde 2025 makes dark desires in relationships the focus of the issues with Pluto aspecting Venus and Black Moon Lilith.
The general meaning of Pluto retrograde is followed by more details about Pluto retrograde 2025. Information about Pluto retrograde in your birth chart can be found at the end of this article
Pluto Retrograde Meaning
Pluto represents power, control, transformation, evolution, death and rebirth. It destroys to renew and brings intense needs and drives to the surface. It is associated with personal mastery, big business, wealth, the underground, surgery, genetic engineering, detective work, espionage, global organizations, dictators, organized crime, destruction, mass murder, genocide, nuclear power and nuclear weapons.
Pluto retrograde in transit is a regular cycle lasting five months yearly during the opposition to the Sun. As with all outer planets, it causes less concern than the rarer inner planet retrogrades. Transiting Pluto retrograde is a time of reflection about power and control issues in your life.
If people have controlled or manipulated you, then now is the time to let them go. It is time to let go if you have been too controlling of others or situations. This is not a time for power-tripping but a time for elimination. Fated events and repeating themes will reinforce which of your controlling habits, compulsions, addictions, or prejudices must be eliminated.
You may be forced to let go if you have been too smothering and controlling in a relationship or holding on too tight. If obsessive or compulsive behavior involving food or drugs has taken hold of your life, then events may cause a turnaround. The more intense your destructive behavior, the more extreme the detoxification or withdrawal stage, such as going cold turkey.
Perhaps suspicion, secrecy, racism, gambling, or pornography are taking control and holding you back from spiritual evolution. Trust in your spirit guides, and think of the extremes your ancestors endured to have their genes expressed in you. Destroying things that have control over you will increase your spiritual power and lead to personal mastery.
The exact moment that Pluto stations retrograde is the perfect time to meditate on Pluto themes in your life. At this time, Pluto’s energy more easily penetrates your subconscious. It is possible to feel the tremendous power as Pluto mines for deeply buried trauma, memories and secrets that have been suppressed or forgotten, perhaps relating to previous incarnations. It is preferable to be outside to avoid steel roofs blocking the energies from the universe.
Pluto Retrograde 2025
Pluto stations retrograde on May 4 at 03°49 Aquarius. Venus sextile Pluto and Lilith square Pluto are the most significant Pluto aspects. However, Mars opposite Pluto may still have some effect and amplify the darker desires exposed by Lilith.
Pluto Retrograde 2025
Venus sextile Pluto makes you more passionate about love and the things that you love. You may become more deeply involved with, concerned about, and attached to a person, possession, or anything else you value. Obsessions, infatuations, and compulsions are possible as you become more determined to experience companionship, affection, love, or sex more intensely and profoundly.
An existing relationship can evolve to a more profound or spiritual level. You would be more “into” sex than usual and may experiment with taboo areas of sexuality. If single, a new romance now would be intense and significantly change your life. You may seek more privacy now. Affairs may start, secrets may be kept, or uncovered. Your creative talents can be expressed dynamically.
Lilith square Pluto on April 30 stays within a one-degree orb from April 20 to May 9. It exposes the darker or taboo desires you have hidden to avoid criticism and rejection. This especially applies to intimate relationships and may involve exploring your sexuality, nudism, bondage, submission, domination, multiple partners, triangular relationships, pornography, and prostitution.
Power and control are significant themes. Lilith sought equality but not control, and rebelled against subservience. Pluto in the form of governments, dictators, corporations, or controlling partners may attempt to bully, suppress, dominate, disempower, alienate, persecute, abuse, imprison, or banish strong independent women, non-conformists, LGBTQ+, protestors, or immigrants.
The Flying Eagle
While the Venus and Lilith aspects are significant, the primary astrological influence on Pluto retrograde 2025 is the influence of an intense fixed star at 02°08′ Aquarius. Pluto is under the influence of the fixed star Altair for the entire retrograde phase.
Pluto Retrograde 2025
Fixed star Altair in the neck of the Eagle confers a bold, confident, valiant, unyielding, ambitious, and liberal nature, great and sudden but ephemeral wealth, and a position of command, makes its natives guilty of bloodshed, and gives danger from reptiles. [1]
Altair is good for lawyers and military personnel. [2] Negatively, a mischief maker, disgrace, misfortune, and possible ruin. [3]
Constellation Aquila gives great imagination, strong passions, indomitable will, a dominating character, influence over others, clairvoyance, a keen penetrating mind, and ability for chemical research. [1]
In mundane astrology, Aquila rules the U.S.A., space exploration, bombs, missiles and drones. Pluto conjunct Altair in 2024 saw the continuation of the most extensive bombing campaign since the Vietnam War, with the destruction of Gaza. Iran launched the largest-ever drone attack on Israel, Pluto conjunct Altair (0°05′).
Pluto remains within two degrees of Altair from November 6, 2024, to February 14, 2026. There are three exact conjunctions:
- February 3, 2025
- August 13, 2025
- December 10, 2025
On February 4, 2025, Donald Trump announced the US would take control of the Gaza Strip in an agreement with Israel, and that the U.S. military would be in charge of Gaza’s reconstruction. [4]
Pluto Direct 2025
Pluto stations direct on October 13 at 01°22 Aquarius. The chart below shows the stunning Magic Triangle between Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, which lasts from 2025 to 2028. This is the most positive, significant, and consequential planetary alignment in our lifetimes and this century.
Pluto Direct 2025
With the focus on Pluto, a spiritual evolution or revolution could bring charismatic leaders and agents of change and new, unorthodox or strange ideologies, philosophies, or churches with a great diversity of belief and practice. However, there is still negativity in this world, and new extreme or dangerous ideologies, cults, and messiahs could emerge.
Many secrets will be revealed, and light will be shed upon hidden, sinister, subversive, and criminal groups and global organizations. This has already begun, from exposed celebrity pedophile rings and secret tunnels to unsealed UFO files.
Pluto Retrograde Dates
- 2024, May 2 to October 11 – 02°06′ Aquarius to 29°38′ Capricorn.
- 2025, May 4 to October 13 – 03°49′ to 01°22′ Aquarius.
- 2026, May 7 to October 15 – 05°30′ to 03°04′ Aquarius.
Natal Pluto Retrograde
Pluto retrograde natal is more common than inner planet retrograde, such as Mercury and Venus. About 40% of people have Pluto retrograde in their birth chart, so it’s less feared and less harmful than having an inner planet retrograde. That said, natal Pluto retrograde still has karmic repercussions and a noticeable influence.
With natal Pluto retrograde, you may have difficulty transforming your life due to fear of letting go. The internalization process of retrogrades can slow you, bringing your intense drives and needs to the surface. You will probably have difficulty expressing your power and influence.
Fear of being controlled or taking control can stem from past experiences involving power abuse or manipulation. Whether you were a victim or abuser may be shown through natal Pluto aspects and any fixed star conjunctions.
Depending on past life conditions, you may fear death, poverty, manipulation, torture, imprisonment, being committed to a mental institution, exile, or betrayal. Power and control issues may involve psychic realms, sex, and inheritance.
For such reasons, you can be very intense on the inside, secretive, or a control freak. Past life conditioning can repeat, especially while young, in the form of compulsions, phobias, isolation, or mistrust of family. You may develop strong psychic power due to internalizing your powerful drives and wishes for power and success. Hiding your genuine desire for power and influence can lead to suspicion.
Pluto retrograde in your natal chart subjects you to many fated events to bring your deepest and darkest fears to the surface. A repeating theme of particular experiences will continue until you learn to safely express your inner power and intensity.
References
- Fixed Stars and Constellations in Astrology, Vivian E. Robson, 1923, p.29, 135.
- Fixed Stars and Their Interpretation, Elsbeth Ebertin, 1971, p.73.
- The Power of the Fixed Stars, Joseph E. Rigor, 1979, p.196.
- In shock announcement, Trump says U.S. wants to take over Gaza Strip, February 5, 2025, reuters.com.
