Pluto, the farthest planet of our solar system, is in retrograde motion approximately 5 months every year. This means that roughly half of the population has the planet retrograde in their natal chart. Any retrograde natal planet in a natal chart means that its energies are turned inwards, at least for the beginning of the native’s life.
Any planet being retrograde during the native’s birth indicates that the planet and the things that it rules in his life are strongly connected with previous lives through karma. It takes some years until the person balances the planetary energies and discovers how to manifest them in the outer world. Having a planet retrograde in the natal chart does not mean that it acts as a malefic, it just means that it functions in a different way. In fact, retrograde planets can even have a huge positive influence, as they can bring to our current incarnation a lot of traits developed in previous ones.
Most people have more than one planet retrograde in their natal chart, and it is rather difficult to find a person that has all his natal planets direct. Therefore, we should understand that the karmic connection to previous lives is a rule affecting most of the population, and should be regarded as a tool to understand ourselves.
A common effect of any retrograde planet is delays concerning the matters of the house where it is located. Pluto, in particular, is the slowest-moving planet, and thus an individual may wait quite a long time before starting to experience its energy radiating outwards.
Retrograde Pluto indicates that the individual was suppressed in previous lives, mostly by the established political and social system. He may have feel mistreated by the government, the police, the army, literally anything that can be described as the tight grip of the system. This could even be something faceless such as the economic situation of the time and the condition of the country, debts, or anything else that can repress an individual.
During the current incarnation, Pluto retrograde delivers some of these previous life traits. The native can have inner fears connected to dominant institutions, no matter if they are governmental, financial like banks or civil security. These feelings run subconsciously; the native does not even understand how he develops them but actually learns to live his life with those patterns imprinted in his mind. He is experiencing an inner anger towards this repression but will be rather hesitant to rise up against authority. In addition, he will feel quite uncomfortable in becoming an authority figure himself. Of course, all these ideas operate on a deeper level, becoming a basis for the person’s character, and it will be a slow and gradual process to feel comfortable in such Plutonian subjects.
Other fears that might be developed with Pluto retrograde are also strongly connected with the energy of Pluto, and also the 8th house where it is in domicile. The native may experience difficulties in accepting death as a phenomenon, while also everything that lurks in the realm of taboo. Thus, sexuality and its extremes will also be a matter that he will gradually develop. In addition, there can be phobias concerning the occult, or anything else that is of a secret nature, no matter if it is supernatural or not. Other subjects making the native feel uncomfortable are ideas about manipulation and betrayal.
Generally, a Pluto retrograde person cannot synchronize with Pluto’s strongest attribute, which is transformation. He will strive for stability and control over his life, not enjoying the fact that most things in our lives are not controlled by us. Denial is often a technique that such a person will implement in his life, but he will eventually understand that transformation is necessary in order to progress and to be more open for change.
The lessons one has to learn with a natal Pluto retrograde include both trusting people, but also not allowing others to take advantage of you. An individual with such a placement should thoroughly examine the repeating patterns that he sees in his character concerning control. He should research both how he exercises control towards others, while also how he allows other people (or organizations) to exercise control over him. Eventually, he will easily spot behaviors that harm him and then consciously change them. Naturally, this will take a while; but time will definitely reward him in the end.