Pluto Retrograde and what it means when it goes Direct

Pluto Stations Direct, October 13th, 2025

Pluto has been retrograde since May 4th, 2025, beginning at 3°49′ Aquarius, and now stations direct on October 13th, 2025, at 1°22′ Aquarius.

Pluto Stationing Direct. It has been retrograde for around five months now. When a planet goes retrograde, it is often a time for us to be more internal with its archetype and to turn our focus inward.

If we look at the Pluto archetype, it is very much about power, depth, transformation, and alchemy. Wherever Pluto has been in our chart, or especially in areas that form a hard angle to it, there will have been some kind of challenge, or you can see it as an opportunity for growth. Somewhere in our chart, there would have been activation that aligns with Pluto’s archetype of alchemy — a deep clearing out, sometimes a reclamation of power, or a period of power struggle — something that has required us to dig deep.

Pluto is often associated with the underworld, with things hidden or underground. We can think of this literally, like when we pick up a rock that has been in contact with the earth. On the top, the rock might look smooth and clean if it has been in sunlight, but underneath there are often all sorts of tiny creatures, moss, and other life forms. When we are working with Pluto, it might feel as though a metaphorical rock has been turned over, revealing things that have been hidden. We might realise there are aspects to tend to, to bring to the surface, or things that have been swept under the carpet.

Another analogy for Pluto is that it represents what lies deep within the earth. It is there that we find gems and precious metals. The underworld may be out of sight and sometimes challenging, but it also holds treasures. As it goes in astrology, for every challenge, there is an opportunity.

My dear friend and cousin, the artist Jasmine Mansbridge, often quotes Napoleon Hill: “Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.”

We can definitely apply this to Pluto.

For the last five months, this archetype has been inward, which often helps us look more closely at how we express the Pluto energy within ourselves. When Pluto goes direct, it is like asking, what lessons have I gleaned, what wisdom have I gained, and how can I now express that in the world? Our lives are cyclical in that way. We go through periods of descent into the underworld, learn from those depths, and then return with new insight, ready to apply what we have discovered.

As the planet moves forward, it will slowly retrace the same area it has been retrograding over. This allows us to put any newfound wisdom or insights into action before it begins to cover new ground. Pluto moves extremely slowly, often only a few degrees at a time. This means that if it is conjunct a planet or forming a hard aspect in your chart, you may be working with those archetypes and that area of life for a couple of years. This does not mean the entire period will be intense, but that there will likely be ongoing opportunities, both internal and external, to take a closer look at a certain part of yourself or your life, and then move forward.

As we sit in mid-October and Pluto goes direct, it is a good time to reflect on the past few months. Of course, astrology is extremely nuanced. Many other planets and asteroids are moving simultaneously. We do not live in a vacuum, so you will also have been experiencing other transits, other retrogrades, and the lessons of their archetypes.

If you would like to learn about your chart in more depth or have a reading, there are several options with me. You can enrol in my Spiritual Nutrition Astrology Fundamentals, where we explore each of the archetypes in depth. You will learn about aspects, angles in the chart, and many fundamental principles that will help you contemplate astrology more deeply.

You can also book a reading with me. I love to share your chart in an educational way, so that even after the session you feel more familiar with it. Depending on your knowledge level, you might then begin to recognise when transits are happening in different parts of your chart, and understand what that means for you.

I would like to stay reflective and archetypal here. One thing we can add is that during this retrograde, it has been the first full retrograde since Pluto entered Aquarius. In the years just before this, Pluto was moving between Aquarius and Capricorn, or at the very end of Capricorn, so we are now slowly covering new ground.

It is important to look at where those first degrees of Aquarius are in your chart. The Aquarius archetype relates to themes of technology, which is particularly relevant now with the rapid rise of AI. Aquarius also rules community, so we might see changes in how community is forming, or feel called to re-evaluate what community means to us, and the role we wish to play within it. Through the lens of Pluto, there may have been uncomfortable moments, things we did not want to see, or truths that surfaced that required our attention.

I often associate Pluto with inner technology, the systems through which we engage our spiritual discipline. This could be any form of meditation or a personal way of connecting with the divine. It also asks us to be real and raw with ourselves about what our practice actually looks like.

When we go deeper into meditation, it can create fertile ground for things to arise. We become less able to hide from ourselves, and that is a beautiful thing because it allows us to address what comes up rather than letting it fester. It helps us be more honest with ourselves.

Another major theme we experienced this summer was what many astrologers call a dress rehearsal for what 2026 will bring. And like any dress rehearsal, it invites us to be honest about where we still need to refine, where we are not quite ready yet. We are putting things on and trying them out, but it is still a rehearsal. The whole point is to notice what feels incomplete and to prepare for what comes next.

Pluto, in this sense, is incredibly helpful. It encourages us not to deceive ourselves, but to be real. We might say, that was a great experience of trying on new energy, but what deeper inner work do I need to do if I truly want to live this fully?