Pluto Retrograde: Shedding Old Selves

"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." - Albert Einstein

Pluto is still reeling in retrograde, symbolizing a psychological dive into our deepest self and asking what needs to be purged to make room for the new. The world seems to be conspiring to put us in touch with shadows from our past in an attempt to make us clear and give us the the clarity to see what we can put behind us, where we have come from and how much we've grown. Pluto, the Lord of the Underworld, has been attempting to psychologically recycle us since it began retrograde on April 6th and now we are actually in the wrap-it-up phase until the planet(oid) stations direct on September 16th, that's right … Friday!

Pluto is never easy as he represents consciousness and where he is in the chart can point to where we have been wounded and create all sorts of defenses to avoid revisiting that place. However, as our personal power in the world is also locked away with this planet, we are compelled to get to the bottom of our own mystery in one way or another. We can either participate -- difficult as it may be --- or try to avoid it and participate less consciously. Either way, situations seem to arise that can't be ignored and those less bent on growing self-awareness may try to blame it on the "outside" rather than looking inward to see where we are carrying the root of the problem. Actually these difficulties are sorts of blessings; test of our resolve to put a chapter behind us be it an old attitude, person, belief, job … etc. And once absorbed, we can celebrate their passing and graduate into fresher layers of our psyche.

Pluto doesn't always package things nicely and yes, sometimes we just have to leave what's broken behind without putting a pretty little bow on it. That may be our closure in some cases. WIth very little time left in the retrograde it's better to release and let go than to get in and try to fix. There's something very zen about just letting problems be like the wisdom found in a quote that asks what does one do with a dirty puddle? Nothing -- let it be and it will clear up. Our most valuable resource when Pluto is retrograde is to be able to keep our eyes open in the storm and see where we have participated and how we can make new choices -- more authentic with who we are today.