Retrogrades › Pluto › 2012
Pluto is retrograde once in 2012: Apr 10 – Sep 18 in Capricorn.
| Pre-shadow begins | Retrograde | Direct | Post-shadow ends | Signs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 21, 2011 | Apr 10, 2012, 11:47 AM ET | Sep 18, 2012, 1:21 AM ET | Jan 7, 2013 | 9°34′ ♑︎ Capricorn 6°57′ |
Apr 10, 2012 – Sep 18, 2012 · 161 days
Pluto turns retrograde at 9°34′ Capricorn on Apr 10, 2012, 11:47 AM ET (2012-04-10 15:47 UTC) and direct at 6°57′ Capricorn on Sep 18, 2012, 1:21 AM ET (2012-09-18 05:21 UTC).
Astrologers link this retrograde to career, authority and long-term plans.
Shadow: Dec 21, 2011 – Jan 7, 2013.
Pluto is associated with power, endings and deep transformation. It is retrograde for about five months every year: about 43% of the time from 1950 to 2050. Astrologers read the period as a time to revisit long processes of change from the inside, rather than force them outward.
Retrograde motion is an optical effect: Earth and Pluto move at different speeds, so Pluto appears to drift backward against the stars for a while. Our dates are station times — when the apparent motion reverses — calculated with Astronomy Engine; see the methodology.
Same year: Mercury retrograde 2012 · Venus retrograde 2012 · Mars retrograde 2012 · Jupiter retrograde 2012 · Saturn retrograde 2012 · Uranus retrograde 2012 · Neptune retrograde 2012 · All planets now
Pluto is retrograde once in 2012: Apr 10 – Sep 18 in Capricorn.
About 161 days in total during 2012; each retrograde lasts 161 days. Including the pre- and post-shadow, each cycle spans roughly 383 days.
The pre-shadow starts when Pluto first reaches the degree where it will turn direct; the post-shadow ends when it passes the degree where it turned retrograde. The dates are in the table above.
A station is one instant worldwide, but its calendar date depends on the time zone. This calendar displays Eastern Time, including daylight-saving changes, and the event cards also show UTC. A station shortly after midnight UTC can fall on the previous date in the Americas. Compare full timestamps before concluding that two calendars disagree.
No. The retrograde phase ends at the direct station. During the post-shadow, Pluto moves direct through the degrees it covered while retrograde, until it passes the earlier retrograde-station longitude. The direct date and post-shadow end date describe different events.
Astrology is a symbolic and cultural tradition. The planetary positions on this site are calculated with astronomical accuracy; the interpretations describe what astrologers associate with them and are not scientifically validated predictions about personality, relationships or the future.