Pluto turns retrograde at 19°24′ Capricorn on Apr 20, 2017, 8:24 AM ET (2017-04-20 12:24 UTC) and direct at 16°51′ Capricorn on Sep 28, 2017, 3:13 PM ET (2017-09-28 19:13 UTC).
Astrologers link this retrograde to career, authority and long-term plans.
Shadow: Dec 29, 2016 – Jan 19, 2018.
What Pluto retrograde means
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.
Pluto is retrograde once in 2017: Apr 20 – Sep 28 in Capricorn.
How long is Pluto retrograde in 2017?
About 161 days in total during 2017; each retrograde lasts 161 days. Including the pre- and post-shadow, each cycle spans roughly 386 days.
What is the Pluto retrograde shadow?
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.
Why do Pluto retrograde dates differ by time zone?
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.
Is Pluto still retrograde during the post-shadow?
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.