Your Secret to Success With Pluto Retrograde

It's springtime, which means it's go-time for planting your garden. This little annual task we all do can actually teach us a lot about Pluto retrograde, a misunderstood and seemingly spooky astrological event that's on its way to shake things up.
If you're an experienced horticulturist, you know that the most important step to gardening is not seeding or watering... it's the weeding and the clearing out you do before that even happens.
A healthy garden is all about setting the stage and optimizing the Earth for the beautiful things you want to grow.
And Pluto retrograde is all about that weeding stage!
In a way, physical gardening is the same thing as spiritual gardening. In spiritual gardening, the components are within yourself. It's all about the internal work you do that will reap the rewards.
Let's discover more about this mysterious (and quickly approaching) period of time!

Pluto Retrograde 2021 Dates
We have been retrograde-free in 2021 for quite a few months... but that period of peace is over, with Pluto in retrograde kicking us off.
Pluto in Retrograde begins on April 27th in the earthy sign of Capricorn. Since Pluto moves into Aquarius in 2023, we don't have much longer with the energy of the wise goat dominating this transformative planet.
On October 6th, Pluto's backward movement ends -- that is, no more Pluto in Retrograde by the time fall weather is really swinging in.
Still, we have quite a few months in 2021 that Pluto will dominate in Retrograde, so let's see what that really means for us... and for you individually!
Discover more retrogrades: The Complete Guide to 2021 Retrogrades
Exploring Pluto Retrograde
When Pluto is Direct
When Pluto is in forward motion, you will see Pluto's effects occurring from the outside in.
Its transformative and changing energy affects all of us, making worldly events, political changes, and the likes a lot more interesting. Almost always, these changes involve the full destruction of the present structures we know to make room for something new.

When Pluto is Retrograde
Here Pluto appears to be moving backward but is really just moving slower, and you will see the opposite.
Pluto's effects will happen from the inside out; in other words, it's great for personal growth and transformation. And if you truly use Pluto retrograde for what it is intended, then you will find your own secrets to success and how to optimize those secrets to create your success!
Finding Success With Pluto in Retrograde
1. Weed Out Secrets & Information
Pluto is the planet of transformation but also the planet of secrets and information.
This is one of the many reasons why Scorpio, the Fixed Water sign, is ruled by Pluto. It's the zodiac detective -- Scorpio knows intuitively where to dig, what to dig for, and how to produce results. With Pluto in retrograde, you are undergoing a detective period in your own life.
The answers you can be seeking are simple: what is working in your life, what isn't, and how can you optimize the fertile ground of your soul for beautiful things to grow this spring?
Pluto retrograde brings a real "out with the old, in with the new" mindset, and you can use it to your advantage with some real, honest truth-seeking.

2. You Can Keep the Change
Pluto is also known for its association with death, which can definitely give you the spooks.
But in the Tarot, we know that the Death card can also represent change and transformation.
When Pluto is direct, these events happen in the external world, such as secrets coming out at a dinner party or events happening that highlight what you need to work on. When Pluto is retrograde, the process slows down, and the transformations and secrets are largely happening within yourself.
These changes often happen whether we like them or not, and they can be big or small. You may be inclined to change your typical style of dress, or you may feel like moving across the country.
The key is to roll with the desire for change rather than fight it and let Pluto work its transformative magic for you.
3. Get Creative
Periods of incredible change, transformation, and self-reflection often don't come without needing an outlet for our experiences.
Especially for creative folks, it's time to get the pen moving or the paintbrush onto that canvas. Creating powerful art when everything else seems uncertain will always be a great tool to tap into.
And at the end of it all, you'll have some unique time capsules of your experience from Pluto in retrograde!
4. Growth & Transformation
At the end of the day, all of this talk of change, discovering secrets, and finding a self-reflective outlet is nothing without a true desire for growth.
Pluto pushes us to find that transformation and growth through these difficult changes and experiences. It won't always feel pretty -- the weeding stage typically isn't, after all.
But with the true intentions for self-development and betterment of ourselves as people, we grow into better, stronger, and more whole versions of ourselves.
One of the best ways to step into the energy of Pluto retrograde, all in all, is to embrace that desire for self-improvement.
Final Reminder
Pluto retrograde only sounds scary when you think of its dark side, but the Universe is always about balance. Where there is dark, there will be light. That's the wonderful thing about Pluto Retrograde!
You may face a dark moment or two along the way, but those dark moments are leading you right to the sunshine if you are really embracing this period. Don't be afraid to do a little weeding!
What transformations are you most looking forward to under Pluto retrograde?