How Does Pluto Retrograde Affect Communication?

Of the many planets currently in retrograde, little dwarf planet Pluto may not seem like one to worry about. Unfortunately, though, things like size and official NASA planetary status do not seem to interfere with Pluto's astrological weight and how it affects our interactions on Earth. So how does Pluto retrograde affect communication, you might wonder? Pluto will be retrograde for the next five long months, stretching from April 20 through Sept. 28, 2017, so we're in for quite a ride.

Despite being the outermost planet and slow-moving, in astrology, Pluto is considered highly transformative. Named after the god of the Underworld, known in Greek mythology as Hades, Pluto rules all things that lay "below the surface," notes Cafe Astrology. While Pluto is retrograde, you may be forced to confront and bring to light a dark hidden part of yourself in order to move forward. Pluto's forces also traffic in issues of power, control, and obsession — so in other words, welcome to the dark side, my friend.

Planetary retrogrades often mark times of reflection and deep self-assessment. Like the apparent backwards motion in the sky, as the planets seem to move move from left to right across the stars, the retrograde period asks us to take stock of the past and learn from our mistakes so that we can move productively forward in our lives by the time the planets station direct again.

Pluto's retrograde cycle in particular asks us to turn inwards and take stock of where we stand emotionally and spiritually — and, yes, that means examining our less attractive qualities, too. While we all would rather be care-free and playing in the summer sunshine, Pluto forces your hand for an important reason, AstrologyKing.com explains; if "some destructive energy is hindering a necessary transformation, Pluto retrograde forces an internal investigation to root out the problem and eliminate it." Taking into account the position of Jupiter in 2017, which is also retrograde right now (it stations direct on June 9), this means that some of these dark issues may have to do with "greed, excess, faith or ideology" — all the things your mom told you not to mention at a dinner party.

When compared with Mercury retrograde's reign of chaos and miscommunications, Pluto's inner demon hunting may seem like we're getting off easy. Call me lazy, though, because I don't want to clean out my fridge, let alone my subconscious and inner-psyche. Over the next five months expect to tackle issues relating to power and control, in the ultimate search for deeper meaning. When it comes to communication, try and remain aware of how you tend to interact with those close to you and the power dynamics at play.

If there's a bad friend in your life or if you have been controlling others, prepare to make some tough changes. As AstrologyKing.com suggests, "If people have been controlling or manipulating you then now is the time to let them go. If you have been too controlling of others or situations then it is time to let go. This is not a time for power tripping but a time for elimination." By putting a stop to reinforcing toxic friends' behavior and owning your bad habits you will be able to form healthy relationships built on equal and fair footing.

A little astrologically-prompted spring cleaning will get you ready to find your voice or ease your grip. Pluto may be smaller than our moon but boy, is it powerful!