Astrology Forecast for 2023
Happy New Year! Warmest wishes for a happy, healthy and prosperous 2023, from my home to yours.
As I was re-reading my forecasts for 2020-2022, I was amazed to realize how much of what the stars foretold us came true.
A Look Back….
2020 brought a once-in-a-lifetime Jupiter-Saturn-Pluto conjunction, promising a harsh global event that would put us in touch with survival issues, and push us to tap into our deepest reserves of resilience. And, we had a global pandemic. The world shut down. We were going stir-crazy, quarantined, working from home, and fearful for the lives of our loved ones.
Interestingly, a Jupiter-Pluto conjunction can also bring financial windfalls if it hits your natal chart just right. I couldn’t understand how it was possible when the pandemic first started. Surely the economy was about to collapse? But, governments around the world provided massive financial injections to keep the economy going, and to help those who lost employment during the pandemic.
We were in crisis, and thankfully, help came quickly, but with limited checks and balances. As per Financial Post, “the Canadian government may have overpaid as much as C$32 billion ($23.5 billion) in Covid-19 benefits during the pandemic largely due to a lack of post-payment verification, the federal auditor general said”.
In other words, quite a few people ended up with unexpected financial windfalls – even when they weren’t affected by the pandemic! The Jupiter-Pluto energy played out.
2021-2022 were marked by the Saturn-Uranus square: the energy of instability and supply-chain disruptions. They were a wild ride!
And every wild ride has a hint of promise to it, those new unexpected opportunities that emerge when our view of the world changes. Once we adjusted to the first shock of the world shutting down during the pandemic, we moved from big cities to smaller communities. Bought houses, or refinanced, because mortgage rates were so low! Bet on working from home forever. Quit our jobs during the “Great Resignation”.
It wasn’t just us as individuals. Companies bet that consumer behaviour would forever change to online shopping (it didn’t). Central banks forecasted low interest rates for 2022 (we all know how THAT went!)
Mortgage rates went up, and many employers decided they want us to return to the office. And the stock market crashed and took our pandemic savings with it.
That’s the thing with Saturn-Uranus squares. The energy is just too unstable, and it was magnified by the eclipses along the financial axis of Taurus-Scorpio.
OK, OK….what about 2023?
2023 is a Transitional Year
Three planets change signs in 2023: Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto. While Jupiter changes signs every 12 months, and Saturn every 30 months, when Pluto changes signs, it signals a huge (even if slow), generational change.
The nodal axis moves again, into Aries-Libra, highlighting relationships (including international relations).
What's more, this will be followed by more major shifts in 2025-2026, as Uranus and Neptune will also change signs!
The world is heading into an important period that may feel like a new era.
Saturn Moves into Pisces: a Reality Check
While it’s Pluto that brings the biggest energy shift this year, let’s start with Saturn’s move into Pisces, because it sets the stage.
Saturn in Pisces is about coming to terms with the realities of life. It represents material reality, structure, and limits/limitations. Now Pisces…Pisces is the opposite: it’s about transcendence, spirituality, compassion and inspiration. Saturn is not very comfortable in Pisces!
But, it’s going to do what it always does: push some realities into our face.
“Get real, my friends”, says Saturn in Pisces. “The world is a darker place right now, than it was pre-pandemic. There is a risk of a global recession. There is a lot of geopolitical tension. We’re back to Russia against the Western World. Your hard-earned money shrank when your grocery bill went up, and the value of real estate went down, together with the stock market. And if you didn't buy real estate, then your rent might have gone through the roof. Get adjusted to this new reality”.
BUT!! Before you start getting too depressed… Saturn's visit of Pisces also brings many gifts. The Saturn energy helps us redefine and restructure what has become too lax - and that leads to progress. Besides, in May, Jupiter will move into Taurus, and that’s very helpful for this year’s energies.
Read more about Saturn in Pisces - including it’s blessings - here.
Astrologically, Saturn’s transit of Pisces is the time when one world cycle ends, and another begins. We need a breather to absorb all the post-pandemic changes. And…. things will start picking up again before too long.
And that brings us to….
Pluto Moves into Aquarius
Now this, my friends, is a huge shift. Pluto will only spend 3 months in Aquarius in 2023, and then retrograde back into Capricorn. We’re getting a taste of its hugely transformational energy. When Pluto changes signs, our lives and society as a whole can change in unprecedented ways. This is not an overnight process....it can take years – or even decades – to fully unfold.
Read my full post on Pluto in Aquarius here.
Jupiter Starts the Year in Aries…
Jupiter spent part of 2022 in Aries, and now it’s back. Here are the dates, for your quick reference:
- May 11 2022 -Oct. 27 2022
- December 21 2022 – May 17 2023
Jupiter in Aries is a great cycle to take charge of your life. Be bold. Don’t be afraid of new starts and new beginnings – says this energy. When Jupiter is in Aries, more people tend to start their own business or become self-employed (with some of the world economies heading into a recession, this might not be a good idea though!)
The downside of Jupiter in Aries is that it can bring on – or exacerbate – military conflicts. Well thankfully, Jupiter will be exiting Aries on May 17 (but read the Eclipses section below).
Jupiter in Aries is great news for Aries, Leo, Sagittarius and Libra – or anyone with the Ascendant in these signs. There may be new opportunities heading your way.
More on Jupiter in Aries here.
And Then Jupiter Moves into Taurus
Ahhh....this is a highlight. Taurus is a peace-loving sign, and Jupiter's presence there is generally helpful for the economy.
What’s more, when Jupiter is in Taurus, it’s good news for agriculture. Hopefully we will have a good growing season in 2023, helping to bring down food costs. I don't know about you, but reviewing my grocery bill leaves me speechless these days!
When Jupiter is in Taurus, some or all of the following sectors tend to prosper:
- Agriculture
- Banks and banking
- Cash and precious metals
- Women's rights
- Music and musicians
- Actors and actresses
- Jewelry and jewelers
Jupiter in Taurus is great news for Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn or Scorpio – or anyone with the Ascendant in these signs.
Jupiter will be in Taurus from May 16 2023 to May 25 2024.
Eclipses Start Shifting into Aries/Libra
Another major astrological happening of 2023 is the eclipse axis shifting from Taurus-Scorpio to Aries-Libra. This nodal shift happens every 1.5-2 years.
We will have 2 eclipses in Taurus/Scorpio + 2 eclipses in Aries/Libra.
Eclipses tend to electrify. The years eclipses happen in Taurus/Scorpio, there could be “shake-ups” happening in the financial sector and insurance (including social security, pension funds, and other group funds).
Agriculture and Mother Earth as also highlighted. There can be flooding, earthquakes and volcanic activity.
The way we spend money can change. The value we place on money and other resources can also change.
Read more about eclipses in Taurus/Scorpio here.
We’re not out of the woods yet, since the eclipses in Taurus/Scorpio will continue in 2023. But, there is also a shift of energy in the works. On July 12, the nodal axis will shift into Aries/Libra – the signs of identity.
This shift will electrify all things relationships: from international relations to gender relationships. New power alliances can be made – or broken. Treaties can be signed – or, you guessed it, broken. There may be cease-fire or an outbreak of war. (Obviously, we’re hoping for a resolution of the war in Ukraine).
On a personal level, we’re asked to find balance between who we are as individuals, and our relationships and social networks.
If an eclipse connects with your natal chart, there could be a personal impact on you. It starts a process of transformation and highlights where change is due. Eclipses sometimes point to imbalances in our personal lives, and raise our consciousness of those.
This Year’s Eclipses, and Who Should Pay Particular Attention:
1 - Solar Eclipse in Aries: April 19 2023 at 9: 13 p.m. PDT, at 29° Aries
Particularly impactful for:
- those born on April 17-22 and October 21-25
- if you have personal planets or angles between 27-30 degrees of Aries and Libra, or 1-2 degrees Taurus and Scorpio.
This very powerful eclipse, square Pluto and conjunct Jupiter, will give us a taste of the new themes that will require our attention over the next 18 months.
2 - Lunar Eclipse in Scorpio: May 5 2023 at 10:34 a.m. PDT, at 14° Scorpio
Particularly impactful for:
- those born on Nov. 4 -10 and May 2-8
- if you have personal planets or angles between 12-16° Scorpio or Taurus.
This Lunar Eclipse is opposite Mercury Retrograde, asking us to simplify life where it became too complex, and to pay more attention to the basics.
3 - Solar Eclipse in Libra: October 14 2023 at 10:55 a.m. PDT, at 21° Libra
Particularly impactful for:
- those born on April 9-15 and October 12-17,
- if you have personal planets/angles between 19-23°Aries or Libra
Particularly impactful for:
- those born on April 23-29 and October 26-Nov. 1
- if you have personal planets/angles between 3-7° Taurus or Scorpio.
We Start the Year with Mars and Mercury Both Retrograde…
We start 2023 with Mercury and Mars both retrograde. If you set your New Year resolutions, it might be best to wait until Jan. 18, when both planets are direct again. It can be more difficult to see your goals and direction clearly when both Mercury and Mars are retrograde.
Better yet, save your New Year resolutions until Jan. 21, when Mars and Mercury are both direct, and the New Moon in Aquarius sails up, making it easier to see new and unexpected solutions to stubborn problems.
(This New Moon is in Aquarius, on Jan. 21 2023 at 12: 53 p.m. PST. It’s a Cazimi Moon: 30 minutes before and after the New Moon is a very powerful time for new beginnings – and that includes your intentions and new Year resolutions!)
And, just a quick reminder that Mars Retrograde is not the best time to initiate “war” (or serve divorce papers!) or schedule elective surgery. Wait until Jan. 13!
Read more about Mars Retrograde 2022-2023 here.
Venus Retrograde 2023
And while we’re on the subject of retrogrades…Venus will be retrograde from July 22 to Sept. 3, in proud Leo.
Venus is the sign of relationships, and let’s face it, Leo needs appreciation! It needs joy in relationships. Every time Venus goes retrograde, I do many readings about relationships that hit a rough patch.
If you feel hugely underappreciated or undervalued in your relationship, or that all the joy is now gone, start working on your relationship now…just saying!
Astrologically, Venus Retrograde is not the best time for:
- Weddings, engagements and starting new relationships
- Buying luxury items
- Cosmetic surgery or drastic makeovers.
This Venus Retrograde happens during the prime wedding season, so plan ahead.
As a workaround for anyone with a wedding scheduled between July 22 and September 3: sign the marriage license before or after those dates. Or plan to renew your vows on your first anniversary.
If you see any red flags or issues in your relationship, don’t dismiss them. A couple’s therapy session – or a session with an astrologer to look at the strengths and challenges of your relationship – might make all the difference.
Mercury Retrogrades 2023:
In 2023, we will have three Mercury Retrogrades in earth signs + one Mercury Retrograde that crosses from an earth sign into a fire sign.
We may need to spend more time in 2023 re-adjusting the practicalities of our life, after the disruptive experience of the pandemic years.
And now, things are changing again. We're going into the office more. Homes bought when mortgage rates were bottom low during the pandemic are now a source of financial worry. The world might be heading into a recession. And we're all adjusting to the reality of our life post-pandemic…this mirrors some of the themes of Saturn moving into Pisces.
Mercury Retrograde dates:
- Dec. 29 2022 – Jan 18 2023
- April 21 - May 14
- Aug. 23 -Sept. 15 (note Venus is also retrograde until Sept. 3)
- Dec. 12 2023 - Jan 1 2024
Much More to Share With You!
A recording of my 90-minute deep dive into the energies of 2023 is now available. You can purchase it here.
And You Can Always Book a Reading with Me, to Learn About Your Year Ahead.
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