The Astrology of 2023

Without further adieu, here’s the highlight reel of 2023, according to our friends in the sky:

THE RETROGRADES

Mars Retrograde finally wraps up on January 12th, 2023. It won’t retrograde again until 2025! Especially if you have Aries or Gemini placements, this is major news. But we’ll all be feeling the forward momentum again thanks to this shift early in the year.

Venus will retrograde in Leo over the summer. All the fixed signs (Taurus, Scorpio, Leo, and Aquarius) will feel this retrograde intensely- but Leo placements will be particularly impacted.

Venus rules all things beauty, intimate relationships, and friendships, while Leo gives us our creative sparkle. This will be a period to review who and what we honestly value.

• Venus Retrograde in Leo: July 22nd - September 3rd

Mercury, of course, will also retrograde several times in 2023- all in Earth signs. This is giving real “flat tire” energy…so triple check your travel plans and prepare to go a different route if necessary. Here’s the dates you need to know:

• Mercury Retrograde in Capricorn: December 29th, 2022-January 18th, 2023

• Mercury Retrograde in Taurus: April 21st-May 14th

• Mercury Retrograde in Virgo: August 23rd-September 15th

• Mercury Retrograde in Capricorn/Sagittarius: December 12th, 2023-January 1st, 2024

SATURN ENTERS PISCES

If you have Saturn in Aquarius in your birth chart...CONGRATS! You finish your Saturn Return in early 2023. This is a major milestone in astrology- you experienced a serious growth spurt the past few years and now it’s time to pass the Saturn Return torch to those with Saturn in Pisces (born around 1994-1996).

Even if you don’t have Saturn in Pisces in your birth chart, this transit will impact all of us. Check out the house “Pisces” rules in your chart to uncover where you’ll be learning Saturn’s stern lessons over the next few years.

The key words with Saturn are maturity, boundaries, and stability, so you can trust that you’ll be doing a lot of growing up in whatever area of life Pisces rules in 2023.

• Saturn in Pisces: March 7th 2023-February 13th, 2026

Collectively, we can expect to see more “sober curious” people as Saturn will force some guardrails onto the Piscean tendency to float endlessly into oblivion. There’s also likely to be more people getting serious about studying astrology, Tarot, and other spiritual practices.

Saturn in Pisces, at its best, creates structures that can float. It’s the life raft when you’re lost at sea, or the port that you call home whenever you need a reset. 

PLUTO ENTERS AQUARIUS

Pluto has been in Capricorn since 2008 and has seriously transformed our relationship with capitalism. Astrology echoes the “late stage capitalism” sentiment, because Pluto- the planet of destruction, among other things, is literally in the final degrees of Capricorn right now…which is arguably the sign of Capitalism itself. 

Pluto will only be in Aquarius for a few months of 2023, but it will act as a tiny, rumbling foreshadow of potential explosions that are on the fore for 2024 and beyond. When Pluto returns to Aquarius the next time, it will stay for a solid 20 years. Think: universal healthcare, technological upsets, and powerful information being exposed.

• Pluto in Aquarius: March 23rd, 2023-June 11th, 2023

Make a note of what house “Aquarius” rules in your birth chart to discover where this seismic shift will take place for you personally. And remember, 2023 is just the sneak preview. This rebirth will ultimately unfold over the next two decades.

JUPITER ENTERS TAURUS

We begin 2023 with Jupiter in Aries, encouraging us all to take bold risks and figure out the rest later. When Jupiter enters Taurus in the summer of 2023 though, that instinctive, fiery momentum will slow down to something much more sensual and practical.

If Jupiter in Aries is here for a good time, not necessarily a long time…Jupiter in Taurus is ready to stick around and build something with staying power.

• Jupiter in Taurus: May 16th, 2023-May 25th, 2024

Again, take a look at your birth chart to reveal where you’ll be feeling Jupiter’s bounty in 2023. This planet is known as “The Great Benefic” and comes bearing copious gifts. Both the Aries and Taurus areas of your chart will benefit from its graces.

THE ECLIPSES/THE NODES

We experience eclipses every single year, and in 2023 they happen in a few different signs. They begin in Aries and Scorpio, and end the year in Libra and Taurus. 

• North Node in Aries/South Node in Libra: July 17th, 2023-January 11th, 2025

While in 2022 we learned the lessons of Taurus and Scorpio (check out those areas in your chart to highlight where major beginnings and endings have been happening) 2023 will have us focus on the Aries/Libra axis.

With the North Node in Aries, we’re all going to be hungry for independence in a new way. Be on the lookout for a lot more entrepreneurial ventures while the North Node is in this sign, and people prioritizing their own desires over that of partnerships. Balance is an important part of this journey.

• Solar Eclipse in Aries: April 19th, 2023

• Lunar Eclipse in Scorpio: May 5th, 2023

• Solar Eclipse in Libra: October 14th, 2023

• Lunar Eclipse in Taurus: October 28th, 2023

Circle these dates in your calendar for when BIG stories will be unfolding in your life. Especially if you have personal planets/points in Aries, Scorpio, Libra, or Taurus, the 2023 Eclipses will be speaking directly to you.

We'll be keeping you up to date throughout the year with this astrology (and all the best customized products to support it). See you next year!

Our lead astrologer is Erin River Sunday. Learn more and connect with her directly here.