Astrology of 2023: Yearly Overview

2023 is the year of the Water Rabbit in Chinese tradition, starting from January 22, 2023 (Chinese New Year) and ending on February 9, 2024 (Chinese New Year’s Eve).

The Rabbit symbolises longevity, prosperity, fertility, and peace in Chinese culture.

It’s a stark contrast with its aggressive, competitive, and goal oriented predecessor Tiger.

The most compatible Chinese Zodiac signs with the Rabbit are the Goat, the Dog, and the Pig.

2023 is a very significant year in Western Astrology.

However, you may want to hold off on writing your New Year’s resolutions until the end of January, as two personal planets, Mars and Mercury, are still in retrograde at the start of the year, until January 12 and 18, respectively.

The big news is that the two slow-moving planets Saturn and Pluto are both on the move in 2023.

Saturn enters Pisces on March 7, and Pluto enters Aquarius for a brief stay on March 23.

These major shifts in cosmic energy are setting up the stage for significant social, cultural, and political changes in 2023 and beyond.

The good news is that the infamous Saturn – Uranus square we’ve been struggling with since 2020 is no more in 2023!

In fact, Saturn and Uranus will be getting on friendly terms this year, engaging in harmonious conversations. This is a major relief for us both on an individual level and for the world at large!

Bear in mind, we are only covering the main celestial events of 2023 here.

The upcoming year is full of cosmic happenings but we can only paint it with broad brush strokes in this article.

Key Dates of 2023

• January 12 – Mars finishes its retrograde in Gemini

• January 18 – Mercury goes direct in Capricorn

• March 7 – Saturn enters Pisces 

• March 23 – Pluto briefly enters Aquarius

                (it stays in Aquarius until its retrograde when it re-enters Capricorn on June 11 for much of the year)

• May 16 – Jupiter enters Taurus 

• June 1 – Jupiter conjuncts the North Node in Taurus

(One of the most important events of 2023. Many astrologers consider the influence of the North Node similar to that of Jupiter in a way that it expands everything it touches)

• July 17 – the North Node shifts into Aries and the South Node into Libra

• July 22 – September 3 – Venus Retrograde in Leo

Mercury Retrogrades of 2023

• December 29, 2022  – January 18, 2023 (in Capricorn)
• April 21 – May 14 (in Taurus)
• August 23 – September 15 (in Virgo)
• December 13, 2023 – January 1, 2024  (in Capricorn and Sagittarius)

Eclipses of 2023

• April 20 – New Moon Solar Eclipse in Aries
• May 5 – Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Scorpio
• October 14 – New Moon Solar Eclipse in Libra
• October 28 – Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Taurus

Pluto on the move in 2023

The first two months of the year are here to help us tie up the loose ends of 2022.

The biggest shift in cosmic energies is starting in March.

Pluto and Saturn are going to change signs so close together – this is a really big deal!

Even though Pluto will return to Capricorn on June 11 during its retrograde cycle, and will stay in this earth cardinal for much of the year, we will get a good understanding of what lies ahead of us on a collective level for the years to come.

Aquarius is the sign of social changes, cutting edge technologies, and cultural breakthroughs.

We are likely to see some significant breakthroughs when it comes to new technologies and AI.

It will be significant in terms of distribution of wealth, crypto currencies, and alternative ways of transferring funds (blockchain, etc).

Pluto in Aquarius will challenge traditional social values and structures.

It’s a generational transit.  Pluto is the slowest moving planet of them all. 

It takes around 12 – 31 years to transit through a given sign.

Overall it takes approximately 248 years to complete its journey through all 12 Zodiac signs.

Pluto will change signs again and enter Pisces only in January 2043.

Saturn on the move in 2023

The planet of karma, solid structures, obstacles, and delays Saturn shifts into the dreamy water sign of Pisces on March 7.

Saturn in Pisces is asking us to look within to find answers. We are now being asked to fully trust the process and extract wisdom, even from the harshest of our karmic lessons.

Saturn in Pisces will help structure our self-development efforts and install solid structures when it comes to making our dreams a reality.

However, this can be a rather challenging transit for some, since it can also lead to increase in depression and isolation.

These negative tendencies can spring out of the fact that Saturn wants us to face reality. There is no ways to escape the consequences of our past actions when Saturn is transiting the last sign of the Zodiac.

However, Saturn rewards those who honour its rules and willing to work hard to achieve their goals.

This can be quite a testing, yet potentially rewarding time for those with the key placements in Pisces (particularly the Sun, the Moon and the Ascendant).

Recommended article:

Major Opportunities of 2023 and beyond

The notorious Saturn – Uranus square we’ve been dealing with since 2020 is finally behind us! Saturn represents our past, restrictions, and delays. 

Uranus, on the other hand, represents our future, our desire for freedom and innovative thinking.

When these two major cosmic players were speaking in a conversation of tension, we experienced major restrictions and constraints imposed on us by outer circumstances and authority figures, both on an individual and collective level.

The good news is that in 2023, Uranus and Saturn are finally willing to collaborate with each other!

Our vision for the future is going to align with reality.

And the good news is that these positive changes are here to stay, as they are now based on a solid foundation and well grounded structures provided by Saturn.

Saturn in Pisces will also join forces with Neptune towards the end of its journey through this mutable water sign.

The foggy, dreamy Neptune will be quite happy to receive support from the planet of solid structures and realistic plans.

This is the time when our wildest dreams can at last come true.

And 2023 is the year to prepare for this major breakthrough.

Another great thing about this year is that the planet of good fortune and abundance Jupiter is going to speak in harmony with both Saturn and Neptune, and will also join forces with Uranus and the North Node of destiny after it shifts into Taurus on May 16.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity type of energy that can activate major breakthroughs on so many levels in our lives.

One thing is for sure – we haven’t witnessed such a positive cosmic alignment in a long time.

Without a doubt, March is the pivotal turning point of 2023, reaching its pick from the second half of May onwards.

Get all your ducks in a row during the first quarter of the year so you are fully prepared to embrace the changes that the Universe has in store for us for this year and beyond. 

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Use this free Birth Chart calculator to create your Natal Chart in case you haven’t had a chance to get it yet.

N.B.: Remember that it’s ideal to have your EXACT time of birth on hand. Use 12 p.m. noon if you have no way to get this information. The best option, of course, is to get a personal reading with a professional astrologer who can provide birth-time rectification. Birth time and birthplace are crucial pieces of information for your Natal Chart, as they determine the unique position of the houses and planets that can help you understand transits and their impact on your personal journey.

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