2023 Astrology Overview
2023 is filled with astrological happenings, of course. Here are a few highlights to look forward to as well as themes you can tune into throughout this year…
Beginning with the inner planets (those closest to us) we start off the year with Mercury in retrograde. Mercury will retrograde three more times, ending 2023 in retrograde, just like 2022. Venus will start a new 19-month cycle in Leo in August. Mars spends the whole year in this current Gemini cycle that began on December 7 but will change signs over the course of 2023. Due to less pressure from the outer planets this year, compared to the last couple of years, I think there is a huge opportunity to tune into these closer planets. This offers an intention to do our own inner personal work. This is what the inner planets, aka personal planets, are all about, our individual lesson plans as we traverse our soul’s evolutionary journey.
Mercury represents the mind and our perceptions. All the Mercury cycles this year are in the earth's signs. This offers a practicality, grounding, and more real-world themes to our minds. Venus is the sacred feminine planet. We spend the first half of 2023 completing the second half of the Capricorn cycle from last year and then shift into a new Leo cycle in August. The feminine has the chance to reclaim her sage-like power before moving into the Leo teachings of self-love and creativity. Mars represents the sacred masculine. Traversing a Mars Gemini cycle offers fun and a lightening-up of the masculine. Gemini is also interested in understanding that the mind cannot know everything and that there is a whole world beyond duality. This presents a great opportunity to focus inwardly and work on healing the divide and duality within ourselves.
Next onto the outer planets that tend to create the themes of the year. Back in 2020 the coming together of Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto characterized the lessons the pandemic brought. For 2023, nothing quite so “once in a lifetime” dramatic, but I can only guess what the ultimate intentions of the energies present will bring. Mostly, it is hindsight that is the biggest teacher.
Saturn moves into Pisces in March, bringing the heart into the real world. I hope this opens our hearts and brings more love. Pisces’ shadow can bring more illusion and addiction, which is what we are already seeing a lot of no matter where you stand. Pluto dips into Aquarius in March as well, after over 14 years in Capricorn. That’s a big energy shift. Pluto is just starting this Aquarius cycle, with a quick visit for a couple of months before retrograding back into Capricorn. Pluto offers empowerment, following deep soul work. We’ve been in Capricorn experiencing what needs healing and grieving within our current systems and structures.
Can we take the highlights of Aquarius and apply those community centered, egalitarian ideals? Or do we keep trucking into the shadows of spiritual bypass and denial of the shadow? Jupiter starts the year of fresh into Aries and moves pretty quickly into Taurus in May. Depending upon your natal chart, this could feel like a charge of energy and then a nice slowing down.
The Nodes where the Sun and the Moon meet, or where Spirit and Soul cross paths, change into the signs of Aries and Libra. The Nodes symbolize our directional arrow, with Aries at the point. Moving into more strength and individuation (Aries) and away from relationship (Libra). I hope this points to the power that Aries can harness in serving the community by being the protector and guardian. I hope this does not offer more polarity and me, “my way or the highway” types of attitudes. The eclipses occur at the Nodes, so there is light and shadow work to be done at these timings.
Only time will tell how we all step into these energies and what we do with them internally that impacts us all externally. As above, so below, as within, so without. Again, I refer to my first paragraph… we have a huge opportunity to look within, to impact the without, instead of pointing fingers and othering each other. Let’s all go inside and heal the divides within us and see how we can collectively contribute to the healing of the polarities around us. Fingers crossed!
Sheridan Semple, Shamanic Astrologer and Sacred Aromatherapist