In the words of divisive Gemini novelist Harry Crews, sometimes “survival is triumph enough.” And if you’re reading this my friends, survived you have.
As years go, 2022 was a mixed bag; war and World Cups, the deaths of prominent people and the well publicized mental breakdowns of others, inflation and protests, a waning COVID-19 pandemic and a monkey pox surge. Exhales.
Real talk, 2023 will not be gentle, it will not feel like a summer breeze nor taste like childhood. Neigh, the vibe here is revolution and critical change but trust that all of the upheaval will be to our ultimate benefit and in service of humanity as a whole.
We’re on the precipice my babies and the only way out is through. Aiding and abetting this energy is the fact that not one but three outer planets, Saturn, Jupiter and Pluto, are switching signs this year. The effects of these movements will be thematically felt on an intimate level and a grander, global scale. The winds of change doth blow and everyones feathers are set for ruffling. Read on to learn more about what that stars have in store for 2023.
Pluto in Aquarius
It’s thrilling, it’s terrifying and it’s right on time.
Perhaps the most significant astrological shift taking place this year is that Pluto, planet of death and rebirth, will be moving into revolutionary Aquarius for the first time in 225 years. The last time this death daddy dwarf planet planet took to water bearing the world irrevocably shifted in several critical ways including but not limited to the French Revolution, the American war of independence, the rise of classical music and the development of the first theory of black holes.
Pluto moves into Aquarius on March 23, 2023 though it will play retrograde footsie with Capricorn on and off until it finally settles in for its uninterrupted two decade residency on January 21, 2024. Aquarius is synonymous with revolution, civic change and our responsibilities as humans and to humanity. Pluto governs cycles of beginnings and endings, in this instance all signs point to the beginning of a new age of power being held by, rather than lorded over, the collective. Pluto is in itself is a kind of sickle, removing what rots or restricts. It’s the quick cut made in the interest of new growth.
The best, and only, way to make use of these severances is to willingly sacrifice the old (not literally, we need our elders now more than ever) and surrender to the belief that what’s in store is better than before. It’s thrilling, it’s terrifying and it’s right on time.
Saturn in Pisces
Saturn, dad planet of structure, limitation and form through fire forging will leave emotionally unavailable albeit well intentioned Aquarius for martyr/magician Pisces on March 7, 2023 where it will remain until February 2026. Saturn gives shape to and lends a critical eye toward the areas of life governed by the sign it is moving through. In terms of Saturn in Pisces, the glare and the glue are aimed at spirituality, escape, technology and the collective unconscious.
Pisces is the poet of the zodiac but it ain’t all touchy feely, haikus about ladybugs with this ilk. Nope, this is also the sign of the nihilist. As such, this transit calls into question our relationship with sobriety and escape, avoidance and accountability. Look for a reckoning in our relationship to technology and online identities.
If you were born with Saturn in Pisces in your natal chart you are poised for your first, second or third Saturn return. Gird your loins but take heart, Saturn is not a curse but rather a conduit for the strength we didn’t know we had and the form we never imagined we could take.
Jupiter sinks its self into the pastures of Taurus
This lunation asks us to apply the energy of the warrior archetype to the purpose of healing and the strengthening of a spiritual practice, a fight to be mended if you will.
On May 16, Jupiter, our luckiest, largest and most Lebowskian luminary is leaving the fire pit of Aries and moving into the wanton pastures of Taurus. If Aries is in a speed race to be first or draw first blood, Taurus is chill to get their last and be carried on a gilded chaise lounge chariot. Similarly, this transit is an invitation to slow the proverbial roll and invest in tangible and corporeal ways that support the body and the bank. Jupiter wants to fill our cup and Taurus is double fisting. We can invite and encourage the benefits of Jupiter in Taurus by taking good care of ourselves and our financial futures. Invest in things that make you feel abundantly loved, deeply decadent and wholly secure.
Astrology 101: Your guide to the star
2023 eclipse season
The first eclipse of the year takes place on April 19th with a new moon solar eclipse in Aries. This lunation asks us to apply the energy of the warrior archetype to the purpose of healing and the strengthening of a spiritual practice, fight to be mended. This is followed by a full moon lunar eclipse in Scorpio on May 5th. This eclipse is colored by the influence of punk rock planet Uranus, indicating it’s going to get weird, it’s going to get revelatory and if we welcome the discord, it could give way to the delightfully unexpected.
Fast forward to fall and the new moon solar eclipse in Libra on October 14. Libra defines itself in relationship to others and this eclipse is the proverbial smack upside the head calling us to stop that s**t and strangle the suspicion that we’re nobody til somebody loves us. The last eclipse, a full moon lunar eclipse in Taurus on October 28 is big time purge times, destruction giving way to creation energy. Remember that the death rattle of every ending is the first breath of your new beginning.
Bookends of backspinning Mercury
Barring no asteroid or nuclear calamity, we will live to see 2023 end as it began, with Mercury retrograding in Capricorn. From December 13 through January 1 the planet of communion is giving us all one last shot at reflection and completion before we start off 2K24 with the spirit of clarity and clean slates. Here’s to making it though, getting it done and revolutionizing ourselves for the benefit of the collective. Look alive and stay alive out there folks.
Astrologer Reda Wigle researches and irreverently reports back on planetary configurations and their effect on each zodiac sign. Her horoscopes integrate history, poetry, pop culture and personal experience. She is also an accomplished writer who has profiled a variety of artists and performers, as well as extensively chronicled her experiences while traveling. Among the many intriguing topics she has tackled are cemetery etiquette, her love for dive bars, Cuban Airbnbs, a “girls guide” to strip clubs and the “weirdest” foods available abroad.