The cork is popped and the champagne starts to flow, fireworks dazzling overhead, and yet that oomph to grab 2023 by the horns is nonexistent. Not yet, anyway. And who can blame us when a year starts with two planets doing a backwards moondance, that of Mercury, the planet of communication, and Mars, the planet of action and motivation. We’re being asked to rather float into the New Year, to slowly glide across that pool on an inflatable floatie of our choosing (Unicorn, anyone?!) as we wait for the new year to properly start. No sprinting up that mountain of goals, just yet. Kick back and savour that sunset a little longer.
That’s right, the infamous Mercury Retrograde is in full swing until Jan 18th, causing mischief with Mars in the form of an overflowing inbox and no desire to tackle it. Lucky for us though, Mars will finally go direct on Jan 12th after almost 10 weeks of sending us into a procrastination spiral. So, until then, let’s just take things nice and slow. As Lao Tzu once said, “Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” Amen to that. And after the past three years of living in a locked-down world, a state of flux, the astrology of 2023 feels like a breath of fresh air, a redefining of comfort on our own terms, and change in the form of more freedom to be ourselves and share our bold ideas. So, let your summer vacay stick around for as long as you can, or at least until Jan 21st when the first New Moon of the year in the sign of Aquarius arrives. Finally you can take some action and get intentional about the kind of fresh change you want to invite in this year. And you’re in good company because the planets are a’changing too.
The planet of structure – Saturn – has been moving through Aquarius since 2020, and that’s a tricky combo, with Saturn wanting to control and Aquarius fighting back…Sounds familiar, right? But on March 7th, our strict teacher Saturn, takes a plunge into the water sign of Pisces, and all of those obstacles start to melt away. It’s liberation time, baby. Think more of a focus on carving out time for creative projects, and of course, more compassion, more adaptability bubbling up to the surface, as well as wanting to be part of something bigger than yourself. Thank you Saturn. And for those of you between the ages of 28 and 30, your Saturn Return is fast approaching. Get ready for those life lessons. And for the rest of us, a bit more inner peace wouldn’t go amiss.
March is truly the month that just keeps giving, with it marking the start of the astrological new year when the Sun slides into Aries on March 20th. Ready to set your passions alight? This year is yours for the taking, and with the Lunar Nodes of destiny (kinda like a North Star that guides up where we want to go) changing signs from Taurus and Scorpio to Aries and Libra on July 17th, we’re in for a treat. A new story is about to begin where our purpose starts to align more with finding a balance between traversing that brave new independent path and being considerate of others. No-one needs to fall behind this year. This Lunar Node transit dance will last 18 months, and in this time it’s a chance to really show yourself how capable you are of living a life of absolute passion, where you not only empower yourself, but others too.
And with this Nodal shift, comes a whole new Eclipse season. Pop April 20th and May 5th into your diary, as we’ll be graced by two Mars-fueled Eclipses, in Aries and Scorpio. Forward momentum is coming, but look before you leap, as Eclipses can be unpredictable moments. Not quite ready for that new job promotion? Well, the Eclipses think you are. Ready, steady, go.
Meanwhile, the planet of transformation- Pluto, is briefly moving into Aquarius on March 23rd until June 11th where it will Retrograde back into Capricorn for the remainder of the year. Now, Pluto takes up to 20 years to move through a sign, and since 2008 it has been making shapes in Capricorn. This brief interlude into Aquarius is going to be a great opportunity for us to get our brains whizzing into action, to help us progress and start to question things even more. How can we be more innovative? We might start to see big shifts in the tech world. New business idea, anyone? Let those ideas germinate for a bit, then come 2024 when Pluto properly moves into Aquarius for two whole decades, send them out there. Nothing is too open-minded for this 20 year transit.
And with Jupiter – the planet of expansion, moving into Taurus on May 16th, in the second half of the year we are going to see a lot of Taururean themes being magnified. Oh, this is a goodie! Everything Jupiter touches turns to gold. More abundance, more money, more sharing of your gifts, and then thinking about sustainability and how we can spread and share our riches more. Slow and steady wins the Jupiter in Taurus race, and you name it, Jupiter will expand it, but that soil has to be nourished for those dreams to bloom.
On the subject of blooming, how can we bloom together as a community too? With the second half of 2023 being a year of the outer planets- Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune & Pluto swimming through earth and water signs, we need to think about Mama Earth more too. Use her as your playground, but look after her. Is that a glimmer of peace on the horizon…?
The final two Eclipses of the year are both Venus-ruled, which is oh so much softer. They’ll catch you if you fall. The Libra Solar Eclipse is on Oct 14th, and then the final Taurus Eclipse is on Oct 28th. A year of dancing precariously between Venus and Mars – the compassionate, considerate side of yourself with the side that wants to take big strides towards smashing that piñata full of ambition. Once that balance is on point, I guess you can say you’ve started to master the art of slowing down. Can we take leaps and still have soft landings? Sure looks like it this year.
Let yourself get away from having to be constantly tuned-in to the external world this year. How can you find more silence within? Take strides in your field, as long as it will benefit the collective too, but hustle culture isn’t coming along for the ride. That’s so 2022. And throw out people-pleasing while you’re at it. Being considerate doesn’t mean you need to be a doormat.
2023 is the year we finally learn that we don’t have to hurry, and you best believe the planets will make sure of that. So use this slow start to get reflective, to reevaluate the things you want to accomplish this year. Let earth and water be the elements that help you navigate the often stormy seas that life can throw us headfirst into. And why not climb back onto your Unicorn floatie while you’re at it. Make yourself a cocktail of patience, consideration, groundedness, adaptability, and throw in a sprinkling of joy for good measure. No shaking or stirring this year, though. Just let all the different parts fuse together by themselves. In the meantime, get working on that dive. Belly flops are welcome too. As long as it’s some kind of leap.
Written by: Siobhan Lumsden
Published 10 January 2023
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