What 2023 Has in Store: An Astrological Explanation

The new year is ripe with possibility. All of us look for ways to improve our lives as that last digit in the year shifts. Understanding the important astrological events of 2023 is key to maximizing the potential that the year holds and surviving it to the best of our abilities. By consulting the planets, we are granted a guiding light through the foggy streets of the new year.

In numerology, 2023 is considered a 7 year. A 7 year is a deeply introspective, transformative time. The universe encourages us to look inward and focus on personal growth. Attached with that may come a sense of isolation and a loss of faith. However, that loneliness and crisis of faith is necessary in rediscovering our sense of self and finding trust again in the world. 

What is broken down can be rebuilt. 

To contrast, 2022 was a 6 year, or a year that focuses on interpersonal relationships and idealism. After the dreamy and interdependent 6 year, we are encouraged to retreat inward in order to rediscover what we lost throughout 2022.

2023 begins with a Mercury retrograde in Capricorn and Jupiter moving into Aries. This retrograde comes with barriers in communication, technological mishaps, old friends and lovers crawling back and overall frustration. In Capricorn, many of these issues can take a blow on our essential self-worth. Our work lives are also impacted. Workplace conflicts are more apt to seep into your personal life and impact your relationships. Remember that the solution to miscommunication is communication itself. Do not stay quiet and let the wounds fester.

Jupiter’s transit into Aries is monumental and an encouraging sign for the coming year. Jupiter spent a long time in Aquarius and Pisces over the last two years, imbuing our lives with disaster, dreams, and little to no action. Jupiter in Aries is tired of waiting. Jupiter in Aries encourages all of us to stand up and fight for what we want. It is reckless and it would rather learn from reckless mistakes than wait to pre-plan. After an energy of stagnancy, Jupiter’s fiery rebirth is more than welcome. What is most important during this transit is that each mistake must be reflected on in order to best learn and grow. The transit must be reflective and encourage maturation in its sparks

On March 7, Saturn will move into Pisces after spending about two and a half years in Aquarius. Both transits are emphatic of self-reflection. In Aquarius, Saturn encourages us to explore our impact on others and how we can transform our world into a better place. Oftentimes, though, we become hopeless in our pursuit of better things. In Pisces, Saturn fills us with optimism. Our personal wounds and the wounds of the world are still highlighted, but now, we are not as nihilistic. We want to plan. We want to reconnect with our childlike wonder and utilize it to manifest our desires for both ourselves and our communities. We want to connect with art and the metaphysical in order to make our lives fuller. While any Saturn transit may be painful, what is most significant is a sense of hope after years of peril.

Pluto will move into Aquarius on March 23. Many astrologers have predicted outright revolution as this generational planet shifts into the sign of humanitarianism. As a whole, all of the world will be interested in transformation— even if that transformation entails destruction. Progress will be demanded. Pluto will continue to retrograde back into Capricorn for a few brief periods, eventually settling in Aquarius in 2024. The world will resist the change that Aquarius wants to bring, but change is inevitable. Our most integral values as humans will shift. In turn, life may become unrecognizable in the process

Four eclipses will illuminate the sky in 2023. The first is a total solar eclipse in Aries on April 20. Impulses will be on fire; be steadfast and focus on self-empowerment instead of emotional outbursts. The second is a lunar eclipse in Scorpio on May 5. This will ask us to find balance between order and destruction. We will be blindsided by our own emotions and their ferociousness. We have to find a way to deal with them that does not destroy us in the process. The third is a solar eclipse in Libra on October 14, which will invite us to reflect upon ourselves and the image that the world has of us. The final eclipse will be a lunar eclipse in Taurus on October 28, which will force us to find meaning in our losses and to find a way to rebuild what was destroyed.

Jupiter will move into Taurus on May 16. We will be encouraged to adopt practical methods of achieving our goals. The value of money will be brought into the spotlight; on a societal level, it is possible that inflation will increase. Do not overspend. Try to foster a greater sense of comfort in your life as well, but do not neglect responsibility in the process. When Jupiter conjuncts the North Node on June 1, our core values will be brought into question. We will be directed into a greater life purpose. The importance of this conjunction is intimidating. Tread carefully, evaluate what you want, and take note of every person that comes into your life at this time.

Perhaps most significantly, on July 17, the North Node will move into Aries. How much do we do for ourselves? How much do we do for others? Are we losing ourselves through aiding others, or are we losing our loved ones through selfishness? We will be called with a primal intensity to express ourselves fully and live a life by our own, exclusive design. Yet humans are not wholly independent creatures. People will always rely on us. We will be forced to find a balance between independence and dependence, introducing a profound question into our lives that must be answered in order to connect with our truest purpose and path in life. Overall, 2023 will connect us to a new meaning, so long as we take on the challenges that it will bring.

About Katie Ondris 43 Articles
Katie Ondris is a second-year journalism major from New Jersey. They have previous experience with fiction writing, but The Oracle is their first position as a journalist. Outside of New Paltz, they work as a barista and spend their free time indulged in films and books.