I know we still have 6 more weeks of challenging astrology to round out 2022 with. However, would I be living up to my first-decan mutable placements if I didn’t have “I want to be somewhere else” syndrome?! Regardless, I have had the privilege of getting to talk clients through the astrology of next year. So I will be sharing my reflections on key transits to watch in 2023.
Every year has a key astrological signature that defines the overall mood. Y’all know this already because we survived the cardinal chaos that was 2020. 2021 and 2022 have been piling it on for the fixed signs with dashes of mutable madness in between. Although I want to say that 2023 is going to be much better than previous years, I cannot make any promises! The reality is that while some parts of our lives will finally catch a break, other parts of our lives will be crying out for our attention.
However, I do think we are moving out of a cycle characterized by the collapse of structures assumed to be stable, and more into a weird liminal space where we struggle to figure out what moving forward looks like. The reason for this is because we are moving into a set of years with increased emphasis on the mutable signs rather than the fixed signs. It is worth noting that we do have some important shifts taking place in fixed signs that will only add to these feelings of needing to transition into something different! So maybe it is wise to think about 2023 as an initial attempt to regain stability in parts of your life that have gone through uncomfortable amounts of upheaval. In my view, the top configurations of 2023 are the following:
Saturn in Pisces
On March 7th, 2023 the greater malefic ends its almost 6 year stint of being overpowered in its domiciles. The challenges brought upon by Saturn on a mundane and personal level hopefully encouraged us to rethink our relationships to societal structures we are obligated to and bound by. Saturn will not experience this much essential dignity again until its entry into Libra in September 2039! While Saturn was empowered to impose a lot of restrictions on our lives, it is likely that we are experiencing the more constructive manifestations of that.
While the pandemic and subsequent economic turmoil were not enjoyable (is anything Saturn wants us to deal with enjoyable? LOL), important conversations about our relationship to labor, health, and income came about. The pandemic benefits (thanks Saturn-Jupiter in Cap and Aquarius) handed out by some countries to quell the spread of a virus we knew very little about has sparked more conversations about universal basic income and its potential applications. Additionally, realizing that the need to sit in an office for 8-10 hours a week to feign productivity has also changed how many people do engage with work. Employers around the globe are also piloting 3 or 4 day work weeks, and many people are working in hybrid settings. While the world still has miles to go in terms of restructuring itself so that life is more accessible to everyone who isn’t able bodied or immunocompromised, we did get a taste of what those structures could look like.
Anyway, what does this have to do with Saturn moving into Pisces? Simple. Looking back at previous periods where Saturn did its 3 year tour through the nocturnal domicile of the greater benefic has revealed some interesting themes. After dealing with the austerity and hardship brought about by Saturn in domicile, Saturn’s movement through Pisces is a chance to get everyone aligned with a shared sense of meaning or purpose. Pisces represents the facets of Jupiter as the wanderer in search of god, rather than the Sagittarian on a pilgrimage to a specific place. Therefore, after having to endure the collapse and rebuilding of social structures that Saturn achieved in Capricorn and Aquarius, people may be trying to find a role for themselves in this new order. At best? This can look like people who were once disenfranchised gaining rights, as seen in South Africa in 1994 when apartheid was ended. At worst? People can be coerced or forced to assimilate to shared norms and ideals, as seen during the kickoff of the Cultural Revolution under Mao in the 1960s.
To understand how this might feel on a more personal level, it helps to think about the areas of your life influenced by the principles of Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces. Perhaps prior to Saturn in Capricorn, you had these strong beliefs and convictions you went into situations with. This may have informed the structures and commitments you made to that Sagittarian part of life. With all the overlapping cycles coinciding with Saturn’s movement through its two domiciles, it is likely that you had to abandon some of those ideals. Not because you wanted to, but because you had to. Now that things have settled into a new normal, Saturn in Pisces may be asking you to commit to a larger sense of shared meaning. However, not all ideals are worth aligning yourself with! The dark side of Jupiter and its principles can involve forced assimilation into ideals or beliefs you may not share, just to create that shared sense of meaning. With Saturn being a planet of discernment, it might be important to cautiously allow yourself to be inspired by situations around you.
For much of 2023, Saturn will spend lots of time in the first decan of Pisces. I think the symbolism is quite loud given the events of the last couple of years! The first decan of Pisces has that strong embodiment of the “wanderer.” This is especially the case considering Pisces I is a decan that Saturn co-rules, and Saturn can symbolically represent being foreign, exiled, or estranged. This decan is associated with the Eight of Cups in tarot, suggesting that emotional saturation requires that one removes themselves from a situation. Perhaps there may be a new unknown that you are beginning to embrace for yourself, which will give you the motivation needed to uproot yourself and find something more fulfilling or meaningful. With Saturn having dignity by face (decan), you may find that circumstances in the Saturn ruled parts of your life tend to take on this flavor. Perhaps in leaning into those calls to move away from a path, place, or people you have aligned with for a very long time, you are able to discover more suitable situations where you can flourish beyond your wildest dreams.
Pluto in Aquarius
While Saturn may be leaving its home, Pluto will not be leaving the domain of Saturn. Therefore, the Saturnian influence may still be coloring larger societal events around us, though our general focus is elsewhere. The first ingresses of Pluto into Aquarius in 2023 and 2024 will be influenced by Saturn in Pisces, suggesting that this new focus on aligning with structures meant to support and protect a sense shared meaning or social cohesion may be the underlying motivation for the things that Pluto hopes to accomplish in Aquarius. I do want to say that unless you have planets at 0 degrees of fixed signs, but also air and fire signs, try not to stress too much about what Pluto means for you.
Pluto is a planet that ultimately speaks to our relationship to power. It exposes the true nature of power and where its source actually comes from. Yes, Pluto also is a harbinger of destruction too, but the stress tests and threats brought about by Pluto are ultimately here to force evolution. If something fails to evolve in the face of pressure, it will be destroyed. Through these stress tests and existential crises, Pluto is able to reveal key truths about power and the forces that allow certain people and systems to be propped up over others. Pluto’s stint in Capricorn revealed key faults in global financial systems and the ways in which government institutions may be able to deal with economic crises. This lack of confidence in financial and governmental structures is forcing us to ask important questions about the fate of globalist capitalism and whether it can survive or evolve into something else.
Thinking about the progression of Pluto into Aquarius following its time in Capricorn might mark a shift of the locus of power to the collective, rather than something hierarchal. However, this shift in the locus of power may reveal fault lines in the ways in which people relate to each other and what it means to be human. If existing governmental structures need to be upended, what is the alternative? Last time Pluto was in Aquarius, it brought revolutions in Europe and kicked off the desire for colonies to separate from their imperial overlords (albeit, at the expense of indigenous populations already living in these places).
Additionally, with all the talk about artificial intelligence and automation replacing the need for human labor, there may be existential crises around protections for people if corporations and governments are positioned to do away with the need for human labor. If we look back at the previous stint of Pluto in Aquarius, European nations were moving away from slavery as a practice due to philosophical and technological shifts in labor practices. Considering that we are no longer in the age of Earth, but in an age of Air, it will be interesting to see what that could look like! With all the technological advances in communications making humans more connected than they have ever been at any point in history, perhaps realizing the power that social media algorithms may have will inform what these practices may look like.
Nodal Axis into Aries & Libra
I know some of you are wondering why the nodes are switching again. But don’t worry, this is not happening until June 26th next year! Every 1.5 years the nodes change signs. For the first time since 2019 we are having the nodes in cardinal signs again. So if you felt like the cardinal parts of your life were not getting enough action, here is your chance for a little drama!
I am particularly struck by the movement of the nodes from the Taurus-Scorpio axis to the Aries-Libra axis because the planetary rules of the nodes are the same, but which node they end up ruling flips! This is kind of a big deal if you think about the objectives of the head and tail of the dragon. In 2022, Rahu (i.e. the North Node) had us the focus on the Taurean, Venusian principles. The North Node is incapable of experiencing satiety in the area of life it is touching. Therefore, 2022 was very much characterized by a need for material security and a focus on maintaining and consolidating experiences that would maximize comfort. Uranus in Taurus receiving the square from Saturn in Aquarius made this a challenge to do successfully, and its likely that certain forms of austerity needed to be adopted so more people could experience uninterrupted comfort as possible (see California, other US states being asked to reduce electricity consumption in the summer during heat waves).
Meanwhile, Ketu (South Node) in Scorpio generated a baseline acceptance around loss and necessary transformation. I know people like to say that the South Node takes things away. While this is true, I find that the satiety metaphor is more apt, since it is the body without a head. The body can do all that it needs to function, but without a head providing direction, it is less inclined to seek out extra things. I would imagine that in the Scorpionic parts of our lives, there was an acceptance that things needed to be cleared out or that some degree of loss was inevitable.
The movement of the nodes into Aries and Libra flips the ways we have been relating to Marsian and Venusian principles on its head. With Rahu moving into Aries, there is now a fixation on pursuing bold and risky actions to achieve some kind of self-actualization. With Jupiter and Rahu conjoining just before Rahu moves into Aries, it seems likely that the peak of material and emotional comfort needed is achieved, and allows you to put your abilities to the test. Meanwhile, Ketu’s movement into Libra suggests that the Venusian principles take a bit of a back burner because perhaps you have figured out a comfortable baseline for maintaining relationships with others. It is also likely that there is enough cohesion or support for these bold actions you want to take.
It’s interesting to think about this nodal shift because it also means we will begin experiencing eclipses on this axis. The stronger eclipses on this axis will actually be solar eclipses, since we will not have another total lunar eclipse until 2025. While the internet was crying about missed opportunities to bath in the baleful rays of the moon, I think I will take this opportunity to briefly talk about how powerful that is symbolically. For one, solar eclipses seem to be more associated with external events rather than internal/emotional shifts symbolized by the lunar eclipses. For these supercharged solar eclipses to be taking place in the axis of the zodiac where the Sun is exalted and fallen? There are a lot of wonderful metaphors about paradigm shifts in authority and changes in regimes that could come about during this time. This could look like the achievement of great heights for some, but crushing and devastating blows for others.
Venus Retrograde in Leo
Speaking of Venus, our heavenly, illustrious, laughter-loving queen will be going retrograde (AGAIN), starting at the beginning of Leo season next year. Due to the stunning symmetry of Venus’ synodic cycle, you can go back in 8 year intervals to get a sense of what Venus’ retrograde in this part of the zodiac means for yourself but also on a mundane level.
Venus’ extended presence in Leo may bring about a focus on seeing pleasure, defining values, and building relationships in ways that honor an individual’s right to self-determination. With Venus experiencing an extended square with Uranus and Jupiter in Taurus, not only is she coloring the agenda for the expansion of the upheaval in the Taurean parts of our lives, but she is also encouraging this to happen in a way that honors the individual. Considering some of the political tensions going on related to the rights of women and LGBTQ+ people being threatened in some contexts by people in positions of power, it would be interesting to see if there is also the development of unlikely political alliances (Uranus and Jupiter!) to unite behind these issues. Considering that in the US, candidates will begin announcing their bids to run for president, I will not be surprised if shocking political alliances may be forged to combat certain issues. This is especially true since the Venus cazimi happens at 20 Leo, in the third decan. On a mundane level? I would not be surprised if figures rise up as the face of key political movements around defending rights to self-determination and authentic forms of self-expression (inclusive of marginalized identities at best, encouraging nationalism at worst).
Jupiter in Taurus
Finally, the greater benefic will speed through Aries to spend much of the year in Taurus starting May 16th. Yes, Jupiter is peregrine in Taurus except for that pocket where it is in term. However, I think that Jupiter can encourage favorable expansion in the Taurean parts of life, which will be a welcome change from limitations imposed by the superior square from Saturn in Aquarius. If anything, the temporary copresence of Rahu, Jupiter, and Uranus in Taurus between May 16th and June 26th may encourage people to lean into the new opportunities that Uranus is bringing in that area. The lesson with this transits is to see change as a new opportunity to do more of what you have always loved in a more effective way.
As mentioned in the previous segment about Venus in Leo, I think the square between the benefics can allow for reconciliation between your desires and your ability to tap into larger networks to achieve them. That being said, there can be a tendency towards grandiose plans that comes about during the 4 months that Venus spends configured to Jupiter by sign-based square. But with both benefics occupying signs that have a reputation for vanity and pursuit of good optics, this could be a good period to align yourself with the right people who can further these key causes and concerns. Also, with both planets having connotations of celebration, this could be a period of celebrating key milestones.
For those of you hoping to get a bit of relief or more clarity on the new direction you need to be going in, I hope that this primer provides some clues for how to do that! If you would like to delve deeper into what these transits specifically mean for you, feel free to book a consultation with me, here!