Energy-oriented Mars begins 2023 retrograde in fast-talking Gemini and wastes little time resuming direct motion on January 12, much to the relief of those with something to say and communication contracts in the works. All of this year’s Mercury retrograde transits occur in grounded earth signs ready to show another side of their signature qualities. Mercury in Capricorn starts off the year already retrograde and goes direct on January 18. The Messenger of the Gods will be retrograde three additional times this year, in April, August, and December. Uranus, another planet that starts the year in retrograde motion, moves direct on January 22. Uranus blasts its way through Taurus, hanging on to its reputation for disrupting the lives of earthlings this year, especially those with fixed signs in their birth charts. Venus, the love and beauty planet, is stable until July 22, when it takes a retrograde break in Leo and gives late-born members of this regal sign a challenge or two to work on in the love department. Jupiter begins the 22year in assertive Aries and zips through all 30 degrees of this sign by May 16, when the Great Benefactor turns over the reins to asset-driven Taurus. It moves retrograde on September 4, putting certain lucrative deals on hold until after December 30.
The gatekeeping taskmaster known as Saturn keeps a steady pace going as it wraps up its two-and-a-half-year cycle in Aquarius and doesn’t shift gears until it hands over the gavel to the multi-directional sign Pisces on March 7. Saturn stays in direct motion until June 17, when it uses the psychic sign’s intuitive powers and the convenient retrograde opportunity to look at deeper views of life and new ways to handle responsibility before going direct on November 4. Neptune continues to monitor confusion, illusions, and nightmares from its home base in Pisces in late degrees of the sign, making the most impact on late-born Pisces dreamers. The six-month hiatus ends on December 6 and the glamour planet comes out of hiding to take a look at the shape of things—the economy, creative juices, and your sentimental heart.
Pluto in Capricorn continues to advance toward completing its cycle in this sign and gives us a few teaser moments from March 23 to June 11 when it steps into Aquarius to try on new clothes, wondering how well the mantle fits before taking over in November 2024. Break loose from a few pieces of baggage you’re unable to shed during the Pluto retrograde cycle that runs from May 1 to October 10 this year. Look for impact from four eclipses in 2023 when two new signs enter the picture. The eclipses occur in Aries on April 20, in Scorpio on May 5, in Libra on October 14, and in Taurus on October 28. Manifest prosperity and joyful experiences!