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Transits in the Year 2023

Universe & Man Flammarian woodcut, brightThe six furthest-out planets in our solar system are not just pieces of rock hurtling through space. They symbolize archetypes or mythological figures that activate powerful change when they touch on a part of your astrology chart. When you are experiencing a “transit” (i.e. a transition), it’s as if a larger-than-life being, a veritable deity, taps you on the shoulder (or whacks you on the side of the head) and says, “You’re going to change this year, and I’m here to tell you how.”  We do not have choice about whether waves of change flow through our lives. But we do have a tremendous amount of choice about how we handle those waves—all we have to do is listen to what the planets are telling us. This makes all the difference between surfing and drowning.

My Pandora Astrology blog looks at several kinds of astrological events: planets moving through signs, planets aspecting each other, planetary stations (which you may know of as ‘retrogrades’) and eclipses. All these transits can cause interesting changes in your life and my blog pages enable you to see those changes coming and to get on top of the waves moving through your life, instead of being sucked down underneath them.

Aspects and Planetary Trends are the long-term movements of the planets. Imagine that each planet is a character in the grand drama of life (i.e. Saturn is a serious guy, reminding you to take responsibility for your life, while Jupiter is like Santa Claus, bringing luck and opportunity). If each planet is a character, the sign that a given planet is moving through is like a costume the character is wearing—it lends a certain quality or tone to the character while the planet is in that sign (in Libra, Saturn’s harsh judgment is softened—he seeks fairness and balance).  Imagine further that the characters have meetings in the sky, where they interact and relate with each other (What happens when Serious Saturn meets Jolly Jupiter?). Sometimes they get along, sometimes they battle each other. And human beings get caught in the middle. Find out more about Aspects and Planetary Trends in 2023.

Retrogrades are days in the year when planets shift direction from forward-moving to backward-moving, or from backward-moving to forward-moving. These days are pivotal both physically and metaphorically. They are milestones of change in the midst of long-term transitions. Each time a planetary directional shift happens this year, I’ll post a description about the kinds of pivotal experience you might be having. Find out more about Planetary Retrogrades and Stations in 2023.

Eclipses are special kinds of full moons and new moons. Between 3 and 6 eclipses happen every year, bringing interesting dramatic emotional or physical changes. Not all eclipses affect all people, but when they do affect us, they tend to be intense. Eclipses show us our shadow side, the side of ourselves we cannot usually see. An eclipse may be assisted by one or more Shadow Agents, planets that show us our shadow. Each time an eclipse happens this year, I’ll post a dialogue about what life might be like if the Shadow Agent visits your home. Find out more about 2023’s Eclipses.

My Monthly Forecast breaks these long-term trends down into the small, immediate events that are happening this month. On the Forecast page you’ll find links to articles about longer-term transits that are peaking now (such as planetary aspects, eclipses, Mercury retrograde, and so on). Check out the current Monthly Forecast.

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