2023 Forecast--Headin’ For The Light

After paying close attention to the pattern of the stars for many years now, I've gone from curiosity about the uncanny way in which astrological events are a mirror of here and now events on Earth. 

But I stop short of saying the stars are predictive. Or worse, fated. In fact what I've noticed by comparison of the heavens above and the earth below is that there are templates, that I call archetypes, of repeating energy patterns that occur simultaneously in the stars with the overarching themes of events on Earth. 

On the last day of 2022, New Year's Eve, the planet Venus aligned exactly with transformational Pluto. If you’d been under a clear night sky, you could have seen Venus but you wouldn’t have seen that Pluto was in a straight line behind her. But he was. 

What does this portend for the portal to 2023?

It’s such good news! Our hearts were called to notice the intensity with which we love. We were called to remember how deeply we can love each other. How important it is to start 2023 with the clear intention of making our heart’s desire the most important goal we can set. In other words, let the love in our hearts guide us to our bliss, our happiness. 

What could be a better New Year’s Resolution than the rebirth of Love on Earth? 

Pluto's transformational energy has an effect similar to the shifting of tectonic plates. The thought of such a cataclysmic shift beneath our feet might induce fear unless we realize the benefits of undergoing such radical realignments. 

How can we see it? For me, it’s in the synchronicities I intuitively notice. They string together in my mind like lighted footprints on my path. I’ve also been fortunate enough to discover those footprints belong to Angels.

Here’s one footprint I noticed while thinking about Venus and Pluto’s intense love affair. 

In the 1978 Superman movie, Lois Lane fell into a chasm created by aftershocks  in the San Andreas fault and died before Superman could reach her. He had a Sophie’s choice dilemma that kept him so busy rescuing people by diverting one of two missiles that he didn’t have enough time to also save Lois from the other one. 

However, the power of his fierce desire to save the one he loved drove him to defy the inherited rules of Superman behavior. He did what was forbidden. He flew faster than the speed of light to reverse the direction of the Earth’s spin on its axis. 

He turned back the hands of time. Thus being able to rescue Lois. Now that’s a love story! An archetypal love story as written in the stars of Venus meeting up with Pluto on a New Year’s Eve in 2022.

Remember, Superman was an alien sent to Earth in a capsule that played recordings of his parents' do's and don’ts during his long journey to Earth. When baby Superman arrived and woke to the light of day as a helpless human, he was disoriented and distracted by matters of survival. For a long time he followed his parents' guidance unconsciously. Unaware of what motivated him so strongly. Unaware of the true source of his power.

Sound familiar? That’s a Hollywood archetypal story of our own birth that speaks to our collective consciousness--or unconsciousness. That’s the true power of what’s called a box office hit. 

Seven Months of Puzzles

Warrior Mars left practical Taurus and entered gregarious Gemini on August 20, 2022. He’ll strategize and cut through red tape until March 25, 2023. That’s 7 months spent up-in-the-airy think tanks of curious Gemini! 

This prolonged stay is due to his retrograde journey, an event that happens every two years. Mars will standstill and shift into retrograde at 25°36’ Gemini on October 30, 2022. Mars rarely sits in neutral, so be careful that you slow down to change direction without stripping your gears! 

Warrior Mars in Gemini will be retrograde all of November and December, 2022. Think back to the last time this happened. Mars spent two months retrograde in Gemini in January and February of 2008. Because this coincided with Pluto’s move into Capricorn, it manifested as economic collapse of the banks in the US and subsequently world wide. Gemini is an air sign and Capricorn is an earth sign; they were in incompatible elements. The results were like a speeding roller coaster crashing to a cavernous hole in the ground. 

A second standstill comes as Mars shifts back into forward gear at 8°08’ Gemini on January 12, 2023. 

What planets do you have in 25-26 degrees, or 8-9 degrees? They are being triggered into action by Mars. The last third of the 30 degrees of a zodiac sign (20 - 30) are culminating points. In the case of Gemini, it’s the time to make a decision! To publish your research. To end the debate.  

To help yourself through these 7 months of conflict resolution, internal and external, notice the 2 days each month when the Moon glides through the sign of Gemini. The Moon is the up close and personal trigger for the slower planets like Mars.

When the Moon joins Mars in Gemini your mind is active and ready to make your ideas known. It’s also the time of the month when ego conflicts erupt quickly. You’ll have strong opinions, and you may want to marshall agreement from others in a demanding way. Watch out for those words that can’t be unsaid. They’ll likely be wrapped in sarcasm. 

While retrograde, this same challenge continues except that its energy becomes introverted--the warrior’s path turns our attention to internal conflicts. 

Our minds might drift into the past, remembering conflicts left unresolved. It’s likely that a relationship was strained by what we were calling a “healthy debate” that degenerated into egoic arguing. 

Two keywords describe the modus operandi of Mars in Gemini-- resourcefulness and ingenuity. When this energy is retrograde we feel an extreme restlessness and can become multi-tasking maniacs! For example, it's not a good time to quit your job, even though--on a whim--it seems like a great idea.

These 7 months are prime time for all you engineers out there. Mars in Gemini loves to solve puzzles, especially in digital technology. You feel happily aggressive and mentally sharp. But be vigilant about cyber security during the retrograde phase. Hackers are also sharp and ready for combat. 

Mercurial Messenger Mercury is the landlord for the house of Gemini. Wordsmiths are right at home in this house of communications. Get out your journal, your manuscript, your screenplay. Retrograde is a great time for revisioning and editing. 

Mars is the warrior of the zodiac. While Rx, we may see a renewed focus on the conflict in Ukraine with Russia. Mars’ on stage role might be the roving reporter, the journalist who catalogs the global landscape in words and pictures.

There’s work to be done! 

Mars in Gemini air makes a harmonious peace with Saturn in Aquarius air. These two powerhouse planets rarely get along. Neither is willing to give way or compromise. At best, it’s usually a standoff--they agree to disagree. But mow we’re getting a big break as these two energies cooperate to inspire patience, perseverance and purposeful hard work. 

A New Dawn~May 10, 2022 to May 15, 2023

Jupiter in Aries says, ”Behold I make all things new.” 

A new 12 yr cycle of good fortune, ala Lady Luck, can manifest in different ways depending on your personal stars:

• Innovative leadership by those who are looking toward the new horizon

• Rebirth of our natural innocence; the joy of a baby’s giggle

• Cornucopia of optimism and abundant opportunities that inspire a renewed hope

• And, CAUTION, a tendency to go overboard!

Behold I make all things new! Faith in our ability to regenerate our lives brings us happiness and a better way of life. Jupiter in Aries can be an answer to the famous question, “There must be a better way!?” Jupiter says, “Yes, there is!” And that answer is inside all of us.

Feel the need for speed? There are no speed limits set for the shiny new red race car Santa has gift wrapped for you. Jupiter in Aries asks, “Why not give it a go!?” 

Ever driven on the autobahn? The government recommends a maximum speed of 130 kph, about 80 mph, on autobahns, but drivers are free to go as fast as they want in some sections. Yes, as fast as you want! (Don’t forget the overboard warning)

Caution is thrown to the wind as we ride our joyous exuberance, and perhaps inflated self-confidence. The latter will only happen if we slip into believing the voice of ego. In that case, we might be fools rushing in...

Mark Zuckerberg famously said, “Move fast and break things.” Meaning, unless you are breaking stuff, you are not moving fast enough.' 

And this can promote some grandiosity. We're meant to keep our feet on the ground as Jupiter has such a positive attitude, and oodles of energy, that a happy hot air balloon ride seems like so much fun that we add more and more fire to go higher and higher! We may fly past our destination. 

Leaping tall buildings in a single bound, or going faster than a locomotive, suddenly seems possible. This high-energy enthusiasm boosts our self-confidence and motivates us to attempt feats that previously seemed to be impossible. This is powerfully motivating. It propels us into effective action in 2022, especially when the Sun in Leo meets up with Jupiter on July 31, 2022.

Aries is in a natural harmonic with fiery Sagittarius, two of the three fire signs. 

Leo will definitely be the beneficiary of Jupiter's creatively expansive horizons—like a 180 degree rainbow painted with a quivering abundance of colorful words. 

The really big kickoff for Lady Luck to ring your doorbell was May 28, 2022, when Jupiter aligned with Mars in Aries. Peace is guiding the planets, and Love is steering the stars! An echo from the Age of Aquarius. 

This alignment of Jupiter in Aries previously happened April 28, 2011. Among other gifts that month, I unexpectedly got a check in the mail for $10,000. Yeah, it’s like that!

Jupiter also shows us an expanding universe. The Galactic Center of the MIlky Way Galaxy is at 27 degrees Sagittarius. Jupiter in Aries will make a profound and powerful harmonic alignment with the Galactic Center on May 4th, 2023. Before we get sucked into the supermassive black hole at the center, 4 million times larger than our Sun, it might be best to turn to Saturn in Aquarius for some prudent guidance about boundaries--sometimes fences do make good neighbors.

Note: The Galactic Center is the rotational center, the barycenter, of the Milky Way galaxy. Its central massive object is a supermassive black hole of about 4 million solar masses, which is called Sagittarius A*, a compact radio source which is almost exactly at the galactic rotational center—at 27 degrees.

Venus & Mars on the mountaintop

Through the looking glass of Love

Far-seeing through the lens of loving companionship, our hearts are healed and whole. 

The famous cosmic lovers, Venus and Mars, are the center stage archetypal actors for the opening act of 2022. Their story is all about harmony and peace in all our relationships. 

Timetable of The Travels of Venus and Mars: Love Lifts Us Up

1. Venus entered the sign of Capricorn on November 5th, 2021. Party girl Venus lays aside flirtatious games. She forgoes/declines old paradigms that measure beauty by outer appearances.

2. Due to a retrograde phase, Venus has an unusually extended stay in earthy Capricorn (4 months) from November 5, 2021 to March 3, 2022. 

3. Venus goes retrograde in that mountain goat sign December 20th, 2021, at 26 degrees 28 minutes.

4. Warrior Mars joins Venus in Capricorn beginning January 25th, 2022. Mars lays down his sword for a plow. Trades his running shoes for hiking boots. 

5. The cosmic lovers travel sweetly hand-in-hand as they climb the Capricorn mountain together from January 25th through March 5th, 2022. Roped together in cooperation, Venus commits to Mars, and Mars commits to Venus, as co-creators of a new design for loving companionship. 

6. While Venus the heroine and Mars the hero are on this quest, they will make an exact conjunction with each other, like-minded souls in love, on February 13th, 2022, the eve of Valentine's Day. 

7. But their most remarkably loving influence will come to us on March 3rd, 2022, when they pair up exactly with the powerful and profoundly deep-space planet, Pluto, on the mountaintop peak. 

8. March 6, 2022, both Venus and Mars, still side by side, enter the sign of humanitarian Aquarius air. Love lifts its wings in peace, and soars above the turmoil of the world. 

Milk of Human Kindness: March 2021

The month that ushers in the spring, begins with the goddess of love in her “milk of human kindness” sign, compassionate Pisces. Venus encourages us to be in love with everyone, unconditionally, from February 26th to March 20th, 2021--the day of the Spring Equinox when the Sun enters Aries.

Deeply empathic love with Venus in Pisces is accompanied by a penetrating and necessary look at some intense feelings that have been hiding beneath our masks. Our own unmasking is voluntary--and is courtesy of the lord of the underworld, Pluto, who will provide the spyglass for an up close look at our own personal hell (no need to take a trip there!). 

Letting go of the past with love and compassion is the help we will get from Venus in Pisces. 

Now, let’s think about Darth Vader. He’s an archetypal image of Pluto at work. A character who is dark and deadly and mysterious, until he is unmasked. Then we see the scars of pain and suffering that caused him to turn away from the light.

Powerful Pluto, aka Hades, will spend four months apparently motionless at 28 degrees Capricorn: March, April, May and June of 2021 (Pluto turns retrograde April 27th).

From our perspective on Earth, Pluto appears to be at a standstill. It’s an optical illusion that we call “retrograde.” The effect is like a laser beam, drilling through rock and dirt to reach what is hidden underground. That stuff we’d rather not think about, like trauma, death, disease, that we have relegated to our unconscious minds where we imagine our fears are buried--out of sight, out of mind. 

And if we also put our ear to the ground, if we listen with our intuition, we can hear the hissing as the veil of fear burns and hatred dissolves. We’re setting fire to old, even ancient, abuses of power. 

Find resonance with the right use of your personal power. Call out your tiny obnoxious dictator, the monkey mind who writes and directs all your nightmares. Ignore the screaming. It is not an indicator of size or power or strength. Yelling is a puff-up. The ego inflating itself with hot air. 

The archetypal lord of the underworld stirs the cauldron of chemical change. Truth is, Pluto’s hell is actually the place of transformation--if we are willing to let the past go. Then we see that nothing is left except the love we gave and the love we received. 

Messenger Mercury bows his head in prayer on March 15th, 2021, when he sails on the waters that dreams are made of, oceanic Pisces. 

Prayers rise to heaven from every open mind when Messenger Mercury catches up to visionary Neptune on March 29th. A beautiful day for a daydream, but you will have to furnish some boundaries for your imagination so that you don't build castles in the air. Or rather, you don't build castles in the air that you believe are real.