Welcome to the Astrological Overview for January 2023!

Didn’t 2022 pass by in a whizz? It has been one hell of a year, firmly in the grip of the Uranus/Saturn square, wreaking chaos and even war. One barely dares to hope that 2023 will be any better after what we have been through during the past couple of years.

But one thing is certain, 2023 will be markedly different. Several major planetary shifts are setting up a new and very different playing field.

Jupiter has just started on its final leg through Aries, which he completes in a whizz. By May, Jupiter will be moving into Taurus. Saturn will dip his toes into the cosmic waters of Pisces in March for the first time and Pluto will break new ground in Aquarius, after having spent the past 15 years testing social institutions during its transit through Capricorn. Even the nodal axis will change signs and shift into the Aries/Libra polarity.
I predict, 2023 won’t be boring 😉

But although there is a lot of change in the air, momentum will build slowly and pick up speed as we move along. January 2023 starts off with Mercury and Mars still retrograde. We are not jumping in head first. Everything feels a bit laborious, though the impending change is already noticeable. The effort is well worth it if we persist. Jupiter has moved back into Aries, which breezes a lot of fire into anything it touches.

January 1 – 3, 2023

The first aspect of the year is a Venus/Pluto conjunction, which can either seethe or sizzle. Intensity is in the air. The most negative expressions are about power, dominance and maybe sexual oppression. But it can also manifest as passion or even obsession.

On January 2, retrograde Mercury sextiles Neptune. Sometimes knowledge does not derive from rational processes, but from intuition. Mercury helps to integrate such experiences and to store them as spiritual resources. On the same day, the Sun squares Chiron. This is a more challenging aspect that forces action. Venus enters Aquarius on January 3. In Aquarius, she relishes her independence and relinquishes some of the burdens of responsibility.

January 4 – 6, 2023

On January 4, Venus sextiles Jupiter, bringing a breeze of optimism and maybe unexpected blessings if we dare to grab them. The Sun trines Uranus on January 5, likely bringing change and/or disruption, although not necessarily in a negative way. After all, they are forming a trine. Embrace change and expect surprises on the eve of the Full Moon.

The Full Moon in Cancer is well-aspected by Uranus in Taurus, who trines the Sun and sextiles the Moon. This echoes a similar pattern on the previous Full Moon, when Saturn made these aspects to the Full Moon axis. We are moving from the old to the new, and there has been a very distinct shift of energy.

January 7 – 9, 2023

On January 7, retrograde Mercury conjuncts the Sun. Things may turn out differently than planned, but that might not be so bad. But the following day, January 8, Mercury trines Uranus and events might take a wilder turn; perhaps some shocking news will be revealed.

January 9 – 11, 2023

Venus calls on January 9 – at first, with a semi-sextile to Neptune and then with a trine to Mars. Maybe a wish will come true?

On January 11, Venus squares the nodal axis, and Mercury squares Chiron. It’s time to air a contentious issue in a public debate.

January 12 – 14, 2023

Mercury semi-sextiles Venus and Venus sextiles Chiron on January 12, and the dynamics change. There is an opportunity to apply what has been learned and to integrate it. Mars turns direct on this very day, and things will begin to pick up speed as we head towards the middle of the month.

Mercury trines the north node on January 13, while the Sun sextiles Neptune and casts a sesquiquadrate to Mars. Although there is a strong drive to move forward, something is holding us back. There may be an element of resistance based on fear, which may manifest as anger.

The Sun forms a semi-sextile with Saturn on January 14, reminding us that learning is repetition, which becomes a habit. But semi-sextiles are minor aspects that provide merely an impulse that stirs a latent potential. Nothing will come of it unless we apply focused attention and effort.

January 15 – 19, 2023

From the middle of the month, things get a bit more exciting. Venus squares Uranus on January 15, which may be a bit stroppy, especially as Mercury also casts a semi-square to Saturn that same day. These feelings may linger and become even more intense over the next few days. On January 17, Mercury quincunxes Mars, and Venus casts a semi-square to Jupiter. It is a bit of a catch-22 situation, but nothing will be solved if we dig in our heels and refuse to compromise. The Sun conjuncts Pluto on January 18, bringing up issues of power and authority, and Mercury goes stationary direct. It is like a big inhalation that concentrates power and energy before things begin to turn around.

January 20 – 25, 2023

The Sun changes signs and enters Aquarius on January 20th, just before the New Moon, which falls on January 21. In Aquarius, the Sun is more community-minded and concerned with ideals that benefit all. Sadly, reality rarely lives up to the lofty ideals we imagine, which can lead to disillusionment.

The high energy continues to build after the New Moon, but the mood is less irritable. On January 22, Mercury casts a semi-sextile to Saturn and a trine to the north node, while Venus conjuncts Saturn. This is a more constructive mode, although Venus and Saturn joined in Aquarius are not particularly warm. The essence is cooperative friendship rather than love rather than hot romance.

On January 23, Mercury again forms a semi-sextile with Saturn, and it is time to dust off those inner resources, shake any feelings of doubt and switch to ‘apply’ mode. Mars underlines that thrust with a semi-sextile to the North Node. Such opportunities tend to be fleeting, but Mars, now direct, is more decisive, and that ups the chances of success.

Results may show up quickly. On January 25, the Sun sextiles Jupiter and Venus semi-sextiles Pluto. Some blessings are obvious, but others become apparent only in hindsight, provided we are on the right track.

January 26 – 29, 2023

Some vagueness or uncertainty can be annoying and confusing on January 28, perhaps leading to a misunderstanding. The following day, on January 29, the Sun squares the nodal axis, which can feel ambivalent and frustrating. The executive function is out of synch with destiny.

January 30-31, 2023

Nevertheless, the month ends on a high-velocity note as the Sun trines Mars, and Mercury trines Uranus. Nothing stands in the way; nothing perturbs the flow of energy. Confidence is high, but sensitivity may be low. Try not to bulldoze those near and dear. On January 31, Venus forms a semi-sextile with Jupiter, ending the month with optimism and searching for opportunity.