There's a secret to accessing the magic of 2023, and it's really just coming into play now in mid-March as we approach equinox.

This March's equinox brings us the first of two Aries new moons in a row, the first one in the first degree of the sign, and the second in the last degree of the sign, which also happens to open our first eclipse portal of the year.  This is our intro to what's coming in early July - the north node, point of future, increase, and destiny is moving into Aries for the next eighteen months.  

Adding to that, just a few days after equinox and the first new moon in Aries, on March 23rd, Pluto makes its big move into Aquarius.   This is big because Pluto hasn't changed signs since 2008, and it hasn't been in Aquarius in over two centuries.  

And this has everything to do with why I'm saying there is a secret to harnessing the power that 2023 has to offer.

Understanding Pluto....

Pluto is the outermost heavenly body currently recognized in our solar system.  It was discovered in 1930, along with the atomic bomb and the rise in popularity of depth psychology, and only covers a couple of degrees per year.

Upon its discovery, modern astrologers assigned Pluto as ruler of Scorpio, the previous domain of Mars, which traditionally rules Aries and Scorpio.  

Pluto was the Roman Hades - the god of the underworld, and astrologically, Pluto's energy is associated with power and the cycle of death and rebirth.  This is highly transformative and regenerative energy.  It is best described by the idea of the biological cycle of decay feeding new growth, or the phoenix that dies to the flame in order to be reborn from its own ashes.

It is about the core principle that energy doesn't actually go away, it just changes form.

In our lives, we experience this energy much like Joseph Campbell's "Hero's Journey," where we journey to the underworld within and face the shadow, and in the process bring death to the old consciousness and are reborn to a new consciousness, whole unto ourselves.

When Pluto transits a sign, for the collective it is a process of destruction and creation.  First Pluto exposes "what is rotten," and strips, then only after that process is complete can the creation and birthing of the new begin.  Since 2008, we've seen this happen in the realm of Capricorn - large societal systems and structures, like government and banking.  

Since Pluto is such a generational influence, we will notice more in this broad collective manner in our lives as it transits any one sign, unless it is making an aspect to a sensitive point in our natal chart, such as a planet or angle. 

When that happens, we will experience Pluto's painstakingly slow and thorough transformational process very personally.  In these cases, it can indeed feel like we have been suddenly abducted as we find ourselves on a journey though our own underworld, our own personal hell, where we must face the shadow and go through a death of some sort to be reborn to new consciousness.  

In this case, we will be called - forced - to let go of attachments to what we thought was our security as part of this process, and it can feel like anything and everything we reach out to hold onto disintegrates in our grasp.  We have no choice but to surrender, but the outcome is always being reborn to new consciousness, having unlocked your personal power.  But you have to walk through the fire.  There's no other way with Pluto.

Pluto's special influence on 2023....

It's not just that Pluto is making this monumental sign change on March 23rd, when it makes the move from 29° Capricorn to 0° Aquarius.

Because Pluto is such a slow mover, it won't go any further into Aquarius before it stations retrograde in May and then returns back to the end degrees of Capricorn for a final "clean up round" from June through January.

That means that this entire year is a process of transition between the era of Pluto in Capricorn that began in 2008, and the era of Pluto in Aquarius that began in 2044.

But here's the deal, and the reason that I'm saying there's a secret to successfully navigating this year's energy....

As Pluto rides the cusp of Capricorn-Aquarius all year before officially landing in Aquarius for the long haul next January, it's doing something significant.

It will be in T-square aspect to the nodes consistently from early March all the way through early December, and this is important.

Pluto's energy is slow, yet unstoppable, kind of like a lava flow.  It just keeps grinding away just below the surface.  

If you have any significant placements in your chart like angles (ascendant, descendent) or personal planets (sun, moon, Mercury, Venus, or Mars) anywhere near 29° Capricorn and 0° Aquarius, this is personal, and you're going to be very aware of it.

However, for all of us on a collective level, Pluto in T-square to the nodes of destiny and fate, past and future for 7 months straight is significant.

The T-square is a dynamic aspect of change via forced growth.  It's when an opposition formed by two points or planets, like in this case the north and south nodes of the moon, which always travel in opposition and work as a pair, are bisected at a 90° angle by a third planet, in this case Pluto, bringer of transformation and regeneration by way of death and rebirth.

When Pluto is at work in an aspect like this, it's going to require us to let go.  This is the "death" part of the process, the release.  We have to release our attachment in order for the energy to be transformed.

In this case we are speaking on a collective level, and specifically about the north and south node opposition - about increase and release, future and past.

The north and south nodes of the moon are astrological points.  The north node is what we are "growing to."  It's increase, future, and destiny.  It is our appetite and what we desire.  It is what's pulling us forward.  The south node is the point of the past, release, and decrease.  It's where we've been and what we've already mastered, and the comfort zone that Pluto is not going to allow us to hide in this year.

When these two points are bisected by a powerful planet of transformation like Pluto for such a significant length of time, nonstop, we can know that we are in the midst of a major transformation on all levels, and that we are going to be asked to let go and release in order to move into the new - and this is going to be about that old core theme of dying to the old consciousness in order to be reborn into the new.

Remember, Pluto is about power, and when we are willing to go deep and face the shadow, we find that the underworld holds great treasure, and this is how we unlock our true power.

This 7 month long transformational dynamic is made even more potent by the movement of the nodes during this time.  

Right now, the north node is in Taurus, and the south node is in Scorpio, where they've been since January 2022, but in early July, they will shift, beginning a new 18 month cycle of north node in Aries and south node in Libra.  (The nodes always move in reverse direction.). This is just one more reason 2023 is such a transformational year. 

From now through June, Pluto is going to be in square to north node of future and our desires in Taurus and at the same time, south node of past, karma, and release in Taurus' opposite sign of Scorpio - the sign of which Pluto is the modern ruler.

Since January 2022, the north node in Taurus has had us desiring more comfort, security, and pleasure in every day life.  That's no surprise coming out of the pandemic years.  Taurus is the Venus-ruled earth sign of abundance in the material world, possessions, and life's pleasures, little luxuries, and creature comforts.  

At the same time, the south node moving through Scorpio has been asking us to do a lot of letting go from deep within the collective and personal shadows in order to move towards those desires.

With Pluto in square to those points now through June as they wrap up their stays in Taurus/Scorpio, respectively, we can expect to be doing the final work around coming into balance on that axis of the zodiac - the one that's all about giving and receiving, accumulating and eliminating, possessing and letting go - our resources and how we share (or don't share) them.  
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What this means for you....

As Pluto wraps up it's transit of Capricorn and begins a new one in Aquarius over the course of this year, we are shifting eras.

Pluto landed in Capricorn in January 2008 and the event that coincided with that was the Global Financial Crisis.  As Pluto leaves Capricorn, we are officially leaving that behind.  With Saturn now in Pisces, we are also leaving behind "the pandemic years," (the pandemic surfaced in December 2019 just as Saturn and Pluto made their conjunction in Capricorn, and lockdown began in March 2020 right when Saturn landed in Aquarius - Saturn in Aquarius ended March 7th, and over it's 2 1/2 year stay in Pisces, all of the outer planets will change signs - we are officially transitioning into a new era).

Uranus in Taurus is playing in here too - it wants us to innovate around all things Taurus - environment, resources, security through material things, how we enjoy life.

The big theme here is that what was secure is no longer secure or even an option, and we need to fully release those ideas, beliefs, systems, structures, and ways of doing things in order to innovate new ways that work in the new era.

This can feel very unsettling, and we may be tempted to fall back on what we know or what's worked before, or "the way it's always been," but that's a mistake.

The more we can find security and comfort within ourselves in this time of transition and stay open to the new rather than clinging to the old, the better.  While we may not know the way forward yet, we can trust that we won't find it in the past.

Also, remember that change on this level, this energy that requires such deep transformation and letting go, is likely to bring up overwhelming survival fears in many, so it will be important to move through our lives in great compassion for this over the coming months.

That being said, there's magic here.  

We've already left behind the frustrating Saturn-Uranus square that lasted from February 2022 all the way until just last October.  While it felt like we were being restricted and held back from moving into the new and breaking free, ultimately Saturn was helping us lay a proper foundation before moving forward.  We're prepared now, and there's good stuff on deck for this year, like Venus in Leo from June til October!

Whatever comes up, all you need to do is remember this:  as within, so without.  Your outer experience is a perfect reflection of the energy within in your inner realm, and that's where your power lies.  With Pluto at play especially, remember that whatever comes up in your life that has you reactive, triggered, insecure, or in survival mode, the answer lies within.  You have the power to change it, but you have to go within and change it there.  Then the outer will come right and match it.  Always.  Without fail.  

Whatever comes up, keep coming back to your internal compass and true north - what are you desiring, what are you moving toward, and what is it that needs to be released within to allow you to continue moving on that path?  Do it again and again, each and every time.  

And remember this:  the security lies within you, not in the past or what was.  Your path lies ahead of you, not behind you, and you are creating your new in every moment with every breath.

PS - Pluto is the planet of deep wealth, when you are willing to take that underworld journey and reclaim your power from where it's been locked up in the shadows, the rewards are great.

The March 12th Jupiter-Chiron conjunction in Aries marks a brand new 50 year cycle - one that is all about expansion and growth (Jupiter) and healing (Chiron).  

Although Chiron and Jupiter come together to begin a new smaller cycle every 13 years, they only meet in Aries every 50 or so.

In Aries, the healing we are talking about is the healing of core wounds of self that we collectively carry - the ones that challenge our sense of a right to exist and keep us playing small to avoid the pain of feeling rejected or abandoned again.  

Aries is the cardinal fire sign ruled by Mars, the first sign of the zodiac, and the sign of self.  It is the sign of spring and new beginnings.  Aries is the energy of action and initiation, going after what we want, and self-assertion.  It has everything to do with our identity, our sense of self, our individuation, our boundaries and inherent human rights.

Jupiter is the planet of growth and expansion, wisdom, philosophy, and broadening horizons.  It also rules luck, opportunity, abundance, belief, and faith.

In transit, Jupiter has the ability to expand whatever it touches.  In this case, that's Chiron, the wounded healer, in Aries, sign of self.

Think about it this way - Jupiter passing over Chiron this March ultimately is helping us heal core wounds to self in a way that allows us to expand past former limits, but in order for this expansion to take place, as this transit applies (since late February) it might just first bring these wounds up to the surface, which of course will feel more like aggravation than healing.  But for us to heal those deep wounds that keep us playing small, doubting ourselves, and in fear of the kind of abandonment and rejection that bring up deep fears of survival, they must be brought into our full conscious awareness.  We've got to "feel it to heal it."

While the conjunction is exact March 12th, the transit remains in play for the rest of the month.  By the time it is done, we will have had the opportunity to face those old wounds and transcend our pain and fear so that we can expand beyond those limits to be more authentically ourselves, stand more in our personal truth, and open to more life and abundance.  Believe in yourself.  Keep the faith.

Chiron was discovered in 1977 - it's technically an asteroid that orbits between Saturn and Uranus.  Saturn is the last planet visible to the eye from Earth, so for centuries, until the 1700's, was the last known planet, the end of the line.  That's why it rules limits and boundaries and the 3D realm, along with old age, linear time, and death.  Uranus is the first of the three outer planets, discovered in the 1700's with technology.  It rules technology, the future, innovation, sudden change through upheaval, breaking free from the status quo, and the 4D realm.  

While Saturn rules traditions and the past, Uranus rules innovation and the future.

Chiron is the magical heavenly body that bridges the two.  It has an elliptical orbit between the two planets so that it goes to one and then goes to the other.  Chiron represents our link from the limits of the conditional 3D world into something bigger and more expansive.  It's liberation from the limits of conditional thinking.

Chiron is transiting Aries from 2018 til 2027.  The last time it was in Aires was from 1968 to 1977, the year it was discovered.

Chiron in Aries is helping the collective heal the core wounds of self that leave us shrinking, doubting our own right to exist.  

Aries is the sign of the self, but also action and initiation.  Aries wants to confront things directly, and courageously.

The other thing to remember about Aries is that it is about our sense of self and boundaries.  Mars, ruler of Aries, is the warrior.  It asserts.  It defends its turf.  Mars and Aries also rule our anger and ability to stand up for ourselves.  One of the top causes of anger is a real or perceived boundary violation - a threat to the self. 

It makes sense that with Chiron representing the core wounds transiting the sign of Aries, any ways we have been lacking in healthy boundaries due to a wounded sense of self and feeling "less than," would be brought to light.

With Chiron so active in the past few months and now, we have a beautiful opportunity to take direct action towards healing our core wounds of self by facing them head on. 

Now is the time to courageously face the pain and fear and transcend it. 

Now is the time to acknowledge the deep fears swirling within us around survival and right to exist and stand up in our full authenticity and move forward anyway.

Maybe most importantly, now is the time to finally let go of all of the anger that's built up within in an effort to protect ourselves, so that we can rise above this and start healing ourselves and others instead of doing more damage.  

Saturn's once-every-thirty-years transit of Pisces begins March 7th, 2023, and it wants to help you access the magical in the mundane so you can make your dreams reality.

But there's just one catch.  You have to take responsibility for your creative power and you have to accept your purpose and fate.

No more hiding in delusion or escaping into fantasy.  The Lord of Karma traveling through the deep waters of the 12th sign of the zodiac won't allow that.

It's time to face up to the past, get right with it, and commit to what you are building for the future.

In order for us to step fully into our inherent creative power, we have to stop denying it.  That means we have to take full responsibility for what we've created in our lives thus far.  We aren't saying we created what we wanted, just that we indeed created it, because we are creative beings who are always creating. It's just that before, we were creating unconsciously.  Not to mention consciously creating life is a skill, an art that we get better at as we practice.

The first step is realizing that we indeed have the inherent power of creation - of bringing ideas from the void into the mind and in imagination, and then into being in reality through taking action towards those ideas - and acknowledging that we've been creating our lives this whole time.

Saturn is the planet of karma, responsibility, and reality, so before it will help us create the future reality we've been dreaming of, it is going to make us accountable for the past.  It won't let this slide.

It's also the planet of building things of value that are built to last.  That means strong foundations as well as boundaries to protect what we are cultivating.  That means integrity and alignment.  ​

Pisces is the mutable water sign of spirit and unseen realms.  It is symbolized by two fish swimming in opposite directions.  While there is a strong spiritual and healing component here, there is an equally strong tendency to illusion, fantasy, and escapism.

But Pisces is also the sign of inspiration and imagination, as well as dissolving blocks.

Here's the thing:  Saturn in Aquarius since March 2020 has been most notably squaring up to Uranus in Taurus from February 2021 til October 2022.  Saturn is the last planet visible with the naked eye, and thus the planet of limits and boundaries.  In challenging aspect, it creates restriction and blocks, and even fear, doubt, worry, pessimism, and cynicism.  

All of 2021 and most of 2022, it was squaring up to Uranus, the Great Awakener and change-bringer.  So Uranus had us wanting to break free and break through and innovate a new future, while Saturn stubbornly blocked that and forced us to grow and learn lessons.  

But now the brakes are off.  Uranus just stationed direct at the end of January, for the first time in a couple of years without Saturn waiting to block it.

And now, Saturn is entering Pisces.  That means for the next 2 1/2 years, Saturn will be in supportive aspect to Uranus - helping us build that new we've been yearning for.  (This aspect will be strongest April 2025 and then again in January 2026 during Saturn's return to Pisces to review and officially wrap up, on 9/21/2025 til 2/13/2026).  

Here's the other thing:  Pluto is making a HUGE shift from Capricorn into Aquarius on March 23rd, 2023.  It will retrograde back into Capricorn from June 2023 til January 2044, but the take away here is that it's been in Capricorn since 2008 and will be in Aquarius til 2044, and that puts us right in the middle of a huge transition over 2023 as it changes signs.  Actually the larger transition goes til May 2026.  That's because the other two outer planets, Uranus and Neptune, will both be using 2025 to transition into Gemini and Aries, respectively.

We can think of Saturn in Pisces as a bridge right now helping us through this larger era shift.

Saturn rules the mundane realms as a Roman harvest god, but it's not that it doesn't have it's own magic.  Saturn rules the sign of Capricorn.  Today we associated Saturn and Capricorn with practical concerns, structures and boundaries, and even things like taxes, but this earth sign isn't all dry rocky soil, responsibility, pragmatism, and effort.

It is represented by not a goat, but a sea goat - the only mythological creature of the zodiac.  This earth sign has a deep and ancient connection with water.  Not ocean water - "sweet water."  

Capricorn is associated with the Sumerian god of wisdom, Enki.  The Sumerians are known as one of the first civilizations to engineer canals to bring water and life to their crops and desert cities.  

This is magic.  It's old earth magic.  And it's the magic of Saturn - structure and boundaries - containers - being used to hold the flow of life itself, water.  

Venus is the flow.  Venus is love and money, relationships and resources, by way of our values and especially our value of ourselves - our self-worth.  Venus will be retrograde in Pisces from 3/27/2025 to 4/12/2025, stationing direct exactly conjunct Saturn in Pisces, "sealing the deal," on what we've been building.

1.  Take responsibility for what you've created thus far, turn to face your past, clear your karma, and let go of what's holding you back - if there are things to make right, tend to that first.

2.  Step into your unquestionable self-value and worth - claim it, and claim your inner authority and knowing along with it.

3.  Stay grounded and embodied, with feet firmly planted in reality, and use discernment, while at the same time, be willing to be in the unknown, taking the next step and the next step, "flying on instruments," and feeling your way forward.

4.  Stay heart-centered, trust your body wisdom, follow higher guidance and inspiration, and keep moving towards what is in your highest good and the highest good of all - this is your responsibility as a creator - to be in your inner authority and use your power for the good of all.

5.  Commit to what you are for.  Commit to showing up.  Commit to persevering.  This is "satisfying Saturn."