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The Eclipses & Mercury Retrogrades In 2023 That Astrologers Have Their Eyes On

The AstroTwins
Author:
December 26, 2022
The AstroTwins
Astrologers
By The AstroTwins
Astrologers
Ophira and Tali Edut, known as the AstroTwins, are professional astrologers based out of New York and Seattle. Their work has been featured in The New York Times, Elle Magazine, Vogue and Good Morning America and they are the authors AstroStyle, Love Zodiac, Shoestrology, and Momstrology.
full moon
Image by SevenStorm JUHASZIMRUS / Pexels
December 26, 2022
Curious about what astrologers have their eyes on in the year ahead? Here, the AstroTwins reveal the major eclipses and Mercury transits that will define 2023 in the stars—and explain why they'll be so important.

Eclipses in 2023

Seeing red? Lunar eclipses transpire when the full moon opposes the Sun at the same degree of zodiac sign on the ecliptic. With the Earth sandwiched between these heavenly bodies, el Sol casts a shadow that slowly bleeds across the surface of the moon. (In fact, due to its reddish tint, a total lunar eclipse has earned the nickname of "blood moon.")

Lunar eclipses are prime time for doing shadow work and dealing with feelings we've ignored. Buckle up, buttercup! Situations could pivot abruptly or come to a sudden, unceremonious halt. If anything in your life is "eclipsed away," here's our advice: Stop chasing and give it some space. You'll either manifest a better option or circle back to this later—after you've processed the lesson and evolved!

There are two lunar eclipses in 2023, which round out a two-year series that has been burning up the money-minded Taurus-Scorpio axis. From soaring gas prices to inflation to the trend of "quiet quitting," we've shifted the way we think about our fiduciary world.

  • May 5: Scorpio Penumbral Lunar Eclipse
  • October 28: Taurus Partial Lunar Eclipse

On May 5, a total lunar eclipse simmers in Scorpio, bringing explosive power struggles. We may uncover nefarious details about people's hidden agendas, criminal activity, and scandalous underground activity.

Will it be shocking? You'd better believe it. Picking up the pieces could take a while—as it already has since the Russia-Ukraine war escalated near these eclipses last year. A no-nonsense Taurus partial lunar eclipse on October 28 may finally bring some order to the global court. But we'll be forced to deal with everything from world hunger to the global economy—and the weight of that is mighty.

Eclipse dates & visibility:

April 20: 12:17 a.m. EST: Hybrid Solar Eclipse in Aries (29°52)

Visible in: Australia, Asia, Philippines. (A partial eclipse will be visible over Indonesia, parts of Australia, Papua New Guinea.)

May 5: 1:24 p.m. EST: Penumbral Lunar Eclipse in Scorpio (14°52)

Visible in: Africa, Asia, Australia

Oct 14: 2 p.m. EST: Annular Solar Eclipse in Libra (21°10)

Visible in: United States over Oregon, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Texas, as well as some parts of California, Idaho, Colorado, and Utah; Central America—Mexico, Belize, Honduras, Panama; South America—through Colombia then over the coast of Natal, Brazil over the Atlantic Ocean. (A partial eclipse will be visible over all of the United States, Canada, Alaska, parts of South America, Greenland, and western Africa.)

Oct 28: 4:15 p.m. EST: Partial Lunar Eclipse in Taurus (5°03)

Visible in: Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia

Visibility as reported by NASA.org.

Mercury in 2023

"Happy Retrograde New Year"? You can say that again…literally! Mercury begins and ends the year in retrograde, bookending the holidays with its notorious signal-scrambling effects.

From December 29, 2022, to January 18, 2023, it's backing up through Capricorn. As we attempt to set our resolutions, the cosmic trickster reminds us of the adage, "Man plans, God laughs." (Nevermind New Year's Day—we recommend waiting until the January 21 new moon to set yearly intentions in 2023!) In Capricorn, the eldest earth sign and ruler of time-honored wisdom, Mercury puts issues like climate change, health care for the elderly, and environmental justice front and center. But will we listen? Hopefully. With Mercury's localized focus, changing systems at the neighborhood level can have a major worldwide impact.

After January 18, we get a little breathing room from the retrogrades until Mercury reverse commutes through money-minded Taurus from April 21 to May 14.

From August 23 to September 15, Mercury will be retrograde in Virgo—a good time to review your day-to-day systems and protect your important data. Cutting corners could have detrimental effects. Take your time and do everything by the books.

The final retrograde of the year arrives like an unwelcome Grinch at the holiday festivities. On December 13, the messenger planet U-turns in Capricorn for the second time this year, turning traditions on their ear. (Stay nimble, Dasher and Dancer!) Mercury rules the postal system, so get those packages out early!

Then, on December 23, Mercury backs up one spot in the zodiac, rounding out its retrograde in unfiltered, hotheaded Sagittarius before correcting course on New Year's Day 2024. Not only is this a warning to not invite that triggering relative to the tree-trimming, but since Sagittarius is the ruler of travel, expect long TSA lines, canceled flights, and other annoying disruptions to your journeys. Maybe just stay close to home on NYE or ring in 2024 at a nostalgic locale that you've visited in the past.

Mercury retrogrades this year:

  • Capricorn: December 29, 2022, to January 18
  • Taurus: April 21 to May 14
  • Virgo: August 23 to September 15
  • Capricorn & Sagittarius: December 13 to January 1, 2024 (Moves from Capricorn to Sagittarius on December 23)

Adapted with permission from The AstroTwins 2023 Yearly Horoscope.

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