ASTROLOGY INSIGHTS
*This astrological interpretation & divination focuses on the U.S. context. As an Evolutionary Astrologer, Depth psychologist, and Indigenous wisdom-keeper, I do not believe it is possible to extract myself from my context, perspective and experience. Therefore, I encourage all readers to translate the message and central energetic themes to your own unique context, trusting your intuition and discernment as to what is for you, and leaving the rest. Safe travels.
Welcome 2023, a 7 numerological year of spiritual quest to achieve Resonance on new Earth. As the integration of 2022 overlaps and continues via the transit of the lunar nodes through Taurus and Scorpio until July of this year, our shedding of past pain and trauma, liberating ourselves from enmeshment and fear, gets to the very raw core of our souls. Resurrection and rebirth are imminent, as the nodes of fate unwind into the zodiac’s primary axis from 1st House and sign of Self to 7th House and sign of Other, that is Aries to Libra. Representing the next stage of our letting go of what no longer serves in favor of evolution, Libra is the archetype of duality, the sign on the Descendant marking Fall Equinox, or the setting sun. We will be guided by the Aries archetype of the spiritual warrior, first Fire element, to blaze a new trail in order to ensure and protect we leave a legacy of greater balance and harmony than we inherited.
To be clear, duality is not what we are leaving behind. Duality is the reality of this planet, reflected to us by all of nature yet distorted by the human ego as binary opposition. The revelation of the Shadow, of darkness in all matter, that we were lovingly forced by the Universe to face and integrate in 2022 was a divinely timed collective ego death portal so that a new generational cycle of consciousness could be born through the feminine Taurus body as the sacred masculine spirit of Aries. Yet an even greater transformational death occurs this year, one we have never lived through and never will again, what astrologers have been anticipating for decades. Pluto will move through the critical last degree of Capricorn - ruled by Saturn representing the limit of 3-Dimensional reality - and spiral up into the 0 degree point of Aquarius (two days after the Aries Spring Equinox!), representing the beginning of outer space, higher dimensional consciousness and unlimited future potential ruled by the Great Awakener, Uranus. This is the moment many of us understand to mark the true beginning of the Aquarian Age as a germinated seed in the Scorpionic underworld fertile soil that is Pluto’s domain.
However, a more complete end and composting of old programming, cultural conditioning and institutionalized tradition must take place. Our Cosmos is so wise and loving that it recognizes our need to come up for Aquarian detached Air and higher perspective before diving back into our last deep psychological surgery - right into the bone marrow DNA of our collective ancestry that Capricorn governs.
Pluto will retrograde in May and go back to 28 Capricorn to pull up the tap roots of oppressive systems we have built and maintained once and for all, completing the year at the final degree again, not to enter Aquarius for its long-haul transit there until 2024. Meanwhile, Saturn relieves the pressure on the fixed sign of Aquarius, which it has held there with nearly insufferable rigidity since December of 2020. Saturn is the ancient ruler of the Aquarian sign of The People, and as a collective, despite all our differences, we have agreed on the experience of feeling restrained, blocked, stuck, stagnant and, well, depressed over these pandemic years.
Saturn moves into Pisces on the Virgo full moon March 7th, so we should notice the significant shift in energy by International Women’s Day. Moving from highest intellectual Air to Ether/Water of collective unconscious, Saturn will work to make our dreams real by temporarily blocking the part of our psychic intuition that may make us (especially Mystics) codependent on Spirit’s signs and symbols, leading to delusional fantasizing and/or escapist self-sabotage instead of focusing on the daily micro efforts and core routines of its polarity, Virgo, that manifestation requires. Time to put every tool into practice and center the seen while continuing to trust, with more faithful surrender than ever, the Mystery that is not our job as mortals to fully discern much less control.
With our True North (Node) pointing the way toward Taurus the first half of the year and Aries the second, our original instructions are made clear. We are to know ourselves, trust ourselves, and lead ourselves like never before. By moving from the Earth element of body to the Fire element of spirit, having already traversed the Air element of mind through Gemini 2021 and the Water element of emotion in Cancer 2020, we will have all four magic ingredients at the end of 2023 to understand and alchemize our unique energetic frequency to our highest potential resonance. In the Mystics Society we have learned together through the Resonance Methodology of the ACAR model that Authenticity, Congruence, and Alignment produce Resonance. The 7 year of 2023 wants this experience to be the focal point of our spiritual work in Right Relationship - the Taurus/Scorpio and Aries/Libra axes.
The elves at Wikipedia say, from a pure science perspective, that “Resonance describes the phenomena of amplification that occurs when the frequency of a periodically applied force is in harmonic proportion to a natural frequency of the system on which it acts.” Note these keywords and remember them on your journey through the year, internally to externally, as the goals of this experimentation for the Aquarian Age: phenomena, amplification, frequency, force, harmonic and proportion. This Universe is essentially a music studio, and we’re all dropping beats! What is the sound of the song your soul wants to sing?
Mercury will once again begin and end our calendar year in retrograde motion. The Messenger of the Cosmos, the planet of duality, amplifies the power of our mental awareness. As it initiates 2023 reflecting on the structures we have built and revisions we want to make to the legacies we are leaving (Capricorn), culminating the year in review of our spiritual beliefs and the experience of life we co-create through our worldviews and paradigms (Sagittarius), consider the quality of consciousness you want amplified through your resonance. You have entered a higher level on the evolutionary path; devote this time to self-study and practice like the initiates of ancient days in the wisdom tradition(s) that you respect and resonate with the most. Stay true to your path.
Here is an invitation to use this astrological portion of the Almanac as a guidance and learning tool. Instead of taking it in purely at face value, you are encouraged to interact with the information to strengthen your own intuitive, astrological, numerological, and divinatory knowledge and skills:
1. Contemplate the months within their seasonal context. Apply what you know of each season’s spiritual significance in addition to the channeled messages. As always, receive what resonates and leave out the rest.
2. The traditional Rider-Waite Tarot and our very own Mystics Oracle deck were used in divination to intuitively guide the interpretation of the astrological alignments. Read and reflect on these cards’ themes to personalize their meaning to your experience.
3. Research the meaning of the days’ astrology transits and, ideally, how they interact with your natal birth chart. Also, pay attention to repeating degree numbers of where the planets align - does their numerology mean anything to you? What do you make of this significance for the collective?
4. TRACK THE MOON. Other than new and full moons, lunar phases and planetary aspects are not included here because there are so many each month! Luna changes signs roughly every 2.5 days and has the most dramatic influence on our mood, especially as womb carriers, as she stirs our internal waters like tides of the ocean.
Tracking our Moon, like tracking our menstrual cycle, is an ancient act of empowerment and revolutionary resistance to the Industrial Age split of spirit and matter - plus it might save your relationship(s)!
I am honored to share the gifts of this wisdom with you and wish you a graceful, peaceful, joyful, ever-abundant journey of growth. See you in the Mystics App for in-depth monthly forecasts ;)
ABOUT Katina Castillo
Passionate Pure Heart, Spiritual Warrior, Earth Guardian, Wisdom Keeper and Priestess for the Goddess, she channels natural cycles of change. A daughter, sister, auntie, friend and guide, her purpose is Love and Freedom for all. B.A. English: Folklore & Cultural Studies. M.A. Decolonial Depth Psychology: Community, Liberation, Indigenous and Eco Psychologies.
Order your 2023 Mystics Almanac now and gain the peace of mind to carry you through the entire year.
