Your 2023 Sex and Love Horoscope Is Here

Self-care and self-awareness fuels relationships more than ever this year.

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The end of one year and the start of a new one presents an opportunity to gain more clarity around what you truly want in love. Maybe you’re single and you’re pumped to get more centered in your sense of self. Perhaps you and your significant other are about to embark on a whole new level of commitment in the coming months. Or you’re perfectly content — or actually feeling a bit stuck — somewhere in between. But no matter your relationship status, 2022, with its eclipses in sensual Taurus and deeply feeling Scorpio, likely laid the groundwork for you to gain more fulfillment from your most intimate bonds. 

Now, 2023 will present plenty of moments that can spur fiery action related to partnering up and prioritizing pleasure. On March 1, lucky Jupiter, the planet of abundance, will meet up with romantic Venus, in excitable cardinal fire sign Aries, making for one of the luckiest days for love all year. And from May 16 to May 25, 2024, Jupiter will be in Taurus, the fixed earth sign known for its grounded, old-school romantic, and steady and steamy approach to love, which can do wonders for satisfaction between the sheets and in love — especially if you’re a fan of the slow burn.

Your love life may also be influenced by two game-changing solar eclipses, in a new series featuring Aries — ruled by go-getter Mars, the planet of sex — and Libra — ruled by sweet Venus, the planet of love. Occurring on April 20 and October 14 respectively, these game-changing moments will nudge you to better balance your needs with a current or potential partner’s.

And if you’d do well to devote more time to self-care or self-reflection, your opportunity to do so will arrive between July 23 and September 4 when Venus is retrograde for the first time since December 19, 2021 to January 29, 2022. This time, it moves backward through fixed fire sign Leo, which could lead to empowering epiphanies related to self-image, self-expression, and romance.   

As you read on for your 2023 love forecast, be sure to read your rising sign (which you can learn from your natal chart or by using an online calculator) and your sun.

Aries

Until January 12, you could feel less motivated than usual to get after — and probably, more likely than anything, express — your desires, thanks to your ruling planet, fiery Mars, moving backward through your communication zone. But this low-energy vibe will soon pass, and by spring, especially around April 20, when the solar eclipse falls in your sign, you’ll be fired up to start making changes that support your needs within your closest bonds. While romantic Venus is retrograde in your romance sector from July 23 to September 4, you’ll be required to slow down when it comes to matters of the heart. That probably sounds like a snoozefest to you as such an action-oriented person, but it’ll actually serve you incredibly well as it’s a chance to infuse your love life with more fun, pleasure, and creativity — and your creative life, in turn, can fuel your pleasure. By the time a solar eclipse falls in your partnership zone on October 14, you’ll be prepared to make a move that can set you up for greater emotional well-being within your closest one-on-one bonds. 

Taurus

In 2023, you’ll be cultivating more inner peace, which can’t help but support your love life, Taurus. Around the lunar eclipse in your partnership sector on May 5 and a lunar eclipse in your sign on October 28, an evolving narrative related to your sense of self and your one-on-one relationships will continue to unfold. From May 16 on through May 25, 2024, lucky Jupiter in your sign amplifies your good fortune and desire for more, more, more of what brings you bliss — perhaps lots of self-care or slow, sensual, connected moments with someone special. Your ruler, romantic Venus, will be retrograde in your home sector from July 23 to September 4, which could require you to take a look back at old emotional wounds and struggles within your inner life that continue to influence current bonds. This might not sound like the most lighthearted activity, to be sure, but being open to doing more self-work and making peace with ghosts of relationships past can set you up for more fulfillment and joy moving forward.    

Gemini

Although the year gets off to a bit of a sluggish start, with action-oriented Mars retrograde in your sign, zapping your energy, and your ruler, messenger Mercury, retrograde in your intimacy sector, you’ll be able to gain momentum once more by February. In fact, lots of action, like Jupiter’s last hurrah in your long-term wishes sector until May 16 — including its meet up with Venus on March 1 plus a solar eclipse there on April 20 — can make it a romantic dream you’ve had for years feel like it’s finally within reach or very much a part of your life now. Basically, the more open you are to major big picture shifts, the more centered you’ll be within your bonds — platonic and romantic. Watch out for misunderstandings and less bandwidth for socializing while relationship-oriented Venus is retrograde in your communication zone from July 23 to September 4. This period will help you gain clarity around who’s worth your time and energy and who to put on the waitlist for it. And around October 14, the second solar eclipse of the year falls in your romance zone, signaling the start of a new chapter of expressing what’s in your heart and making sure you’re getting what you signed up for — whether you’re hooking up, casually dating, or in a LTR. 

Cancer

Since late 2021, a particular storyline has been playing out related to your creativity and romance, thanks to an eclipse series happening across those sectors. And around May 5, the lunar eclipse in your romance zone will host an eye-opening realization related to all of those themes. Coming out of it, you’ll be in even more tune with a game plan for balancing pursuit of your big picture goals and feel-good moments. And from May 16 to May 25, 2024, Jupiter’s trip through your long-term wishes boosts your ability to spend time with others to work toward a shared goal. If you're single, a friendship could become something more, and if you’re attached, you’ll likely find new appreciation for the friendship aspect of your relationship with your S.O. October can be a dynamic, particularly memorable month for you, setting the stage for out of the ordinary experiences, fun, and passion, because on the 13th of the month, fiery Mars in your romance zone will form a harmonious trine to serious Saturn in your adventure zone and on the 24th, the self-image-oriented sun will do the same. Whatever you’ve been daydreaming about could become more tangible than you ever imagined. 

Leo

For the last couple of years, Saturn, the planet of commitment, has been moving through your partnership sector, encouraging you to get serious about what you need — and don’t — out of one-on-one relationships. And on February 16, Saturn meets the sun there, signaling the beginning of a new 30-year cycle. Hard work you’ve put in since 2020 will now be rewarded and recognized. Ideally, you’ll be able to move forward from this point knowing you’ve created a solid foundation from which partnerships can flourish. From March 7 to May 2025 — and then again from August 2025 to February 2026 — Saturn’s trip through your intimacy sector can support your work on joint resources and sexual connection. While romantic Venus moves backward through your sign from July 23 to September 4, you’re granted an opportunity to rethink how you put yourself out there in the world. If you’re single, this might look like being more direct about what you want in your app profiles and out on dates. If you’re attached, a self-care makeover fuels greater self-awareness and satisfaction within your partnership. You can also look forward to a new moon in your romance zone on December 12, which will likely host a magical new beginning for you and someone special. 

Virgo

Your ruler Mercury’s retrograde through your romance sector until January 18 could make for a rather slow start to the new year in the love department, but the time spent reflecting on what you truly want out of your most pleasurable bonds can contribute to elevated bliss through the rest of the year. As taskmaster Saturn moves into your partnership sector on March 7, where it’ll remain until May 2025, you’ll begin to embark on an occasionally challenging but foundational chapter in your one-on-one relationships. If you’re single, you could be working on yourself in a way that boosts your awareness of what you deserve, and if you’re attached, you’re about to spend the next couple years-plus creating healthy structures and patterns that serve your relationship for the next 30. Around April 20, the first solar eclipse in a new series falls in your intimacy sector, kicking off an assertive new cycle that could fire up your ability to manifest your fantasies. Venus’ retrograde in your spirituality zone from July 23 to September 24 could be a quiet, at times confusing, moment that’s best suited to introspection versus pushing forward in relationships. But from December 21 through the end of the year, the sun’s time in your romance zone hosts a revitalizing, flirtation-filled, whimsical moment for your love life. 

Libra

This year could be a game-changing one for your love life, thanks to a brand new eclipse series directly affecting your identity and one-on-one bonds, Libra. It begins around April 20 with a solar eclipse in your partnership zone, which can’t help but bring your attention to the existing reciprocity — or lack thereof — in your current closest relationship. And around October 14 when the solar eclipse falls in your sign, you’ll be acutely aware of your own needs and enjoy a surge of confidence around asserting them. The shifts you’re starting to see happen now will take until 2025 to fully play out, so don’t feel like you have to hit the gas — or really, do anything at all other than be present and open to a new story being told. Relationship-oriented Venus, your ruler, moves backward through your long-term wishes sector from July 23 to September 24, which offers a chance to reassess what you want in your heart of hearts. By mid-October, when the vitality-bringing sun joins up with Mercury in your sign, you may feel empowered to speak your truth and detail your romantic daydreams in a confident new way. 

Scorpio

Your co-ruler, action-oriented Mars will be retrograde as the year kicks off, and in your intimacy sector, which could throw a wrench in your libido and/or ability to fulfill your physical and emotional desires until January 12. The silver lining: You’ll come out of this transit with more clarity and confidence about the fantasies that are truly worth making a reality — and what you can comfortably shrug off. Saturn, the planet of limitations and boundaries, moves into your romance sector on March 7 where it’ll remain until May 2025 — and then again from August 2025 to February 2026 — which could create a bit of insecurity that affects how you receive love. Ultimately, though, this is a journey of boosting your confidence and owning your voice in this area of life. And since you’ve already been through nearly a whole entire series of eclipses in your sign and your partnership sector since late 2021, you’re likely super-familiar the grand finale that’s coming this year — on May 5 and October 28 specifically. These lunar eclipses are all about striking a balance between self and partnership. Once you’re through these major astrological events, you’ll be on your way down a gratifying new path, perhaps alongside a S.O. with whom you can truly build a life. Lucky Jupiter in your partnership zone from May 16 to May 25, 2024 only serves to emphasize this theme. You’re set to enjoy more abundance within and as a result of one-on-one bonds. 

Sagittarius

Mars’ retrograde in your partnership zone until January 12 could make for a slow and potentially frustrating start to the new year, but there’s no need to fear that this is setting the tone for what’s to come in 2023. Until May 16, lucky Jupiter, your ruler, enjoys another stint in your romance sector, amplifying your need — and ability to — say what you want and infuse life with more playfulness and steamy, sexy fun. (For a sense of what to expect, think back to when it was last there between May 10 to October 28, 2022.) A particular highlight might pop up around March 1, when Jupiter connects with sweet Venus. Around April 20, a solar eclipse in your romance zone presents a chance to tune into your heart and speak up. You’ll feel more creative and spontaneous, all of which could set a thrilling new tone for your love life, and this same vibe might be apparent around October 14, when the second eclipse in this series unfolds. And while wanderlust is innately baked into your love language, Venus’ retrograde in your adventure zone from July 23 to September 4 could throw your latest thrill-seeking game plan off the tracks. Reframe this as a chance to zero in on what really matters. Streamlining and simplifying that romantic trip might prove more compelling.

Capricorn

Though you’re often tuned into what you need to do to earn well-deserved recognition for your hard work, this is a year in which you’ll get to be more present and lighthearted, thanks to the fact that lucky Jupiter will move through your romance and self-expression sector from May 16 to May 25, 2024. This transit not only cranks up the volume on your inner need to put work aside and be more fun-loving and spontaneous, but it’ll attract those vibes into your whole life — including your relationships. If you’re single, expect a barrage of sexy, playful, laughter-filled moments with potential partners. If you’re attached, you and your S.O. might feel like you did when you first met — extra-flirtatious and lots of sparks flying. Venus’ retrograde from July 23 to September 4 falls in your intimacy zone, which could inspire you to revisit a previously back burnered fantasy. In general, you’ll do well to think about what used to bring you pleasure — and whether it’s worth bringing up with your current partner and perhaps weaving into your routine. By October 28, when the lunar eclipse falls in your romance zone, you’ll be prepared to move in a whole new direction when it comes to a relationship — or relationship pattern — that you’ve likely been pouring your time and energy into for the last couple of years. 

Aquarius

This year marks the start of a thrilling new cycle for you, Aquarius, because from March 23 to June 11, Pluto, the planet of transformation, will dip into your sign. You’ll begin stepping into your power in a whole new way as you begin to see yourself differently — and projecting this renewed sense of self. And this can’t help but light a new fire for your romantic relationships. If you’re single, knowing and loving yourself serves to attract someone who makes you feel truly seen. And in a healthy LTR, you’ll find your S.O. can’t help but applaud these major strides. From July 23 to September 4, Venus, the planet of love, moves backward through your partnership sector, which may slow down your efforts to define a more casual relationship or hit a shared goal with a long-term sweetheart. But as long as you’re both willing to put in the work and can exercise a fair amount of patience, you’ll find this period proves strengthening for your bond. Around October 14, the solar eclipse in your adventure sector can be an inspiring, eye-opening moment in which willingness to get out of your comfort zone is a total turn-on. 

Pisces

The year might start off a bit slow, thanks to action-oriented Mars’ retrograde in your home zone and messenger Mercury’s retrograde in your friendship sector, but once your season is in full swing — and your annual new moon falls on February 20 — you’ll be energized and ready to fully show up in the new year. Saturn, the planet of hard work and commitment, will begin its years-long trip through your sign on March 7 (it’ll remain there until May 24, 2025, then be there again from August 2025 to February 2026), so you’ll do well to be up for self-work and to take on more responsibility, as it’ll only heighten your confidence and magnetism. From August 24 to September 16, messenger Mercury moves backward through your partnership zone, which can be a moment in which you can more readily meditate on what you do and don’t want from your one-on-one relationships — and how you can show up more fully for a potential or current S.O., as well. Around October 14, the solar eclipse in your intimacy sector marks the start of a dynamic new narrative for your sexual well-being. Not just sharing exactly what you want but knowing you deserve it is key. 

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