When it comes to forecasting love in astrology, there are no one-size-fits-all answers. But there are some exciting moments to note in the astrology of 2023, including transits that indicate big things are brewing in our romantic lives.
The year started off slow, with multiple planets’ retrogrades and larger planetary cycles wrapping up: the Mars retrograde in Gemini that began on Oct. 30, 2022 finally came to a close on Jan. 12, followed by Mercury ending its retrograde on Jan. 18 and Uranus on Jan. 22. These backspins likely made us feel lethargic, foggy, and introspective. So it was expected if you didn’t feel revved up and ready to go at the top of the year.
Once we got into February, however, it’s likely that you started to feel the pace quicken a bit. Then, March 2023 brought the most significant changes of the year, as it marked Saturn’s shift into Pisces and Pluto’s into Aquarius, as well as the beginning of eclipses in the sign Aries. Many relationship dynamics began to change as these planetary shifts started taking place, with new relationships starting and others coming to a close. Some of us started to open up to the idea of sex, dating, and partnership for the first time in a long time, while others put romance on the back burner for a bit while focusing on other aspects of life.
The standout transit in 2023 when it comes to love is the Venus retrograde in Leo, which takes place from July 23 to Sept. 4 and invites us all to renegotiate our relationships — both our existing partnerships and, more generally, our unconscious patterning as well. Venus in Leo asks us what we value most about ourselves and invites us to be proud of that, unapologetically.
All in all, 2023 presents us with radical shifts in all areas of our lives, giving us an opportunity to center love and connection in our lives in new ways. For more targeted insight into your own year, read your love horoscope for your rising sign. For the full picture of your year ahead, be sure to read your zodiac sign’s 2023 horoscope, 2023 sex horoscope, 2023 money and career horoscope, and 2023 wellness and happiness horoscope, too.
Aries (March 21-April 19) 2023 Love Horoscope
Frankly, Aries, 2023 is all about you. We entered the year with your ruling planet Mars still retrograde in Gemini, marking a slow start to the year. But as you noticed, things picked up speed once we got into the spring. In the first half of the year (January to mid May), Jupiter, the planet of expansion, knowledge, and faith, was in Aries, giving you a much-needed boost of confidence and optimism. All of those good vibes radiated outward, so you probably received more attention and recognition during this time.
Then, a big shift took place on March 7 when Saturn entered Pisces, where it’ll remain for the next three years. This is huge and signaled a period of more solitude, contemplation, and introspection, with your focus shifting to your mental and spiritual health.
The hottest time of the year comes in the summertime, when Venus retrograde takes place in Leo from July 23 to Sept. 4. This summer, prioritize your pleasure and fulfillment. It’s time for fun and exploration, a time to take steps toward making any fantasies you’ve been contemplating come to life. But be sure to manage your expectations. This isn’t necessarily a period to foster long-term connections. Think of it more as an opportunity for you to learn more about yourself through experimentation and connection.
This Venus retrograde coupled with eclipses in Aries and Libra point to a year reflecting on your relationship patterning. What limiting beliefs and behaviors that you’ve exhibited in relationships are you ready to let go of? You may find more ease and eagerness for committed relationships and partnerships in 2024.
Taurus (April 20-May 20) 2023 Love Horoscope
*Deep breath in and out.* Finally, a little relief! You’ve been through the wringer over the last few years and deserve a nice big exhale, Taurus. You’ll get to relax a bit in 2023, opening up some space in your life and psyche for more love, connection, and rest. You want nothing more than to find some consistency in all areas of your life, and while the wheel of life keeps spinning in 2023, you’ll find moments of grounding and settling that will be especially meaningful.
If you’re in a relationship, you can expect your partner to be around a lot more this year, physically closer to you in some ways but detached in others. Frankly, they have a lot going on outside of your relationship . . . and so do you! They’re likely trying to catch up with your rapid development over the last few years, so give them plenty of space to pick up speed. Do your best to support each other through any mental or emotional distance that springs up by communicating openly and clearly.
During the first half of the year (January to mid May) you may have felt pulled toward solitude and inner contemplation as Jupiter moved through Aries in your 12th house of mental and spiritual wellness. On May 16, however, Jupiter entered Taurus, marking the beginning of a year-long transit boosting your confidence, optimism, and faith. When you’re feeling more comfortable in your skin, you’re bound to be more attractive to yourself and those around you.
In August and September, you’ll be called to lean more into fun and pleasure as Mercury retrogrades in Virgo. What makes you feel good? What turns you on? It might not be stereotypical or “sexy” on paper, but who cares? This is about you and your body and your needs. Then in November, the Sun aligns with Mars in Scorpio, marking a powerful new beginning in your relationships. If you’re single and desiring partnership, this is an important moment for you, as it kicks off a two-year cycle allowing you to invite in new love, which seems to be more available in 2024.
Gemini (May 21-June 21) 2023 Love Horoscope
For the first five months of 2023, you have the potential to be a social butterfly, so spread your wings, Gemini! With so many people to catch up with and so many more new friends to meet, your social circle seems to be rapidly expanding in the new year. You’re more open to saying “yes” to new opportunities to connect with folks, now more than ever, so put yourself out there. If you’re open to sexual and romantic encounters, you’re likely to meet someone through friends.
On May 16, Jupiter moved into Taurus, which might have left you feeling like new romantic connections are less accessible in the second half of the year. While that might be true, there’s more of an “alone together” vibe to the latter half of 2023. If you’re already in a relationship, you could find that both you and your partner are in separate worlds, dealing with your own stuff individually — while providing support and comfort to each other in small but meaningful ways. If you’re single, you may feel less inclined to put yourself out there searching for it as other life stressors like career and home life take more of a focus. That’s OK. That changes quite a bit in 2024 when romantic partnership becomes more tangible again. In the meantime, spend time in 2023 considering what you truly want in a relationship so you can recognize it when it comes.
Cancer (June 22-July 22) 2023 Love Horoscope
It’s like you rediscover your mojo in 2023, finally feeling like yourself again after years of being in a foggy slog. It’ll take some time for this clarity to fully actualize, so you probably didn’t feel brand new on Jan. 1, 2023. But as the year picks up speed, you’ll begin to recognize yourself again. The good news: your sex drive kicks back up to full speed between now through the rest of June, bringing back your body and your insatiability. If you’re partnered, they’re in for a fun time watching your sex life revive as the weather warms and flowers bloom. If you’re single, get yourself out there and find someone to satiate your desires. Eclipses in Scorpio in 2022 and into 2023 have led you to refine aspects of your sex life and intimacy in general, enticing you to let go of limiting beliefs and behaviors that held you back from exploring more possibilities of pleasure and connection.
Out of the dark and into the light, you’ll find yourself arriving at a new place with love and relationships in your life. Your romantic connections take on a more spiritual and even studious component. Finding love abroad or with someone from a different culture is certainly in the cards as Saturn moves through Pisces over the next three years, as is finding love through your studies. Get ready to open your mind to new opportunities and possibilities in love.
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) 2023 Love Horoscope
You’ve been in a love and relationship bootcamp of sorts for the last three years, and you finally graduate! Saturn, the planet responsible for your partnerships, has been helping you learn tough lessons in relationships since it entered Aquarius in March 2020. You’ve been forced to get real with yourself and others, humble yourself, and become extremely clear on what you truly desire and require in a relationship. You did that.
As Saturn shifted into Pisces, you may have noticed your responsibilities evolved to develope deeper commitments in your relationships, support one another, and merge lives on multiple levels, financially and emotionally. If you’re single, you might find greater ease in letting new folks in.
Now to June 11, Pluto, the planet of total change and transformation, has been in Aquarius for the first time in our lives. This is the beginning of a 20-year transit that will change your experience of relationships forever. This is only the start, so simply aim to be aware of what changes begin around that time.
The most exciting part of 2023 is the Venus retrograde in Leo from July 23 to Sept. 4, with a special alignment of the sun and Venus taking place on Aug. 13. It’s rare that Venus, the planet of love, sex, beauty, and attraction, spends such a long time in Leo (four months between June and October). You can expect more attention and action this summer, especially during Leo season. If you want to be noticed, this is the time to put yourself out there. Soak up the sexy vibes and have some fun.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) 2023 Love Horoscope
Things are getting more serious for you this year when it comes to love and relationships. You’ve spent the last three years stuck in a grind with work and wellness, trying to keep your head above the water. That hustle finally starts to slow down as your responsibilities shift toward building and securing both new and old relationships. You may have invited new people into your life over the last two years as Jupiter dipped in and out of your opposite sign Pisces.
But when Saturn entered Pisces on March 7, 2023, you began being more discerning about who you let into your life. This hopefully led to you developing boundaries and standards for yourself that are ultimately beneficial to you and your relationships. Saturn has the potential to make things real and tangible, so with it hanging out in your seventh house of relationships over the following three years, you could see relationships taking shape and growing with hard work and dedication. From this point forward, don’t expect any sort of successful relationship without putting in some work. Speaking of work, this could also be a period where things could get more serious with a coworker or business partner. Be open to the possibility!
Then, on May 16, Jupiter, the planet responsible for your relationships, entered Taurus. This sparked a year-long period where traveling with a partner or traveling to find love proves to be beneficial, especially in the fall of 2023, between August and September. Stay open-minded and willing to learn new things, as any potential partners will be in a space of exploration as well. In the end, you’re looking for someone to complement your awesomeness, and you shouldn’t settle for less than ease, joy, and commitment from any potential partners. You’re here to have some fun this year and celebrate life, so do so with people who are on the same vibe.
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) 2023 Love Horoscope
This year presents a totally new ballgame for you, both personally and romantically. It’ll give you an opportunity to explore your patterning around sex and relationships and ultimately lead to more growth and a clearer path forward. A lot changes for you this year. As you shift away from survival mode and find more stability in your finances, you may find it easier to meet new people. In fact, as Jupiter moved through your opposite sign Aries up until May 16, there were plenty of opportunities to connect with new people, most notably in late February and early March when Venus, your ruling planet, met up with Jupiter in Aries.
On March 7, Saturn left Aquarius for a three-year stay in Pisces, shifting a lot of your responsibilities toward your work and wellness and marking the beginning of a period where you may feel less available for socializing. However, with Aquarius out of your fifth house of creativity and pleasure, you may feel that sex and dating feel more accessible than they have in the last three years. Finally, you’ll be feeling less pressure in that area of your life, hopefully opening you up to more dating for fun (and not necessarily to find “the one”). Receiving pleasure feels like less of a chore from this point forward, and you’re more open to exploration. In fact, some of that pleasure might make its way into your workplace as well. Be open to potential love connections in the office — but keep it professional!
Overall, you might not feel certain about a lot this year, and that’s OK. Your ruling planet, Venus, will go retrograde from July 23 to Sept. 4, marking a period of time where you’ll undergo a rediscovery of self through the friends and groups of people you surround yourself with. Be wary of drama within your groups, and don’t be surprised if some of it involves you and some love, sex, and relationship dynamics. Try to stay focused on the patterns playing out and question if you want to continue those cycles as you move through the Venus retrograde this summer. A lot is changing for you, but you just have to remain true to yourself, and all will work out as it should.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) 2023 Love Horoscope
You entered 2023 in recovery mode after a tough year full of a lot of challenges, grief, and tenderness. But you made it, and you’re on the mend. This year gives rebirth vibes, with plenty of opportunities for healing and resolution, including a powerful new cycle beginning toward the end of the year. When it comes to love and relationships, you’re working on rebuilding, both personally and within your relationships as well. When Saturn entered Pisces on March 7, 2023, you began a new three-year period centered around pleasure and creativity. It’s time to take responsibility for your joy: what really turns you on? You may think you know, but you’ll learn over the next three years that those things change over time, so get ready for the ride.
On May 16, Jupiter entered your opposite sign, Taurus, sparking a new year-long transit of healing and expansion in relationships. With Jupiter in Taurus, you’ll find more opportunities to meet new people and make new connections, especially in regard to sex and pleasure. Be open to meeting new people and seeing where sparks might fly. The hard part is learning how to trust again.
After the last five years of Uranus in Taurus plus eclipses, you may have had a hard time believing a love connection can last. Instead of focusing on longevity, pay attention to the quality of the connection and the fulfillment you get from it. Some people enter our lives for a season, some for a lifetime. What matters is that you’re learning and evolving through these relationships. While a new long-term connection seems more likely to solidify in 2024, don’t let that stop you from having fun and leaning into whatever feels safe and supportive right now.
On Nov. 18, the sun and Mars meet up in Scorpio in an exact alignment, marking a powerful new cycle for you. This is the fresh start that you’ve needed for a long time, and it’s helping you reconnect with yourself, mind, body, and soul. Healing and opening back up to love will come over time as long as it includes serious consideration of your relationship to pleasure and joy.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) 2023 Love Horoscope
This year is all about inviting you to pour yourself into pleasure, joy, and creativity, Sag. Whether you’re single or partnered, spend extra time prioritizing an exploration of your pleasure. After all, knowing yourself — your likes and dislikes, your intimate joys — is part of what makes a strong foundation upon which satisfying relationships with others can be built.
On May 16, Jupiter moved into Taurus, marking the beginning of a year-long period where your focus shifts from fun and play to work and wellness. This doesn’t mean that romance is out the window. But it does look like your priorities shift to enrich and rebalance your lifestyle after the last few years of chaotic changes with both your work and your health.
While you look for more balance and consistency in your day-to-day, don’t discount the potential for a love connection to spark. Gemini season is always a social time for you, and during the time Mercury is in Gemini (June 11 to 26), you have a much better chance of meeting someone special. A steamy Venus retrograde in Leo is the main astro headline of the summer. If you’re traveling abroad any time between June 5 and Sept. 4, don’t be surprised if you make some flirty connections! You never know what foreign hotties could sweep you off your feet.
When you’re back to work in the fall, there’s also the potential of meeting someone in the office. Is someone sending you flirty messages on Slack? Regardless, you’ll be getting along really well with someone at work between August and September. Be open to where it could go, but of course play it safe and responsibly. Longer-term love connections seem more likely in 2024, but those could very well spark in 2023, so stay open and excited for the potential.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) 2023 Love Horoscope
Finally, some relief! It’s time to get out of survival mode, out of hermit mode, and reemerge into your life. Saturn, your ruling planet, has been hiding out in Aquarius over the last three years, putting your focus on your finances and investing in yourself. And look how far you’ve come! But Saturn left its home sign of Aquarius for Pisces on March 7, marking the beginning of a new three-year period for you focused on spreading your wings, getting out and about in your local community, and learning something new. You’ve been under a lot of pressure for the last five years. You’re finally ready to step up from under the weight of it all and thaw off, leaving more room in your life for making new connections and experiencing pleasure and joy.
As the weather warms, you may feel more drawn to spend more time in your town or city exploring and making new connections or enhancing existing connections by visiting new places together. Have you ever talked to your neighbors? (If you’re unattached: are any of them hotties?) Maybe there’s a new coffee shop in town you have yet to try or a bar you’ve passed by a million times but haven’t tried yet. The point is, put yourself out there and see what magical connections are made!
There are plenty of moments in 2023 when you could meet someone special, but the real work is in you prioritizing your pleasure, which is much easier to access this year. Jupiter, the planet of expansion and opportunity entered Taurus on May 16, beginning a year-long period where you can find a lot of fulfillment in dating (and, happily, sex). Really, it’s time for you to let loose and have some sensual, sexy fun. Connect with the world around you. Fall in love with your city. Fall in love with a new language or a new skill. Fall in love with how beautiful and expansive you are when you aren’t in survival mode!
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) 2023 Love Horoscope
Get ready for graduation! Over the last three years, you’ve become more embodied, stronger, tougher, and more resilient. You’ve put in the work to better yourself and your life, and all of that starts to pay off as we get into the rest of the year.
In regards to love and relationships, a special moment came on Feb. 16 when the sun and Saturn aligned for the last time in Aquarius, not to happen again for another 30 years. This was a big deal for you, as the sun rules relationships and partnerships for you as an Aquarius rising. Hopefully, around this time, you reflected on your time with a partner and the ways you’ve supported each other and enriched each others’ lives. Or, if you’re single, you recommitted to yourself and your love journey, perhaps journaling about what you’re looking for in a partner and relationship.
When Saturn left Aquarius for Pisces on March 7, your priorities shifted toward supporting and investing in yourself. While this likely looks like a lot of hard work and focus on your shifting career, there will be plenty of moments for fun and play in 2023 as well. Gemini season (May 21 to June 21) is always a good time for you to prioritize your pleasure and entertainment, and that’s no different this year. Planets are lighting up this part of your chart all spring, starting with Venus in Gemini from April 10 to May 7, followed by Mercury from June 11 to 26. This is a great time of year to put yourself out there, say “yes” to parties and events, and, if you’re open to it, go on some dates and have fun! You deserve it.
The highlight of the year is the Venus retrograde in Leo in the late summer. Venus will be in your seventh house of relationships and partnerships from June 5 to Oct. 8 and retrograde between July 23 and Sept. 4. This is huge in regards to your relationships, both old and new, highlighting any patterning that isn’t serving you in the long run. Be open to learning a lot about yourself through others during this time, and let any challenges play out over that period of time. It isn’t over until Venus leaves Leo in October, so wait it out until then!
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) 2023 Love Horoscope
Buckle up: there’s a lot happening in 2023! The last two years have been rough in ways that have been difficult to verbalize. A lot of the challenges you were moving through were internal, mental, and emotional. You’ve been tasked with taking responsibility for your mental and spiritual health through solitude and deep contemplation. As we entered 2023, you’ve likely been able to wrap up the final threads from that journey as you step into a new one.
On March 7, 2023, Saturn entered Pisces, beginning a new three-year chapter focused on strengthening, challenging, and solidifying your body and identity. You’re being invited to learn about boundaries and self-care like never before, becoming more embodied and resilient in the process. When it comes to love and romance, you’ll begin having new standards almost immediately, as your priority is primarily yourself and your well-being. Anyone who poses a distraction to your goals and needs simply won’t fit into this new life you’re building for yourself.
Your focus began to shift as Jupiter moved into Taurus on May 16. For the latter half of the year, you’ll be drawn toward spending more time in your local area, exploring your city, and connecting with new people. If you’re single, be sure you’re saying yes to opportunities to get out and about. You could be meeting people through friends and friends of friends. The summer’s main attraction is a steamy Venus retrograde in Leo, which for you could look like making a sexy connection through work. Keep it professional, but see where it goes.
The real magic comes in the fall when Mercury, the planet that rules relationships for you, goes retrograde in Virgo from Aug. 24 to Sept. 16. Yes, Mercury retrogrades can be good for you, especially when it comes to love and relationships. You’ll likely encounter folks from your past, but it’ll also be a time where any relationship challenges you’re facing get worked out. Mercury and Jupiter will be in a loving conversation with each other from Aug. 9 through Sept. 25, marking a period ripe for meaningful connections to take place. Just remember, communication is key.