Jupiter In Aries Is Here To Kickstart An Ambitious New Year

On December 20 — just one day before the Winter Solstice — Jupiter, the Planet of Luck, will leave its spot in dreamy Pisces and enter into fiery Aries. Jupiter was previously hanging out in Aries during the first half of the year before the planet went retrograde and dipped into Pisces. Now it's back, and it'll stay in the sign of the ram until May 16 — ushering us into the new year with a sense of ambition and restless energy.

"Aries is the first sign of the zodiac, meaning that this is the beginning of a twelve-year cycle for the biggest planet in our solar system," says Narayana Montúfar, senior astrologer for Astrology.com and author of Moon Signs: Unlock Your Inner Luminary Power, who also calls Jupiter's movements the defining transit of 2023. "During the time Jupiter was in Pisces, colorful new visions inundated our minds as Jupiter in Pisces is a very creative combination. Hopefully, we took note of some of them, because when Jupiter enters Aries we can make them a reality."

Although Jupiter's movement into Aries will give us a sense of urgency to move forward, Montúfar says that now is the time to strategize and get our ducks in a row due to the effect that Mars retrograde in Gemini is having on the Planet of Luck. Because of this, "the best time to channel this ambitious, can-do energy arrives at the end of January, when both Mars and Mercury go direct," she says. And who wants to work hard in January, anyway? It's a cold, bleak month that's supposed to be spent nursing our holiday hangovers. Take advantage of this cycle and rest so that once those planets are chilled out and squared away, we'll be ready to harness the of gifts from this transit.

Post-January will be the ideal time to take action and make our own opportunities for growth and expansion, according to Iva Naskova, astrologer at the Nebula app. "Under this influence, you will feel motivated to push the limits and connect with your vision and creative side," she says. "Jupiter in dynamic Aries amplifies your enthusiasm and boosts your self-confidence." We'll be much braver, more decisive, and extra positive, which Naskova says is ideal for new beginnings and taking chances.

Because of the ambitious energy of the ram, we'll be more self-centered in our endeavors than we were before. "At this time, we will tap into the desire to learn about our passions, in order to gain insight about our ancestry, selves, and interests," says Lisa Stardust, astrologer and author of The Love Deck. "Self-discovery and self-mastery are the key themes during this transit, which means we will want to put our focus on our individualistic needs or take part in humanitarian endeavors for personal gain."

While selfishness can be a necessity in our quest to achieve what we want in life, we need to be aware of the possible negatives that can come from making it all about me, me, me. "Aries can be self-absorbed at times and pay little attention to the needs of others, so it is important to remember this along with picking and choosing your battles carefully," says psychic astrologer Leslie Hale.

An important connection to note is that Jupiter in Aries will perform a square with Pluto, from April 25 to June 12, exact on May 17, according to Montúfar. "Since Pluto rules power, the result will be a lot of us feeling incredibly ambitious in the pursuit of our goals," she says. "At this time, it will be important that we stay aware of the motives behind our actions in the realm of career." All may be fair in love and war, but be aware of how far you go to bend the rules. We don't call it "scambition" over here for nothing.

This transit calls for us to embrace our uniqueness and shoot for the moon, which in turn will lead us to find the closure we need and move forward in life. For the next few months, we'll feel like anything is possible — and, reader, it is.