The past three years have been extraordinarily difficult for us, on many levels. I do not have to go into the details, the reader will be more than aware, whatever their standpoint.

Astrologically, 2023 promises change after a difficult start. Right now (early January), with Mercury and Mars retrograde in particular, it might feel that nothing is happening and than 2023 is continuing pretty much like 2022, in a kind of frustrating stalemate politically and economically, nevertheless with wild, hard to believe news stories dominating the headlines.

Retrograde Mercurys are notorious for making any kind of communication and travel difficult. With Mars retrograde in Mercury’s sign of Gemini until January 12, this only compounds the situation, creating a sense of inaction.

But once these two planets turn direct shortly, much of the underlying frustration will begin to clear, especially when the Sun moves into Aquarius around January 20 and Uranus turns direct in Taurus on January 22. A fundamental change of atmosphere will occur and we will see things more as they truly are; the deceptions we have had to live with for far too long.

And with Jupiter already beginning a new 12 year cycle by entering Aries, now is the time for opportunity in new beginnings of any kind. From May Jupiter enters Taurus to join revolutionary Uranus; there will be big financial opportunites and news from the late spring, which should see us finally begin to leave this planetary state of depression.

Add to this Pluto’s initial stint in Aquarius from March for a few months, before finally settling into the Waterbearer in early 2024, and we are going to witness a fundamental shift, as important as we saw in 2008 when Pluto entered Capricorn, which brought the so-called Credit Crunch and all the chaos thereof. This time however, in Aquarius, the changes are going to be more societal, among groups and in humanity in general. The people are not to stand for certain situations any longer; Pluto is a malefic, it undermines, trawls deep, and bring detritus to the surface in a major cleansing which is never easy, nor straightforward. At times its going to be pretty ugly.

Pluto is in Aquarius for around 20 years, and always marks a major shift for humanity. The last time this occurred there was the French Revolution (was that positive???) and the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, for example.

What I have noticed is that in the 1530s to 1550s (when Pluto was in Aquarius the time before last) and towards the mid 1040s (when it was also in the Waterbearer), at the beginning of each of these phases Neptune was in watery Pisces. Now Pisces has strong associations with religion and Christianity in particular. I suggest that Pluto and Neptune are working in tandem.

During both of these periods there were major shifts in religion and belief and consequent changes in society. The 1050s brought the Great Schism, the split between the Churches of Rome and Byzantium, which also ushered in major societal and military actions, such as the Norman Conquest, blessed by the then Pope to bring England truly back into the re-energised Catholic fold. In the 1530s to 1550s, the Reformation brought huge chaos and change to the Church and society, plus major political and military conflict. The Dissolution of the Monasteries in England, for example, brought major societal upheaval.

So once again, in 2023/4, as Pluto enters Aquarius, Neptune is found in Pisces. The difference this time, I suggest, is that that all three of these so-called outer planets (Uranus, Neptune, Pluto) are now known to humanity, and we are conscious of them. This may make it more positive than it might have been, but I predict that major, groundbreaking changes are about to occur to the Church in general, changing it forever. Will it even survive in its present form?

Are we, for instance, living in the times of the last ever Pope, as predicted by Saint Malachy? It could easily be. And if so, what comes afterwards?

Just as importantly, I predict that the way we see the world, the ‘universe’ and our accepted narratives of history, are all about to fundamentally alter as a result of changes in belief and perception; the blindfolds are about to be ripped away, perhaps quickly, but certainly over the next two decades. Seatbelts are advisable. Hold on tight.

Copyright Francis 2023