2023's Biggest Pop Culture Moments Have Astrological Influence Written All Over Them

Whether you buy into the study of astrology or choose to remain skeptical, the energy continues to play out all around us. Those who are tapped into the stars beyond just knowing their sun sign and throwing around the term "mercury retrograde" whenever things seem off generally have an easier time flowing with the ups and downs of life. On the other hand, people who remain stubbornly dedicated to challenging the universe are more likely to run into speedbumps. If you found 2023 to be something of an emotional and mental rollercoaster, perhaps our breakdown of how astrology played into some of the year's biggest pop culture moments will make you think twice about looking up your birth chart in the new year.

It all began with a Capricorn season that was surprisingly emotionally loaded thanks to one of the most dramatic celebrity pregnancy announcements we've ever seen. More recently, the influence of Saturn going direct in the intuitive sign of Pisces has been running rampant in the lives of Diddy and Keke Palmer's baby daddy, Darius Jackson. Keep scrolling to read just a few examples of how the stars above influenced our favourite stars in 2023. If you're already familiar with your chart, tell us what your Sun, Moon, and Rising are in the comments.

Read More: Kanye West's Birth Chart: An Analysis

Capricorn season, which spans the better part of January, isn't typically known for being an emotional time. However, the year began with a Full Moon in Cancer that was a catalyst for plenty of emotional messaging and information. That was only continued when the planet of Venus moved into Pisces. Seeing as this also happens to be Chrisean Rock's Sun sign, it's not shocking that this transit brought about serious change for the 23-year-old, though we have to wonder if she still would've moved forward with her pregnancy if she knew how tumultuously things would play out with Blueface after their son's birth.

It was on the "Thotiana" rapper's 26th birthday when his Cr*zy In Love co-star confirmed that she was expecting, just days before Venus (which represents romance and beauty) changed signs. The combination of her hormones and the Pisces energy in the air had Rock shedding plenty of tears, and even throwing hands while trying to protect her relationship and family. Before the month was up they faked a wedding for the Californian's "Dear Rock" single and music video. He's not known for being outwardly emotional, but the track includes some of the most heartfelt things we've heard Blueface say about Junior's mom.

Aquarius Season: Embracing of the Bizarre

After the Sun finishes in Capricorn around January 20th, we transition into Aquarius season, which is a sign known for its eccentricities. In general, air signs encourage those around them to look at things with fresh eyes, embrace their weirdness, and fearlessly try new things. 2023 saw plenty of odd behaviour making headlines on our site, including Amber Rose offering to eat a** in exchange for Super Bowl tickets, and Antonio Brown leaking a video of himself receiving oral sex on Snapchat.

While the aforementioned Venus in Pisces cycle tends to deepen romantic relationships, adding Aquarius in with that energy changes things. This year, La La Anthony spoke with the press about feeling more notably alone back in the winter, and we saw Ben Simmons make a bold move in asking Maya Jama to return her $1M engagement ring months after ending their relationship.

When the Sun shifts into a new sign, you can bet that Mercury is never far behind it. The latter is the planet of communication and intellect, and it sits quite comfortably in Aquarius energy, encouraging broad, open-minded thinking among the masses. Though not everyone approved of them, we're not at all surprised this was the time when MSCHF's Big Red Boots were near-constantly going viral thanks to celebrities like Iggy Azalea, Lil Wayne, and Coi Leray wearing them.

Those who keep up with fashion will already know that Kanye West was pioneering the oversized boot trend before Aquarius season helped normalize them. The Yeezy founder, who's become known as a trendsetter in various industries – was clowned on Twitter for staying in his own lane, but once again, his instincts were spot on. Now we're curious to see if sock shoes and shoulder pads (some of his questionable looks from recent months) will be worn by his contemporaries when the water bearer strikes again in 2024.

Full Moon in Leo: Passions Bubble Over

The Moon is a planet that cycles through the signs rapidly, and though those brief transits can still impact us, it's really when the lunar giant is in Full (releasing) and New (setting intentions) phases that we see the strongest pull on our emotions. Early on in February, there was a Full Moon in Leo, indicating passions bubbling over in all areas of life. Perhaps it was the rapidly approaching Valentine's Day energy in the air, but starlets like Chloe Bailey and Doja Cat couldn't stop sharing thirst traps, and LeBron James wasn't playing about his stunning wife Savannah all month long.

Pisces marks the twelfth sign of the zodiac, so when Aries season comes about in late March, it's refreshing to step into a sort of "born again" vibration. If you're familiar with tarot, the energy is comparable to The Fool card, or someone standing ahead of a big journey with very eager eyes – not letting negativity or fear hold them back from achieving their goal of making the world a better place. Of course, not everyone has a naturally rebellious spirit, but Donald Glover certainly did when making his Swarm series. The brief, provocative project arrived on Prime Video just days before Aries season officially began, and it achieved Childish Gambino's goal of making viewers question things about the industry.

The show is unofficially based upon Beyonce and her often-obsessive fanbase, the BeyHive, and showcases the extreme measures some followers will go to to defend stars who aren't even aware of their existence. The "Halo" singer seemingly sassily responded to Glover's work upon starting her RENAISSANCE Tour in Europe, though it wasn't enough to cause an all-out war between them. Instead, it further solidified the Atlanta creator's TV resume and helped audiences look at things from a new perspective.

Mercury Enters Aries: Impulsive Communication

When moving through Pisces, Mercury makes communication much more emotional and deep by nature. Once it returns to that fresh, fiery Aries placement, however, a bit of immaturity and impulsivity can come over us, causing over-sharing and petty drama to fly. March saw a bit of both, though one of the most memorable instances (that's still being talked about months later) is Larsa Pippen's confession that she and her ex-husband Scottie had sex numerous times every night during their marriage.

As for the catfights, Megan Thee Stallion caught a few strays from Nicki Minaj, though the Houston native didn't bother responding. Elsewhere, Erica Banks and her short-lived fling with Finesse2tymes had the internet cracking up as they threw disses at each other. Things may not have worked out with the "Buss It" artist, but at least the Memphis native still has his partnership with FNG Shugga, and their upcoming child to celebrate.

In the first few days of April, the collective experienced a powerful Full Moon in Libra that seems to have especially shaken Jamie Foxx. The scales, of course, are all about balance, and this lunar transit in particular puts a focus on finding a balance between self and others. For some, this energy might've shown up in an intentional disconnect from others to pour more into your cup, but those who are prone to workaholicism sometimes need a more dramatic sign. While working on a Netflix project in the days following that energy shift, Foxx suffered from a medical emergency that sent him to the hospital where he was fighting for his life.

Thankfully, the "Gold Digger" artist made it out alive – and with a renewed perspective on life. He's still planning an impressive return to the entertainment industry, but not before Foxx took time off to reconnect with those closest to him. According to recent reports, he's even thinking about proposing to his girlfriend and starting a family with her. Had he not been forced to slow down and consider how overworking himself can cause problems in his life outside of Hollywood, who knows where Jamie would be right now?

Venus Enters Gemini: Social Butterflies Thrive

Of the twelve zodiac signs, Gemini arguably has one of the worst reputations among the general public, right next to Scorpio. Known as the twins, people sometimes perceive them as two-faced or fickle – especially in the realm of love, or Venus. They may not do particularly well when it comes to romantic relationships, but they do make great friends.

When the planet and air sign crossed paths in the spring, we saw Chloe Bailey and Chrisean Rock both using the social butterfly energy to their benefit. The former was twerking up a storm on her In Pieces tour to support her debut solo album, and the latter – several months into her pregnancy at this time – stayed booked and busy with club appearances and filming her reality TV show, no matter what drama she had unfolding in her life.

As the weather begins to heat up each year, so do the antics of our favourite celebrities. Janelle Monae, in particular, let her wild side shine during the Mars in Leo transit that occurred that month, flashing her bare breasts for live audiences on more than one occasion. The rollout of her latest album, The Age of Pleasure, brought forth something of a sexual revolution for the genre-bending artist. Previously, the world knew her as someone who wasn't afraid to embrace their masculine side in oversized suits, but as she reaches the last few years of her 30s, Monae has been radiating divine feminine energy non-stop.

Mars, a planet we have yet to touch on, is all about sexuality/desire, aggression, and passion. When it falls into Leo territory, the King of the Jungle can't help but awaken the fire within us all. Even as 2023 comes to a close, the bold, confident spirit hasn't left Monae's body as she was still flashing concert patrons earlier this fall. Of course, it helps that we're currently in the energy of her sun sign, Sagittarius, which is sure to keep her bold behaviour coming all December long.

Lunar Eclipse/Full Moon in Scorpio: Secrets Being Revealed

A few weeks before Mars changed signs, it was the Moon who once again had much of the population in their feelings. Scorpio is a notoriously mysterious and karmic sign, so when the collective went through a Full Moon and Lunar Eclipse in that energy on May 5th, it was a major catalyst for secrets to come to light. Even 50 Cent was feeling the effects after the final episode of Power Book II: Ghost leaked online.

Elsewhere under May's most powerful lunar transit, we reported on Latto allegedly offering Jason Lee money to take down a post about her on 21 Savage, and of course, there was the infamous "Spreadie Gibbs" scandal. The rapper's baby mama exposed him online for seemingly getting her pregnant and abandoning her, while also sharing way too many other details about their sex life; needless to say, the entire situation had Scorpio written all over it.

As much as the official start of summer makes time feel like it's speeding up, this year, the beginning of Saturn Retrograde just before the annual solstice helped slow things down. The second-largest planet in our solar system has a paternal-esque energy that's all about showing people where they're potentially heading down harmful paths in life. Zion Williamson was one public figure watching this play out front and centre in his life as he was publicly put on blast by a pornstar who accused him of cheating on her and physically abusing women.

Athletes get caught up in infidelity scandals near-constantly, so the 23-year-old being hit with allegations wasn't exactly shocking – though it did appear to take a toll on his mental health. The fact that Moriah Mills says Williamson was unfaithful to her with his own child's mother added another layer of drama to the situation, which embarrassingly played out in the media for weeks. We haven't heard much from the adult actress as of late, however, she did hop on the NPC streamer trend back in the summer.

Full Moon in Sagittarius: Desire for Freedom and Liberation

After the shake-up caused by May's Full Moon in Scorpio, June brought us one in Sagittarius that was all about a desire for freedom and liberation. The month opened with that energy, and by the 12th, we saw YNW Melly finally in court for his double-murder trial. Much to the world's surprise, the prosecution didn't manage to convict him the first time around. They'll have their second go in the new year, though we wouldn't be shocked to see the eccentric Aquarius vibes in the air at the time turning things in the embattled artist's favour once again.

In every person's birth chart, you'll find a North and South Node placement. These are great indicators of what your destiny in life is, and what karma you may have to overcome. Each year, they switch signs – 2023 saw the former enter Aries while the latter shifted into Libra, marking a disregard for people pleasing in favour of approaching life with authenticity and integrity. Keke Palmer perfectly personified this energy in how she handled her spat after Usher's Las Vegas residency with baby daddy Darius Jackson, though we now know their situation was far worse than we ever could've guessed.

Rather than shrinking or filtering herself to make her then-boyfriend comfortable, the Chicago native has handled herself with poise and grace while still keeping us laughing. It's possible Palmer's decision to not self-abandon at this moment gave her the courage to ultimately file a restraining order against Jackson in November, as she knew she had the support of the world rallying behind her when he first foolishly attempted to shame her confidence.

Chiron Goes Retrograde: Reviewing of Healing Journeys

Once summer officially began, the headlines became notably more chaotic, likely due to the various retrograde energies at play. The aforementioned Saturn transit was still handing out karmic debts when Chiron also began moving backwards, bringing in a period meant for reviewing healing journeys. In the sports world, Bronny James was forced to slow down and assess his physical health after unfortunately going into cardiac arrest during practice in July.

He's since returned to the court but is notably taking it slower than he and LeBron likely anticipated at his age. Meanwhile, Tory Lanez was reported to be "totally despondent" in prison back. Seeing as he refuses to take any responsibility for his actions, it only seems fair that the Canadian is being forced to sit behind bars and wait out his full sentence, where he can reflect on the actions that got him where he is today and how he might work to heal and make amends from those.

As if Saturn and Chiron going retrograde at the same time weren't enough, August also threw Mercury into the mix. As we previously said, it's the planet of communication, so when it starts moving backwards, expect virtually everything in this department to go haywire. Interestingly, this is around the time when 50 Cent went viral for hitting a media personality in the head with a microphone failing to properly work during his concert.

Thankfully, we now know he won't face charges for the incident, but at the time, Fif "fired everyone" who was involved with the messy performance. Mercury was in Virgo at the time, a sign known to be a notoriously judgemental (both Beyonce and Michael Jackson are all too well-known for embodying this) perfectionist, so seeing such a dramatic reaction out of the New Yorker practically feels written in the stars.

New Moon in Leo: Passionate New Beginnings

So far, we've mostly discussed the often-overwhelming impact of Full Moons, but in August, it was the New Moon in Leo that had Plies bubbling over with passion. This transit is the perfect time for setting your intentions and taking bold, courageous action toward what you want. As it turns out, this is around when the entertainer began frequently reacting to Britney Spears' salacious dancing videos, seemingly shooting his shot with the Pop Princess. They haven't come face-to-face yet, but we're still rooting for a crossover video from Plies and his Hot Cheeto.

Besides the three planets in retrograde we've already covered, 2023 also saw Venus in Leo join the party from late July until early September. During this time, our relationships are reflected upon, and taking inspired action can feel more difficult than usual. When the planet suddenly went direct on the 3rd, however, there was a passionate drive to act on emotions that resulted in a particularly messy MTV Video Music Awards season for Nicki Minaj.

The Queen of Rap was on hosting duty for the evening, and while the Barbz were hyped for the occasion, they were curious to see if beef would erupt between her and Cardi B. In the days before the award show, Minaj's husband, Kenneth Petty, went on IG Live to threaten the former Migos rapper with his goons. To this, Offset seemingly responded by laughing his way onto a private jet to fulfill yet another obligation on his booked and busy schedule. Things could've gotten seriously messy, but because Set chose to take the high road and find humour in the situation, no one was hurt.

Libra Season/Autumn Equinox: Focus on Balance in Relationships and Partnerships

In the latter half of the month, you'll notice your life (if you're flowing with the energy, that is) naturally shifting into a more balanced state. This is thanks to the Sun changing signs into Libra, which typically occurs right around the Autumn equinox. This year especially there was a reminder from the universe to not lose ourselves in co-dependent unions, or stay in situations that reached their expiration date long ago.

Cheating rumours began swirling around Remy Ma and Papoose, as well as Iman Shumpert and Teyana Taylor at this time. Though the latter pair denied any infidelity, recently released court documents reveal that the NBA star being unfaithful is one of the reasons why his co-parent filed for divorce; we'll touch on this more when we reach November's breakdown, which has only brought forth more chaos for the former power couple.

We've talked plenty about Scorpio energy already, but October is when the water sign reaches its maximum strength. Before the Sun transitioned over from Libra, another planet first made itself at home there, and it didn't come quietly. Mars in Scorpio is all about tapping into one's inner power and sexuality, the rap divas were doing just that in 2023. Ice Spice's barely there Betty Boop Halloween costume is one of the first examples that comes to mind, and she wasn't the only rap diva to show her panty either.

Another breakout star, Sexyy Red, also went viral for her NSFW content. However, the sex tape that leaked on her Story wasn't at all consensual and left the St. Louis native initially feeling violated and vulnerable. On the bright side, she's working toward reclaiming her power and not letting the haters get her down. Instead, she's pouring her energy into celebrating a trip to "Pound Town," which resulted in her second pregnancy.

Scorpio Season: Focusing on Depth in Connections with Self and Others

In general, Scorpio season is all about bringing depth to your connections with others and deep within yourself. Stars who spent this time away from the spotlight were likely caught up in healing old wounds that have risen to the surface amid the busy retrograde season or figuring out where cycles of death and rebirth are playing out in their life.

Those who did catch our attention in October were Kanye West and Bianca Censori, who reportedly officially tied the knot after a chaotic summer abroad together. Chrisean Rock also had all eyes on her following the birth of her son. Instead of focusing on bonding with the infant, the 23-year-old was back outside in a matter of days, even flaunting a fling with Lil Mabu (whose name she seemingly tattooed above her crotch) online in an apparent attempt to make Blueface jealous.

From the summertime on, the plot of 2023 has only continued to thicken. Many things that formerly felt squashed resurfaced after Saturn went direct in Pisces on November 4th, bringing what was done in the dark to light. For instance, Iman Shumpert and Teyana Taylor's divorce filings were made public record, proving that there's far more bad blood between the exes than they were hoping to share with the world. Before that, Darius Jackson's abusive behaviour toward Keke Palmer came out with damning receipts as she filed for a restraining order and sole custody of their son.

When he attempted to put the actress' mother, Sharon, on blast for threatening to shoot him in the head, Mrs. Palmer expertly turned the tables on him by reminding the world that phone calls in California can't be recorded without consent, meaning she's well within her rights to sue him. All of the relationship drama has been keeping the blogs full this month, but those scandals have been overshadowed by Cassie's allegations against Diddy during their relationship. Rather than head to court over the trafficking and sexual abuse claims, the Bad Boy mogul quickly settled with his ex, and now has more lawsuits on related matters coming out.

We're curious to see what's next for Sean Combs, and what the rest of 2023 will bring for other stars on our radar. Make sure to check back in with HNHH all month for more music/pop culture news updates. Happy holidays!