

2023 is a good change of pace from what 2022 was for a lot of people. In 2023 we enter a 7 numerology year, which is a year where the vibe is more about peace, faith, reflection, and going within. Emotions are high, but through introspection and spiritual clarity, this can be an enlightening year for a lot of people. There are some very important, once-every-decade transits occurring this year, which is why 2023 is such a game-changer.
Next year, Saturn ends its transit in Aquarius where it has been since 2020, and we all remember what happened in 2020 and the tone of that year. Saturn leaving this air sign closes that chapter, and it's time for the collective to heal. Saturn enters Pisces in mid-2023, and a spiritual awakening will be occurring. Another significant transit occurring in 2023 is Pluto's move out of Capricorn and into Aquarius. Pluto has been in Capricorn since 2008 and has been showing us the power struggles of this world and where they are coming from. Pluto moving into Aquarius gives the power back to the collective, and anything that isn’t authentic or freeing will transform.
Overall, 2023 is a powerful year for clarity, manifesting, and showing yourself the power you hold as the creator of your life. Learn from others, help highlight something for someone else and give them clarity as well, and work with the community around you to create something beautiful.
The world is going through a rebirth in 2023, and your mantra for the year reflects how you personally can move through this year while living your best and healthiest life.
Aries 2023 Mantra
“I see clearly with an open mind and heart. Everything is working out for me, and I have nothing to fear.”
2023 is part two of the good energy you were feeling this past year, Aries. Jupiter entered Aries last year and finishes its transit here moving into the new year until mid-2023. With positivity flowing into the year for you, a mantra that helps you keep up the momentum and stay in a healthy and positive perspective for the year is everything. Your biggest reminder this year is not to get lost in the unknown, and to see change and different cycles of your life as blessings and opportunities to create magic. With the first Eclipse of the year happening in Aries on April 20th, Aries will be moving through some big changes this year and the universe is giving you your very own firework show.
Taurus 2023 Mantra
“I let go of what doesn’t serve me or my growth, and I honor where I am right now.”
Taurus, you are ready for a fresh start. 2023 is bringing that for you. A good mantra for you over the next year, Taurus, reminds you to let go, as this is a reminder you need a little more than most. This coming year, you are letting go of what you cannot change and accepting peace as your way forward. With the North Node finishing its transit in Taurus this year, where it has been since early 2022, this is your year of self-discovery through acceptance and letting go of the past. The last Eclipse of 2023 will be also occurring in Taurus on October 28th, even further signifying this cycle of closure and a new beginning that you will be moving through this year.
Gemini 2023 Mantra
“I am worthy of a new beginning. I am ready for a miracle.”
2023 is a year of opportunity and emotional rejuvenation for you, Gemini. This is a year where you will be feeling more vulnerable than usual, and are ready to explore this new sense of wonder in life. Happy outcomes and open skies are what you have in store for the new year, and with Mars in your sign until the end of March, you have an extra boost of energy as well. The mantra for Gemini for 2023 is all about knowing you are worthy of a fresh start and that anything is possible, but you have to be ready for what it is that you want as well.
Cancer 2023 Mantra
“I am a powerful creator of my reality, and I manifest joy, wealth, love, and good health in my life.”
Cancer, you are tapping into your inner magic this year. 2023 is a year where you are practicing your manifestation rituals and creating the life you have been dreaming of. Your power of attraction is strong this year, and you are manifesting your goals in 2023. Jupiters' move into Taurus this year is positively enhancing your friendship zone and sense of community, and it takes a village. Your mantra for the new year is all about reminding yourself of the power you hold as a creator of your life, and something that also helps you align with your spirituality. This is a year full of magic for you, and your mantra will guide you toward this energy.
Leo 2023 Mantra
“I trust the divine timing of my life, and give myself and others grace.”
The key for you in 2023 is patience, Leo. This year is going at a slower pace than you are used to, but this energy is needed for a major recharge after all that took place this past year. 2023 is all about enjoying the moment and trusting the divine timing of your life. You are not missing out on anything, and what is for you will always find you. With Venus going retrograde in Leo in July this year, you will be learning a lot through love and through healing the heart. Your mantra for the new year is all about aligning with divine timing, and trusting what is unfolding for you as it comes.
Virgo 2023 Mantra
“I am beautiful. I am healthy. I am peaceful. I am free.”
Virgo, you are in flow this year. 2023 is a year when Virgo is stepping up to their power in life, and doing so with grace. For you, Virgo, over the next year you have your health in mind, your peace intact, and love surrounding you. You are in a time of emergence, and a time where you are living free in your authenticity. You understand that abundance is your birthright and you are tapping into this stream of magic that is steadily available to you this year. Jupiter’s move into earth sign Taurus this year is a power play for Virgo, and new adventures abound for you over the next year. Your mantra for 2023 is all about freely being your beautiful and powerful self.
Libra 2023 Mantra
“Things get better for me every day, and I am grateful for my life and all that is in it.”
2023 is a year of claiming your blessings. Happy outcomes and opportunities are coming into your life over the next year, and the sky is clearing for you, Libra. For your 2023 mantra, gratitude is the attitude. With a Solar Eclipse in your sign this year, you are moving through a year of personal transformation, and are embarking on a new path over the next year. Your mantra is your reminder of the blessings that fall into your lap when you trust yourself and the divine timing of the transformations you are moving through over the next year. 2023 wants to give you something special, and this is a year of happiness.
Scorpio 2023 Mantra
“I am a passionate and creative being, and my energy is powerful.”
Scorpio, you are all about the passion of life, and this year is no different. The perfect mantra for Scorpio in 2023 activates positive emotion within. Your mantra for the year is all about using your power as a creator in this life, and blazing your way forward to create your dreams. The South Node finishes its transit through Scorpio this year, and by the second half of 2023, you have a huge weight lifted off your shoulders. You are the phoenix rising from the ashes this year and are a force to be reckoned with in 2023. This is a year of passion, and your spirit is free.
Sagittarius 2023 Mantra
“I am aligned in mind, body, spirit, and soul, and I go at the pace that I feel comfortable with right now.”
Sagittarius, you are going through a spiritual awakening in 2023. Over the next year, you are emotionally replenishing your energy, and growing as a soul. As a Sagittarian, you are spending more time in your safe space and getting away from the busyness of the world as much as possible this year. With the year closing with a Mercury retrograde in Sagittarius, 2023 has a lot to teach Sagittarius overall, and it’s all about listening to your body and giving your mind and spirit time to process what’s occurring. Your mantra for the year is all about connecting within and finding your strength here.
Capricorn 2023 Mantra
“I am free to choose my thoughts, beliefs, and path. I choose for myself, and I choose wisely.”
The perfect mantra for Capricorn for 2023 reflects the soul journey you are moving through this year. For you, Capricorn, you are looking for freedom, reflection, and new scenery. Travel is big on your mind over the next year, and you are thinking about where you want to explore next. You are taking yourself on some important adventures this year, and are ready to learn more. 2023 is a big year for Capricorns overall, as Pluto finally leaves your sign and starts entering its transit in Aquarius at the end of March 2023. Pluto has been in Capricorn since 2008, and now that Pluto is saying its final goodbyes, you can take the lessons you have learned over the past decade or so, and use your newfound power to enhance your life.
Aquarius 2023 Mantra
“I am worthy of everything I want in life. What I seek, is seeking me.”
2023 for Aquarius is all about moving out of spaces that don’t serve you and finding yourself and your people. You have been going through something over the past few years with Saturn, a challenging planet, in your sign since 2020; and you’ve had to be strong for yourself in times when it felt like you were doing it all alone. Saturn ends its transit in your sign this year, and you get to move into a new chapter in your life. 2023 is a year of movement, but you are also in the building process of creating a new life for yourself as well. You are finding the balance between what is falling away from your life and what you are moving into, and your mantra for the year is a reminder that you can have it all if you allow it.
Pisces 2023 Mantra
“I am always at the right place at the right time, and I am divinely protected.”
2023 is karmic for Pisces. This year is a time of clarity, and also about finding your strength. Saturn begins its transit in your sign on May 7, 2023, where it will remain over the next few years. Saturn will be bringing the past, present, and future up for review, and will be helping you make sense of it all. Saturn teaches us where in our life the foundations or systems aren’t working, and how to build something more sustainable for ourselves. With Saturn in your sign; your image, persona, how you see yourself, and how others see you, are going through this sense of change and rebirth, and your mantra for the year will help keep you grounded through what is occurring this year.
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Tayler Barakat is a Mystic who has studied Astrology for over a decade. She does intuitive astrology and tarot readings for people all over the world, and her work focuses on healing and empowering individuals. Follow her on Instagram @taylerbarakat_ and check out her website www.listentothevirgo.com.
'Black Girl Magic' Poet Mahogany L. Browne Talks Banned Books And The Power Of The Creative Pivot
You know you’re dealing with a truly talented and profound voice of a generation when the powers that be attempt to silence it. As a poet, educator, and cultural curator, Mahogany L. Browne has carved out a powerful space in the world of literature and beyond.
From penning the viral poem, “Black Girl Magic,” to writing Woke: A Young Poet’s Call To Justice (a book once banned from a Boston school library), to becoming the 2024 Paterson Poetry Prize winner and a poet-in-residence at Lincoln Center—her path exemplifies resilience, reinvention, and unapologetic artistry. She's published more than 40 works and paid the bills with her craft, a divine dream for many creatives seeking release, autonomy, and freedom in a tough economic climate.
A Goddard College graduate, who earned an MFA from Pratt Institute and was awarded an honorary doctorate from Marymount Manhattan College, Mahogany offers unapologetic realness with a side of grace and empowerment. "I started touring locally. I started creating chat books so that those poems will go in the hands of the people who were sitting in the rooms," she shared.
"And then I started facilitating poetry workshops, so I used my chat books as curriculum. And that, in turn, allowed me to further invest in my art and show the community and people who were hiring me that it wasn't just a one-off, that it's not just, you know, a fly by night—that I am invested in this art as much as I am invested in your community, in your children's learning, in our growth."
Mahogany has a special way of moving audiences, and her superpower sparks shifts in perspective, post-performance introspection, and strengthening of community bonds, especially among Black women. (One can undeniably recognize her gift for arousal of the spirit and mind merely from her listening to her insights from the other side of a Google Hangout call. I can only imagine the soul-stirring, top-tier sensory encounter when watching her perform in person.)
In this chat with xoNecole, Mahogany reflects on sustaining a creative career, the aftermath of writing a banned book, and using poetry for both healing, community-building, and activism.
Anthony Artis
xoNecole: What are three key things that have laid the foundation for a sustainable creative career for you?
Mahogany L Browne: What has helped me is that I'm willing to go in being an expert at knowing poetry and knowing the way in which art can change the landscape of our lives, not just as a poet, but also as a poetry facilitator. How you move through classes, those things are mastered, right? So when I go into another space that's maybe tech-heavy, I don't mind learning and being, you know, a student of the wonder of how we can make this magic, work together.
Two, you’ve got to know how to pivot. Sometimes we say, ‘Alright, this is what my life is going to be. I'm going to be a New York Times best-selling author. I'm going to, you know, have an album that's Grammy-nominated. And then, say you get dropped from your record label. That doesn't mean you can't make an album anymore. You can also still create an album that can be submitted to the Grammys. So, what does a pivot look like as an artist who doesn't have an institution behind them? Pivot being a student of the wonder.
Relationships also really help. How do I serve the community? And in turn, that tells me how the community can show up. For me, I have long-standing ties with a community that will outlast my one life. So, what does it mean to create space where these relationships can develop, can be nurtured, can be rooted, can be cultivated? Creating space—it happens through relationships.
xoN: With today’s economic challenges, what does your current creative process look like, and what are you working on?
MB: I’m always thinking five years ahead. I just reviewed the pages for two children’s books and recently released a YA novel. I’m drafting an adult fiction manuscript now.
Anything I create is founded with the root of poetry, but it can exist in captions. It can exist in commercials. It can exist as a musical. So that's where I’m at now.
xoN: You started performing "Black Girl Magic" in 2013, had an acclaimed performance of it via PBS and the work went on to viral success shortly after. Talk more about the inspiration. And what do you think about the continued relevance more than a decade later?
MB: I wrote it as a rally cry for the mothers who had been keeping themselves truly in harm's way by, you know, being a part of the community right after the death of their child or their loved one. They are usually mothers of victims of police brutality—and just seeing how they showed up in these community spaces, they are devout to the cause but obviously still grieving.
"I wanted this poem to be just a space of reclamation, of joy and of you, of your light, of your shine, of your brilliance, in any which way in which you fashion. Every room you enter is the room you deserve to be in. What does it mean to have a poem like that that exists?"
And the first time I did the poem, the Weeping that occurred, right? It was like this blood-letting of sorts. The next time I performed it, I'm moved to tears because I'm seeing how it's affecting other women who have just been waiting to hear, ‘You belong. You deserve. You are good. We see you. Thank you, despite everything that they said to make you regret being born in this beautiful brown, dark-skinned, light-skinned, but Black body.’
Black women are the backbone—period. Point blank. And so, that that poem became a necessity, not just to the fortitude of Black women in the community, but like you know, in service of healing the Black women.
xoN: One of your books was banned at a school in Boston, and it was later reinstated due to parental and activist support. What was that experience like?
MB: Well, I think it happened because they were racist. That's it. Point blank. The reversal of it was empowering, right? I realized, oh, I thought we just had to sit here and be on a banned book list. But no, parents are actually the leaders of this charge.
So to see that, the parents said, ‘Nah, we're not gonna let you take this book out of my baby’s school just because it's a Black kid on the front saying, ‘Woke’ and they're talking about being a global citizen. They're talking about accountability. They're talking about accessibility. They're talking about allyship, and you don't want them to have compassion or empathy or have even an understanding, right? So no, we rebuke that, and we want this book here anyway.’ To see that happen in that way. I was, like, reaffirmed. Absolutely.
xoN: You recently organized the Black Girl Magic Ball at the Lincoln Center in New York. Honorees included author and entrepreneur Rachel Cargle and National Black Theater CEO Sade Lythcott. What impact did it have and what expanded legacy do you hope to leave with your creative works?
MB: I was really interested in not celebrating just the book, but celebrating the community that made the book possible. And so I gave out five awards to women doing that thing, like, what does it mean to be a Black girl in this world?
I just thought it was gonna be an amazing time. Everybody's gonna dress up—we're gonna celebrate each other. And boom, I then realized that it responded to like a gaping hole. There was a missing thing for Black girls of all walks of life, all ages, right?
"It's very intergenerational. That was intentional to come together and celebrate just being us."
You have all these instances where just being you is either the butt of a joke or it's diminished and not worthy of a specific title in these larger institutions. So what does it mean to just to be loved up on and celebrated?
It felt like a self-care project at first. You know, for the first couple of years, folks were coming and they were getting that sisterhood. They were getting that tribe work that they were missing in their everyday lives.
I love the Black Girl Magic Ball because we got us. If I go out with a bang, they'll remember that Mahogany worked her a** off to make sure all the Black girls everywhere knew that she was the light. We are the blueprint.
For more information on Mahogany L. Browne, her work, and her future projects, visit her website or follow her on IG @mobrowne.
Featured image by Anthony Artis
Listen, based on what I know (because I have learned to not talk about celebrities like I know them, unless I actually do), I have a lot of respect for the filmmaking phenomenon Ryan Coogler. In fact, a close friend of mine and I were recently talking about how much we enjoyed an NPR interview that he did late last month (“Ryan Coogler Paid A Steep Price For The Films He Made”).
And although I’ve heard the his movie Sinners is “that one” right now (did you know that it has crossed the $300 million mark at the time of this being published?), because I am a bit squeamish when it comes to violence and gore, I am still on the fence about personally checking it out; especially after Michael B. Jordan said himself that all of the (fake) blood even caused him to need to take breaks throughout filming. I dunno…maybe in the daytime. We’ll see. LOL.
Anyway, all of the talk about vampires — you know, due to the film — did cause me to wonder something that might seem rather random, yet that’s oftentimes how my mind works: Do vampires give each other hickeys? As I Googled for an answer, besides a book that has a title close to that name, I did notice an ABC feature from when the vampire Twilight film series was all the rage several years back. It was inquiring if teens were suddenly biting each other (back then) because of the movie(s).
The sexologist who was interviewed came to the conclusion that since biting is “an extension of the hickey” and hickeys are (typically) considered to be passionate, that’s why teens were interested in doing it. As far as what vampires do with each other? I couldn’t find a definitive answer.
I dunno. With hickeys also being called “love bites” and “suck marks” and with folks oftentimes describing vampire-themed movies as sexy, I would think that they could. Either way, what we know for sure is that those of us in the real world do it — and so, in honor/acknowledgement of that, I figured that now would be a perfect time to share some facts about hickeys. Ready?
1. Humans Are Copying Animals When They Give Hickeys
Aight, so what exactly is the origin story of hickeys? It would seem that it came from the literature of authors who wrote about what animals like lions and wolves do whenever they are showing affection towards one another. Apparently, humans saw this and eventually began to follow suit.
Hey, that doesn’t sound so crazy to me, considering doggy style continues to be a fan favorite among our species, and…have you ever seen two cats have sex before? I have, more than once, and the male cat is typically biting on the female one, in her neck region, during the act. So, when I really stop to think about all of this, it definitely tracks.
2. Hickeys Are Oftentimes a Low-Key Power Play
Ah, perfect. If you click here, you will actually see a picture of two cats having sex, and — like I just said, the male cat is biting the female cat. One reason why is because male cat penises have barbs on them which can make the entry or exit of intercourse literally painful for the female. And so, the male cat holds her in place by biting her, so that she doesn’t run away. And yes, along these same lines, some believe that hickeys can serve as their own power dynamic shift, even among humans — especially based on where a person decides to put one. I guess it would be like “peeing on your territory” in a way — hmph, which is something else that animals tend to do.
3. Hickeys Are Nothing More than a Bruise
Okay, so what actually causes a hickey to happen? Well, when someone sucks and gently bites on your skin, it can break some of the surface blood vessels that are underneath your skin to break. When that happens, it results in a bruise. If someone does this to you for about a half a minute, you should notice a hickey emerge in a matter of minutes and, depending on how “good” of a job they did, a hickey can stick around for as much as a couple of weeks.
4. “Temperature Play” Speeds Up the Healing Process of Hickeys
Again, depending on how “good” of a job someone did at giving you a hickey, it could last between two days and two weeks. If you want yours to fade faster, because, again, hickeys are a bruise, it’s a good idea to bring some temperature play into action. What I mean by that is, start off by putting an ice pack on your hickey for up to 10 minutes, twice a day, for the first two days.
Then, after 48 hours, apply a warm compress for 10 minutes a few times a day. You might also want to apply a bit of peppermint oil to your hickey and gently massage that area as well; that will help to bring more blood flow to the spot, so that your skin can heal faster.
5. If You Take Blood Thinners, Hickeys Will Last Longer
If you’re someone who takes blood thinners, that will keep hickeys aren’t for a longer period of time. That’s because blood thinners are specifically designed to slow down the blood clotting process that’s in your body. So, if you’re big on hickeys and you even take aspirin on a fairly regular basis, you’re gonna have to accept that the “hickey healing hacks” may not actually work for you (at least not as quickly or effectively).
6. Certain “Natural Things” Can Make Them Last Longer Too
Speaking of blood thinners, even if you aren’t on any meds, did you know that certain foods provide blood-thinning effects as well? Some of those include ginger, garlic, aloe, turmeric, and cayenne pepper, and even supplements including vitamin E and melatonin. Just something to keep in mind. (By the way, vitamin C and the bromelain in pineapples can help to heal hickeys as far as supplements and foods go).
7. No, Hickeys Will Not Give You Cancer
It actually wasn’t until I was doing research for this article that I even heard the myth that hickeys can give you cancer. What in the world? Yeah, if you heard that somewhere before, pay that tale no mind, because science absolutely says otherwise. For the most part, hickeys are relatively harmless.
8. They Can Give You an Infection, Though
And why did I just say, “for the most part”? Yeah, you caught that, huh? Well, there is an extreme instance where a woman had a stroke due to a hickey because it happened on top of a major artery — that’s hella rare, though. What is more common is oral herpes transmitted through hickeys.
Not to mention the fact that a hickey is usually a bruise more than a wound; however, if your skin does end up being broken or you’re giving a hickey and blood is somehow transmitted…well, I’m sure you could see how this could be potentially problematic. Bottom line, get — and stay getting — tested. Just to be on the safe side. Hickeys or not.
9. A Dream About Getting a Hickey Is Actually a Warning
Remember how I said earlier that sometimes the person who is giving the hickey is doing so as an act of power? Well, along those same lines, if you happen to dream that someone is giving you a love bite, keep in mind that it probably isn’t about anything sexual; usually, it means that you are either in a toxic or stressful situation and you’re trying to figure out if you should approach it with logic or emotion. The more you know.
10. Sometimes Pain Creates Pleasure
Someone who enjoys being tortured or humiliated during sex, they fall into a category that is known as sexual masochism — and no, that is not what I am referring to here. What I am speaking about is the fact that, because pain and pleasure sensations are housed in the same part of the brain, when mild pain is felt, that could be why it arouses you — and that could be why you may enjoy receiving hickeys (I mean, if you actually do). They both have been proven to create a dopamine and opioid surge, which can intensify your sexual responses and reactions.
____
Hickeys do tend to create a very polarizing response: folks either adore them or loathe them. Either way, now you know what they’re all about, so if you’re on the “A” team, share it with those who are also in your club.
It could make them appreciate hickeys — love bites, suck marks — that much more, chile.
Dig in. #wink
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