The Astrological Reasons So Many Celeb Couples Are Breaking Up RN

Celeb splits are nothing new, but 2023 has really been something. Longtime couples like Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn, Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott, and Ariana Grande and Dalton Gomez ended their love stories — seemingly for good — earlier this year. From June to September, the list of famous people calling it quits only amped up (Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner, Britney Spears and Sam Asghari, Rosalía and Rauw Alejandro, to name a few), with many referring to this time period as the “summer of breakups.” In some cases, you might be able to attribute one or both individuals’ Saturn return as a potential reason behind their relationship shift, but there may’ve been some other astrological events at play as well... and their effects may not be over.

When the Jophie divorce announcement first made headlines in early September, Venus retrograde in Leo seemed like an obvious cosmic phenomenon for astro enthusiasts to blame, as it brought forth major changes when it came to matters of the heart and pushed for everyone to reconsider their relationships with others. While the planet of love certainly did its fair share of damage, the North and South Node changed signs around the same time, causing everyone to focus on their autonomy. Consider it a cosmic double-whammy — one that may continue through all of 2024.

How Venus Retrogrades Could Affect Your Relationships

Venus retrogrades are notorious for signifying a season of breakups, scandals, and exposés, oftentimes shedding a not-so-flattering light on relationships (e.g. Angelina Jolie confirmed that she and Brad Pitt fell in love in summer 2004 — while Venus was retrograde in Gemini — when he was still married to Jennifer Aniston).

This year’s Venus rx, which took place from July 22 to Sept. 3, seemingly took aim at many high-profile marriages, as the so-called planet of love reversed through Leo, the sun-ruled sign that governs over popularity, fame, and public scrutiny; a planet retracing its steps through the sky often signifies reversals or undoings. Bookending this timeframe was Joe Manganiello and Sofía Vergara (the former filed for divorce on July 19) and Turner and Jonas (the latter filed for divorce on Sept. 5); both filings occurred during the retrograde shadow period.

How The North & South Node Shifts Could Affect Your Relationships

Another reason why the summer of breakups was so intense was because the North Node, the celestial point in the sky where eclipses happen, shifted into the cardinal fire sign of Aries on July 17. Since Aries is the independent, solo sign of the zodiac, the North Node shifting into this sign swiftly prompted many people to reprioritize their independence.

Though Grande and Gomez privately separated in February, according to their divorce files, the “POV” singer sparked separation rumors from her now-ex-husband after she was spotted at Wimbledon sans wedding ring (a sign of her independence) on July 16, one day before the North Node’s shift into Aries.

With the North Node now in the sign of hyper-independence and the South Node in its partnership-centered sister sign of Libra until Jan. 12, 2025, there will be a continuous need for everyone to focus on their autonomy throughout the next year-plus.

So, while the summer of breakups is *technically* over, the desire to walk away from relationships that may have required you to compromise your own needs will only intensify over the next 15 months. This isn’t to say that all romantic relationships are doomed, but it does mean that when it comes to partnerships, celebs and non-celebs alike will be setting their sights only on relationships that aren’t overly co-dependent and allow the space to be authentically yourself.