Scorpio Monthly Horoscope

MONTHLY OVERVIEW
Dive deep, Scorpio! With the Sun and go-getter Mars in Gemini, your eighth house of intimacy and subterranean truths, you're in your element. Much of June will highlight the ties that bind you, since the eighth house rules soul-merging, joint resources and shared finances. Your intense sign thrives with these kinds of arrangements, so pour your energy into building substantive alliances that are built to last. Perhaps you'll purchase some prime real estate with your honey, or unload a property that's become more of a nuisance than a boon. Especially sensitive to energies, you might need to guard your personal space more carefully, choosing to spend time with your inner circle rather than whoop it up on the town. You're not much for "whooping" this month, Scorpio…not when you have more serious matters like, you know, the mystery of existence to contemplate. In other words, you and idle cocktail chatter are no match this month. In an all-or-nothing mood, you have serious stamina to focus on the things in life that really matter to you: your loved ones, building security, and digging for truth and meaning.

Once you have a sense of what you want to create, you can turn a fresh page on June 8, when the Gemini new moon breathes new life into your intimate relations, as well as your resources. Set intentions around removing blocks to intimacy. There are always more layers of the onion to peel back, so even Scorpios in long-term partnerships will benefit from this transformative breeze. Brainstorm ways you can earn passive income or perhaps invest a bit of your nest egg advantageously. With the right "allowing" mindset, you have the cosmic green light to manifest your heart's desire.

Truth is, you've probably spent a good portion of the last year redefining those innermost desires, as expansive Jupiter has been burrowed into this intimate sector of your chart since June 11, 2012. This month marks the close of this Jupiter cycle, and if you reflect back on all that's transpired in the past 12 months, you might see that you've experienced a deepened bond with a partner, perhaps even getting engaged, deciding to cohabitate or even cementing your union with a little bambino. Maybe you let down your guard in the boudoir, opening up to new sensual experiences…heck, since Jupiter rules higher education, perhaps you even got your own Ph.D. in tantra. Or maybe you sealed a professional deal that is destined to bring you a new stream of money. You might have even hit the jackpot in more literal ways, via lottery ticket or inheritance. Maybe an elderly loved one passed away and gifted you some real estate or cash. Since Scorpio is the natural ruler of the zodiac's eighth house, you could have really been in the zone this past year, conjuring 'til you couldn't conjure anymore.

On June 25, happy-go-lucky Jupiter enters fellow water sign Cancer, your ninth house of expansion and overseas travel, until July 16, 2014. Your attention shifts from the micro to the macro, from the fine details to the wider world and big-picture perspective. If you've ever dreamed of embarking on an around the world trip, this could be your year to set sail. Bonjour, adventure! Or maybe you start an exciting enterprise that has a global or cross-cultural focus. Spread those gossamer wings, Scorpio. To stretch the limits of your thinking, you might enroll in a course or degree program, or perhaps a workshop devoted to self-betterment. If you've been toying with a book idea, this might be the year you get serious and start shaping a thought-provoking manuscript, or even self-publish your work. Entrepreneurial Scorpios could be in startup motion during this yearlong cycle. With all these experiences, you seek understanding, eager to make sense of this beautiful, madcap world and your place in it. You might feel the inklings of this new journey as early as June 21, when the Sun moves into Cancer.

Before you get swept away with wanderlust, some exciting news comes in around the June 23 full moon in Capricorn, your third house of communication. You could get a long-awaited answer or gain closure around a conversation that started as far back as the January 11 new moon in Capricorn. Perhaps you planted the seeds on a winning idea that begins to blossom now. A close friend, colleague or sibling could be involved in whatever unfolds. Be sure to accept any compelling invitations to get out on the town, especially in your own neighborhood. Events you attend now might yield a serendipitous connection. Bring on the full moon synchronicities!

If you've been holding back, you may decide to clear the air around the full moon. Or, you can wait until June 26, when communicator Mercury goes retrograde (backward) in Cancer, your truth-telling ninth house. Yes, just as lucky Jupiter rolls into this part of your chart, clever Mercury takes a backspin. Ah well. Since this influence can bring missed connections of all kinds, you may want to avoid travel or too much brutal honesty until Mercury goes direct (forward) again on July 19. Mercury retrograde can make technology, travel and communications go haywire, so back up your important data before this cycle starts and give yourself extra time if you're traveling to an important meeting.

Since retrogrades turn our attention to the past, it's a good time to do a mid-year review of sorts, getting realigned with what excites and inspires you. You may have become TOO mired in tunnel vision and need to adjust your lens on life to a wide-angle/panoramic setting. There's so much to look forward to, Scorpio, even more than you know. Get inspired as you stand on the precipice of the unknown…and then leap!

LOVE & ROMANCE
June's stars get you all hot and bothered…just the way you like it. With the Sun and sultry Mars both heating up your eighth house of soul-merging and intimacy, your desires could be smoking-hot. As far as dates are concerned, you're over the crowded summer festival scene and into finding quiet, candlelit places where you can be alone with your sweetheart, reveling in secrets and sensuality. You might be feeling friskier than normal (and for an intense Scorpio, that's saying something), but for you, merging on a sensual level has spiritual connotations—there's a thin line between the erotic and the divine for Scorpio, the sign of sex. (Check out this interesting article for a take on shagging that is truly otherworldly: http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/11/24/my-take-searching-for-god-settling-for-sex/.) So when you head down to that high-end erotica boutique, on the hunt for the best damn tickler and leather bra (or undies) you can find, it's practically like stepping into a temple.

On June 8, your intimacy desires could take shape, as a Gemini new moon gets you all fired up for a real deal connection. Prepare to let down that Berlin Wall and get vulnerable. (For a little primer, read Brene Brown's "Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent and Lead" (http://astore.amazon.com/astrostyle-20/detail/1592407331.) Your sweetheart could open up to you about a shameful secret, and their willingness to bare all only brings you closer. Or, you could be the one spilling previously hidden feelings or stories. Whatever the case, you're turning the page on a new, exciting chapter in your intimate life. Perhaps you and your honey get engaged, pregnant or move to the next level of closeness and couple-dom.

Before you fully merge, though, you may need to do a little soul-searching on the romantic front, when dreamy Neptune turns retrograde (backward) in Pisces, your fifth house of lustful passion, from June 7 until November 12. Perhaps you're disillusioned with an amorous partner. If you bestowed God-like qualities on a mere mortal, you might get a wake-up call now…this person is just human, like everyone. Or perhaps you realize the need to bring fluttering-heart-style courtship back. Remember when you and your love used to dance by candlelight, just because? If you've become a little too take-charge in your love life (a distinct possibility for your uber-focused sign), you might have to loosen your grip a bit, especially if your "requirement" list is SO specific and granular that not even a supermodel with a Ph.D. could make the cut. It's also possible that you've been sitting back being Scorpio-secretive about what you want, and then resenting your partner (or suitors) for not reading your mind. Not everyone is as perceptive as you, first of all. And second, connecting on a deeper soul level is what matters. Perhaps it's time to be more vulnerable and receptive to someone new. Don't let your powerful intuition form a protective barrier between you and this other person. Chances are, if you're overly focused on what makes them tick, you might be too far afield from your own needs and desires.

However, this doesn't mean you shouldn't do a little Scorpio-style screening; with illusory Neptune's touch, things aren't always what they seem. If your date pushes their eyeglasses up the bridge of their nose every time they brag, well, you might have an exaggerator on your well-manicured hands. Pay attention to subtle body language cues. Lightening the mood, magnetic Venus is blazing through Cancer all month, lighting up the freewheeling, adventurous sector of your chart. If you're slated to hit the road, you might just meet a special someone far from home, at a rest stop, on an airplane or even swinging in a seaside hammock. Since Cancer is a water sign, you might feel most like your sizzling self at the beach. You never know whom you might meet on that moonlit walk.

Ex alert! Retrogrades have a way of dredging up the past, so an old love might resurface now, perhaps to heal lingering wounds. As much as you might want to cut this person off once and for all, you're very aware of the phantom limb that results from such amputations. So…if you can't banish them to the Siberia of your mind, then you can at least forgive. For a spiritual take on moving past betrayal, we recommend "Radical Forgiveness" by Colin Tipping: http://astore.amazon.com/astrostyle-20/detail/1591797640. Sometimes, we hold on to anger and resentment because it keeps us reliably bonded to the other person. If that's true for you now, accept this loss as part of life's natural cycle. Once you relinquish the past, who knows what kind of va-va-voom romance is in store?

MONEY & CAREER
Bang for your buck, anyone? This month marks the final lap of roll-the-dice Jupiter in your eighth house of joint resources, where it has been since June 2012. Think back to where you were a year ago: has your income expanded? Have you gotten a handle on your spending and saving habits? Perhaps you even scored a lucrative source of cash flow, which arrived in large payments or chunks of passive income, from online product sales or even royalties. Instead of Rollerblading up a steep financial hill, you might have gotten smart about how to achieve security, cruising into lucrative joint ventures. Or maybe you even considered investing in a promising business, real estate or legal matter. Jupiter brings abundance in all forms, so you might have found yourself paying more than you wanted for a big-ticket item. Or maybe you laid out a sizable amount of cash to pay down a high-interest debt or a tax settlement. If expenses were mounting, you may have relied just a little too much on your plastic to bridge the occasional gap.

A stellar day to take advantage of Jupiter's last spin in this sector of your chart is the June 8 new moon in Gemini, which could bring a promising financial opportunity, or another chance to clean the slate and start fresh. Decide where you'd like to be by the end of 2013…and then start charting your course. Whether you have a great business idea that needs funding or you're interested in learning the ins and outs of angel investing, check out the work of 37 Angels, an inspiring community of female angel investors: http://37angels.com/. This is an excellent day to present a compelling, detailed proposal if you're looking for some backing. (Helpful hint: Before writing the proposal, tap into the element of your project that is urgent. Why your idea? And why now?)

Since the eighth house rules real estate, you might find yourself with a chance to buy or sell property (or make plans to move within the next six months). You might also tackle looming debt, deciding that the sum of money you owe is weighing too heavily on your future. Keep your antennae up for passive-income streams, such as affiliate programs for your favorite online courses, an Amazon.com store or one of the many shopping sites now offering affiliate and pay-per-click income. Since tasteful Scorpios are such good curators, your friends already rely on you for great recommendations…you might as well make a little cash from it if you can. Of course, you'll want to be savvy, so check out this compare-and-contrast article by someone who's been in the trenches: http://heartifb.com/2013/02/15/case-study-affiliate-earnings-with-rewardstyle-vs-shopsense/ Whatever intentions you lay forth on the new moon, be as clear and thorough as possible; your goals will manifest around December's full moon in Gemini. Hello, payday!

On June 25, lucky Jupiter twirls into Cancer, your ninth house of travel, expansion, study and entrepreneurship, where it will stay for an entire fun-filled year. Following your nose on the work trail could lead to teaching, sales, traveling or even motivational speaking. (To bone up on presentation skills, you might want to peruse inspiring TED Talks, like this one by fellow Scorpio and social researcher Brene Brown on shame: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psN1DORYYV0.) Perhaps the risk-taking influence of this cycle will inspire you to ditch your secure gig for a more thrilling startup, or to explore the fields of publishing, broadcasting or higher education.

If you're sitting on a nest egg, is it time to invest in a startup idea? This can be a great time to take a gamble on a big dream or vision, especially if the result is edification (of either you or a larger audience). However, be warned: Jupiter's rose-colored-glasses can make you overly optimistic, so be sure to back things up with a solid plan B. Taking a gamble doesn't mean shooting without a safety net. With structured Saturn in Scorpio until 2015, you'll want to launch your high-flying ideas in incremental stages or steps. No cliff jumping required!

The month ends on a reflective note, when intelligent Mercury turns retrograde (backward) in Cancer, your ninth house of higher education, publishing and travel, from June 26 to July 19. Consider this a research period. Has there been an old writing project or study topic that's still of interest? You might decide to finish up a degree or enroll in skill-building classes to stay on the cutting edge. If your job opens up an office in, say, China, why not brush up on your Mandarin, especially if languages are one of your favorite pastimes. Also of note during the retrograde period, you might decide to air your frustrations. (Truth be told, that decision could come more like an, um, eruption.) Think before you speak, especially with clever Mercury doing backstrokes in the sector of your chart that rules "foot-in-mouth" disease. Sure, sometimes the truth shall set you free…but with Mercury scrambling signals, it could set you a little TOO free (as in, sent a-packing). So be careful about how you get things off your chest at the office. Rash venting is not encouraged, no matter what your perception of so-and-so's recent behavior.

HEALTH: MIND, BODY & SOUL
With go-getter Mars in the eighth house of regeneration, you're feeling the need to detox, on emotional and physical levels. Clean out the metaphorical closets…no more secrets, beating yourself up or stuffing down your emotions with late-night cupcake binges. A great day to stock up on your kale juice is June 8, when the Gemini new moon lends a helping cosmic hand to your physical and emotional housecleaning efforts. You might want to do an actual cleanse, tailored for your particular needs. Or, if an emotional issue has been dogging you, you may decide to start therapy or engage in some healing work. Helpful hint: Your razor-sharp powers of perception can sometimes shield you from turning the lens inward, so screening your practitioners is a must. You need someone with good boundaries, so that you can feel safe enough to delve into those dark corners it might be easier to avoid.

The month closes out on an uplifting note, as a June 23 full moon in Capricorn lights up your third house of communication, bringing an important, perspective-shifting conversation, perhaps with a sibling or sibling-like friend. This day could mark a turning point, as you evolve into a more mature way of relating. Look back to the Capricorn new moon on January 11 to see how far you've come—or for clues around an issue that needs resolution. Conversations or news near this full moon could help clear the air, especially if an issue has been festering, setting the tone for more open and balance communication for the rest of the year.