SCORPIO HOROSCOPE

Six months of hardship comes to an end when Pluto emerges from its retrograde on October 13th. This change of direction means that you will start to see something positive arise from your efforts. Although you’re not out the woods yet, it will become clear soon enough that you're on the road to recovery (if not prosperity). It’s important to remember that your Modern Ruler Pluto is the planet of ordeals and the transformations that arise from them. Bottom line? Yes, you had to go through Hell and high water to get to where you are now, but Pluto always rewards those who brave its trials.

It's ironic how someone who's often made light of other people's romantic gullibility in the past would now be experiencing a hard time in winning a lover's trust. Maybe all those years of testing, keeping people at arm's length, or being skeptical about love have left you with rougher callouses than you know. In any case it's good to see you being the reassuring presence. Not only do you know what it's like to be in this person's shoes, but you know just what to say and do to get them to lower their defenses and open up. This will heal both of you.

You have a buyer right where you want them so what do you do next? Go in for the kill or kill them with kindness? The Mercury/Jupiter square on October 1st suggests the latter. People don't like to feel like they're being strong-armed – especially when they're going to do something that they would have done anyway. This only creates a lot of unnecessary friction while planting the seeds for future resentment. Cool it with the Mars in Scorpio energy and exhibit your Jupiter in Cancer side instead. Not only will you have them eating out of your hand, but you'll also establish long-lasting goodwill.

Mars entering Scorpio on September 22d will be an enormous relief after feeling like you couldn't do anything right by your love life for weeks. You tried doing things the other person's way but it was clear a while back that this just wasn't working for you. Mars in Scorpio will give you the confidence to be who you are and if that's fine by your partner – great! If not? Then it's time to for a sit-down talk. But don't be surprised if your finally taking charge of your life and owning up to your feelings is exactly what this person wanted from you all along.

Scorpios tend to be much more comfortable with the Hell they know than the Heaven they don't, but the Solar Eclipse on September 21st shows that there's a collective transformation taking place in the lives of the people you work with. It could be a turnover in the roster but it's more likely to manifest as a change in attitude as colleagues begin to show a genuine interest in the ideas you have to share. This is the kind of collaboration you've been looking for and the fact that you will suddenly find it with the people you see every day is nothing short of miraculous.

People often talk about the things they'd do if they could and this week's Lunar Eclipse shows you getting that opportunity based on the loss of something cherished. It's natural to ask if this is the price to pay for pursuing something you want, but it's more like the old adage “when a door closes, a window opens”. As a Scorpio you can't help but wonder how far that drop is from the window to the ground but the important thing to focus on is that you're free to do what you've always wanted – with no strings attached or rude awakenings lying in wait.

Saturn retrograding back down into Pisces is going to feel like a visit from the Ghost of Christmas Past in A Christmas Carol. You may wonder why you're hearing about all these people you used to know and why they're reminding you of missed opportunities and roads not taken. It's unnerving, but like in the Dickens novel, it's in order to get you to recognize how fear of rejection and anxiety over finances may have led you to make decisions that weren't for the best. Take this time to learn from the things that can't be changed so that you can approach the future differently.

It took a long time to cultivate those friendships and nurture those alliances that have become such a mainstay in your life. It's funny how Scorpios say they prefer their own company, but that's never stopped you from building support for the day you'll need it. Venus arcing over the midheaven of your solar horoscope from August 25th to September 19th shows that it's time to call in those favors, pledges, and promises. You have your eyes set on a certain prize and you know exactly who can help you get it – and the best part is that everyone is more than happy to oblige.

You are undergoing an intense period where you are re-examining and even changing your old way of thinking. Usually this happens to people when they've done something wrong and are forced to mend their ways. For you, however, it comes from the realization that certain judgments and preconceptions have kept you locked in a loop where you continue to repeat the same mistakes you swore you would never make again. The wonderful thing about repetition is that you do learn eventually. Accept an exercise in futility for what it is and you can hop off this mental treadmill and start exploring some new possibilities.

Usually you're the first to agree when people say the world is going to hell in a handbasket, but you'll have a hard time nodding your head in assent when Venus conjoins Jupiter in the sign of its exaltation. The two benefics occupying the same place at the same time in the early morning sky on August 12th serves as a reminder that good things really do happen to good people. It's not all abuse and exploitation. What goes around, comes around as you'll see when a stranger does you a good turn, a rival champions you, or a cold-hearted superior gives you a hearty endorsement.