#2013 forecast

Predicting the 2013-14 final standings for both the NBA Eastern and Western Conferences

NBA Eastern Conference 1. Chicago Bulls – 45-37 last season, projected 62-20

The Bulls operated at a first-place 62-win pace for two seasons behind Derrick Rose’s leadership. The winning core of Rose, Luol Deng, Joakim Noah, and Carlos Boozer are back and…

David Rothkpof, Foreign Policy, January 5, 2013 We live in an age in which the average consumer expects instant gratification and there is no reason why those people who are interested in the world's bigger picture should be left out. So, we bring you the top headlines for 2013. In 12 months these are some of the things you will look back on and ponder. Think of it as the year in preview, before it happens.

America recovers. Forget the fiscal cliff or the debt ceiling. Admittedly, that may seem difficult given the headlines of the moment. See the economy through the eyes of the market. Washington dithers but hops to when traders slap it around enough. Meanwhile, there are winds at America's back: an energy boom. Housing markets recovering. Signs of resurgent growth in key sectors. Other big markets a little soft and, international investors looking to America as a secure place where the real protection of intellectual property can spur innovation. Growth in Canada and Mexico. Insourcing as a real trend bringing jobs back to the United States.

China (and some of the rest of the world) recovers. American growth will help even if it is modest. But the US can no longer be the world's locomotive as it once was. It needs help. China-hands predict 8 to 9 per cent (or even slightly higher) growth in 2013 is likely. This would be a return to about the 2011 growth levels after a 2012 slump that started to reverse during the second half of 2012. Europe experts think the worst of the crisis may be behind them. Some emerging markets may show signs of life as others (Brazil, Argentina, India) continue to struggle for a while. The net net: 2013 will be the year that the five-year slump associated with the Great Recession really comes to an end, even if many don't feel the benefits for some time to come.

Assad collapses, Syria festers, Mid-East trembles. Bashar al-Assad is toast. The Syrian leader's Iranian and Russian supporters are already in Plan B mode. His local backers are shifting their last assets out of the country and heading for the hills. But with his downfall will come a period of transition to a another regime that may introduce a new term to the geopolitical lexicon: "the fog of peace". Instability in Syria means problems for its neighbours, including Jordan, Turkey, Israel, Iraq and Lebanon. Perhaps most affected will be the latter two as Iran shifts its regional hegemony chips onto those spaces. Obama and incoming Secretary of State John Kerry will spend much time trying to avoid the realisation that both big American wars in the region actually resulted in on-the-ground realities that were the same or worse as the ones prior to going into those combat zones.

Benjamin Netanyahu irritates the world. A key to good prognosticating is always to throw in a few sure things. Predicting Benjamin Netanyahu will irritate the world is like predicting that the US Congress will fail to come to grips with America's deficit problem or that Lindsay Lohan will get into trouble with the law. We've seen this movie before. We don't like it but when in doubt, the universe repeats itself. The Israeli Prime Minister is--no doubt with the best of intentions--a dependable pain in the world's tush.

No war with Iran. Iran has problems. Sanctions will make them worse. They want time. Nobody wants a war. Iran will test the world's patience, push it to the brink, then "settle" … buying time until the next revelation that it is not playing by the rules and, the next cycle of brinkmanship. In the end, this approach is likely to ensure they will become "nuclear capable" and trigger a new arms race not only in the region but among emerging powers everywhere. But that won't happen in 2013.

Meet the new bosses, same as the old bosses. In addition to Assad, 2013 will see the departure of Hugo Chavez and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. In Syria, the fall of Assad will produce a power struggle and in the world's desire to produce stability, it is likely to bet on anyone tough enough to hold the place together. In Venezuela, the death of Chavez after his long battle with cancer will produce a successor regime that is increasingly weaker but tries to ride sympathy for the dead Bolivarian bully. In Iran, President Ahmadinejad was never really in charge so while the person who takes over the presidency may change, the power remains with the Ayatollah-in-chief as it has since the revolution.

US enacts immigration and gun reforms. The US Congress is dysfunctional--but it is not stupid. OK, maybe it is stupid, too. But it is nothing if not self-interested. Some progress on some legislation will be made. Expect passage of bills on assault weapons possibly even before the next round of fiscal brinkmanship. Expect movement on immigration reform, which has supporters in both parties and should be easier in an economy trending upward. On everything else, expect the usual collective exercise in goat husbandry.

Mexico and Indonesia are the "next BRICs" everyone is talking about. Mexico will be the Brazil of 2013. New regime. Fourth-largest shale gas reserves in the world. Benefits as manufacturing facilities move from difficult-to-work-in China and back closer to the United States. As for Indonesia, this is the big country that emerging market investors are starting think is showing renewed signs of life after a prolonged (15-year) struggle. Lots of people. Lots of energy. Low priced manufacturing. Close to big markets. However, corruption does remain a big problem.

California is set for massive gains again in the real estate and housing market through 2013. While 2012 saw up to 25% in housing vales in some areas, the number of homes sold was relatively low due to the low inventory.

Dale Rowse, Keller Williams Real Estate Professional, can be contacted directly:

www.dalerowse.com

2013 is nothing short of stellar for you, Pisces. By summer, you're ready for the grand water-trine influence as Saturn, Jupiter and Neptune all flow together in Water signs to make magic. Your powers of psychic perception and healing have never been stronger. Your ability to create glamour, weave fantastical illusion and provide invisible-but-potent healing to others is beyond measure. Others will feel inextricably drawn to you without understanding why. This is excellent for your star potential as others sense something extraordinary and sublime in your presence. People want to have you around as much as possible even without fully comprehending why. The best part is that people are willing to pay big bucks for whatever it is you have to offer and no matter how intangible it may seem. For once, you won't feel like the oddball, freak or the perpetually misunderstood alien in the crowd but rather the mysterious-yet-sought-after special someone that others cannot resist. It's all part of your otherworldly glamour and mystique. Work it, Pisces!

You still have the generous influence of Jupiter working the base of your horoscope for the first half of the year. If you were planning on expanding your home or upgrading, now's the time. Your luck with real estate is exceptional until June, so take advantage of the first half of 2013 if you were planning any kind of major relocation or home improvement project. The second half of 2013 switches the focus from family and home to pleasure and romance. Your love and creativity zone will receive the big gifts of Jupiter starting this summer. Pleasure is on the rise from June until next January as you prepare to live a life of proper leisure. Your inner romantic will be amazingly satisfied for a change under this most auspicious influence. Love letters, poems, films, music and every other form of love-inspired medium will be calling you. Surrender to the sweetness and let yourself dwell in your chosen form of pleasure during the second half of the year.

The eclipse points of 2013 will stir up your travel sectors -- both domestic and foreign -- so keep your passport and suitcase handy. This year is all about mind and soul expansion for you on every level. Get ready to leave the comfort of familiar territory for more experience and adventure than you've dared to dabble in for years. This year will be anything but ordinary.

Career & Finance

Success in your career endeavors is contingent upon the amount of energy you're willing to put into expanding your current sphere of expertise. You can sense that it's time to widen your professional horizons, Pisces. When you're fully able to access the power of your imagination, there's no limit to what you can do. 2013 brings plenty of potential for enhancing your current skill set. The eclipse patterns impact both your higher and lower mind, giving you a profound opportunity to tap into your deep well of wisdom. Your work is important to the world, and you're finally starting to realize that you have knowledge to share. No more playing invisible, Pisces. It's selfish not to share your gifts.

During the second half of the year, Saturn, Jupiter and Neptune are forming a grand water trine. This will unite your sense of self with your creative sector and house of higher consciousness to create one very magical matrix of manifestation. By harnessing the power of your higher mind and combining it with your natural allure and limitless creativity, you can make anything happen. Can't you just feel all of that untapped power you're sitting on? Starting this June, get ready for things to flow heavily toward the good.

Neptune continues to shower your world with glamour. If you're not in high art, fashion, dance, spirituality, healing or anything that involves your imagination, you're probably not feeling fulfilled or even close to living up to your true potential. This is the year to pull everything into alignment. The beauty of being born under the constellation of Pisces is that you're endowed with infinite gifts all seeded in the depths of your imagination. All you have to do is create enough structure and discipline not to float into a dream world that never takes form in the physical universe. Once you start to materialize your vision, you're golden. This is what 2013 is all about for you, Pisces.

Love & Relationships

Let love rule in 2013, Pisces. Born under the sign of compassion, you live for the exchange of true heartfelt energy. Romance for you extends far beyond just the coupling relationships of dating and mating. You're often in love with your entire social circle, not to mention animals, plants and even some beautiful seemingly inanimate objects. All is alive and endowed with feeling in the life of empathic Pisces. There's a reason you're called the 'bleeding heart of the zodiac'. You tend to fall in love with those you need to help, educate or save in some way. In 2013, you're adding the requirement of long-term stability to the mix. Your standards for a serious partner are more rooted in loyalty and consistency than ever before. You want staying power, which means giving up the unobtainable relationship pattern. The part of you that's drawn to the projected ideal of a person is being replaced with a serious reality check, compliments of Saturn in Scorpio. Intimacy is now what you crave, and that requires stability, reliability and trust. Such character traits need to be shown to you in the real world from now on. No longer will you fall in love with someone's potential. You've been burned too many times trying to play the role of the wounded healer, Pisces.

2013 is the year when all of your hard work starts to truly pay off in spades. Saturn, the cosmic taskmaster, is taking up residence at the tip top of your horoscope for the next few years, giving you the make-it-or-break-it impetus to get the job done right. You've been biding your time over the past few years, collecting the necessary research and finding a slew of inspiring mentors. Now is your chance to finally get your genius concepts on the map where they belong. Yours has been a slow-and-steady climb rather than a meteoric rise to the top, thus you've built a rock-solid foundation to carry your dreams through with serious staying power. Your success is anything but a flash-in-the-pan. Over the next two years, you'll continue to work hard to build on earlier accomplishments and integrate all that you started investing in since 2000. Not only do you have the power of Saturn at full strength in your career zone for the next few years, but the mutual reception between Saturn and Pluto will quickly make you a triple-threat genius. Watch as all your latent talents quickly come rushing to the fore.

The eclipse patterns of 2013 add speed and force to the career promise that the stars have in store for you. The push of the North Node provides a definite if not unexpected fast-forward motion to any projects that have been on the back burner. Get ready for supreme acceleration with worldly status -- and life changes galore. Your home zone will also get hit by the eclipse patterns, which could generate a change of residence or just a total renovation to your existing domicile. Either way, you're getting ready for the kind of life-altering transformation that works on you from the ground up.

The pleasure cruise that began last summer will continue straight through until June as Jupiter continues to bless your love zone. Romance, creativity and sheer joy are in great abundance during the first half of the year. Use the good fortune of Jupiter in your love house to spend most of your days doing what you love most with those you adore most. If your life feels more like play than responsibility, you're living well and in accordance with the stars. You can get down to business during the second half of the year when Jupiter shifts houses and brings the bounty to your work and health house in June. The latter part of the year will keep you busy, so allow yourself the pleasure before the workload starts piling up. 2013 is the perfect balance of business and leisure for you, Aquarius!

Career & Finance

This could definitely be one of the best career years ever for you, Aquarius. With Saturn, Pluto and Jupiter working for your cause, how could you possibly fail to raise your own bar? This is the year for going past your comfort zone in your work and finding out what you're truly capable of. Chances are that you're only living up to a fraction of your potential and yet doing incredibly well. Imagine if you kicked that up about 10 notches -- your career would be off the charts. Well, that's exactly the kind of push you can expect, compliments of the cosmos in 2013. With Saturn in Scorpio as the career influence of the year, you can expect plenty of tearing up, burning down and destroying of the old ways so that you can rebuild at a much higher caliber. Sometimes you have to start from scratch so that you can do it right. Don't be afraid to let go and start over. Death and rebirth are integral parts of an ongoing process until your career becomes all that it could be.

The second half of 2013 brings the lucky influence of Jupiter in your work zone. If you've been wondering when your workload was going to speed up, the wait is over. In fact, you may miss the days when you actually had time to kill. Opportunities involving overseas travel may come through work, compliments of the expansive and wanderlust energy of Jupiter. If you're not literally traveling for work, expect to open your mind to new vistas that will enhance your daily schedule. It's about breaking out of the normal bounds of nine-to-five stagnation. Your daily routine should be just as exciting as your after-hours activities. If anyone can find a way to make routine more interesting, it's you, darling.

The eclipse patterns will only add fuel to the fire of non-stop adventure in your career. The inspiration is strong, and your productivity level will finally find a way to keep up with your mind. Putting your genius into concrete form becomes a reality, thanks to the fixed nature of the nodes this year. There's something incredibly grounded about your world, even though life seems to be moving at the speed of sound. You can accomplish three times your normal output rate, and yet not suffer the same kind of burnout that would have set you into hiding a few years ago. 2013 is the year to get it all out there for the world to see, Aquarius!

Love & Relationships

Your love life continues to thrive in the best of all ways in 2013. The goodness that began last year is still going strong well into the summer months. Jupiter is blessing your romance and pleasure sector with luck, abundance and a love match that just wants to keep on giving. All you have to do is remain open and allow lucky Jupiter to continue to shower you with his gifts of fabulousness. If you're not madly in love with another human being, you're definitely in love with your life and hopefully, most importantly, yourself. The heart energy is especially strong this year, so follow the dictates of love. If you don't adore it, don't waste your time on it. No longer will you put up with being treated for less than you know you're worth. Putting up with a romantic partner who does not honor and cherish your essence is a thing of the past (no matter how in love you are).

Get ready for the deepest structural changes of your life -- ever. You're becoming the master at tearing down the old and rebuilding from scratch, and yet you may be amazed to discover there is indeed another, much deeper layer to uncover. Just when you thought your world could not possibly survive yet more gutting, along comes the mutual reception between Saturn and Pluto directly impacting your sign. Pluto rules irreversible, you-are-never-going-back change, while Saturn (your planetary ruler) is all about death, rebirth and total transformation. You get the gist: nothing will ever be the same, so close your eyes, take a deep breath and let go. On the other side of the wrecking ball is a beautiful life in total alignment with your true value system making the necessary sacrifices more than worth it. You have nothing to fear, because all of the changes will pave the way to such profound improvement, you'll look back and wonder why you ever held on to such a sham of a world in the first place.

Your daily life -- work, health and overall well-being -- will get an extra boost from Jupiter during the first half of the year. This means you can kick it up a notch by taking such good care of yourself that you'll have more energy than the gods! This is also an excellent time for getting your daily regimen working like a well-oiled machine. Eating right, getting enough sleep and making time for regular exercise are all essential in 2013. The second half of the year brings the luck of Jupiter to your relationship and social zone. No longer shall you be tired or lonely. Your love life and social world will be dripping in goodness and abundance.

Don't expect much solitude in 2013. Your social world is about to blow up -- as is your love life. The eclipse points will be activating your love and social sectors, assuring that you'll have very little, if any, time or space to feel isolated. Friends and lovers will be flocking to you like a magnet. The only problem is that you may feel like you're neglecting your career responsibilities, but how can you turn down all the fun? All work and no play makes Capricorn a dull Goat! It's rare that you have so many invites hitting you simultaneously -- enjoy!

Career & Finance

Your planetary ruler is setting up camp in the fixed and deep waters of Scorpio in 2013, making a powerful mutual reception with Pluto in Capricorn. This translates as a fierce determination to get what you want. There is no question that you will have the resources to make it happen this year, Capricorn. It's all about intention, commitment and perseverance. You'll only find satisfaction in the depths, so cut out all unnecessary distractions. You'll get by with a whole lot of help of your friends this year. Saturn brings power to your social world, so be sure to work your vast network of connections. Heaven knows you go out of your way to be there for others. Consider this is payback time!

You'll have the amazing fortune of Jupiter gracing your work zone for the first half of the year, making sure that you have more projects on your plate than you even know what to do with. You'll be busy straight through to summer, so budget your precious time wisely. Workaholism is not a disease you want to adopt just because you're good at it. Responsibility is most definitely your bag, baby, but that doesn't mean you should run yourself ragged and neglect your own needs in the name of duty. The balance may not be possible until after June, but if you make a concerted effort to take good care of yourself, you can have it all.

The eclipse energies of 2013 make a strong impact in your sector of long-term goals (especially in the spring). You can now expect some serious fast-forward motion with your most important projects and objectives. Instead of wondering when and if it will happen, you'll be utterly amazed at how it all gets propelled forward at lightning speed. The question is, can you keep up with the pace? What happens once you start quickly crossing everything off of your list? What next? You'll simply have to create a whole new-and-improved list for 2014!

Love & Relationships

2013 is the year of deep and unfathomable commitment for you, Capricorn. You're getting ready to take a serious plunge into the deep and sexy waters of Scorpio. Your ruler is taking long-term residence in the mysterious constellation of Scorpio and forming a powerful mutual reception with Scorpio's ruler Pluto (in your constellation). This makes for one of the most potent planetary combos working to tear things down and build you back up stronger and fiercer than ever before. This applies directly to your love life, as you seek a partner who's willing to go to hell and back with you. You'll no longer be satisfied with superficial connections or commitments that only meet you part of the way. It's all-or-nothing-at-all in 2013. The stakes are sky high -- as they should be. You deserve nothing less than that.

Jupiter moves into your partnership zone this June, bringing amazing opportunities and expansion to your love life. If you're already hitched, you can expect a serious renaissance filled with travel, shared wisdom and more joy than you've experienced in years. If you're a single Goat, you can look forward to finally attracting the mate of your wildest dreams. Jupiter brings the best-of-the-best (and in large quantities!), so you're likely to attract someone very generous and extravagant in their desire to nurture you. How fabulous is that?

If there was ever a time in your life when you wished for a very extended vacation, it's 2013, Sag. The longing for a break from the rat race and constant hustle has never been so overwhelming. You started having fantasies of what it would be like to live your life totally surrounded by tranquility, nature or, better yet, 24-hour room service in a posh hotel. The idea of being taken care of is ridiculously enticing as Saturn and the North Node of the Moon take root in your retreat zone this year. If you can't totally break away from the responsibilities of life, at least plan to book as many moments in solitude as possible. You'll need regular getaways to cope.

Jupiter continues to bless your relationship and social sector this year until June. This brings wonderful luck and benefits through your close associations with others and will also bless partnerships. If you're in a long-term relationship you may experience incredible breakthroughs and wisdom during the first half of the year. If you're single, this could be an incredible opportunity to meet someone you can finally look up to. In any case, you'll not find yourself lonely or wanting for company under Jupiter's abundant influence in your partner zone.

The second half of the year brings tremendous resourcefulness as Jupiter moves into your sector of other peoples' money, sexuality and transformation. Change feels better than ever, so be willing to let go of all that no longer serves your highest. You're simply making way for the new. The more you let go, the more new channels of abundance can flow to you. The universe wants to help you, so don't be afraid to ask for what you need. You'll be utterly amazed at the earth angels that step forward to help you this year. You may come into some unexpected money through an inheritance or a gift before the end of 2103. This is an excellent year to get out of any lingering debt. You'll have the means to dig yourself out and make all-things financial right again.

Career & Finance

2013 promises to bring you a slew of helpful alliances to further your career aims. This is the year when social networking pays off in spades. The more you put yourself out there and socialize, the more contacts you'll make. Never underestimate the power of who you know because you're about to find out just how powerful it is to be connected. You're also learning about the power of delegating responsibilities. You of all people have a tendency to load your plate so full that you cannot possibly keep up with your own exciting life. Getting the right people to support you is essential to keep your career flourishing. Without the proper team behind you, how can you safely continue to grow? Saturn in Scorpio is reminding you that you must have a rock-solid foundation and infrastructure to prevent your bigger-than-life plans from toppling over at a moment's notice.

Uranus continues to give you the rebellious spirit you need to maximize your creative potential for ultimate gain. The fearlessness and initiative sparked by this radical influence propels you forward with an immediacy that is palpable. You know more than ever that the time is right now. No longer will you bide your time or put important plans on the back burner. It's now or never in 2013, and you'll show others the way to jumping into the unknown with total abandon. Others look to you for wisdom, inspiration and guidance more than ever now, so be ready to heed the call.

Saturn is camping out in your sector of retreat, dreams and imagination. You're being asked to make time to give structure to your fantasy life. No longer shall reality and fantasy be compartmentalized. If you can dream it, you can manifest it in the real word. All that is required is that you write everything down and make a solid plan around the images and dreams that come to you. Don't let them pass like clouds because they may just be your meal ticket, darling. It's all about implementing and making them concrete. Taking time off proves to be highly lucrative, as you will use this time for research, inspiration and reflection. Solitude and reflection become a necessity rather than a luxury in 2013.

Love & Relationships

The romance continues with your lucky ruler gracing your relationship zone through the first half of the year. Intimate partnerships are favored over fleeting romance, but the choice is yours. Either way, the quality of the lovers you attract are top-notch now that Jupiter is working for you until June. The optimism around love and partnership has returned, and this good vibe is nothing short of contagious. If anything, you may be so popular this year that the problem is in choosing only one partner. You have a pattern of always wanting just a little more than you have, even in love. The grass-is-greener complex belongs to your overly ambitious nature. The idea of settling down typically runs counter to your gypsy spirit, but you're also a total romantic. So if you can snag a partner who is as adventurous and as much of a free bird as you are, you're golden. If ever the stars were aligned for such magic to happen, it's this year, Sag.

There are competing planetary patterns provoking opposing needs within you when it comes to romance in 2013. Uranus continues to inspire a restless and truly independent spirit in your romance zone for a few more years, while the committed tone of Saturn in your subconscious sector is pulling for a lasting commitment. Saturn in Scorpio is working on your unconscious to cultivate a deep and lasting intimacy, while Uranus in Aries in your love zone creates erratic if not reckless impulses in love relationships. You also have the auspicious influence of Jupiter in your zone of significant partnerships, protecting you from serious damage and giving you more second chances than you even feel you deserve.

2013 has your name written all over it, Scorpio. Thirteen is the number of the Death archetype in the tarot card attributed to your sign. It's about the death of the outworn aspects of yourself and your life, while the sunrise of rebirth is always waiting on the horizon. Transformation, metamorphosis, passion and sexuality are all heavily pronounced this year for you. Saturn, the great taskmaster, has taken up long-term residency in your stars until 2015 to give you and your life a complete makeover. Add to this the fact that your ruler, Pluto, is in what is known as a 'mutual reception' with Saturn (mutual influence by means of swapping signs) and the force for rebuilding your life from its very foundation is doubled. This is a year for uncovering your greatest resourcefulness, and relinquishing any skeletons from your psychic closet. Death and rebirth become daily themes as you shed layers upon layers of the former you.

The speed at which your life is moving, evolving and changing is unprecedented, Scorpio. The total whirlwind that began in the latter half of 2012 continues as the eclipse points impact your sign directly. Watch for key events in May and November as signposts for more change to come. There's a good chance you'll change jobs, move, start or end a relationship or simply start an entirely new chapter of your life under this intense influence. Trust that whatever you're putting your passionate energy into this year will indeed build out to something lasting and beautiful.

This could easily be one of the most exhilarating and spiritual years in a long time, Scorpio. Jupiter supports your quest for deep change and self-awareness by working on the Eighth House (Scorpio sector) of your horoscope until June. Delve into your own secret depths and discover how powerful you really are. Few are as tough and resilient as you are. It's actually your sensitivity and vulnerability that make you strong. At the end of the day, you may be the most emotionally courageous sign there is. You heal others by showing them that it's safe to confront their own darkness as you have done. This is the greatest gift and strength you'll be sharing with many in 2013.

Career & Finance

If there's been any wavering in your attitude toward your career goals, you can kiss that wishy-washy nonsense goodbye. You're ready to get super serious no matter how much discipline, hard work and perseverance is required. Having Saturn, the king of commitment, in your sign is forcing you to finally just go for it. All-talk-and-no-action was so 2012. This is the year for strategy, planning and follow through. You have all the talent required to hit it big; now you just need the structure to support your large-scale ventures. Saturn in Scorpio will provide the necessary framework to get it all done.

The eclipse points are hitting you so hard this year that your life is in constant fast-forward motion -- career included. You easily have so much going on that you struggle to keep track of it all. If you have not already considered getting an assistant or delegating some of the thousands of tasks and projects you've got sitting on the back-burner, this is the year to let some of the control go and ask for help. It's only holding you back when you insist on doing everything yourself, especially when the planets are pushing you so hard to create even more. You need time. Time is money, Scorpio, so find ways to free some up in 2013 so that you may pursue the passionate aspects of your work rather than getting bogged down by the grunt work.

Jupiter will continue to back your resourceful nature. Others (with money) want to help you, so don't be afraid to reach out. You're a worthy investment and you'll be able to pay them back tenfold with time. This is a year for building and capitalizing on your assets. Your potential is off the charts, and this year you're determined to realize it fully. You will not be satisfied with any half-baked measures in your career. When Jupiter moves into your travel zone during the second half of the year, expect to be moving from coast-to-coast or continent-to-continent frequently in order to expand your contacts and professional potential. You're definitely moving and shaking this year, Scorpio. There's no doubt about it!

Love & Relationships

The commitment theme extends into all life arenas this year, but especially love. Saturn demands that you stick with the relationship you've started if you ever want to learn deep and meaningful lessons about intimacy, Scorpio. If you jump from partner to partner, you'll remain stuck in shallow water. If you avoid love altogether for fear of being hurt, you'll simply end up lonely and bitter. Why not put your heart on the line and try being vulnerable for a change? Yes it might feel like it will kill you to trust someone again, but think of the rewards when deep passion and connection are possible if you're willing to take the risk.

Neptune continues to bring the longing for a soulful merger with a romantic partner again this year. Neptune is taking residence in your love zone for the long haul, so the themes of illusion, disillusion and the desire for a divine romance continue. You want a love that inspires poetry, art, music and cinema. You want a love worthy of the gods, Scorpio. Nothing less will do. You may have to lower your expectations if you want to survive in a real relationship inevitably filled with human limitations lest you suffer grave disappointment again and again. This doesn't mean you have to give up on the idea of a beautiful romantic relationship. Just know that it will have its off days and there will be moments of drudgery and discord, if you want something long-term. There is no escaping the difficult and ugly parts of romance.