Matchmaker
Learn about the planetary forces that rule our relationships.

Fitness
The physical body and health are also influenced by when you were born.

Stress Busters
Rid yourself of unnecessary stress and enjoy life.

Gift Guide
Gifts appropriate for both men and women of each astrological sign.

Seducing Your Lover
Find out how to put some passion into your love life.

Vacation Tips
Suggestions on how and where to enjoy your precious time off.

Your sign is among the most intense of all the signs. Change is hard for Scorpio, the only fixed sign of the water signs. You are very determined and driven by goals, but while persistence is your forte, flexibility is not. Don't try to control too many elements in your life--recognize that some events will have a life of their own. Your water element makes you feel the impact of events deeply. Don't take setbacks personally.

Among your talents is a sharp and shrewd intuition which will help you navigate through turbulent waters. At times "facts" may not jibe with certain hunches you have and it will be hard for you to trust the hunches. Do it. You could even be psychic or prophetic, "feeling" events around you that are soon to happen. My late father was a Scorpio. He knew he was highly intuitive and relied on it frequently in making decisions. He strongly urged us, his children, to listen to our inner voices too. This was surprising because he lived in a time when men rarely saw themselves is intuitive or psychic--or least didn't admit to it. Men of his era preferred to profess their reliance on observable data. My father's instincts were always accurate, both in business and in his personal life. So, of course he was Scorpio!

Your sign, more than any other, has to occasionally take time for themselves and be alone. Your Pluto ruler can sometimes make you compulsive about your work, and if this describes you, you need to let up a little. Your Astrologer sees you on a very private estate, with high hedges for privacy, a lovely garden, and, most importantly, a view of the sea. (It's good to dream!) Remember, water is truly vital to water signs, and it will be harder to recover your sense of purpose without being near water. So go to the seashore, a lake, or a spot with a river view to center yourself. Turn on the answering machine; leave your cellular at home.

Mediation and prayer are good for Scorpio. One Scorpio I know is Jewish but loved to accompany his woman friend to Mass, for he found the rhythm of the prayers and music profoundly peaceful. For this man, Mass was an ideal place to think privately. There was never any question he would remain devoutly Jewish. This makes perfect sense because Scorpio is a deeply spiritual sign, and often has an understanding and interest in other religions. Because their sign rules the 8th house of birth-death cycles, Scorpios are closer to life's beginnings and endings.

Slow, deliberate exercise such as yoga or t'ai chi would be helpful to you, as well as any solitary activity, like running (along the water would be perfect), bike riding, speed walking, or lifting weights. Yours is a sign which likes to compete with themselves rather than others, always reaching for your personal best.

Quiet games of contemplation and skill would be ideal for you too. Play chess or poker (good games of strategy for discrete Scorpio) with a friend who can throw you a challenge. You like mystery novels too. Spy stories where the fate of the world hinges on the actions of one individual will relax you, and provide you with a hero you can identify with!

One good way to slow down is by using personal rituals, something your fixed, water nature responds to. By ritual I don't mean an activity connected to religion but one which you create spontaneously to punctuate an event, whether it be happy or sad. Whether you lost a pet, got fired, won a contest of skill, or want to ask your sweetheart to marry you, make a little special event out of it. Rituals help us understand the benchmarks of our lives and helps us over the transom from one plane to another. As a Scorpio, your still waters go deep. The ritual could be a little one (writing down your feelings about a broken relationship and then burning what you wrote with all the love letters you had saved) or a bigger one (planning a funeral for your pet). To profess your love to your sweetheart, you might plan an evening of serious lovemaking, complete with new bed linens, fresh flowers, candlelight and so forth. Set the date in advance as well as the time, place and schedule (for example, dinner out first, then dancing, then home . . . ). Rituals are pause buttons which help separate out the mundane from what truly matters. They can help you relax and become more in sync with your life.

A departing word for you, Scorpio. Try not to shut out loved ones. A Scorpio who is feeling troubled is nearly impossible to read. When stress hits, you will seem a million miles away to your family and friends. While initially you will feel depleted by everyday life, including the mere conversation, those around will want to help you by giving you their perspective on your plight. Sometimes Scorpios will remain isolated within themselves too long, as tension makes them throw up barriers in self-protection. Because you won't be getting any input from others, your perspective can become distorted. Recognize that this can happen to you. Your need for physical affection is important, and will reaffirm your self-worth, but your lover will hesitate to reach out to you if you shut him or her out. Open up a little, see how things go. Accept and give physical love.