You have now reached a pivotal part of the year, where true change can take place on several levels. These shifts won't be cosmetic changes that only exist on the surface, but true transformations. Life will begin to look and feel very different. Although friends will think it all happened overnight, your new lifestyle will represent lots of reflection and hard work that you put in behind the scenes over months or years. It will be gratifying to see such enormous progress now.

If you felt in recent months that you've been walking through glue, the second half of 2007 should please you. The pace will pick up and although all the coming months will be important, August and September will stand out, because at this time you will turn a corner.

You will have just come through a full moon in your home and family sector on July 29 and you may be very happy with developments. You may have moved or made a key decision about whether to buy, sell, lease, or renovate a house or apartment. You may have finalized a major renovation or repair project, or you may have purchased a key electronic or piece of furniture. If there's anything a Scorpio wants, it's a feeling of security, and that full moon could have given you that because the full moon was friendly.

You may not feel quite settled in your home, property, or family situation, because Neptune has yet to turn direct October 31. By then the last pieces of your puzzle will fit into place. Still, last month's full moon had the power to get you most of the way there, and that has to feel good. If you did not make a decision last month, or see a home or family situation finalize, then you may have to wait until early February 2008, which will be your next entry point to generate options.

With Neptune in opposition to Saturn this month, you'd be wise to protect yourself against water damage as you move forward. Ask an expert to help protect you against all sorts of problems involving water and water damage. Also make sure you have a solid security system in place. There is no guarantee either will give you problems, but I do see these two areas as ones that could use some shoring up. Attend to these two points and you'll rest easy.

Now let's turn to your career, which will also show exciting developments. The new moon that arrives on August 12 in Leo will pull together all the energies of the crowd of planets now gathering in your lofty solar tenth house of professional status. Those planets include Venus, Mercury, and Saturn, along with the Sun and new moon. That's a LOT of planetary energy centered in one house, so you should hear news.

In the days that follow the new moon, August 12, you could be offered a promotion or new position in another firm. If so, Saturn's presence suggests you would work very hard and that the job would require quite a bit of learning to fully master. Yet I suspect it would also represent an acknowledgement for all the hard work you have put into your career over the past two years.

Take your time and flesh out the offers you receive. There will be no need to rush - in fact, taking your time will work for you. A new moon opens a portal that lasts for two weeks, and the seeds you plant then will set up a new situation in the year to come. No one gets a job in a day, of course, so it may take six months or even longer to be awarded the job. Your job this month is to be open to new possibilities, whether in your company or elsewhere.

Think back to July and August 2005. At that time, Saturn had just entered your prestigious career sector and began to groom you for much bigger things. You also went into a high-pressure, heavy work phase that has not let up, but that will by next month. Pat yourself on the back when you see how far you've come in those two years! Saturn will not be back to this part of your house until 2034, so if you learned your lessons well, they will carry you at least that long, if not forever.

In that time, you were taught to reach high standards and to put in a very polished performance. If you felt on display, you were. As a Scorpio (or if you have Scorpio rising) you like that kind of challenge, and you gladly took it on. You probably didn't realize the full extent of your bargain, but by the time you did, you probably were glad you didn't know what was coming! No matter. This month, you will get a chance to trade on all the experience you gained for a spot on the next level.

Next month, on September 2, Saturn will finally leave this sector of fame and honors, releasing the pressure you've felt for so long. If you were in a bad situation, working for a tyrant of a boss or in a highly political situation, your chart indicates this person will not have any hold over you any longer. We will talk more about Saturn's monumental departure from Leo next month, but suffice to say, life is about to get MUCH better for you.

You may leave the company, of course, but you may not have to - the new situation may be so new, it will feel as though you left. This sweet moment is the one you've long awaited, because finally you've paid your dues. Saturn always rewards after his tour of duty is over, and that would happen in the coming months of 2007.

There is other news! Benefic financial planet Jupiter, now moving through your earned income sector, has not been the generous uncle he is usually portrayed to be because Jupiter has been retrograde since April 5. Jupiter will awaken on August 6 and begin to help you in a big way. You will start to find it easier to make money, and you will build toward your best month in over a decade for financial gains, in December. That's when you should see a huge increase in salary. You can count on it!

One day that falls earlier should be an excellent day to open talks - August 2. By August 6, you should have the answer you want, or if not then, shortly thereafter.

If you are self-employed, Jupiter will help you too, by helping you develop lots of new business, particularly from international sources.

One day that will likely be a tough one will be August 21 when Saturn conjoins the Sun. In fact, it may turn out to be the hardest day of the year for a work-related episode. A VIP may be very critical or demanding on this day, so it's not one to ask for favors or to schedule a critical presentation.

This month, Mars, your secondary ruler, will move into your eighth house, suggesting you are about to spend quite a bit of money. You may find you have to borrow some cash to cover mounting expenses, or put a lot of purchases on credit cards. Your high-spending period will last until the end of September, so try to pace yourself, knowing it is due to last for seven weeks.

If you are going through a divorce or are in any other discussions or disputes about money, you may find the talks heat up, as Mars tends to add tensions. Just keep that in the back of your mind. Things will calm down by October, but Mercury will be retrograde from October 11 to November 1, 2007, so it will be hard to get things finalized then. You may simply have no choice but to continue to negotiate.

The last part of the month will be a turbulent time for everyone. A particularly difficult full moon lunar eclipse in Pisces is due, and will force a decision about a romantic relationship, particularly if you are not yet formally attached. (If you have been living together for years, or are married, your relationship would fall in a different house, the seventh house, so the eclipse would not be likely to affect your romantic life. In your case, the eclipse might bring up a discussion in regard to a surprise pregnancy or the care of children.)

Let's first look at your recent experiences in love to put this eclipse in context. Let me remind you that we are talking about mainly single Scorpios. If you have been dating someone a while, it appears this person has provided most of the excitement of your life.

I say this because the surprising, electric, and adventurous planet Uranus has been traveling through your fifth house of love for four years and you have four more years to go. The funny thing about Uranus is that it is essentially a cool, aloof planet. Although your relationship has a powerful emotional energy, chances are, the two of you still haven't become as close as you could.

You still need to take things to the next level, and you will get a chance to do so through an episode you experience on or near August 28. If you feel getting closer is something you don't want, you will leave, as eclipses usually present very black-and-white situations.

This eclipse on August 28 will bring on a test. An element from the outside world, over which you have no control, will come in suddenly, affect your relationship, and demand a sudden decision. After that eclipse is over, you will know once and for all how much you want this relationship, or how dearly you need to leave.

At eclipse time, Uranus will oppose Mercury to exact mathematical degree, a very nerve-jangling aspect if there were ever was one. This suggests you will get news (or hear a comment) that comes out of nowhere but that you find very disturbing. The information may be delivered by a friend who has your best interests at heart, or, conversely, it may be that your friend is your problem, for it may be revealed that she or he has betrayed you. I am not sure that either of these scenarios will apply, but I see certain aspects that point to a friend's involvement. I don't want to alarm you unnecessarily! Since I see these indications, I voice them, simply so that you can keep up your armor (and your antenna).

At the same time, the Sun and Saturn will be very close, so it suggests that your heavy workload may suddenly become an issue in your relationship. You may have had to spend long hours on the job, especially since you have reached such a critical phase, and it is clear, by all means, you've got to keep the momentum going. But as you may see, your partner will choose the precisely wrong time to make your long hours a bone of contention. You are so close to victory at work, I feel you should try to placate your partner a little but not so much that you let up on the job! You've got your hands full, for sure. Your career will be your big jewel, dear Scorpio - don't take your eyes off the road!

If you are attached, as said, you may have a discussion about a surprise pregnancy or the care of a child you have now. Something about this situation will catch you off guard. That's what eclipses do - they throw a challenge you didn't expect and then apply a little pressure to see what you will do. There are no right or wrong answers, and there is no predestination here either. Your response is more important than the actual challenge, because what you do under these circumstances will reveal your true character and how much you have matured so far. When we are under stress we are the most true to our nature, for we have no energy to keep up any pretenses. Hence, we learn about ourselves as we go through the experience.

If your birthday falls on October 26 or within five days of this date, you will find a way to strongly benefit from this eclipse.

In closing, there is one other way this eclipse may touch you, and if it does, it may have nothing to do with romance. Your fifth house also rules creative efforts. A project you are working on may take a very different direction, perhaps when a client or team member forces his or her wishes on you. You will find this dismaying, of course, but try to grin and bear it. This eclipse is bigger than both of you, dear Scorpio. Some things are, so you'd be wise to accept what you simply cannot change. Your time will come, and you can count on that. For now, go with the flow.

Summary

Since July 2005, you've had to work very hard to prove your mettle in your career and have been making impressive progress. It is possible that you may have had to deal with a difficult political situation at work or a boss / client who was very hard to please. Now, after what must feel like a nearly endless phase of hard work and hard adjustments over the past two years, professional reward is on the way.

Next month, on September 2, Saturn will finally leave your house of career status, signifying that your cosmic test is nearing an end. Soon you'll see that the conversations you have this month will open a new path, one you are eminently qualified to take.

There will be two moments in August that will prove to you that you're on the right path to professional success. The first will arrive on August 2, when you have a meeting with a boss or client that will go so well, you'll hardly believe it! If money is discussed - and it appears it will - you'll truly be excited about the amount put on the table. This compensation for your efforts would represent just reward for the past two years of hard work.

Your professional interests will get an even bigger boost in the days following the new moon, August 12. That week will be laden with potential, so watch carefully all the options that come up that week. By Sunday, August 19, when the Sun and Pluto reach a perfect harmony, you will feel very pleased with yourself. Neptune will cloud some of the facts, however, so take your time and ask many questions. There will be no need to rush. It is also likely that a housing situation or care for a family member may concern you at the very same time. You can sort out these issues if you take your time - don't pressure yourself.

If for any reason you feel stuck professionally, you'll know by August 21 that you will need to move on. A critical, demanding boss will almost certainly be a handful on this day, due to Saturn conjunct the Sun. The difference now is that you know you have options and you'll be ready to use them whenever you please.

You will be making a number of strategic financial decisions this month. Indeed, it's a good time to reassess your portfolio as well as the fees you pay to credit card companies. Mars will help give you the motivation to attend to these concerns. If you are trying to split up property with a lover or husband at the end of a relationship, there may be a few arguments, but the focus will remain on feelings, not possessions.

A major eclipse is due on August 28, and will fall squarely in your sector of true love. Expect a certain degree of turbulence. Oddly, a friend could be responsible for part of the difficulty that you feel at this point in the month. Any kind of news is possible, from gentle to the extreme, but in any case, a friend's behavior seems to concern you. For example, a friend giving you unsolicited advice, or worse, a friend may make a play for your lover.

It is also possible that whatever problem you encounter with a lover may also bring in a discussion about all the time you've devoted to your career. That's a touchy issue because you are so close to being rewarded. Don't cave in on that point! You are so very close, dear Scorpio!

Whatever comes up will expose or crystallize a situation that has been going on for some time. The job of an eclipse is to bring you full information, but you may find news unsettling. Be glad to have it - it will help to protect you in the future. If you are married, the decision or news that comes up could relate to an unexpected pregnancy or have to do with present offspring.

To help you further, here is a list of days I would like you to circle on your calendar:

Romance may be difficult all month. Try: August 1, 9, 18 - 19 Financial news will be excellent: August 2, 6, 9, and 19 Start interviewing for a new job: August 12 - 19 A friendship or lover may be troublesome: August 28