Aries Weekly Horoscope - 12-June-2017 to 18-June-2017

Oh, the places you COULD go, Aries. While you’ll definitely enjoy the flurry of activity close to home this week, cast your net beyond county lines. This Thursday, June 15 the curious Gemini Sun gets a wakeup call from stabilizing Saturn in Sagittarius and your global ninth house. Traveling—with a distinct purpose—is a strong possibility for you. A friend in a far-flung locale could invite you to their wedding. Maybe you’ll see an opportunity to do business in another port. Before you write this off as a pipe dream, price out plane tickets and see what arrangements you can make for support at home. With a savvy plan, you might pull this off—and profit greatly from the experience.

The stretch you need might involve schooling. If you’ve hit a wall with your work (and can no longer do it DIY style), check out summer workshops or start applying for fall semester courses. With Saturn wrapping up its three-year tour of Sagittarius this December 19, the next six months are all about investing in your own expansion—but only through reputable routes. Look for programs that leave you accredited or certified. Anything that builds your resume, even if you work for yourself, can be helpful in bumping you up to the higher pay grade you deserve.

On Friday, June 16 dreamy Neptune begins its annual retrograde, perfecting his backstroke through the deep (and sometimes murky) waters of Pisces and your twelfth house. Between now and November 22 you’ll need even more meditative moments and daydream time—but don’t pull back SO much that you lose touch with reality. The gift of Neptune’s backspin in Pisces is that it gives your energetic sign a chance to hit pause and reflect. But these five months aren’t JUST a time to zone out. This introspective retrograde can lead to some important self-realizations, creative brainstorms or a deeper connection to your spiritual beliefs. What WILL bring the most valuable benefits, however, is examining your own shadow side—those aspects of yourself that you don’t like, usually deny and maybe even project onto others. (For example, saying you can’t stand unfriendly people, then refusing to take your dark sunglasses off to make eye contact when walking down the street.) The point is not to banish your poor shadow, Aries! Rather, make it your goal to accept it, and gain awareness of it, so it doesn’t hijack your brain like the chomp of a Walking Dead zombie. Now’s the time to start intentional practices to connect with your full self. Try meditation, journaling and walks through nature sans devices. Hypnotherapy (or modalities like EMDR) can give you access to the nooks and crannies of your own psyche. Forgiveness is a big theme of this Neptune cycle, but before you just “let it go,” be sure you’ve had a chance to process your anger and honor your authentic feelings. If any heavy emotions are clinging to you like a two-dollar suit, try water-based exercise like swimming, surfing, and stand-up paddleboarding as a form of physical release.