SCORPIO
Scorpio
in a birth chart
Scorpio is a fixed water sign, traditionally ruled by Mars and in modern practice by Pluto. In a birth chart it describes the part of a person that goes all the way in: private, intense, loyal, and uninterested in the surface of anything.
- Dates
- October 23 – November 21
- Element
- Water
- Modality
- Fixed
- Ruler
- Mars, and Pluto in modern practice
The sign itself
Scorpio holds the part of autumn where things decay and turn into something else. Fixed water sustains feeling at depth rather than letting it move on, which is why the sign has such a reputation for intensity and memory.
Traditionally Mars rules Scorpio; modern practice adds Pluto. Either way the sign concerns power — having it, refusing to hand it over, and what happens when it is taken.
Where Scorpio shows up in a chart
Scorpio marks where a person does not do things halfway.
- Sun in Scorpio — purpose pursued privately and completely, with little interest in small talk about it.
- Moon in Scorpio — feelings held deep and unshared until trust is established; comfort through absolute loyalty.
- Rising in Scorpio — a watchful, self-contained first impression that gives little away.
- Scorpio on a house cusp — that area of life is guarded, and lived at full intensity.
At its best and at its cost
At its best: courage in difficult places, absolute loyalty, and the ability to stay present with what others avoid. At its cost: suspicion, control, and holding onto an injury.
In a child's chart, Scorpio reads as a child with strong feelings and a private inner world — one who needs to be trusted before they will tell you anything.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Questions people ask
- What are the Scorpio dates?
- The Sun is in Scorpio from about October 23 to November 21 each year, with the boundary shifting by a day between years.
- What planet rules Scorpio?
- Traditionally Mars rules Scorpio. Since its discovery, modern astrology has also assigned Pluto as its ruler, and many readings use both.
NEIGHBOURING SIGNS
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