Scorpio is a fixed water sign following airy cardinal Libra. Both signs are relationship oriented, but first Libra tries to achieve the archetype of true union/marriage and like all good fairy tales, the couple is supposed to live ‘happily ever after’. Scorpio comes next and takes us into the deeper aspects of relationship where power struggles are likely to develop after the honeymoon is over. It also supports something sacred and soulful that can only develop as two people become more open and vulnerable to each other emotionally. That is what Scorpio is after.
Scorpio seeks a profoundly close union with another that is unrestrained much as pure orgasmic release pitches one head-long into an experience which can not be controlled. Scorpio seeks passion as a way to connect with the object of their desire whether it is another human being, or any relationship involving an engagement of energy such as work, creative expression, or even socio-political activity. I remember well a Scorpio client who was a top executive in a major financial firm asking me each time I did a session for him, “Where is my passion? How can I get it back?”
Soulful is a term that probably appeals to this sign more than air types. A plunge into the mysteries is often more about descent first before some type of triumphal ascension can occur. The emotional roller-coaster ride along the way could be described as exciting, terrifying, exhilarating, intensely stomach-churning, and profoundly cathartic.
Is it any wonder that this sign seems to be seen by many as intense, dark, power-driven, jealously possessive, and sexually obsessed? All those emotions that often pulsate under our conscious radar are projected onto Scorpio who is expected to express them in spades. Perhaps this, in part, is why those born with major emphasis in this sign retreat behind an enigmatic mask or even isolate themselves in order to maintain some equilibrium. This is a strongly sensitive and empathic sign whose emotional body is susceptible to all the unconscious undercurrents of others. This is a sign that can be easily hurt, yet pain is often borne without complaint by these strong souls. Scorpio is also good at expressing these raw emotions creatively such as writers like Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton, Margaret Atwood, and Fedor Dostoevsky, or as artistic masterpieces such as Picasso’s Guernica or Georgia O’Keefe’s many skull paintings.
Shortly after her first Saturn Return when her special destiny was already bringing her recognition and she was gaining respect amongst her peers, she realized that Lake George, the beautiful farm estate she shared with her husband in the Adirondacks, was not her place. What inspired her was the Wild West of New Mexico, and thus began her journey towards Taos, and a place in nature where her soul felt at home amongst the intense desert light and stark contrasts of desert, mountains, sagebrush, and brilliant early spring blooming flowers. “….Georgia was exhilarated by it all—the vast scale of the remote mountains, the deep silence of the land, and the empty arc of the infinite sky. It did not make her feel diminished at all.”
Each Scorpio must find that which resonates most with their deepest Soul and then the underlying passion will well up like a mighty spring giving them the renewal and life force that they desire. So while a human relationship with Stieglitz began this process, it was ultimately her relationship with a special place that completed it. “In old age O’Keeffe’s passion for Ghost Ranch remains as powerful as the day she first saw it more than forty years ago…..”
The biography ends with a couple more choice quotes from this archetypal Scorpio woman: “When I think of death, I only regret that I will not be able to see this beautiful country anymore, unless the Indians are right and my spirit will walk here after I’m gone.”……”She also says that she has plans to be reincarnated in her next life as a blond with a beautiful soprano voice. ‘I would sing very high, very clear notes’ she says, ‘without fear.’” Well said…….
Fleshing out this highly private and mysterious sign isn’t easy. Their life journey is often a paradox of effort to be in absolute control and experiencing absolute helplessness in the face of that which they simply can not control. Nothing ever seems to be in between with them. The ‘all or nothing’ cliché really does fit for the most part their stance. In myth it is the serpent who may best describe their archetypal cycle of outgrowing their ego/skin, sloughing it off, and growing a new one. Of course the other great archetype is the Phoenix bird rising up from its own ashes. These are the phases of their life journey and they span the entire spectrum from heaven to hell, and back to heaven once again.
Scorpio Women
These are women of great complexity, mystery, and intense pride, like their Leo sisters. They will also lick their wounds in private because they are often intolerant of weakness of character. Like their Aries sisters, both being ruled by Mars, they expect honesty of character in their beloved and truly do seek a soul bond with no secrets withheld once they give their heart. This is why they are so selective in choosing their friends and potential partners. They have high standards and would rather go it alone than compromise.
When I think of the many fine Scorpio women I have been privileged to know for long periods of time I admire their great loyalty and compassion, and their tendency to put your concerns ahead of their own. That is why many of them are drawn to the healing arts and do admirable work in a variety of ways as therapists, Reiki healers, and skilled professionals working with people such as customer service representatives, public relations and quality control experts. They also make very fine teachers.
The United States has had two back-to-back Secretary of State women; Condoleezza Rice followed by Hilary Rodham Clinton. Remember, this is a Mars/Pluto ruled sign and there is a decided warrior quality to many female natives. Dealing with conflicts and negotiating deals, often in secret, is probably a forte for these types of women. If you want your confidence held, no one does it better than a Scorpio. They do know how to keep secrets!
They are seldom frivolous, light-hearted women. Their awareness of the less visible realms of the psyche makes it difficult to just skim the surface with others. So for anyone seeking a committed partner who will give her all, but let you know when her trust has been violated (think Hilary again), the Scorpio woman will provide great inner stability, passion, and emotional depth. She will be willing to meet the travails of life without flinching and she will move heaven and earth for those she truly loves.
Scorpio Men
Equally private and paradoxical are the men of this sign. Probably more than their female counterparts they protect their sensitivity with personas that can appear even cold and impersonal, yet once their guard is down they can be one of the most demonstrative of the entire zodiac and truly do know how to treat women as near goddesses, showering them with attention, affection, and even adoration. They are also capable of great gentleness and compassion especially if they see your pain. The mature types make great alchemists and healers.
Scorpio men do like to control their destiny more than most and their desire to master aspects of themselves in the bargain creates a type of mystique which often sets them apart. Teddy Roosevelt coined the phrase “Walk softly and carry a big stick” describing their need to keep their iron strength fairly under wraps until needed. When watching General David Petraeus you get that sense. Robert F. Kennedy had it too. These are not men easily molded by others. In fact, Scorpio men do need respect and understanding for only those qualities will allow them to open and learn from another. If you don’t like something about them, too bad. You’re not going to change them.
This is a sign rarely childlike even when small. They abhor weakness, especially in themselves, and they seek strength in a partner as well. A healthy fight with a Scorpio man is better than icy silence or a sniveling ‘poor me’ attitude. They appreciate a woman with self-respect but generally can’t abide arrogance.
Can they be trusted? It depends………. They do keep their secret ways and many have what seems like a double standard. Look at Pablo Picasso or Prince Charles as good examples, but quite frankly Scorpio men tend to be more faithful as life-long partners than is generally believed. Once in love, they are deeply serious about their commitments and they won’t play silly games just to pump up their egos.
I have an enormous list of world leaders, past and present, who are Scorpios. They run the gamut from extreme right to extreme left. Some notable present-day men are Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran, VP Joseph Biden, Prince Charles of England, Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua, and Scott Walker, Governor of Wisconsin.
Scorpio Parents
The ones I have known made great parents, including my husband who adopted my first two children. He treated them as his own and loved them as his own. A good Scorpio parent takes the time to find out what their children are feeling as well as thinking. They can be just a tremendous support especially as their children grow towards adulthood. I think of one totally committed mother whose son is autistic. She cares for him herself even though it requires a tremendous strength and sacrifice on her part.
The Scorpio Shadow
The key word for their shadow is probably fanaticism or as Liz Greene says, “The Othello Syndrome” where an opinion becomes a biased judgment that moves into gross generalization such as ‘all men are bastards’, or ‘you can’t trust anyone’, or ‘the entire government is evil’. This highly subjective way of looking out at life is actually a mental construct where objectivity is lost. Remember all water signs as a group are often unaware of their own thought processes and thus are prone to extreme opinions colored by their emotions. Water signs are often uncomfortable with actual facts and Scorpios shadow becomes quite negative when tied with a dark belief. Paranoia is often the result which can lead to horrendous manifestations such as the murderous mayhem of Charles Manson, or the red purging witch hunts of Joseph McCarthy.
Scorpios must face their ‘inner Hydra’ by shining the light of consciousness on those multiple-headed demons that lurk in all of us, but often gain greater power and control when fed obsessive feelings and thoughts in a sign known for its extremism and willfulness. The way through is served by real humility and the way out is served by forgiveness knowing that every one of us has both dark and light, good and evil within us.
Scorpio as Lover
This is probably the most erotic and passionate of all the signs. Taurus is sensual but the emotional component of Scorpio seeks more than just physical release. The Scorpio lover seeks a true tantric experience where the longing for a mystical experience of oneness is linked to sexuality. The great Gothic novels tried to describe these rapturous and even dangerous liaisons; Jane Eyreprobably being one of the best examples of a soul union between two tormented humans.
Highs and lows go with Scorpios capacity to love, and crises and blow-ups can take place especially if there is too much repression of feeling which seethes and then blows like a volcano. It takes self-mastery on the part of Scorpio to first deal with their own inner feelings of jealousy, possessiveness, and pain rather than taking it out on their partner. Passion is not a quiet row on a placid lake. To enjoy the love of a Scorpio one must accept the highs and lows of emotions that rise and fall like oceanic waves. Body-surfing anyone?
Now we’ll look at Scorpio in relationship to the other signs:
Scorpio with Aries
Since both are ruled by Aries there is an affinity in spite of the fact that Scorpio is fixed fire and Aries is cardinal fire, both quite different in quality that tend to force major adjustments to each other. Together they can unite with a vital force, grapple with tough jobs, and deal with life together in a vigorous manner.
Scorpio with Taurus
Fixed opposite signs from water/Scorpio to earth/Taurus, this is a combination that I have seen work between people I know personally. I feel that Taurus acts as an anchor for Scorpio’s need to explore the high seas of life. Both are actually part of the never-ending cycle of life where Taurus builds and grows while Scorpio transforms and eliminates that which is outmoded. Values are an obvious theme here and the nature of desire becomes either a point of union or a source of separation.
Scorpio with Gemini
This is another difficult combination due to the marked differences between the two signs where fixed water tries to relate to mutable air. The mercurial function of Gemini may serve to stimulate Scorpio in rather extraordinary ways as seen by the curious attraction of Grace Kelly to Prince Rainier of Monaco.
Scorpio with Cancer
Two signs of the same element but different mode according to traditional rules are highly compatible by nature. Both feel and harmonize on the emotional level. It can be a highly sentimental combination where union, then home and family become major themes.
Again, we have a mythic modern-day enactment of this combination in a surprising triangle between Prince Charles, the Scorpio, and his two Cancer partners; the true love of his life, Camilla, and his chosen consort, the love of the people, Diana. Why did one touch his heart, and not the other?
Scorpio with Leo
These two are often magnetically attracted to each other because both are passionate signs, and both respect power. Leo is fixed fire to Scorpios fixed water. Fire and water can get pretty steamy indeed, but they can just as easily blow apart if some aspect of display (Leo) or concealment (Scorpio) goes array such as it did between Maria Shriver (Scorpio) and Arnold Schwarzenegger (Leo).
Scorpio with Virgo
This can certainly be a good blend of strength and mastery. Both signs are yin and both are highly critical and analytical. Both like to research, dig into things, and create systems and order. Yet I still can’t find a single famous couple with this combination.
I know a couple personally who have survived a long-term relationship with notable reservations in completely bonding. The woman is a Scorpio and she is finally owning her own power and not constantly devoting herself to her male partner’s needs. She stated that he has felt her to be overly critical of him at times. Right now they continue to work together and there continues to be a deep resonance, but not the kind where living together could be possible as equals from her viewpoint.
Anyone out there knowing a good example of this combination, please let us all know.
Scorpio with Libra
I just covered this in my last article on Libra, but here we see Scorpio leading Libra to the next step of union which is merging the two energies so that the whole becomes greater than the sum of the parts. Side by side there is usually a bit of the other in each. Here is a Venus/Mars combination with Pluto thrown in to alchemize them. Both serve socializing functions in that the union between two people leads to mutual sharing of values, and thus a joint sharing of resources which in turn begin to build the web of what is to become society.
The former Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, a strong double Scorpio (Sun and Moon) took the above formula to its extreme as the head of a patriarchal regime where societal protocol dictated his personal life. He married three times to gain an heir. I decided not to include his first two wives, though his second, the beautiful Soraya (Cancer), was tragic because he truly loved her.
Scorpio with Scorpio
Both people would have an innate inner understanding of each other obviously. Scorpios tend to at least like other Scorpios because both have complex emotions and inner lives. The couples I have known with this combination did not last. In one case, the male was a rover and has yet to understand commitment and in the other case the same pattern has been there; one wanted to bond, the other remained unwilling.
Scorpio with Sagittarius
Side by side, these two can get along famously due, again, to the fact that one might share planets with the other. Sagittarius takes Scorpio to the next step of opening back out and expanding into the greater world of either philosophy, higher education, or adventure.
Scorpio with Capricorn
Water with Earth should be compatible yet we somehow feel the somberness of this combination. It’s a great combination for achievement and each can help the other on that score. Even passion can be great considering Scorpio’s non-stop theme and Capricorn’s ability to get lustier with age!
They had a very compatible Mercury combination with hers in Scorpio sextile his in Capricorn. Mercury plays an enormous role in a strong partnership because communication is so vital. Their Mars, however, were not compatible with Georgia’s in Virgo and Alfred’s in Sagittarius. At the beginning this is great sexually, but later on it turns into power struggles. They resolved it by going their separate ways. Their Moons were also not very compatible. Georgia had a Sun/Moon/Mercury tight combo in Scorpio. She was highly instinctual and able to be alone for long periods of time. Alfred had Moon in Libra in trine to his Mercury. He was highly social and needed a more metropolitan life style of soirees and gatherings. Georgia’s Venus in Libra moved with him enough, yet her longing for Ghost Ranch ultimately became her abiding passion.
Scorpio with Aquarius
Here is Fixed Water with Fixed Air. The old rule books say this is a ‘no no’, but look again. I actually have four examples to share of this pairing. It would seem that both are looking to balance themselves through the other. Water does seek Air, and Air seeks Water. It’s that feeling/mind dichotomy at work. Aquarius lends objectivity to Scorpio while Scorpio shows Aquarius how to get in touch with their deeper levels within themselves.
Scorpio with Pisces
This Fixed Water with Mutable Water is harmonious and in general it is Pisces who has the ability to adapt to Scorpio more easily than the other water combination of Scorpio with Cancer. The classic Richard Burton/Elizabeth Taylor duo was much celebrated by astrologers long ago.
Astrologer
www.bluelightlady.com I’ll end with Demi Moore, again, and her first husband, Bruce Willis with whom she is still bonded through parenthood and friendship (thankfully). Bruce was born with Sun in late Pisces conjoining Demi’s Ascendant and widely in trine to her Scorpio Sun/Venus. He, like Ashton, however has a lot of Aquarius (Moon/Chiron/Venus) which were at odds with her Full Moon axis. His Saturn in Scorpio conjoins her Sun, while his Mars in Taurus conjoins her Moon. Fixed signs truly are drawn to other Fixed signs. Great passion is ignited, but also great power issues and struggles.
Demi has had a true Scorpio’s life of heavens and hells starting with her early childhood. With Saturn now in Scorpio beginning to activate all of her Fixed signs, including Mercury/Neptune/Sun/Venus all in Scorpio, I do wish her grace from the Universe, and from within her own Scorpio stamina, to mature wisely and use her strength to endure and rise Phoenix-like into another ‘life within life’ for the next phase of her journey.
Genevieve A. Vierling C.A.P.
Astrologer
www.bluelightlady.com