VelaraWater · Fixed · Ruled by Mars
Scorpio
Scorpio goes deep or doesn't go at all. It is the sign of what lies under the surface — trust, power, transformation and the truth people don't say out loud.
- Dates
- October 23 – November 21
- Symbol
- The Scorpion
- Element
- Water
- Modality
- Fixed
- Ruling planet
- Mars (modern: Pluto)
- Exaltation
- None (traditional)
- Opposite sign
- Taurus
- Body (classical)
- Reproductive organs
Personality
The Scorpio nature
Scorpio is fixed water: emotion with staying power. Traditionally ruled by Mars and, in modern astrology, also by Pluto, it is known for intensity, perception and a loyalty that runs deep. It reads people well and reveals itself slowly. When it feels betrayed, it can hold on to the hurt for a long time.
Growth edge: Letting people in before they've proven they deserve it.
Born on the cusp?
The dates move. Your chart doesn't.
The Sun is in exactly one sign at any moment, but the switch-over shifts by up to a day from year to year. If you were born near October 23 or November 21, only your exact birth time can say which side of the line you're on.
Scorpio shares its element with Cancer and Pisces. Its opposite sign is Taurus.
Sun-sign traits describe a twelfth of the world. Your Moon, Rising and planets make them yours.
The Big Three
There's more to you than Scorpio.
Your Sun sign comes from your birthday. Your Moon and Rising signs need the full date, time and place — and they change far faster.
Sun — your core self and identity. Changes sign about once a month.
Moon — your emotions and inner needs. Changes sign about every 2.3 days.
Rising — how you meet the world. Changes about every two hours on average.
The myth
The story of the scorpion
In Greek myth, the hunter Orion boasted he would kill every animal on earth, so Gaia sent a giant scorpion to stop him. Both were placed in the sky — on opposite sides, so that when the Scorpion rises in the east, Orion sets in the west.
The Babylonians also saw a scorpion here — literally “the one that stings.”
The ♏︎ glyph is a scorpion: an “m” whose final stroke ends in a stinger.
In the night sky
Scorpio among the stars
Its brightest star, Antares, is a red supergiant about 550 light-years away. Its name means “rival of Mars,” for its red colour.
Antares is roughly 700 times wider than the Sun. Put in the Sun's place, it would swallow the orbit of Mars.
FAQ
Scorpio, quickly
What are the Scorpio dates?
Scorpio season runs from about October 23 to November 21. The exact moment the Sun changes sign shifts by up to a day from year to year, so if you were born near either date, your birth chart settles it.
What element is Scorpio?
Scorpio is a fixed water sign. It shares its element with Cancer and Pisces.
What planet rules Scorpio?
Scorpio is ruled by Mars; modern astrologers also assign Pluto.
Sources
- Theoi Project — the myth of Scorpio
- Constellation Guide — Scorpius
- Wikipedia — Scorpius (constellation)
- Ptolemy, Tetrabiblos I (rulerships, exaltations) — LacusCurtius
- Wikipedia — Astrological sign
- Wikipedia — Astrological symbols
- Wikipedia — Zodiac Man (classical body associations)
Dates are given in UTC unless noted; local dates can differ by a day. Last checked 4 October 2026.
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