In western astrology, Scorpio is the 8th sign of the zodiac, or ‘star sign’. It is classified as fixed water, though just how fixed water can be is anyone’s guess, unless one imagines a powerful channel, torrent, or waterfall. It is often described as the sign of ‘sex, death and regeneration’.

Traditionally the sign is ruled by Mars in its ‘darker’, more concentrated aspect. Since the discovery of Pluto in 1930, many astrologers believe that the outermost known planet, so termed, has superseded the rulership of the sign; I used to accept this too, but I have returned to a more traditionally based astrology lately.

All Hallows’ Day, Winters’ Beginning

Of course, this is also the time of year for Halloween and, more traditionally, Samhain, the ancient pagan festival celebrating the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter. November 1 is All Saints’, or All Hallows’ Day in Christianity. The sun has begun moving southward with Libra; now it begins to plunge into the depths towards darkness, at least from the perspective of those of us living north of the equator, where the daylight hours recede rapidly.

There is a polarity with this, Samhain in Scorpio exactly opposing the spring festival Beltane on May 1, in the sign of Taurus.

Sex Organs — And the Throat

In fact polarity is a key feature of astrology and bears heavily upon health. Taurus is the opposing sign of Scorpio, the former ruling the neck and throat. Scorpio traditionally rules the sexual organs, and it is interesting to note that when a male reaches puberty, the voice too assumes its more manly, deeper sound; think of all the choir boys whose careers end at this point!

As Taurus rules self security, Scorpio rules security in relation to others — hence the deeper, more secretive aspects of this much maligned sign, which ultimately needs to engage with ‘the other’ for its own security. This is why the sign is associated with sex and secrecy. It is often also said that Scorpio creates the greatest saints — but also the worst sinners. Maybe this is why the sign’s glyph is the scorpion, with the famous sting in the tail.

The Number 8 — and Weak Points

Numerologists out there would already be nodding their heads at Scorpio being the 8th sign, 8 being the sign of infinity, relating to the sign’s deep, penetrative and fundamental life and death associations, which are ultimately a mystery.

So as Scorpio rules the generative organs, they are often considered a ‘weak point’ in the strongly Scorpio type. Equally, there can be issues with the throat too, through Taurus. Fixed signs like Scorpio are often also more susceptible to arthritis and rheumatism.

However, being ruled by powerful Mars, the strongly Scorpio type is usually very robust and resistant to diseases.

Copyright Francis Barker 2020

*Health, weight loss and fitness are interlinked.