Signs are Seasons

Scorpio arrives with the falling leaves in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the middle sign of autumn, marking the deepening shift from light and warmth to a darker and cooler time of year. Some are saddened by these changes, reminded of their mortality and the ephemeral nature of life. Others, though, revel in exploring the inner side of human nature and understand that death is always followed by rebirth.

Scorpion or Eagle

The symbol of the Scorpion is not a particularly attractive one. It is a poorly understood animal, best known for its capacity to sting and kill other creatures, and sometimes itself. For astrologers, though, Scorpio represents the possibility of a new world created out of the ashes of the old.

Scorpio is a fixed sign, meaning that it occupies the middle of a season. Fixed signs (Taurus, Leo and Aquarius are the others) do not change easily. Pressures can build, issues may need to be examined deeply before letting go. Scorpio is a water or feeling sign. (Cancer and Pisces are the other water signs.) Fixed water is about emotions that are profound and tend to dominate the personality. Scorpios, of course, can be reasonable, but the bottom line is that feeling is likely to be more important than thinking.

Scorpio and Sex

Many people relate Scorpio to sex. It follows the relationship sign of Libra. In a sense, we meet in Libra and consummate the partnership in Scorpio. However, this sign is really about extremes in sexuality. Scorpio can be celibate or profligate depending on the time, the place and the individual. Some Scorpios are crude about sex like Larry Flynt or Roseanne, and others can delicately reveal eroticism through art like Georgia O'Keefe.

Scorpio deals with most of the "forbidden" subjects such as death, sex and power. Some of the difficulty we have with this sign is due to a failure to deal with these essential human issues in mature and open ways. Psychological sophistication, a Scorpio trait, is one way to meet these issues in a healthy manner.

All or Nothing at All

A primary role of Scorpio is to push past the surface and get to the heart of the matter. Scorpio is about essence, not fluff. Sometimes this means that Scorpios seem distant when you want to be light and playful. They are not uncaring. In fact, they sometimes feel too much. Behind those intense eyes is a very sensitive person, one who knows what it's like to be hurt.

Scorpio often seems cautious until passion takes over, and then all limits are ignored. This is not a sign of half measures. It's usually all or nothing. Extremes of loyalty, commitment and intensity are balanced against cool detachment and apparent disinterest. If you want to play with these folks, bring all you've got. They won't settle for any less.

Scorpios are often intense, passionate or powerful people like Hillary Rodham Clinton, Demi Moore, Meg Ryan, Dennis Miller, Bill Gates, Julia Roberts, Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs or Ted Turner.

See Jeff Jawer's article Scorpio: Beyond Reason for more about this fascinating sign.