written by for Venus Rising Magazine
Scorpio 07 Issue
Scorpio is the eighth sign of the zodiac, symbolized by Hades (known to the Romans as Pluto), the god of the underworld, and its natural element is water. The energy of Scorpio is probing, passionate, and complex. Scorpio rules birth and death, psychology and atomic energy, as well as financial unions, sex, and the subconscious. Scorpio strives to be in control and to transform. Like the Wizard of Oz, Scorpios feel confident when in a position of power.
Watercolor by Philip GaligaDetermined and shrewd, Scorpios have great depth and a tendency to be quiet and contemplative. These qualities enable a Scorpio to have keen judgment, penetrating insight, and in some cases, great authority over others. Science, surgery, engineering, and psychology are all fields that are right up a Scorpio’s alley.
Scorpios also tend to be secretive and may keep large aspects of themselves hidden from others. This “compartmentalization” of their personality may make it hard for them to be in group situations as they fear exposure, having revealed one side of their personality to one person, and another side to someone else.
Scorpios also have a strong ability to analyze situations and find the cause of problems – either mechanical or psychological – and are known for being solutions-oriented. Scorpios often prefer to control things from behind the scenes in roles such as a therapist or a film director, and let others take on more external, superficial roles that a Scorpio may find undignified.
When balanced, Scorpio impels us to dig down into psychological, sexual, and spiritual depths to find out what is really going on and to connect with others in a deep and meaningful way. Scorpio also gives us the ability to eliminate things and ways of being that are no longer useful to us.
When unbalanced, Scorpios can be overly controlling, jealous, and abusive. At times of insecurity, the need for power or control can be so great that a Scorpio may be ruthless in pursuit of their desires or in expressing their aversion to certain people and things. The tendency for secrecy can then turn into lying and the tendency for transformation can then turn into a purely destructive force.
When the sun is in Scorpio, expect to feel a need to probe, analyze, and get to the bottom of situations. Depending on where Scorpio is in your chart, you may either feel liberated by your ability to uncover hidden depth and eliminate what is unnecessary or frightened by “forces” that are being exposed beneath the surface of things.
Pluto is the planetary ruler of Scorpio. The placement of Pluto in the birth chart tells us about our need for power, control, and transformation. Since Pluto is the last known planet in our solar system and moves very slowly, the position of Pluto in the birth chart is generational. My generation all has Pluto in Virgo, which rules earth purity, and brought on an intense focus to environmental concerns and earth consciousness at the time of our maturity (the 80s).
To find out where Scorpio and Pluto reside in your natal chart, go to create your birth chart and enter your birth date, time of birth, and place of birth. 
© 2008 Venus Rising Magazine