The Oracle’s Library presents the next zodiac sign—Scorpio. The astrological sign Scorpio signifies the close of the autumn months when the hours of darkness have triumphed over the light. In ancient times, the scorpion was a symbol of destruction impending with the coldest winter days on the horizon. Scorpio is the ‘Scorpion’ in Latin—the eighth sign of the Tropical Zodiac. Scorpio spans from 210° to 240° on the Zodiac Belt, as it concludes the autumn season.
Scorpio Zodiac Sign Profile
In Sidereal Astrology, if you were born between November 16th and December 15th your Sun sign is Scorpio. This means that the Sun transited through the constellation Scorpio at the given time of birth. In Tropical Astrology, the sign Scorpio is given to anyone born from the dates October 23rd to November 22nd.
Scorpio is a Water Sign that signifies the sting of the scorpion that strikes to conclude the autumn season. When the chill of cold creeps in before the winter—death follows as flora returns back to the Earth. The animals fall back into the silence of hibernation and the strife of winter begins to take its toll. The tropical zodiac Scorpio was ruled by the planet Mars in ancient times but that role is now given to the planet Pluto. Those born under Scorpio are an intense bunch with a powerful ability to attract admirers. The Scorpion is a tenacious character with a long list of desires that urge them toward the attainment of their wildest fantasy.
Myths and Legends of the Scorpion
The constellation of Scorpio was once the Serpent in ancient Egypt. The Babylonian astronomers named Scorpio ‘the creature with the burning sting’. In Greek myth, the Scorpion is associated with Orion the huntsman. After Orion boasted to Artemis and Leto that he would kill all creatures in the world, Gaia—goddess of the Earth was angered by his arrogance. She sent a giant beast—the Scorpion to punish Orion for what he had said. Orion was stung and died by the Scorpion, and in turn, each were raised to the heavens on opposite ends of the sky. Now, when Scorpio rises in the east, Orion sets in the west to signify his death and descent into the Underworld.
Stargazing the Constellation Scorpio
The brightest star in the constellation Scorpio is Antares—a red giant star of a binary system and 15th brightest star in the sky. Scorpio is a rather bright constellation with many other brilliant stars including Shaula, Lesath at the scorpion’s sting and Dschubba Scorpii at its head. It holds many notable deep sky objects such as Messiers 6 and 7—the Butterfly and Ptolemy Clusters. Messier 80 is a bright globular cluster at the eye of the Scorpion with a dense collection of stars 33,000 light-years from Earth. The moody star U Scorpii is one among 10 known recurrent novas, known for its sudden outbursts of increasing magnitude with its last episode in 2010.
During the Alpha Scorpiids meteor shower, shooting stars seem to fall out of the constellation Scorpio between April 21st to May 26th. Another shower—the Omega Scorpiids can be seen May 23rd to June 15th with about five meteors each hour. Scorpio is located between Libra and Sagittarius. To spot this constellation, look for the bright orangish star Antares at the top of the long fisherman’s hook or curved sting of the scorpion facing westward. The constellation Scorpio is best viewed in the summer months of the Northern Hemisphere.
Thank you for reading at the Oracle’s Library! Are you a Scorpio? Please comment and share your thoughts on the Scorpion.