Scorpio Zodiac Sign: Dates, Symbol, Mythology, and Constellation
Scorpio, also known as Scorpius, is the eighth constellation of the zodiac. Its name is the Latin word meaning “scorpion.” Learn more!
Quick Reference: Scorpio at a Glance
- Dates: October 23 to November 21
- Symbol: The Scorpion (♏)
- Element: Water
- Modality: Fixed
- Ruling planet: Pluto (modern), Mars (traditional)
- Birthstones: Opal (October) and Topaz (November)
- Brightest star: Antares, a red supergiant marking the scorpion’s heart
- Best viewing: Summer evenings, low in the southern sky for Northern Hemisphere observers
If your birthday lands between October 23 and November 21, the sun is sitting in the zodiac sign of Scorpio. The Scorpio zodiac sign is one of the oldest and most theatrical figures in the night sky, tied to a Greek myth about a hunter’s pride and a constellation that still looks like its namesake when you trace it. Whether you read your horoscope every morning or you only learned your sign at a school dance, Scorpio has earned a long second look.
At the Farmers’ Almanac we’ve been tracking the sun, the moon, and the seasons since 1818. The zodiac sits at the crossroads of folklore and astronomy, so we’ll walk through both. Below you’ll find the dates, the symbol, the mythology, the constellation, the personality traits people swear by, and the honest astronomer’s footnote that puts it all in perspective.
When Is Scorpio Season?
Astrologically, the sun resides in the house of Scorpio from October 23 to November 21 each year. The exact handoff between Libra and Scorpio shifts by a few hours from one year to the next, but the calendar window is steady. Scorpio season covers the back half of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere, the stretch when daylight shortens fast, leaves let go, and the first real frost lands in much of the United States and Canada.
Two birthstones share this window. October babies claim the opal, prized for its play of color, and November babies claim the topaz, traditionally golden. Halloween falls squarely inside Scorpio season, which seems fitting for a sign so tied to mystery and the underworld; see our guide to when Halloween falls for the calendar context.
The Scorpio Symbol: The Scorpion
The astrological symbol for Scorpio is ♏, a glyph drawn to suggest a curling tail tipped with a stinger. The name comes straight from the Latin scorpius, meaning “scorpion.” In the sky and on the chart, Scorpio is the eighth sign of the zodiac, sitting between Libra to the west and Sagittarius to the east. Nearby constellations include Ophiuchus, Lupus, Norma, Ara, and Corona Australis.
Scorpio belongs to the water signs, alongside Cancer and Pisces, and to the fixed modality, alongside Taurus, Leo, and Aquarius. Modern astrology assigns Pluto as its ruling planet; traditional astrology, written before Pluto was discovered in 1930, gives that role to Mars. Either way, Scorpio gets a reputation for depth and force.
The Mythology of Scorpio
Scorpio appears in many Greek myths, nearly always causing the downfall of Orion, the hunter. According to the most popular version of the tale, Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, grew angry with Orion when he boasted that he could kill every animal on the Earth. Artemis sent a scorpion to punish Orion for his pride, and though Orion fought bravely, the scorpion eventually bested the hunter. In memory of their epic struggle, and as a caution to mortals against excessive pride, both Orion and the scorpion were immortalized in the heavens for all to see.
A second variant of the story credits Gaia, the earth goddess, with sending the scorpion. The reason is the same: Orion’s arrogance. In some retellings the gods place the two figures on opposite sides of the sky so they can never meet again, which is why the constellation Scorpius rises in the east just as Orion sets in the west. Look for it yourself on a summer evening; you can watch Orion sink as Scorpius climbs, the old chase still playing out overhead.
Scorpio Personality Traits
People born during this period have Scorpio as their sun sign. Proponents of astrological determinism believe that people born under the same sun sign share certain character traits. Scorpios are most often described as intense, passionate, observant, dynamic, determined, intuitive, powerful, and magnetic. Astrology writers tend to add words like secretive, loyal, ambitious, and resourceful to the list.
Take that list with the measured caveat astrology has always invited. Scientific studies have not found a reliable link between birth month and personality, so treat sun-sign descriptions as a starting point for self-reflection rather than a forecast. The traits below are the ones astrologers use most often.
- Strengths: passionate, loyal, perceptive, brave, resourceful
- Challenges: jealous, secretive, slow to forgive, fond of control
- Best with: Cancer and Pisces (fellow water signs), and earthy Capricorn or Virgo
- Lucky color: deep red and black
- Lucky day: Tuesday, named for Mars, the traditional ruler
The Scorpio Constellation
Scorpius is one of the most easily recognized constellations in the entire zodiac, because it actually looks like its namesake. Trace the curve of stars from the claws, down through the body, and out to the hooked tail with its stinger, and the scorpion shows up plainly. According to NASA, the region is rich with deep-sky treasures because it sits along the band of the Milky Way.
Scorpio is an exceptionally dramatic constellation containing several bright stars, including Antares, Graffias, Dschubba, Sargas, Shaula, Jabbah, Girtab, Iclil, Alniyat, and Lesath. Antares is the headline act: a red supergiant roughly 550 light-years away, marking the scorpion’s heart with a steady reddish glow at apparent magnitude 1.0. The name Antares means “rival of Mars,” a nod to its color and its old astrological ruler.
Scorpio also contains several Messier Objects, bright deep sky objects identified primarily by French astronomer Charles Messier during the 18th Century. The standouts inside the scorpion are:
- M6, the Butterfly Cluster: an open cluster of young, hot stars whose pattern suggests outspread wings.
- M7, the Ptolemy Cluster: named for the second-century astronomer who first cataloged it, and one of the easiest open clusters to spot with the naked eye.
- M4: a globular cluster that sits very close to Antares in the sky and ranks among the closest globular clusters to Earth, at roughly 7,200 light-years.
- M80: a dense, distant globular cluster that appears as a comet-like smudge in small telescopes.
For Northern Hemisphere observers, Scorpius rides low in the southern sky on summer evenings. Pick a dark night in July or August, find Antares, and the rest of the scorpion unfolds from there. From the Southern Hemisphere, the constellation passes nearly overhead. Our monthly stargazing guides show you what else is up alongside it.
Scorpio Compatibility
Compatibility is the question almost every horoscope reader gets to eventually. Traditional astrology pairs Scorpio most easily with the other two water signs, Cancer and Pisces, because all three are said to share an emotional, intuitive register. Earth signs like Capricorn, Virgo, and Taurus often show up as steady, grounding matches. Aquarius and Leo, both fixed signs, can clash with Scorpio’s intensity. As always, take a pinch of salt with the chart and trust the person in front of you more than the sign on their birthday.
Scorpio Birthstones
Because Scorpio straddles two calendar months, it carries two traditional birthstones. October Scorpios claim the opal, a stone admired for its shifting rainbow of color. November Scorpios claim the topaz, traditionally a warm golden yellow, though the gem also occurs in blue and pink. Modern jewelers sometimes substitute tourmaline for October and citrine for November, but the older almanac lists hold to opal and topaz.
Famous Scorpios
The Scorpio birthday window catches a long list of notable figures. The names below are gathered from public birth records, not from any claim that being a Scorpio shaped their lives.
- Marie Curie, born November 7, 1867, two-time Nobel laureate in physics and chemistry
- Theodore Roosevelt, born October 27, 1858, 26th president of the United States
- Pablo Picasso, born October 25, 1881, co-founder of Cubism
- Hillary Clinton, born October 26, 1947, former U.S. secretary of state
- Bill Gates, born October 28, 1955, co-founder of Microsoft
- Georgia O’Keeffe, born November 15, 1887, American modernist painter
Astronomy vs. Astrology: A Word About Scorpio
Here is the part most horoscope columns leave out. The Western zodiac was set roughly 2,000 years ago, and the sky has shifted since. Because Earth wobbles on its axis in a slow motion called precession, the constellations no longer line up with the calendar dates astrologers use. Today, when the tropical sun is officially “in Scorpio” from October 23 to November 21, the actual constellation behind the sun is mostly Libra, with a brief pass through Scorpius and a longer stretch through Ophiuchus. According to Britannica, this offset is why modern astronomy and traditional astrology no longer agree on which sign the sun is in. For more on the difference, see our guide to astronomy versus astrology.
This is folklore-and-astronomy territory, not a forecast. Astrology is a tradition with a long cultural pull and a useful vocabulary for self-reflection; astronomy is the science of what’s actually in the sky. The Almanac respects both and pretends to be neither.
Frequently Asked Questions About Scorpio
What are the Scorpio zodiac sign dates?
The Scorpio zodiac sign runs from October 23 to November 21 each year. The exact moment the sun enters Scorpio shifts by a few hours from year to year, so people born on the cusp may want to check a precise ephemeris for their birth date and time.
What is the Scorpio symbol?
The Scorpio symbol is the scorpion, drawn as the glyph ♏. The shape echoes a curling tail with a stinger at the tip, a fitting picture of the constellation’s most recognizable feature.
What element and planet rule Scorpio?
Scorpio is a water sign and a fixed sign. Modern astrology names Pluto as its ruling planet; traditional astrology, written before Pluto was discovered in 1930, gives that role to Mars. You will see both attributions in print today.
What is the brightest star in the Scorpio constellation?
Antares, a red supergiant roughly 550 light-years away, is the brightest star in Scorpius and marks the scorpion’s heart. It shines at apparent magnitude 1.0 with a noticeable reddish color. The name means “rival of Mars,” because the two often look alike in the sky.
Is Scorpio really in the sky when the sun is “in” Scorpio?
Not quite. Because of the slow wobble of Earth’s axis called precession, the calendar dates astrology uses no longer match the actual constellation behind the sun. During the astrological Scorpio window from October 23 to November 21, the sun is mostly inside the constellation of Libra, with a brief crossing of Scorpius and a longer pass through Ophiuchus.
Are Scorpio personality traits backed by science?
No. Scientific studies have not found a reliable link between birth month and personality. The traits astrologers attach to Scorpio, passionate, secretive, magnetic, intense, are part of a long cultural tradition and can be useful for self-reflection, but they aren’t a forecast of behavior.
When can I see the Scorpius constellation?
From the Northern Hemisphere, Scorpius is best viewed on summer evenings, especially in July and August, low in the southern sky. The Greek myth places it opposite Orion, so the scorpion rises in the east as Orion sets in the west. From the Southern Hemisphere it passes nearly overhead and is far easier to trace.
Join The Discussion
Have you ever seen the Scorpius constellation in the sky?
Is Scorpio your zodiac sign?
Do you believe in the character traits listed above?
Let us know in the comments below!
Related Articles
- Astronomy vs. Astrology
- What Is Your Zodiac Sign?
- Monthly Stargazing Guides
- October Birthstone: Opal
- November Birthstone: Topaz
- When Is Halloween?
This article was published by the Staff at FarmersAlmanac.com. Any questions? Contact us at questions@farmersalmananac.com.
- Farmers' Almanac Staff
- Farmers' Almanac Staff
- Farmers' Almanac Staff
- Farmers' Almanac Staff
I am a Scorpio daughter from 2 Scorpio parents!! yikes!! Imagine what kind of intense and drama filled childhood I had. I wish that everyone had an
element of Scorpio within themselves. It would make the world go round….whee
I am a Scorpio and enjoy reading my horoscope each day. Thank you for the information. I had never seen the (sort of) letter M as the Scorpio sign, now I use it as my profile picture on several web sites. Thanks again.
That’s my zodiac sign, & it’s somewhat true about me.
Actually, I’m one. People sort of write me off as a harmless nerd till they hear that, after which they look at me funny. I really am a harmless nerd, though, and enough of a horticultural bore I’ve been called Sorgha the Geek. So much for astrological determinism!
Thank you for the information on Scorpios. I have 6 family members under this sign. Very interesting to learn something about this. Take care and thank you again for all of the valuable information you provide us.