What to Know About Scorpio, the Sexiest, Scariest Sign

Meet the most intense, polarizing zodiac sign: Scorpio. This water sign doesn’t do anything casually. They’re known for being obsessive, determined, and loyal. If they set a goal, they’ll pursue it with a single-minded focus that’s, frankly, frightening. If you cross them, they’ll hold a grudge for life—and maybe get revenge years down the line, when you’re least expecting it. Scorpios tend to be proud of their bad reputation; it’s as if their aura is always wearing a (metaphorical) black leather jacket. And yes, I’m a Scorpio myself.

Your Scorpio cheat sheet

• Dates: October 23 to November 21
• Element: water
• Modality: fixed
• Ruler: Pluto (modern) and Mars (traditional)
• Keywords: obsessive, loyal, intense, mysterious, emotional

Scorpio’s personality traits

Scorpio is a water sign, but they’re very different from their water sign siblings, Cancer and Pisces. Water signs are characterized by their deep emotions. (You could say that’s why they’re called water signs—because of all the tears.) Scorpios do feel everything profoundly, but they’re much more guarded than the other water signs. They’ll cry over a perceived slight, but they’ll do it in private. In public, they’ll present a stoic exterior. Later, they’ll get revenge.

To those who don’t know them well, Scorpios can seem guarded, aloof, and even stuck-up. Like the scorpion, they have a hard exterior shell. If you’re lucky enough to be one of the trusted few who makes it into a Scorpio’s inner circle, you’ll soon see a whole different side to their personality. And once you’re in a Scorpio’s inner circle, you’re in there for life (unless you do something really wrong). As a fixed sign, Scorpio is one of the most loyal signs of the zodiac.

Ruled by Pluto, the planet of death and rebirth, Scorpios tend to be fascinated with dark, taboo subjects. To outsiders, they might seem morbid. But for Scorpios, learning about the darkest parts of life can help them appreciate the rest. They’d rather approach the world with open eyes than ignore the worst of their surroundings.

Scorpio’s strengths

Scorpios are one of the most perceptive signs of the zodiac. They can see through fake niceties and decode corporate speak to divine the hidden truth. Their intuition and their intelligence mean that they can seem almost psychic at times. But they can’t see the future; they’re just excellent at reading people.

Another one of Scorpio’s best traits is their loyalty. While they often keep acquaintances at arm’s length, they make excellent close friends and romantic partners. They’ll listen to you pour your heart out without judging or giving advice; they’ll remember the little details that are important to you; and they’ll always be on your side.

Romantic partners will appreciate Scorpio’s sexy side. Their sign is associated with sex and reproduction, and this part of life is important to many Scorpios. They’re often fascinated by sex, which means they’re usually down to try most things at least once.

Scorpio’s weaknesses

That protective shell can be a weakness. Scorpios have a hard time letting other people in, which means that they can miss out on potentially meaningful friendships and romances. They’re always on their guard, even when there’s no real need to be.

Many Scorpios are proud of our grudge-holding and thirst for revenge, but there are times when we can take it too far. That girl who didn’t invite you to her third-grade party? She’s probably forgotten all about the drama by now, so there’s no need to look at her Instagram once a year to make sure she’s not doing better than you are.

Scorpio compatibility

Scorpio is compatible with their fellow water signs, Cancer and Pisces, as well as other Scorpios. All three are emotional, intuitive, and creative. Together, they can write love poems to each other. For a different kind of connection, Scorpio can be compatible with their opposite sign, Taurus. Taurus can help ground Scorpio, while Scorpio can encourage Taurus to break up their slow-and-steady approach to life from time to time.

Scorpio careers

Scorpio’s perceptive nature makes them well-suited for careers that involve figuring out secrets: journalist, detective, psychologist, forensic accountant, lawyer, and so on. But Scorpios are also very ambitious, so they can achieve success in most fields if they set their mind to it.

Advice for Scorpio

As a Scorpio, I can say this: Sometimes it’s not that serious. As a group, we could learn to lighten up a little. If Scorpios can learn to let things go, that free time and energy can be invested in much more interesting and productive areas.