The Shadow Side of Scorpio
[TW: This article mentions death, drugs and alcohol, and trauma. This may be triggering for survivors of trauma. This warning may also apply for any links included. While none of these subjects are gone into detail, they are mentioned, so I wanted to let readers know ahead of time].
If you’ve been following along, you’ll know that this is the latest in a series on the shadow side of each of the twelve astrological archetypes. It began with this summer’s discussion of Cancer, the cardinal water sign and shall continue this month with Scorpio, another water sign, and shall continue until we’re through.
As the sun sets on Scorpio season, I think it’s fair to say that perhaps no archetype more exemplifies the idea of the shadow than Scorpio. In and out of astrological circles, the sign of Scorpio is simultaneously revered and feared. Astrologically ruled by the planets Mars and Pluto, named for the Roman gods of war and death respectively, it’s no wonder that Scorpio is such a loaded character.
Scorpio people (those with the sun, moon or rising in Scorpio, as well as those with a strongly aspected Pluto or 8th house of the birth chart) are bound to face the darkest parts of life at some point, both within themselves and in the world around them. We all hope that these people will be able to transmute that darkness into light, or, at the very least into wisdom and compassion for others. When they choose not to or, due to circumstances, are unable to, Scorpio in their shadow can be a dark, vindictive and dangerous creature to themselves and others.
Scorpios are masters of subtext and anything that lies below the surface. They can intuit what’s going on before any words are spoken. This can get them in trouble, however, when their impressions of what was said don’t match up with what was actually said or meant. Shadow Scorpio can walk themselves into a trap wherein they don’t believe the words coming out of the other person’s mouth, instead trusting their instincts. In the case of Scorpio, their instincts are only as good as how in touch they are with their own inner demons. If they have these tamed, they’re able to hold the feeling impressions they gained from a conversation alongside the words that were spoken. This duality gives the healthy Scorpio the ability to verify if what they felt was actually true. In the case of shadow Scorpio, they are often not able to do this. Instead, they’ll get into arguments with other people about what was said versus what was actually meant, in the extreme driving people away and subconsciously validating their own internal fears.
Scorpio is deeply distrustful of people. This is probably because from a young age they have known the worst of them. They may have been betrayed physically, mentally or emotionally by those they mistakenly put trust in. Or, they watched loved ones not keep promises to themselves or to others, teaching Scorpio that all humans aren’t to be trusted, including themselves. Scorpio is then left with a demon of an inner voice, who reminds them continuously that they have to do anything they can to survive and that they’re ultimately on their own. Because of this, Scorpio’s abandonment fears are real and they’ll go out of their way to soothe these by either keeping people too close or leaving before they’re left. They’re paranoid in this way and many others.
This is tragic, however, as Scorpio is actually designed to deeply bond with other people. They crave close emotional connections with others who can assuage their fears and assure them that the world is not as bleak as it appears. While some shadow Scorpios may completely detach themselves from others in a show of resolve they don’t actually feel, others may attach themselves to partners in deeply codependent ways. This Scorpio may project upon a prospective partner the identity of an avenging angel who can pull the Scorpio out of its own darkness. This can be a lot to put on another person and while Scorpio may open up slowly to these loving ministrations, they’re internally waiting for this other person to mess up, which they will then hold against them for all eternity, striking back in revenge when the other person leasts expects it- sometimes years later.
Another manifestation of shadow Scorpio’s relationships is that of unrequited love. In some circumstances, they are drawn to forbidden love or, more commonly, people who are not actually attracted to them. Scorpio may then become obsessed with making this person love them. They’re masters of the long game in this way, willing and able to study their paramour’s every move, showing up in places that they frequent with such cleverness that the other person is bound to finally notice them. At times this manifests as the Scorpio being unwilling or unable to take no for an answer, even after the other person has written them off. Scorpios are masters of persistence and they will often refuse to give up even after the writing is on the wall.
The third manifestation of unhealthy Scorpio relationships is a decision to engage in open-ended one-night stands, something that the Scorpio archetype, without other influences to support these types of encounters, does not favor. They may convince themselves that they love casual sex or that they’re able to not become emotionally attached. However, they often betray themselves in this way and can find themselves getting hurt and feeling bitter afterwards.
Shadow Scorpio is full of fear and deeply existential anxieties. They rule over all things unseen and thus often have early encounters with death and those creatures and spirits beyond the veil. Because of this, they can often feel as if they lead a haunted existence, never sure if what they’re afraid of comes from the real world or the spirit world. They may look around the corner only to find the spirit of a long passed relative looking back on them. It’s like they’re eternally looking into a pool of frozen water, not sure who it is looking back at them.
Scorpio’s ruler, Pluto, rules over the Underworld, the land of the Dead, and Scorpio’s connection with death often happens even before they’re born. There is an astrological legend that Scorpios are often born within a year of a family death. This is supposed to illustrate a phoenix moment- when an ancestor dies, they’re never really gone, they live on within the next generation. However, Scorpio is then born with the shadow of death hanging over them and they feel this heavy burden early on. In their shadow state, this can often turn into a morbid fascination with what happens after we die. Indeed, Scorpio in their shadow can often plunge recklessly into dangerous situations as a means to try to symbolize death. Especially if they’re feeling out of control inside, they can attempt to escape through things like drugs and alcohol. They might look perfectly collected on the outside but on the inside, they really do wonder what it might feel like to die. They may obsessively talk about their death or show morbid fascinations in other ways.
Scorpio indeed lives in a realm of shadows, but they must learn how to see the beauty of the darkness and then transmute it into light. This is not easy work, which is why allowing the transformational process of healing from emotional or other types of trauma can be so painful. Scorpio individuals can highly benefit from working with a therapist who can teach them how to accept the shadows within themselves and use them in a way that showcases compassion for themselves and others. Scorpio individuals can also benefit from things like art or drama therapy, as their deep understanding of human emotions can make them excellent artists or actors. Finally, Scorpio must learn how to set boundaries for themselves so that they can learn how to trust themselves and their own intuition about others. When they are able to do this, they’re able to find people who can truly love them for who they are. In this way, Scorpio can form the types of loving relationships they crave.
Note: If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, having suicidal ideation, or is or has experienced trauma, please get in touch with a mental health professional or local crisis center.
