Scorpio is the third constellation of the zodiac and is the image of a venomous scorpion. Scorpio also associates with the smaller constellations (Decans) Ophiucus, Serpens and Corona Borealis. In today’s horoscope if you are born between October 24 and November 22 you are a Scorpio. In this modern horoscope reading of the zodiac, you follow the horoscope advice for Scorpio to find love, good luck, and health and gain insight into your personality.
But did the ancients read it this way at its beginning?
Be Warned! Answering this will open up your horoscope in unexpected ways – embarking you on a different journey than you intended when just checking your horoscope sign…
Where did Scorpio Originate?
Here is a picture of the stars forming Scorpio. Can you see a scorpion in this photo of the stars? You’d need a lot of imagination!
Even if we connect the stars in ‘Scorpio’ with lines it is still hard to see the scorpion. But this sign goes back as far as we know in human history.
Here is the zodiac in the Dendera Temple of Egypt, more than 2000 years old, with the image of the scorpion in this zodiac circled in red.
The National Geographic poster of the zodiac shows Scorpio as seen in the Southern Hemisphere. Even though National Geographic connected stars forming Scorpio with lines it is still hard to ‘see’ a scorpion in this star constellation.
As with the other constellations, the Scorpio constellation of a scorpion ready to strike was not created from the stars themselves. Rather, the idea of the striking scorpion came first. The first astrologers then overlaid this idea onto the stars to be a recurring sign. The ancients could point out Scorpio to their children and tell them the story associated with it.
The Ancient Zodiac Story
Thus the Zodiac constellations together form a Story – an astrological story written with the stars. The Sign of Scorpio is the third chapter of twelve. We saw in Virgo that both the Quran and Bible state that Allah made the constellations. So the Story is His and was given at the beginning of human history. It is this Astrology story that the first humans read in what we now know as the zodiac.
So the original zodiac was not a horoscope to guide your daily decisions to good luck, health, love and fortune based on the date of your birth and the movement of the planets. It was a guide by Allah to show us the Straight Way and was recorded with the zodiac constellations so they could be seen and remembered by people every night. The Story started with the promise of the seed of the Virgin in Virgo. It continued with the weighing scales of Libra, declaring that our balance of deeds is too light for the Kingdom of Heaven. A price must be paid to redeem our light deeds.
Scorpio in the Ancient Zodiac Story
But who is demanding this payment? Scorpio shows us and reveals the heavenly conflict between the Seed of Virgo and the scorpion. To understand this conflict we must see Scorpio along with its Decan (an accompanying constellation connected to it) Ophiuchus.
The constellation pictures a gigantic scorpion (Scorpio) trying to sting a mighty man (Ophiuchus) in the heel, while Ophiuchus is trampling on the scorpion and simultaneously wrestling a coiled serpent. This gigantic scorpion has its tail uplifted in anger, ready to strike the man’s foot. This sign tells us that this conflict is to the death. In Scorpio, we begin to learn the nature of the payment to ransom us from Libra, the scales of justice. Scorpio and the Serpent (Serpens) are two images of the same adversary – Shaytan.
This sign in the stars repeats the promise given as a Sign to Hazrat Adam in the garden of Paradise and recorded in the Taurat when the LORD told Shaytan (who was in the form of a serpent) concerning the Seed of Virgo
“… you will strike his heel and he will crush your head”
(Genesis 3:15)
The scorpion struck the heel when the prophet Isa al Masih PBUH was crucified on the cross, but the scorpion suffered mortal defeat when the prophet rose from death three days later. The constellations Scorpio, Ophiuchus and Serpens foretold this long before through the One who arranged them in the heavens.
Conflict with Scorpio remembered by others
This promised conflict that began in the Garden and reached its climax on the cross was remembered by many ancient cultures.
These two images show how both the ancient Egyptians and Babylonians remembered Adam and Eve in Paradise and also the promise of the crushing of the head of the serpent. The ancient Greeks remembered this through Scorpio.
…you can trace the starlit Ophiuchus himself: so brightly set beneath his head appear his gleaming shoulders. … his hands … firmly clutch the Serpent, which encircles the waist of Ophiuchus, but he, steadfast with both his feet well set, tramples a huge monster, even the Scorpion, standing upright on his eye and breast.
Aratus quoting Exodus 4th Century BCE Greek poet
Serpens and the Crown in Corona Borealis
The third Decan associated with Scorpio is Corona Borealis – a crown placed above Ophiuchus and Serpens. Consider a typical astrological image of the three Scorpio decans shown together.
Both Ophiucus and Serpens are looking at The Crown – the constellation known as Corona Borealis. In fact, these two are battling for this Crown and we can see that Serpens is trying to grasp Corona Borealis.
Serpens is striving to lay hold of the Crown. This illustrates the nature of the conflict between the two. This is not only a conflict to the death, but it is also a struggle for rule and dominion. The Serpent and Ophiucus battle to determine who will have the Crown.
The Story of Scorpio – for you and me
Scorpio pictures a message for all people, not just for those born between October 24-November 22. Scorpio does not guide to more wealth or love, but from ancient times illustrated from the stars for you and me to know what great lengths our Creator would go to in order to redeem us from our light deeds, requiring a great struggle to the death, and the right to rule for the victor. ‘Ruler’ is actually the meaning of ‘Masih’.
The Scorpio Horoscope in the Writings
Since Horoscope comes from the Greek ‘Horo’ (hour) and the Prophetic writings mark important hours for us, we can note their Scorpio ‘hour’. The Scorpio horo is
31 Now is the hour (horo) for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.
I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me
John 12:31-33, 14:30
In stating ‘Now is the hour’ the Prophet marks the ‘horo’ for us. Scorpio tells us about the conflict over who will rule. Thus Isa al Masih calls Shaytan the ‘prince of this world’ and at that hour he was coming to meet him in conflict. Shaytan has a hold over us all since our balance of deeds is light. But Isa al Masih said confidently that he had ‘no hold over me’ meaning that the power of sin and death had no hold over him. That horo would test this statement as these two adversaries confronted each other.
Your Horoscope Reading from the Ancient Zodiac
So you and I can apply the Scorpio horoscope reading today with the following guidance.
Scorpio tells us that you have to serve somebody. Someone has the claim to the crown of your heart. It is not a lover, spouse or relationship that has the ultimate claim to the crown of your heart. It is either the ‘prince of this world’ or the ‘masih’ – the one who will rule the Kingdom of God. Take stock now of who has your crown. If you live to save your own life then you have given your crown to the ‘prince of this world’ and you will lose your life. Since Scorpio’s traits are to kill, steal and destroy, he is not compatible with you if he has your crown.
Examine yourself to see if you need to ‘repent’ as the Prophet Yahya so clearly taught. You can find some good examples to get a better idea of what this means. It is not the planets but your heart that will determine the outcome for you. Good examples to follow are not holy saints but ordinary people with regular traits who repented. Repentance can be done any day of the week and probably to turn it into a habit should be done on a daily basis.
Further in the Zodiac Story
The story of the struggle between the two great adversaries continues with Sagittarius, (or understood from the beginning with Virgo).
Download PDF of the Zodiac chapters as a book
To go deeper in the written story of Scorpio:
- Sign 3 of Ibrahim – sacrifice
- Sign 1 of Musa – Passover
- Where does ‘Christ’/’Masih’ come from? What does it mean?
- The Masih: Coming to Rule or be ‘Cut off’?
- Sign of the Coming Servant
- Yahya and repentance
- Isa al Masih and the Sign of Yunus
- Isa al Masih saves a Lost Traitor
- Shaytan descends to strike the Masih
- Isa al Masih & Good Friday
- Quran & History: Did Isa al Masih die?