What dates does the Sun spend in Scorpio?

Roughly October 23 to November 21. These are tropical-zodiac dates, measured from the equinox rather than from the constellation of the same name, and the exact ingress moves by up to a day or so between years because the tropical year is not a whole number of days. If a birth falls within a day of either boundary, the sign has to be computed for that specific date and time - a fixed date table will get some of those cases wrong.

Which planet rules Scorpio?

Modern Western astrology assigns Pluto as the ruler of Scorpio, but the classical rulership is Mars. The split dates to the discovery of the outer planets: Pluto was not visible to naked-eye astronomers, so every pre-telescope source uses Mars. Both attributions appear on this site because traditional and modern techniques answer different questions, and mixing the two rulerships silently is how contradictory readings get produced.

What does it mean that Scorpio is a fixed water sign?

Scorpio belongs to the water triplicity, described as cold and moist, which it shares with Cancer and Pisces. Fixed signs sit at the middle of a season, when it is most established. The pairing of one element with one modality is unique to each sign - twelve signs, four elements, three modalities - so water plus fixed identifies Scorpio and no other sign. Polarity is receptive, alternating around the zodiac so that every sign sits between its two opposites in polarity.

Which planets are strong or weak in Scorpio?

Moon is in fall here, Venus is in detriment here. Exaltation and fall are a fixed table inherited from Hellenistic astrology, not a judgment computed from the chart: they say a planet is easier or harder to work with in that sign regardless of anything else in the figure. Detriment is simply the sign opposite the one a planet rules. A planet with no listed dignity in Scorpio is called peregrine, which means unaspected by dignity rather than weak.

What are the three decans of Scorpio?

0 to 10 degrees is subruled by Scorpio (Pluto); 10 to 20 degrees is subruled by Pisces (Neptune); 20 to 30 degrees is subruled by Cancer (Moon). This is the triplicity system, where a sign's three decans go to the three signs of its own element in zodiacal order, starting with itself. A competing Chaldean system assigns decan rulers by planetary order instead and produces different rulers for the same degrees, so a decan reading is only meaningful once you know which of the two systems it came from.

Scorpio

10-23 - 11-21 · water · fixed · receptive

Dignities

Ruler: ♇ Pluto
Classical Ruler: ♂ Mars
Fall: ☽ Moon
Detriment: ♀ Venus
Symbol: Scorpion

Hellenistic tradition

Scorpio is the nocturnal domicile of Mars in pre-1781 tradition. Fixed water, traditionally tied to depth and transformation.

Modern Western reading

Modern Western astrology assigns Pluto as ruler (post-1930). Associated with depth, intensity, and transformation.

Same element

Decans

Planets in Scorpio

Compatibility with all signs

All Scorpio compatibility detail →

Questions

What dates does the Sun spend in Scorpio?: Roughly October 23 to November 21. These are tropical-zodiac dates, measured from the equinox rather than from the constellation of the same name, and the exact ingress moves by up to a day or so between years because the tropical year is not a whole number of days. If a birth falls within a day of either boundary, the sign has to be computed for that specific date and time - a fixed date table will get some of those cases wrong.
Which planet rules Scorpio?: Modern Western astrology assigns Pluto as the ruler of Scorpio, but the classical rulership is Mars. The split dates to the discovery of the outer planets: Pluto was not visible to naked-eye astronomers, so every pre-telescope source uses Mars. Both attributions appear on this site because traditional and modern techniques answer different questions, and mixing the two rulerships silently is how contradictory readings get produced.
What does it mean that Scorpio is a fixed water sign?: Scorpio belongs to the water triplicity, described as cold and moist, which it shares with Cancer and Pisces. Fixed signs sit at the middle of a season, when it is most established. The pairing of one element with one modality is unique to each sign - twelve signs, four elements, three modalities - so water plus fixed identifies Scorpio and no other sign. Polarity is receptive, alternating around the zodiac so that every sign sits between its two opposites in polarity.
Which planets are strong or weak in Scorpio?: Moon is in fall here, Venus is in detriment here. Exaltation and fall are a fixed table inherited from Hellenistic astrology, not a judgment computed from the chart: they say a planet is easier or harder to work with in that sign regardless of anything else in the figure. Detriment is simply the sign opposite the one a planet rules. A planet with no listed dignity in Scorpio is called peregrine, which means unaspected by dignity rather than weak.
What are the three decans of Scorpio?: 0 to 10 degrees is subruled by Scorpio (Pluto); 10 to 20 degrees is subruled by Pisces (Neptune); 20 to 30 degrees is subruled by Cancer (Moon). This is the triplicity system, where a sign's three decans go to the three signs of its own element in zodiacal order, starting with itself. A competing Chaldean system assigns decan rulers by planetary order instead and produces different rulers for the same degrees, so a decan reading is only meaningful once you know which of the two systems it came from.

Reference, not advice

This is cultural and astronomical reference, not personal prediction or advice.

Tropical zodiac dates are astronomical conventions. Traditional interpretations are paraphrased from primary classical and modern sources. See sources and methodology.

Sources

Last reviewed 2026-05-28.