“The horror of that moment,” the King went on,
“I shall never, never forget!”
“You will though,” the Queen said,
“if you don’t make a memorandum of it.”
“The question is … which is to be master—that’s all.”
An encyclopedia describes a scorpion as a nocturnal arachnid that attacks and paralyzes its prey with a poison injected by the long, curved tail, used for both defense and destruction. Its sting is sometimes fatal.
People often draw back visibly when someone says he or she was born in November, murmuring, “Oh, you’re a Scorpio!” either in frank fear, or in awe and respect. Sometimes there’s also a giggle that obviously refers to the legendary Scorpio passion. Scorpios are fed up with these reactions to their Sun sign, and who can blame them? But they are ruthless and dangerous, right?
Wrong. It depends. First, you’d better learn how to recognize the sign. In self-defense perhaps—or because you seek a really superior human being.
Scorpio likes to travel incognito. Thanks to his well-controlled nature, he usually succeeds, but there are a couple of short cuts which will make it easier to penetrate his disguise at midnight or at noon.
Look at the eyes. They can be green, blue, brown or black, but they’ll be piercing with hypnotic intensity. Most people feel nervous and ill at ease under Scorpio’s steady gaze. You’ll have to break the spell and look away first. He’ll outstare you every time. It’s a foolproof identification of the Pluto personality. Scorpio eyes bore deeply into you, mercilessly, as if they’re penetrating your very soul. They are.
Next, listen to him speak. The tone can be velvety soft, husky or sharply cutting, the speech slow and measured or clipped and staccato, but what he says will never be self-effacing. Scorpio has total ego. He knows what he is and he knows what he is not, and nothing anyone else thinks will change this knowledge. Insults roll right off his back, and compliments don’t move him a fraction of an inch. He needs no one to tell him his vices or his virtues. At best, he’ll calmly agree with your appraisal; at worst, he’ll suspect your motives.
The next time you’re with a group of people, bring up a discussion of Sun signs. Mention that, with a little practice, it’s fairly easy to recognize them. When someone fastens you with a hypnotic gaze, and states with supreme confidence, “You can’t guess what I am,” say firmly, “You’re a Scorpio.” It may be the first time he’s ever blinked. But his stare will waver only for an instant, and he’ll quickly regain the cool composure he exhibited before you exposed his careful disguise. If you ever come across a chattering Scorpio, whose eyes wander, chalk him up as an astrological exception as rare as the dodo bird. There are some November people with heavy planetary influences of restlessness in their nativities, but you’re trying to learn to recognize the typical Scorpio. You’ll find very few of the nervous kind. The nature can be modified by other natal influences, but only slightly.
Most Pluto people have powerful physiques. The features are noticeably heavy or sharp, and clearly drawn, and the nose is quite prominent, sometimes beak-shaped. Ordinarily, the complexion is very pale, almost translucent, and the brows are heavy and knit together over the bridge of the nose. There’s a crackling, electric vitality about the very presence of a Scorpio that gives him away. As quiet as he tries to be, such a vital force can’t be hidden completely. The males will have a heavy growth of hair on the arms and legs, often with a reddish cast. Most Scorpios have darkish hair and eyes, but don’t overlook the frosty blonde types, of which Hilary Clinton and Billy Graham are excellent examples. Frosty on the outside, that is. The poised surface calm of the Pluto character is carefully designed to hide the boiling inner nature.
Such mastery of the personality has to be envied. No matter how his emotions are stirred, you’ll rarely see them reflected on Scorpio’s frozen, immobile face. These people proudly and consciously practice a blank expression. They command their features to remain firm, and their features obey. (They wouldn’t dare disobey a Scorpio.) You’ll seldom see Scorpio give himself away by blushing or flushing, frowning or grinning. Smiles are rare, but genuine. The body follows the same orders as the face. There will rarely be any jumping, sudden starts or nervous mannerisms. He’ll never flinch with embarrassment or swell up with pride. Reaction is always kept at a bare minimum, because Scorpio’s art is to probe your nature and motives relentlessly, while remaining inscrutable himself, and he’s an expert at it.
It’s important to remember that there is a particular type of Scorpio who moves and speaks rather quickly, and appears to have an open, friendly manner. Look deeply into his eyes and really think about some of his past actions, his true behavior. He’s really just playing a game with all his happy talk. Inside, he’s as tough and determined as the more typical, poised Pluto people. Perhaps he’s even a shade more dangerous because his disguise is better, and he fools you more easily. Start treating him as Charlie-nice-guy, who’s completely harmless, and you may be courting some trouble. Be on guard with all Scorpios. I don’t mean they’re wicked. They’re just not soft or naive. Some Scorpios, realizing that their eyes expose their inner intensity, wear sunglasses frequently, even at night.
Remark to a Scorpio that he has a great talent, which will someday be recognized, and he smoothly, casually replies, “Yes. I know.” Ask him if he’ll do you a favor, and the answer will be equally simple. “Yes, of course I will,” or “No, I can’t do that.”
If you’re sensitive, don’t ask his opinion or advice. You’ll get the naked, brutal truth. You asked him, he’ll tell you. Scorpio will not pay a false compliment to gain a point or win an ally. It’s beneath him to flatter. When he says something nice to you, treasure it. You can be sure it’s sincere and unvarnished. If he says you have a good voice, stop singing in the shower and grab a microphone. If he says you have a great voice, you can safely audition for the Met. He may even effortlessly move a few mountains out of your way to help you along. Don’t believe everything you hear about Scorpio selfishness. Instead, listen to some of the grateful people who have been on the receiving end of his wise counsel and generosity. Scorpio naturally attracts either fiercely loyal and dedicated admirers, or envious and spiteful enemies. But even the latter give him grudging respect, and you’ll notice they’re careful not to challenge him openly. The examples of the few who did are vivid and painful reminders that caution is required in an attack against Scorpio and his planet, Pluto. Remember that Pluto rules nuclear power.
Yet, there’s a haunting sweetness about these people, and often a gentle sympathy with the sick or despairing. Scorpio’s touch can be cool and tender, as well as hot. His Sun position gives him several paths to follow. He can imitate the nocturnal scorpion, who will sting others and even sting himself to death for the pure pleasure of stinging—or he can imitate the glorious, soaring path of his symbolic eagle, who rises above earthly limitations, and uses his strength wisely and justly. Great generals like Douglas MacArthur, presidents like Theodore Roosevelt and scientists like Madame Curie and Jonas Salk are eagles. More United States presidents have been born under this sign than any other.
As for the nocturnal scorpions, you may have been stung by a few yourself. Ancient astrology refers to them as serpents. It’s not hard to guess which category the ones you meet belong to. A few Pluto people fall somewhere between the eagle and the stinging scorpion, victims of their own black magic. These are the gray lizards. With them, supreme self sacrifice becomes neurotic concern about the self, and psychic abilities become fearful apprehensions of the lurking evils which may strike at any moment. Forceful courage twists itself around, and instead of seeking the ruthless revenge of the stinger scorpions—or rising above such bitterness like the eagles—they bitterly withdraw in tangled hatreds at each minor injury, hoping fate will punish their enemies, almost unconsciously willing destruction without direct action.
The gray lizards fail to draw on the power of Pluto in their natures—power that could lift them high above all the unfortunate circumstances that surround them. In the very teeth of tragedy, this awesome inner strength could give them a new life in the sunlight. But they seek the dark shadows and lie dormant, a pathetic waste of the brilliant potential of their birthright. Still, Scorpio can never slide deep enough into the slime of bitter depression to completely lose the power of Pluto. It’s never too late for the gray lizard to transform himself into an eagle. That kind of deep magic belongs exclusively to every person born under the Sun sign of Scorpio. All they need do is to call on it.
Typical eagles have no fear. In battle they’ll lead their men into the very face of death without a tremor. Even the average Pluto man or woman bravely faces anything from physical pain and poverty to ridicule and failure with a proud contempt and complete confidence in an inner ability to overcome any blow.
Scorpio is intensely loyal to friends. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” Some of them do this literally, for friends, relatives or loved ones—in battle or in a civilian crisis. The Scorpio soldier leaps instantly, instinctively, to brave the bullets and drag his buddy to safety. The Scorpio fireman gives his life to rescue the child in the burning building. Sometimes it seems Pluto people unconsciously seek violence deliberately, as a challenge to their strength.
Scorpio never forgets a gift or a kindness, and it’s richly rewarded. Conversely, he also remembers an injury or an injustice, but there are different ways of reacting. The eagle will crush the enemy, so the enemy learns never to hurt him again, wins the fight, and leaves the defeated to go his own way. The deadly nocturnal scorpion will first sting, then plan destruction, then sting again. He’s not content with merely evening the score. He must totally destroy the enemy, or at least top him. The typical scorpion stinger will lie awake nights figuring how to get even. If a neighbor deliberately scrapes his fender, he’ll scrape two fenders on the neighbor’s car the next day, and maybe drive over his carefully pruned hedges for good measure. These scorpions are seldom content with forcing the shoe on the other foot to teach enemies how it feels. They glue the sandal on with cement. However, with the gray lizards, Pluto revenge takes the form of bitterness held inside for years, which inevitably causes deep melancholy or actual, lingering physical illness. Seething Scorpio resentment, turned inward and never expressed, poisons with deadly certainty. Turned outward, it can create guilt, because the stinger scorpion is ashamed to harm the defenseless, when all is said and done. Therefore, it should be turned neither way—inward nor outward. It should be conquered by looking up and forgetting, like the eagle—never by looking back in anger and retaliation.
The Scorpio health picture is typical of his nature. He can destroy his body with excesses, melancholy or hard work. But he can also build it back at will from a critical illness. Pluto’s power is that strong. Scorpios are seldom sick, but when they are, it’s usually serious. A long rest and a change of attitude, with peaceful acceptance replacing burning resentment, are the best cures. They can’t let well enough alone, and of course they know more than the doctor and all the nurses. The chief areas of attack for germs and accidents are the reproductive organs, the nose, the throat, the heart, spine, back, circulatory system, legs and ankles. Varicose veins and accidents in sports are common. They should avoid fire, explosives, noxious fumes and radiation. Yet, you’ll find lots of them seek occupations that flirt with danger along these very lines. Sometimes they have chronic nose bleeds, or surgery is performed on the nose for some reason.
Scorpio is deeply interested in religion, intensely curious about all phases of life and death, passionately concerned with sex and violently drawn by a desire to reform. Yet he’s also heroic, dedicated to ties of family and love, and gently protective of children and weaker souls. He can be a saint or a sinner. He can experiment with the darkest mysteries this side of Hades, or he can scathingly revile sin and decadence. Whether he emotes from a pulpit, at a business meeting, or from a stage, his hypnotic appeal pierces through his audience, literally transfixing or transfiguring them. It’s really rather frightening. Even if the Scorpio has temporarily allowed bitterness, drink or melancholy to drag him into the Bowery, you can bet your old copy of Dante’s Inferno that the other bums will clear a path when they see him coming.
He’s fiercely possessive of what he believes to be his, including success, but his ambition is never obvious. He quietly waits for the chance to move ahead all the while he serves, knowing he is qualified for the position above him. He takes control slowly, but very surely. Scorpio can do just about anything he wants to do. If he really wants it, it’s most definitely no longer a dream. The dark, magical and mysterious power of Pluto turns desire into reality with cool, careful, fixed intent.
Although a morbid desire to know the worst of sick and depraved humanity can create a gray lizard, who dabbles in drugs and cruelty, he can reverse the path to a life of medicine, where drastic treatments with the same symbols have a deep fascination for him. Although many of the rumored sadistic surgeons are Scorpios, it’s equally true that many of the finest medical men in the entire world are inspired by Pluto to heal both the mind and the body, diagnosing and treating with strange, inscrutable knowledge. Scorpio was born knowing the secrets of life and death, and with the ability to conquer both if he chooses. But astrology constantly advises him that “he must know that he knows.” The ancient mysteries fascinate his brilliant mind. Out of his powerful empathy with human nature grows the outstanding detective, the composer of great musical works, literature of depth and permanence, or the actor who projects with unusual dramatic intensity. Sometimes he lives alone, near the sea, as strong and as silent as the tides. Sometimes he faces the public, wearing a mask of calm reserve and control, to hide his intense desire to win. He can be a politician or a television star, an undertaker or a bartender, but he’ll manage to top all his competitors. And he’ll do it so effortlessly, it will seem like an act of fate rather than his own powerful will.
One of the strangest patterns in astrology is the death of a relative in the family within either a year before or the year after the birth of a Scorpio. And when a Scorpio dies, there will be a birth in the family within the year before or the year after. It happens at least ninety-five percent of the time. Pluto’s symbol is the triumphant phoenix, rising from its own smoldering ashes, and Scorpio personifies the resurrection from the grave. Both the gray lizards and the stinging scorpions can become proud eagles, without ever revealing the secret of their sorcery. No use to ask—Scorpio will never tell. But he knows the eternal truth of the circle contained in the symbolic zero.
November’s thistle is dangerous, yet it grows entwined with the heavy, languid beauty of the Scorpio honeysuckle. Have you ever inhaled that sweet, overwhelming fragrance on a still midsummer’s night? Then you will know why there are those who brave the thistles to seek the gentleness of Scorpio—exquisite gentleness. The explosive passion of Pluto has the rich, dark red wine color of the bloodstone. But Scorpio steel is tempered in a furnace of unbearable heat until it emerges cool, satiny smooth—and strong enough to control the nine spiritual fires of Scorpio’s wisdom.
Famous Scorpio Personalities
| Marie Antoinette | George Eliot | Calvin Klein |
| Pat Buchanan | Sally Field | Jawaharlal Hehru |
| Richard Burton | Jodie Foster | Mike Nichols |
| Albert Camus | Indira Gandhi | Pablo Picasso |
| Hilary Clinton | Bill Gates | Julia Roberts |
| Nadia Comaneci | Nadine Gordimer | Theodore Roosevelt |
| Chiang Kai-shek | Billy Graham | Jonas Salk |
| Prince Charles of Wales | Grace Kelly | Maria Shriver |
| Madame Curie | Robert Kennedy | Condoleezza Rice |
| Charles DeGaulle | Larry King | Ted Turner |
And her eyes immediately met those
of a large, blue caterpillar
that was sitting on the top with its arms folded, quietly
smoking a long hookah …
The caterpillar and Alice
looked at each other in silence.
If you’re in love with a Scorpio male and the word passion frightens you, put on your track shoes and run as if King Kong were pursuing you. He is.
I’m not speaking of romantic passion alone, though that may be at the head of the list. I also refer to passionate intensity about politics, work, friendship, religion, food, relatives, children, clothing, life, death and any other categories you can think up. A Scorpio man is not exactly what your psyche needs if you’re repelled by emotional excess. Don’t look back. Just run.
You’ll think I’ve taken leave of my senses, if you’ve just met that particular Pluto person. He’s so calm and steady. How could anyone with such obvious self-control be passionate, let alone dangerously so? How indeed. Because he’s only bluffing with the surface cool. Inside, his passions are as red hot as that stove you burned your hand on when you were three or four years old and getting into things out of your reach. This man may also be out of reach. He’s sizzling underneath his deceptively controlled manner. Don’t touch. You know perfectly well how long it takes for burns to heal. Remember? Your hand was stinging for weeks after that episode with the stove when you were in your Buster Browns. After this experience, your heart will burn for months, maybe years, and first aid kits will do little good. Grandma’s favorite saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” applies to both stove burns and Scorpio singes, so play it safe. Make sure you know where you’re going and with whom.
If your Sun sign gives you an asbestos, fireproof nature, go ahead and play with explosives. You may be able to keep the flames under control and have yourself a powerful fire to warm your heart for a lifetime. Perhaps you’re passionate about things yourself. Fine. Then it’s simply a matter of degree of heat. If your passion has an automatic thermostat, so it can be turned down to cool when his reads hot, you’re safe. Let’s pretend you are. The women who are in danger should be in the next state by now, if they ran fast enough. They’ll thank me someday after they’ve married a nice, safe Libran or Cancerian.
As for you women who have analyzed yourselves as safe in a Pluto relationship, let’s see if we can find what’s hidden behind those hypnotic, piercing Scorpio eyes. It’s pretty certain he hasn’t made a neutral impression on you. He’s either got you thinking he’s boyish and sweet, or that he’s wicked and passionate. (There goes that word again.) The trouble is, he’s neither. Or maybe I should say he’s both. Well, this isn’t getting us anywhere. Let’s start all over again.
In a word, this man is invincible. Just behind his frosty, reserve is a huge pot of boiling steam that bubbles and seethes continually. If you’re lucky, he’ll keep the lid on tight for a lifetime, but a deep injury can blow it right off with a brilliant explosion. It’s kind of fascinating to watch, if you’re not in its direct line of destruction. Step aside, if you feel it coming. And don’t do anything to cause it yourself.
He’ll bewilder you with his twin Scorpio traits of passion and reason. He’s master of both: intellect and emotions rule him equally. Scorpio is more than intelligent. If he’s a highly evolved specimen, he’s also deeply philosophical, concerned with mysteries of existence, and he’ll come close to knowing the answers.
There are Scorpios who can live a spartan existence in a bare room, denying themselves every comfort for some obscure, aesthetic reason, but the true nature of the sign is sensual. Normally, Scorpio will surround himself with luxury. He’ll lean toward excesses in food, drugs, drink, and yes—in love. Most assuredly in love. He’s geared for it, with confidence. Romance will never frighten him, puzzle him, or catch him unaware. It’s been on his mind ever since he rode his first bicycle. Maybe even his first tricycle. Of course, you could conceivably know a Scorpio who is so absolutely innocent-looking, with such disarming, youthful charm and lack of obvious seductive mannerisms, he’s convinced you that passion is over-rated in Pluto males. He may even have freckles, and a whole drawer full of Boy Scout merit badges. But ask his wife. Try something like, “Say, Ava—or Elizabeth—or Sarah—or whatever—is your husband, well, is he passionate?” She might summon enough dignity to tell you it’s none of your business, but your answer will most likely be hysterical laughter. Between her peals of mirth, she’ll be remembering many days of his intense, passionate declarations about air pollution, housebreaking the dog, narcotics, long hair, birth control, and many nights of … well, and many nights. This will be true even if her husband looks like Huckleberry Finn, and doesn’t even remotely resemble King Kong.
These men have an explosive temper that can strike a life-time wound. When the Scorpio lashes his deadly tail, the sting bites hard. He not only enjoys winning, he has to win. Something inside him dies when he loses, even in small ways; yet oddly enough, a Pluto man normally practices good sportsmanship. Like all his other emotions, disappointment never shows on those set features, and his reactions are rigidly controlled, including his romantic intentions. If there’s a good reason to avoid the relationship, he’ll burn inside while he’s projecting a glacial calm outwardly. He’s also capable of torturing a woman cruelly before he finally decides to grab her by the hair and drag her off to his jungle of honeysuckle vines. Naturally, there are some November fellows who will gently propose on bended knee. They’ll behave very properly, with or without a chaperone, but don’t be deceived. It’s merely the Scorpio desire to keep dignity at all cost. Your reputation must be spotless. He won’t stand for ridicule or cheapness, for all his erotic nature.
Pluto people can have either a Sunday School teacher horror of sin, an attitude which produces intensely dedicated evangelistic religious leaders, like Billy Graham, or they can be driven by curiosity to penetrate every dark corner of the human mystery. Sometimes, both attitudes are combined, resulting in the hypocrisy or self-delusion of an Elmer Gantry or a Reverend Davidson in Rain.
Every Scorpio is a law unto himself, and completely unconcerned with what others think of him. He would like to be respected as a good, solid citizen, but if it interferes with any of his intense ideas or goals, then he couldn’t care less, and those who gossip can just go to the place Pluto rules. None of his important decisions are hampered by the opinions of his friends, relatives, neighbors or enemies. I’m sorry to say, not even by you. Don’t run away yet. Such beautiful self-containment and sureness of purpose can create a mighty attractive, free spirit, who’s not always fussing about what people think. Are honesty and courage and integrity such bad bargains? They may have lost a little of their sparkle in today’s marketplace, but rub off the dust they’ve collected, and you can still get them appraised as genuine.
It’s quite an experience to see the Scorpio man operate under adversity’s black clouds. While others are mumbling and crumbling and grumbling, he is at his forceful, courageous best. He seldom wallows in envy or self-pity, and he doesn’t happen to think that life owes him a single farthing. You can just imagine how much time that saves. Instead of pouting in hurt anger when real troubles hit, he meets them head on. Conquer them? But of course. That’s what he was born to do.
One thing is a little frightening, and may require courage on your part. Scorpio loves mystery and there’s not a single one that crosses his path he won’t solve in detail. Since the eternal feminine mystery is any woman’s most potent defense and offense, being stripped naked of your mystery can leave you feeling a little exposed. You’ll scarcely have a secret left when he starts probing with those burning eyes and piercing questions.
He has high standards, and he won’t choose his friends loosely. They’ll have to measure up. This is a marvelous, rare kind of man who can share a jug of spirits and joke with rough humor among other men like a bawdy Elizabethan; then tap that deep, inscrutable nature and turn into as gentle and tender a lover as Robert Browning. If there’s anything more to ask for in a male animal, I don’t know what it might be. Submissiveness and forgiveness? Detachment and caution? That’s not fair. You knew he was short on those qualities back in the beginning.
He can be cruel sometimes, for his own, unfathomable reasons, and he may even exhibit a sadistic sense of wit by describing you as fat, dumpy, shrewish and square in front of friends. It’s his private joke. Grin, if it kills you. You’ve been warned that Scorpio is compelled to conceal his motives, and this tendency isn’t watered down in love. It may even be intensified. He’s not about to display his true emotions in front of the world like a vulnerable, smitten schoolboy. Later, when you’re alone, he’ll tell you what he really thinks.
Marriage gives you a certain security, but if he pulls some of his Pluto tricks before the knot is tied, it may hurt, and you’ll fail to get the humor. Still, don’t even think about telling him that his harsh, self-sufficient who-needs-you? game makes you feel like jumping off a bridge. The Scorpio man will just tell you to go ahead and jump. It may take a while to adjust to his personality, but it will eventually toughen you up. If you’re too soft, you’ll bruise easily with a Scorpio. Never ask him what he thinks of a new dress or hairstyle, unless you’re prepared to be stung by the brutal truth. At least you’ll know his positive statements are honest, and not pasted together with the sticky glue of bored, insincere flattery. It’s better to brave a good, healthy “You look awful,” now and then, and be rewarded by an occasional “You’re really beautiful, you know,” than to swallow a constant diet of vague remarks like: ‘Yes, dear, it’s lovely, sugar. Mmmmm—just fine, pigeon,” from other men. Don’t you think so? I do. But then, you’re the one who has to live with it.
When it comes to jealousy, you’d better tread very, very carefully. He could burn and erupt like Mount Vesuvius in its heyday if you should accidentally wink near a man when a cinder gets in your eye, and if you ever give him a real reason to be suspicious, you’re a very brave woman. But you’d better pack away your own jealous streak in the trunk, and then lock it. It will make no impression at all to drench him in angry tears or reproachful recriminations. No matter how he behaves, just say to yourself, “He loves me, and he will never discard real love for physical promiscuity. He’s loyal to his deep ties, and he’s only practicing his hypnotic art with those women.” Say it once before each meal, in the morning and at bedtime. Especially at bedtime. Women will find him irresistibly attractive, but keep remembering that if anyone is strong enough to resist such continual flattery and temptation, it’s a Scorpio. Doesn’t that make you feel better? It should. It’s true.
He’ll probably be a stern father. The children won’t get away with an ounce of lazy or frivolous behavior. He’ll teach them to respect property, but he’ll also teach them to respect themselves. Youngsters will seldom get the chance to form any false values around a Scorpio papa. Although he’ll love them with as much sincere passion as he puts into everything else he cares about, he won’t stand for any nonsense. He’ll protect them when they need it, but they’ll soon get the message that he expects them to stand alone. If they borrow money from him, he’s liable to charge them interest on it, but it’s for their own good. They may not realize that until he’s gone someday, but the lesson will eventually come home to them. Lots of children of Scorpio fathers resent his high-handed authority and tight discipline throughout childhood, and especially during the rebellious years, but as adults, they realize how lucky they were to have his firm guidance. From no other father can children learn so much truth about the way life really is. Often his offspring will find him gentle and funny; still there won’t be any question about who is boss. He’ll joke and laugh with them, and give them a sense of freedom, but the chalk line will be drawn, and they’ll know not to cross it. Even as they resent his attitude of command, the children will secretly admire his strength and try to imitate it, but occasionally it works the other way. A gentle child may feel bullied and cowed by Scorpio power, and retreat into neurotic introversion, fearing to risk his displeasure. Then you’ll have to remind him that affection and tenderness sometimes get more results than his normal, unbending, autocratic manner. Just be sure you remind him tactfully and respectfully. A Scorpio man will never allow a woman to dictate to him. Never in a million years. He is the man and you are the woman, and if you have any doubts about it, you will be set straight so surely that you’ll never need but one lesson. Yet, a Scorpio husband with a wife who truly understands him, will be tender, sympathetic, considerate, and repay her loyalty with the kind of love most women only read about and wish for.
It won’t help much to try to resist this man, once the flame has been stirred and he’s decided he wants you. He’ll hypnotize you right out of all your good intentions. The magnetism of Scorpio men is almost tangible. You feel you can reach out and touch it. When you do, you may get a surprise. It will burn you only if you’re over-sensitive and scorchable. If you’re patient and strong, it will be like touching cool marble. Girls are out of their league with him. It takes a brave woman to fly with the eagle and not crash. He can soar higher than his symbolic bright star Antares in the constellation of Scorpio, then dip down suddenly to earthy expression. Hang on tightly, but keep your eyes open wide, and you’ll see horizons with him the timid will never see. Look over there, just beyond the tall fir trees—did you ever in your whole life experience such a sunrise? Sunset will be just as grand.
“Consider anything
only don’t cry …”
The female Scorpio has a deep, mysterious beauty. She’s magnetic, proud and totally confident. But she has one secret regret. She was not born a man.
I can almost feel the heat from here when Pluto women hear about that revelation. There’s not a Scorpio female alive who doesn’t think she’s all woman, and you may wonder what I’m talking about yourself, if you’re in love with one. This woman certainly has enough glamour, and she’s enormously seductive. But I didn’t say she looked like a boy, nor did I intend to imply she doesn’t do a bang-up job of being a female. It’s just that, unconsciously, she would prefer to be a man. Less restriction—more opportunity. It’s the one secret she even hides from herself, and seeing it exposed won’t sit well with her.
Once the Scorpio female has figured out the difference between blue booties and pink booties, she’ll resign herself to wearing the pink ones, because she’s fabulous at making the best out of a situation. But pink is not her natural color. The true shade of her nature is dark maroon, or deep wine-red, not a female color at all. However, to give her proper tribute, she’s able to make you think it is. I know one who’s great at pretending to be a fragile, fluffy kitten. She purrs so contentedly, most men guess she’s an ultra-feminine Piscean. They topple into her trap and wake up later, sadder but wiser. She is no kitten.
Scorpio women have a scornful contempt for members of their sex who flop in the roles of sweetheart, wife and mother, once they’re stuck with the roles. A Pluto woman will control her desire to dominate, while she gives a glorious performance of womanhood, and she’ll do it with more finesse than the masculine Aries, Leo or Sagittarius woman. At least she’ll do it during courtship. There may be a few cases when the unsuspecting male gets a rude surprise after he shakes the rice out of his shoes and the illusions out of his eyes. Unlike the Mars female, for example, a Scorpio will subdue her drive and magnetize a man with the heavy perfume of her exotic glance, as she allows him to use his lighter to ignite her cigarette. That’s far sexier than aggressively striking a match herself and blowing the smoke in his face, and she knows it. She knows lots more. Another girl might rush headlong into your arms and shout her love from the rooftops. The Scorpio woman walks toward you slowly, seductively, and silently delivers her private message. It’s puzzling, but these women can look seductive in jeans, jodhpurs or basketball shoes. Maybe it’s her husky voice that creates the image. I know one who wore a baseball cap (honest) the entire time her future husband was courting her, and she spent a lot of time talking about batting averages. But she was as seductive as Mata Hari just the same, and she got her man. (He was hypnotized, as usual.)
You can give her a tumble, but she won’t fall all over herself reacting to your overtures. Don’t expect her to bat long, sweeping eyelashes at you, and adore you with blind devotion. Lots of female Scorpios are tomboys with stubby eyelashes. Besides, with those beautiful, mysterious eyes that can read your mind so clearly, she doesn’t need any extra trimming. Whisper something romantic that would melt another woman out of her senses, and the Scorpio will simply give you an intense, penetrating look that will see right straight through to your real intentions. She’s a human X-ray machine, so don’t flirt. Unless you mean business, you’re wasting her time and insulting her. I wouldn’t advise you to insult a Scorpio. It’s just not healthy. If you don’t know what I mean, ask someone who has. He may have some stories to tell that will curl your hair.
I’m well aware that this dangerous femme fatale can hide her power of retaliation with a tremulous smile, gentle mannerisms, and the most breathless voice this side of an angel. But astrologers are expected to be up on these things. It’s more important for you to be well aware. After all, you’re the one who’s seeking to tame her—or protect yourself against her—whichever. Probably both.
You can be sure that heaven certainly has no fury like that of a Scorpio woman who’s lost her normal steady control over those inward, seething, Pluto emotions. She can be overbearing and domineering, sarcastic and frigid—then turn as hot as an oven at 500 degrees Fahrenheit. She can hate with bitter venom and love with fierce abandon. She can shriek like a furious banshee or whisper like an affectionate turtle dove. One thing you can be sure of—she’s never wishy-washy.
The Scorpio woman has a disconcerting gift that can make icy shivers run up your spine. It’s a peculiar form of black magic, and she weaves it so expertly, it can seem like real witchcraft. You have very little chance to escape, once her eyes meet yours. Because of her mystical sixth sense, she can often recognize a future mate at first glance, and somehow, she’ll transfer this perception instantly. You’ll have one of two reactions. You’ll be hopelessly caught in her spell, and down you’ll go, in a dizzy spin toward surrender, or you’ll be scared right out of your socks, and feel like running for help. What’s your rush?
Stay around awhile. You might find out what life is all about. She knows. And she’ll teach you. Anyway, you should be flattered that she considers you worth that strange gaze. A Scorpio woman can’t excuse weakness in a man. She looks for ambition and courage. She wants a mate who can dominate her and make her proud, without disturbing her secret individuality. He’s expected to be strong, masculine and better-looking than average. A high degree of intelligence is required to match her own excellent mind, plus more than a passing acquaintance with abstract, philosophical wisdom. So put your socks back on and practice a superior smirk. Everybody you know will think you’re pretty super to have her staring at you. The men and women both. It could open new vistas, when you think about it. Your personal stock should zoom several points higher than it was before she noticed you.
Having once achieved closeness with a female Scorpio, you can be positive you’re a unique and unusual man. You can also be sure that her love for you is unmatched by any you’ll ever experience—and you can take that in several ways. You’ll be the most important interest in her life. If she’s a typical Pluto, she’ll boost you loyally, and try to please you with passionate intensity. If you’re too hard to please, she’ll show her frustration with passionate attempts to conquer your disinterest.
The word “passionate” probably caught your eye. Most men have heard exciting rumors about the passion of November females. It’s true. She’s brimming over inside with passion, though it’s kept under rigid control by a poised, frosty attitude toward strangers, and a surface smoothness suggestive of black velvet. But the male sex is too inclined to relate passion strictly to romantic action; and that’s selling her short, because Pluto’s definition of the word is far more encompassing. It’s involved with her feelings about everything she touches. She’s never just slightly interested. It’s impossible for her to be detached or casual. She seldom likes or dislikes a play, a book, religion, furniture or people. She either bitterly resents or she intensely worships. If one of these two passions can’t be aroused, then she totally ignores, with ice around the edges. Yet, through it all, she’ll remain essentially untouched by emotional storms, judging at least from her placid exterior, which always drapes itself around her after each minor or major nuclear explosion. It may be difficult to convince your mother-in-law that her daughter really broke all those dishes and tore all those draperies to shreds after the fury has subsided and her black velvet poise has returned. People may look at you as if you’re a character assassinator. What do you mean? Shame on you, accusing that cool, controlled, lovely lady of such a temper. You have my sympathy, if that’s any help.
She has such fabulous virtues, you might know her vices wouldn’t be skimpy, either. So think about her good points. All right, then, think about her good points after that lump on your head has healed.
Because she’s drawn to investigation of the shadows, she may at first seem to be tempting, forbidden fruit, and the deep, strange expression in her eyes intensifies the impression. It’s true that the Scorpio woman sometimes wanders into dangerous waters in her efforts to penetrate life, and since there’s not the slightest trace of fear in her (unless she has an affliction to her Moon, and is full of nameless terrors), her search may indeed take her into some weird byways. But the typical Scorpio will emerge from any discovery still strong and pure. If she allows the journey to soil her inner spirit, Pluto will punish her with anguished remorse and guilt; yet she can still call on her great strength of character to rise again, like the phoenix, from the ashes of her experiments. In Kahlil Gibran’s writings, the Prophet replies, in answer to a question about Evil, “Of the Good in you I can speak, but not of the Evil. For what is Evil but Good—tortured by its own hunger and thirst? When Good is hungry, it seeks food, even in dark caves, and when it thirsts, it drinks even of dead waters.” A perfect description of Scorpio.
She may have been a fascinated spectator to a million human foibles, and she may have tasted a variety of experiences to savor the knowledge. But she can mysteriously emerge from all her explorations above suspicion, and still superior to almost every other woman you know. She could be the keeper of quite a few secrets. It’s surprising how many dark deeds are confessed to Scorpios, though their own inner lives are marked: “Private—Keep Out.” She likes to hear secrets, but she’ll seldom tell anything anyone has confided in her, not even to you (unless there’s an afflicted Mercury in her natal chart). You can also expect her to have a stack of secrets that relate to her personally, and don’t try to pry them out of her. There’s a private part to this woman you’ll never touch, a part of her mind and soul that belongs strictly to her, and there’s absolutely no trespassing there. She’s not untruthful, in fact she’s more often too brutally honest, yet there will always be those special thoughts and feelings she won’t confide to you or anyone else.
A Scorpio woman will be incredibly loyal to those she finds strong and deserving, but the weak ones will never be honored by her glance. Her dignity in human relationships can make her seem aloof and snobbish. In a way, she definitely is, because she practices a personal caste system, and it’s more clearly marked than that of her Leo and Capricorn sisters. All Scorpios are highly selective in friendships. They’ll keep the worthy companions through an entire lifetime, and freeze the shallow, the common or the unworthy. There’s an immense store of perseverance and determination buried in the nature of a Scorpio woman, and any time she chooses, she can call on these to help her master the excesses which may tempt her, from drink and drugs to self-destructive, ruthless revenge and dangerous depression. Sooner or later, she’ll probably investigate some form of the occult, and ancient mysteries and unseen worlds will eventually have her respect, though Scorpios can range all the way from religious fervor to total atheism during a lifetime.
A Scorpio woman need not be a legal wife to give wifely love and devotion. If circumstances beyond your control make marriage impossible, she’ll love you from hell to breakfast, and not give a hang what the neighbors think. In most such unusual situations, the relationship is real and honest above and beyond the shallow, selfish love of many a legitimate marriage. The hypocrisies of society will never keep this courageous woman from seeking the sun. She answers to no law but her own, and in her Pluto heart, she has more total understanding of the vow “till death do us part” than half the brides who blissfully murmur the phrase.
Despite her own strong individualism, the typical Scorpio female will let her man be the boss. Instead of overshadowing him with her force and drive, she’ll apply her talents to help him attain his goals. Your future will be important to her, and she’s not likely to insist on retaining her own career after marriage (unless you’ve disappointed her deeply or a second job is needed in a temporary domestic crisis). She may fight you wildly in private, but she’ll defend you fiercely in public. She won’t stand for anyone maligning you or taking advantage of you. Those who try will feel the lash of her righteous anger. Your happiness will always come first. Unless there are adverse aspects to her Sun sign or ascendant in her natal chart, she’ll patiently help you persevere until you get what you want, and while you’re getting it, she won’t whine or complain or become restless, though she might turn a little bitter if you lose your courage on the way. She’ll expect you to aim as high as your abilities will reach. Anything less may bring on some pretty sarcastic taunts and reproaches, especially if she has an afflicted Mercury.
Scorpio women love their homes, which usually shine with cleanliness, taste and comfort. They love to cook and meals are usually served on a schedule with everything under control. If the opposite is true, that means something is making her mighty unhappy, because her natural inclination is to beauty and system. To the typical Scorpio woman spring cleaning is like vacation. They love to dig into corners to see what they can find. Just be careful she doesn’t find any cryptic notes that smell of perfume in your old jacket pockets when she’s clearing out the closets. Scorpio is unreasonably suspicious, even when there’s no basis for suspicion, so you can imagine what happens when she finds a real clue to possible infidelity. Picture the shape of a mushroom cloud and you’ll get a general idea of what may happen, figuratively speaking. It’s no good being suspicious of her, no matter how many opportunities arise; and there will be a goodly number of them, because she never exposes her deepest feelings. Naturally, this can arouse a few questions on your part. Just swallow them, along with the lump in your throat. Like that locked chest or drawer she’s had since childhood, certain things about her are off limits. It will get you nowhere to probe. I realize fully that it isn’t fair. So does she. But that doesn’t change things a bit. That’s the way it is. Take her or leave her. You’ll probably take her. It’s almost impossible to leave her. If nothing else, she’ll haunt you the rest of your life. Adjusting to the idiosyncrasies of her nature is easier than suffering the nightmares that will surely result if you walk away. No one walks away from a Scorpio. Not really. Didn’t you know that? Those who have tried can educate you. Anyway, you have a very special woman.
As much as she needs the security of home roots, she’ll move if it’s necessary to your or her career, and without any visible flinching at the uprooting. She makes an excellent wife for an army or navy man and a real jewel for a politician. There’s no one she can’t see through, no deception that escapes her. A Scorpio woman can tell you exactly who can be trusted and which ones you have to watch. The Pisces wife has the same ability, but she may be too soft to criticize, too ready to make excuses for the failings of others. Not so the Scorpio female. In fact, she may frequently have to check her sharp tongue and tone down her brutal analysis.
In the budget department, Scorpio women are completely unpredictable. She can scrimp and save and pinch a penny until it bends double, then have a sudden spell of being magnificently extravagant. One thing is sure. She’ll enjoy money, whether she saves it in an old shoe or spends it on luxury. But this woman always leans heavily toward prestige, and she won’t let cash compromise that. She’ll be satisfied if you decide to leave your high paying corporate job to start your own company with a smaller income, as long as it insures that you are your own boss and offers the potential to rise to somebody of influence, Scorpio females like power, and they will sacrifice much for it. Your power will do, because Pluto allows her to be adept at living vicariously through others when it suits her. Remember that although she’ll sacrifice and put up with very little for a planned goal, she’s too proud to live amid shabby surroundings forever, and she’ll become mighty sour and discontented if she’s forced to do so for an unreasonable length of time. She’ll either try to force a change in the family fortunes after a certain period, or she’ll gradually retreat into the dismal world of the gray lizard, outwardly accepting and almost seeming to enjoy poverty, but inwardly intensely bitter.
She’ll be possessive but she won’t want to be possessed. One of the worst traits of both male and female Scorpios is a refusal to see any viewpoint but their own when the emotions are involved. It takes weeks of introspection to bring them around to a semblance of humility. Her natural interest in the opposite sex, even if it remains platonic, may give you as much reason to be jealous of her as she is of you. She’ll probably fascinate every male in sight on occasion, and you may have to sit by while they’re mesmerized. It seldom leads to anything serious, but it can cause some uncomfortable moments. It can also lead to some explosive disagreements. In the heat of battle, it pays to remember that her compulsion to even the score usually makes her the winner in any kind of skirmish. She gets the last word. If you tell her a lie, she may tell two. If you stubbornly refuse to kiss her good-bye in the morning after a tiff, she may refuse to kiss you goodnight for a month. Just let your mother (or anybody’s mother) criticize her cooking, and the Scorpio woman may forget to invite her to dinner for several Sundays in a row. An accidental injury, however, she’ll forgive, if she knows it’s unintentional. The Scorpio sense of justice is as strong as the sense of revenge. Most people forget this. She’ll remember every kindness and give you back double for that, too. It works both ways.
With the children, her expression of love may lack a certain tenderness and open demonstration, but the youngsters will probably sense her deep devotion and feel emotionally secure anyway. A Scorpio mother won’t let the talents of her children go unnoticed or gather dust. She’ll spend many an hour encouraging them toward higher goals, and be willing to provide any support they need. Her offspring will find her strong and helpful when youthful problems arise, because her knowledge of human nature makes her a wise counselor. She’ll teach them to meet difficulties with her own courage. But she can be blind to their faults, an attitude which can naturally cause a lot of trouble, if it isn’t recognized and checked in time. Anyone she imagines is a threat to the happiness of her children, in any way, however small, will be crushed, and I’m afraid that includes her husband. She won’t appreciate it if he’s stricter with them than she thinks he ought to be.
A Scorpio woman will sometimes nearly drown you in her passion for living, yet in a real storm, her cool, calm reason and steely strength will be a life raft. Though she works her magic in strange and secret ways, her haunting eyes will always gaze at you with basic honesty, even while she remains just beyond the reach of human understanding. She’s a little dangerous, perhaps, but undeniably exciting. Let other husbands cope with the flighty girls. You’ve known the compelling mystery of a lovely witch, who brews a pretty good cup of tea and never burns the toast. (Well, almost never.) When the cup is empty, let her read the tea leaves for you. She can—if she wants to. You mean you didn’t know? I told you there are things she keeps to herself….
“What else had you to learn?”
“Well, there was Mystery … Mystery, ancient and modern,
with Seaography … Drawling, Stretching and Fainting in Coils.”
The usual reaction of proud parents at the first glimpse of their newborn Scorpio infant is pleased surprise. “He looks so much more ‘finished’ than the other babies in the nursery,” they murmur. “He’s calmer too—and just look at what a strong body he has.” That’s right, even the tiniest Scorpios normally have extraordinarily strong bodies. They were designed to match their extraordinarily strong wills.
Scorpio children enjoy a good fight, and they intend to win it. Compromise is not one of their virtues. Even if they pretend to give in, they’re just biding their time until the contest can be resumed on another front, where they have the advantage.
As soon as you know the stork is due in November or thereabouts, go right out and buy a large, sturdy playpen. You’ll need one. After baby arrives, you can climb inside it and read a book or eat your lunch, safe and secure behind the bars. The saleswoman may look at you oddly when you lie down on the blue plastic bunny pad to measure its fit, but ignore her. If you can’t take the stare of a stranger, how are you going to face the burning gaze of your own child without flinching? The Scorpio infant will fix you with his intense eyes as soon as he can see people without the fuzzy haze, and you’ll be hypnotized into obeying his every whim. Picture him sitting cross-legged on the floor in his diaper and turban, playing his flute, while you sway back and forth helplessly, like a snake in a basket. Good grief! So better start steeling yourself against his black magic right now. Give that saleswoman a frosty stare right back. It’s your money you’re spending. If your actions seem a little peculiar, it’s not her business to dictate to you. You are the customer. Therefore, you are the boss. With minor changes, this is the exact attitude you’ll need to cope with your young Scorpio. It’s your house. If your rules seem a little peculiar, it’s not baby’s business to dictate to you. You are the mother. Therefore, you are the boss. As you say it, stare him down.
You’ll have your work cut out for you, but it’s an interesting challenge. The Scorpio child will need constant and firm discipline. You’ll have to impress the qualities of consideration for weaker people, being a good sport when he loses, respect for authority and forgiveness when others hurt him. As you train his fine character, you’ll be impressed yourself with his brilliant mind and magnetic personality. His rare courage and honesty are well worth nourishing and protecting from the infection of a super ego that can pervert or destroy them.
There are two roads for the Scorpio to choose—the high and the low. For a while, you may be convinced that he’s chosen the back alley before he’s even learned to walk. Fluttery, nervous or soft mothers are beaten before they start. Your little Scorpio toddler will glare at you fiercely when you forbid him to touch something. Glare back at him, kindly but firmly. It may be difficult to accomplish a kindly glare, but keep practicing. Smile through your clenched teeth and say no loudly, with emphatic conviction. You’ll only win a temporary struggle; it will be resumed again an hour later, but it’s a step up that high road. Eventually, the Scorpio youngster will begin to admire you for your strength in resisting him. He’ll learn only from someone he thinks is stronger than himself. Of course, he knows the victory is only due to his present size, and he’ll top you someday, but meanwhile, he’ll give you his grudging respect, as long as you’re bigger. By the time he’s tall enough to wrestle his older brother to the floor or win a game of Indian deadlock with his father your job will be done. You’ll be a little exhausted, but proud, and he’ll be well on the way to becoming a splendid eagle, instead of a stinging, revengeful scorpion. Warning: Be sure there’s a generous spreading of love and affection on top of your firm discipline, or he could become a miserable gray lizard, tortured by fears and phobias, bitter and withdrawn.
Because of his blunt, often sarcastic speech, and plain-spoken manner, he’ll seem to be forthright and direct, but there will still be a great need for privacy. He has his little secrets and you are not to pry. Give him a large, metal box with a key, where he can keep his personal possessions, or a special drawer of his own that no one else in the family can open by strict agreement. As female Scorpios grow older, they’ll want a diary with a foolproof lock.
These youngsters will conceal their own thoughts, but trying to hide things from them is impossible. They’ll ferret out every embarrassing family secret, from Aunt Bertha’s false teeth and Uncle Percy’s drinking sprees to Dad’s “rug” that hides his bald spot. They’re also whizzes at finding lost socks, keys, billfolds and lipsticks—regular miniature sleuths, who use both witchcraft and cold logic to solve any mystery.
There’s a miraculous ability to withstand pain. Even the stitches required to sew up an accidental cut will usually be borne without either tears or anesthetic. Your Scorpio youngster is wise beyond his years. There will be times when his instinctive understanding is a blessing. Daddies who are discouraged by financial problems often feel the surprising pressure of a bear hug from a little tot far too young to understand economics. He only knows his father is unhappy, and he’ll want to express his desire to destroy whatever is causing it. When she’s ill or depressed, a mother may get an unexpected, silent and tender touch from a tiny Scorpio who has somehow sensed her sadness.
Scorpio children are filled with boundless loyalty to friends and loved ones. They can be pretty hard on anyone else. If a bad-tempered playmate deliberately breaks his rocking horse, the Scorpio youngster may break the offending child’s scooter, fire truck and blackboard—and punch him in the nose besides, just to make sure he knows he’s stepped on a Scorpio’s tail. Naturally, this must be discouraged, and I wish you luck. You can tell your November child that revengeful anger will come home to roost, that he’s only hurting himself by getting even, but it won’t be easy for him to see the logic. Get him one of those boomerangs they sell in toy stores, and let him throw it with all his force. When it’s shocked him by magically returning to clip him on the ear a few times, he may get the message. It won’t be as popular with him, of course, as a microscope, a book of magic games or a chemistry set. These are sure-fire hits.
His teachers won’t know whether to send him to the head of the class or get out the old birch switch. They’ll probably end up doing both. Scorpio boys and girls have sharp, penetrating minds and an uncanny perception of theories. They can be steadies on the honor roll or the biggest hockey players in the neighborhood. Given the good fortune of wise instructors, they’ll learn to read quickly and be leaders of school activities.
The Scorpio child has a good chance of being class valedictorian, if he’s guided away from his fascination for the forbidden. Keep him active physically and interested mentally, and channel his passionate curiosity into science, literature, medicine or sports. Encourage his childish dreams of being a space engineer, sailor, fireman, minister, entertainer or even president. Never try to force him into your favorite idea of the proper career. That’s a perfect way to send him down that low road to dangerous experimentation in the dark alleys of life. He knows exactly what he wants, and it’s a serious mistake to impose your will. Be loyal to him, and never break your word or a promise.
He needs opportunities to work off his gigantic supply of bottled-up energy because he’ll seem to be more calm and relaxed than he really is inside. Displays of nerves, arguments at mealtime and family squabbles at bedtime will bring nightmares, and are extremely detrimental to both his mental and physical health. He has many intense passions and boiling emotions to manage, and subduing his volatile nature is a tough task for him, but he’ll control it beautifully with careful guidance. Rough, thoughtless scoldings that lack a logical explanation, and permissive humoring are equally disastrous. Scorpios are fascinated by drugs, so keep them out of reach. He’ll be drawn to fire, too, so don’t leave matches around.
He’ll love Halloween, monster shows on TV, science-fiction and ghost stories. He’ll also be fond of the opposite sex. Don’t be shocked if you catch your five-year-old Scorpio son making “mysterious eyes” at the curly-headed first-grader next door. He’s going to be a Lover someday. You’ll never prevent that. But you can prevent some future romantic tragedies by teaching both sexes in adolescence the importance of responsibility in affairs of the heart. Scorpio deeply respects the family circle. Explain that careless romantic behavior destroys it, and he’ll listen.
Whatever he becomes, he’ll be the best in his chosen field. The Scorpio youngster is determined enough to get what he wants, and strong enough to hang on to it. But don’t let his self-sufficiency keep you from giving him your support. He needs it, even though he appears to scorn approval. You’ll have to help him find a worthy goal toward which he can direct the inner passions that threaten to consume him. This is a strange, enchanted child, with possibly an important destiny, and he has miles to go before he reaches it. Walk with him as long as he needs you, then let him walk alone. He’ll return safely with whatever prize he seeks. Pluto gives him great courage, strength and intelligence, but it’s up to you to give him what he needs most: a daily example of how to love—and be loved in return.
“Keep your temper,” said the Caterpillar …
“You’ll get used to it in time,”
and it put the hookah into its mouth;
and began smoking again.
President Theodore Roosevelt’s advice, “Speak softly—but carry a big stick,” is a perfect example of Scorpio philosophy, spoken by a Scorpio. Although “Teddy” Roosevelt was the first one to say it, every Pluto person is born with the phrase carved into his nature. It’s the invisible motto hanging on the wall behind the desk of your Scorpio boss. Memorize it. She has. I wouldn’t make a big issue out of discussing it with her. Just watch her practice it. Scorpios have a way of discouraging certain personal questions about their own techniques.
Life is a search for wisdom and power to your soft-spoken Scorpio boss with the big stick. She wants to know all the secrets of heaven and hell—and whatever lies between. Assumedly, you lie between. Therefore, she’s equally intent on learning your secrets, and in seeking knowledge of what’s going on in your busy little brain, or your busy big brain, as the case may be. She’ll never press you openly or actively to bear your soul, but you’ll probably do it, anyway. It’s inevitable. One good, long, steady gaze from this hypnotic Pluto is enough to pull out the deepest confessions. If you have anything on your mind you’d rather keep strictly private, avoid looking into those eyes or avoid working for her.
I once knew a woman who was a singer. She ran into her Scorpio boss at the airport one summer afternoon, on his return from a trip to California, and they stopped to have coffee. (Pluto power is often at its height in the summer, for some inconsistent reason that has nothing to do with November.) She and a songwriter, who was a good friend of the Scorpio, had just that morning confessed to each other that they were deeply in love. Due to circumstances, the discovery had to be kept secret.
As they chatted over coffee, the singer was completely absorbed by the Scorpio’s anecdotes about his trip. His conversation was so fascinating that she forgot all about the fateful meeting hours earlier. Finally, the Scorpio glanced at his watch; he was late for an appointment with a producer about a film he hoped to direct.
They clasped hands and she said goodbye, adding, “I wish you luck.” The Scorpio continued to grip her hand, looked deep into her eyes with burning intensity, and answered slowly, “And I wish you love. But I see you have already found it. That’s good. You two are right together.” Breaking the gaze first (as Scorpios always do—they never permit you to do it), he released her hand, smiled his cool, mysterious, controlled smile and walked away. To this day, the woman can’t understand how he knew.
Let her experience be a lesson to you. Your Scorpio boss will discover your secret, too. It doesn’t have to be love. It can simply be that your father dropped out of school in the eighth grade, or your sister is dating a married man, or you haven’t made a payment in six months on your bank loan, or your Persian cat is expecting again. Maybe you used a safety pin instead of sewing the button on your coat, or your brother hit your sister-in-law on the head with a skillet this morning. Little things like that you’d just as soon keep to yourself, but she’ll know. And somehow, you’ll know that she knows. It’s different from the Pisces penetration. The fish gets psychic flashes. The Scorpio simply knows. Psychic flashes have nothing to do with it. Neither does Aquarian intuition. It goes much deeper.
This Pluto power also allows the Scorpio boss to sense your moods, and she’s the kind of woman who will sympathetically behave according to those moods, which can be an indescribably soothing experience. Especially after constant exposure to swift, thoughtless, shallow people who not only don’t know what’s deep inside you, but don’t care enough one way or the other to find out. Exposure to various forms of such brittle indifference can make the Scorpio empathy seem pretty wonderful by comparison, which it is.
Contrary to what you might understandably think, the office of a November boss isn’t always explosive or even necessarily impressive. It may be the quietest, coolest, calmest spot in the entire building. The Pluto self-control reaches out to touch everything around it. (Unless there’s a heavy Gemini, Aquarius or Leo influence in her chart. Even so, things will seldom get raucous or out of hand. The pace will be a little quicker, that’s all.) Scorpio’s control over her own nature is awesome. She’s indefatigable in whatever she sets out to do, and she prides herself on not letting people know how deeply she wants or needs what she seeks. Her competitor will never suspect how intensely your Scorpio boss desires to conquer him, until after it’s a fait accompli and Scorpio has won. She can see into you, but no man can penetrate her deepest feelings. One of your Pluto boss’s most powerful weapons is secrecy of purpose and intent. The Scorpio hides her emotions and disguises her motives so totally, that the enemy is forever expecting an attack from the rear—or no attack at all—and then is surprised by a sudden movement from the right flank, where it’s least expected and least anticipated. That’s what wins ball games.
That’s also what wins prestige and success for the Scorpio executive. If she likes you, there’s no limit to what she’ll do to help you, advance you or push your hopes and dreams to fulfillment, along with hers. If she doesn’t like you, there’s no point in reading this. You’ll never be hired in the first place, or if someone else has hired you, your employment under a Scorpio boss won’t last long. Pluto executives rarely have either sympathy or mercy for those who don’t belong on the team. Her first concern will be the team (which is synonymous with his personal goals), and individuals come last. I’m well aware that those of you with a Scorpio boss are already bristling in defense. How could anyone accuse her of anything less than perfection and purity, right? Most people close to a Pluto person have that attitude. If you don’t, you’re probably filling in on someone else’s vacation.
This sign has a way of attracting people who are intensely loyal. She’s usually surrounded by devoted friends, with his enemies removed to a safe distance (safe for them, that is). It’s as if she drew a circle. The chosen stand inside. Others are kept away by some form of black magic that prevents their stepping too close for comfort (her comfort, that is). It’s difficult, if not impossible for enemies to reach him. Once those magnetic eyes have sized up a person who falls short of the requirements, he or she is banished. That person simply does not exist to the Scorpio. In her mind, you’re not there. She neither sees you nor hears you. Her radar will tell her if you get near enough to be dangerous. It gives one an empty feeling to be looked at as if you’re not there. Being a ghost can be uncomfortable, so after a while, the unwanted person fades away to where people can see him and hear him—to where he can exist as a flesh and blood human being again.
Don’t get the impression that, to accomplish his miracles, the Scorpio boss has to look like Wicked Witch of the West and wear a funny pointed hat. She needn’t have a magic broom to practice her mystery, nor does he have to speak in sepulchral tones. If you’re about to embark on the adventure of working for a Scorpio executive, the first time you see her you’ll think the whole power thing is exaggerated.
Her physique may very well be unimposing and she may have the kind of smile you see only on a stained-glass window. When it flashes on, you’ll melt, and think astrology misled you. She’ll appear to be about as dangerous as an Irish washerwoman singing a lullaby. Then she’ll fix you with his penetrating blue or brown-eyed stare, and I hope there’s a chair nearby for you to drop into. By that time, you’ll be thoroughly hypnotized by her magnetic charm. You might even catch yourself weaving back and forth, with almost imperceptible motion, awaiting instructions. She now controls your emotions. After that, no one can reach you. It’s too late. You’ll be blindly loyal to your new, wonderful, kind, gentle, talented, brilliant employer, and anyone who thinks she is dangerous is simply a jealous, vindictive crackpot. She’s the sweetest boss anyone could ever hope to have.
Sweet? Use adjectives if you must, but sweet? Wonderful, yes. Kind, yes. Talented and brilliant—naturally. Sincere and loyal, of course. Protective and gentle, yes again. Loving? Oh, good heavens, yes. A thousand times yes. But sweet? Emphatically no. I’d like to tell the already Scorpio-employed, plus you who are about to pass through the portals, that one of my closest friends is a Scorpio composer of enormous talent, and I’ve passed his magic circle test. There’s also a tiny Scorpio who lives in my house (you notice I still have control—I didn’t say I lived in his house) and I’m kind of close to him, too. So I’m not among the enemies of your Scorpio boss. You can relax. But thanks to astrology, I may understand her a bit better than you do. For example, I’ll bet you think that, in a crisis, she would just stand there calmly, wearing the same smooth, detached look he puts on when she gets out of his warm bed every morning. She would not. She would undergo a complete transformation.
Your Scorpio boss cannot tolerate displays of emotion. She feels that one must keep one’s cool at all costs—I mean at all costs. But if the emergency demands instant and violent action (as some emergencies do), she’ll blast forth so much flaming action, you’ll be sure you aren’t watching the same woman. When it’s all over, and things are well under control, her surging, passionate emotions will be back under control again also. She’ll bottle them up inside her powerful personality until they’re needed the next time.
Normally, however, she’ll be the epitome of deliberate, gentle, calculated placidity, every hair in place, temper in total check. The same transformation as the foregoing can take place in the throes of romantic passion as well as in a business crisis, but of course, that’s not your department—at least under ordinary circumstances it’s not. Her calm mask of poise is seldom removed, except for really major events.
Don’t make the mistake of flattering her too often. Scorpio bosses are constantly suspicious. She wakes up and goes to sleep suspicious and her feelers are always out for ulterior motives. In fact, one of her weaknesses is that she’s frequently suspicious of innocent remarks from innocent people. Polishing the deep red apple on her desk with too much gusto can get you fired instead of advanced. She may suspect you’re buttering her up to take over. An occasional, sincerely meant recognition of her superiority will be appreciated deeply—just don’t overdo it. The Scorpion’s loyalty to you will be lasting and all encompassing, but never give her one millimeter less in return. She’s a stickler for money transactions being spelled out in detail. Never allow financial matters to get hazy in any way. And never, never, never, never, never try to top her or hurt her. If you insist on disregarding that advice, then you’d better practice walking on eggshells for a few weeks first. Preferably eggshells with a poisonous spider hidden among them. Scorpio revenge is not something to fool around with.
No problem ever invented is so tough that the Scorpio boss can’t solve it, once he tackles it. All Pluto people have the ability to surmount tragedy or illness in their personal lives and business disasters with courage and superhuman will. As for the pattern of her individual personality, it will vary with this sign more widely than with other signs. Although she’s the personification of the scientific researcher into inscrutable mystery, the all-purpose detective, she herself remains the greatest mystery of all.
Penetrating Pluto all the way is impossible. Besides, even if you could, you’d forget everything you learned when she hypnotized you with her eyes and voice. The best I can do is to warn you to stay alert and to keep an open mind. The first is for defense purposes, naturally. The second is so you can be receptive to a person whose truth and courage you’ll admire forever. Despite the Scorpio’s unfathomable, complex nature, and the deceptive image he presents to the world, your Scorpio boss never deceives herself. How many of the rest of us can say that with complete honesty? Even those of us who are not considered “ruthless?”
“But when you have to turn into a chrysalis—
you will some day, you know—
and then after that into a butterfly,
I should think you’ll feel it a little queer,
won’t you?”
“Not a bit,” said the Caterpillar.
Offhand, who would you say is the one person in your office who is the most self-contained? Which employee seems to have the most inner confidence, without being obvious about it, the steadiest eyes, the least excuses and the most poise? If there’s someone on the staff with those qualities, does he give you the feeling he can take a compliment or leave it alone? Is he secretive about his personal life? Does he have a master plan for his future? Assuming all this is true, one more question: are the other employees are a little afraid of him? There’s no doubt about it. He’s a Scorpio.
More than anyone else with your firm, the Scorpio employee is the master of his fate and the captain of his soul. He’s entirely self-motivated and single-minded. No one else can be so resourceful and so sure of his own potential. The Scorpio has the power to make or break his own life, and he knows it. He never lies to himself, and rarely blames anyone but himself for his own mistakes. To whatever degree he chooses, this employee can rise, and he’ll expect few favors on the way up. He’s the very last person you’d accuse of having an inferiority complex. (Unless he happens to be a gray lizard, who has turned power inside out into silent defeat. Even so, it was his decision alone to do so. He was not a pawn of fate.)
It won’t be easy to comprehend the reasons behind his actions. You’ve heard about the ruthlessness of this Sun sign, his desire for revenge, the Pluto determination to even the score, and it may puzzle you that these qualities seem to be missing in his relationship with you. They’re not missing. They’ve been put on ice for the present, because the end justifies the means in his one-track, keen mind. He knows exactly what he’s doing, but you may not.
Your Scorpio employee’s reaction to you will relate directly to what you can offer him—what he wants from you and from life. If the average person opposes the Scorpio, insults him, treats him rudely, breaks a promise or steps on his tail, may the gods have mercy on him. He will rue the day he challenged Pluto. However, if you represent power and the fulfillment of his private dream, his reaction to the same treatment will be detachment. If you have something Scorpio wants and needs, he’ll take almost anything from you with deliberate tranquility, and with—believe it or not—no retaliation or defensive stinging. The very fact that he’s able to control his deep resentment, and literally erase it from his mind is proof of his awesome inner strength.
Before you test the theory, make sure you know into which category you fall—the average person—which can include ordinary bosses, friends, neighbors, co-workers, cleaning staff, even relatives and loved ones—or someone who represents power, security and that private dream. Unless you’re positive you fit the latter description, it may be dangerous to experiment.
Let’s say you’re a TV Producer, and you’ve commissioned a Scorpio writer to create a script, tailored to certain specifications. After the fourth re-write, you can still tear his efforts to shreds and demand that he try again. You can say, “It stinks. Put more jokes in.” What will the dangerous Scorpio do? He’ll write another draft and put more jokes in. You have something he wants, you see. You have the power to produce his script on film and make it live. He may not agree with you completely from an artistic point of view, but you’re the boss. You’re the one who calls the shots—at the present. Later, when he’s a success? You won’t have to nervously wonder when he’ll seek revenge for the past. That’s not part of the Pluto code. You have given him power and you were the instrument to fulfill his private dream. He holds no bitterness, but he’ll make it clear his position is now changed and you’re not to question his artistic taste nor dictate how he expresses his creative ideas in the future. You’ll get the message, and that will be that. Anyone other than you who criticized his earlier efforts, however, without regard for his sensitive pride, may have a few scars to show.
If there’s one thing a Scorpio knows, it’s on which side his bread is buttered, and who owns the marmalade. He’s absolutely certain he will reach his goals eventually. Therefore, he’s in no rush to knock down any brick buildings. Nor is he ashamed to submit to his superiors when it’s expedient to do so. That’s why your Scorpio employee is fearless. Confidence always breeds courage. To him, everything is timing. With some sort of deep, mystical penetration into the secrets of the universe, he knows when his time will come. This is not the hour to command, but the hour will arrive. No wonder he’s not the anxious type.
I know a young Scorpio lawyer, who recently became associated with an important law firm, loaded with prestige and lucrative clients. His superior (and I’ll use an anonymous name), Mr. Fink of Fink, Brink, Link and Katz, asked him to prepare a lengthy memorandum for a corporate merger. The request meant that the Scorpio lawyer would get no sleep at all, because Mr. Fink insisted he needed the papers for a conference at ten sharp the following morning. The next day, our hero was at his desk at nine a.m., alert, calm, and waiting for Mr. Fink to buzz him. He had stayed up all night completing the necessary briefs, and his wife wasn’t too happy because he had to cancel the dinner reservations he had made earlier in the week to celebrate their anniversary. At nine forty-five his boss’s secretary apologetically informed him that Mr. Fink had changed his mind. He had decided to hold the conference the following week. It was such lovely spring weather, he thought he’d play a few holes of golf with some clients from out of town. She murmured that her boss had said something about “hoping it didn’t cause him too much inconvenience.” You may suppose that, at this point, the Scorpio reached into his desk for a. 45 automatic and headed for the golf course. But that’s not the way the cookie crumbled. How did the Scorpio react to such boorish behavior? He simply shrugged. He smiled a cool, mysterious controlled smile, handed the secretary the finished memorandum, and said courteously, “Will you put this on Mr. Fink’s desk please? I am going home to get a few hours sleep. I’ll be back in time for my two o’clock appointment.” Then, with the patience of Taurus and the discipline of Capricorn, he called his wife, told her he would be home for lunch and left. Moral: That Scorpio lawyer is aiming for a partnership at Fink, Brink, Link and Katz. Are you wondering if his wife agreed to reschedule their anniversary date after her disappointment the night before? Of course she did. The wife of a Scorpio? If she wanted to have any more anniversaries to celebrate, she did.
If you’re important enough to the future of your Scorpio employee, you too can be a Mr. Fink. It’s on a par with being immune to nuclear power, but I don’t think you should let it turn your head to the place where you get over-confident. If I were you, I’d keep incidents like the foregoing at the absolute minimum. But I’m glad I’m not you. I’m not sure I would have the nerve to play Russian roulette with Pluto.
You can expect the Scorpio man or woman to accept the inevitable with grace, if the stakes are high enough. He (or she) will check out the potential with an eagle eye, figure the consequences, mark the possible reward, and make the final decision to submit with a cool head and a definite purpose in mind. Most bosses appreciate and admire the Scorpio philosophy. He knows the price of success, and he’s willing to pay it, without asking for special concessions. When that success arrives, however, don’t forget: it’s half-time—change sides.
Compared to the attitude of the average worker, you’ll discover there’s another quality to admire in your Scorpio employee. It’s an old-fashioned word, spelled l-o-y-a-l-t-y, rather a rare commodity these days. I’m not talking about lip service to your position as “boss” or the ingratiating, often hypocritical servility of the normal ambitious employee. Scorpios have their own sense of loyalty.
When I was with a radio station in a small town in Pennsylvania, I was permanently impressed with the remark of a Scorpio program director. The owner of the radio station was the meanest man in town. He was a cross between Scrooge and Captain Hook. About the nicest thing you could say about him was that at times he was meaner than he was at other times. He had one friend—his mother. Since he owned half the town, in addition to the station, he was smothered with respect and obedience. Although the staff called him “Sir,” smiled from ear to ear when he entered a room, and jumped to immediate attention every time he mumbled the slightest request, they made faces at him when his back was turned, and snickered privately at his funny bow ties and squeaky voice. They would have considered his funeral an occasion for a holiday, and the favorite game around the office when he was out of town was writing his obituary, with a prize for the most hilarious one.
The Scorpio employee never joined the game. He was always too busy with his programming. One day, a secretary asked him why he never contributed to the office hobby. He gave her one of those hypnotic Scorpio stares and said, simply, “He pays my salary. I work for him.”
“What’s that got to do with it?” she wanted to know. “He yells at you in front of the staff every morning and he hasn’t given you a vacation for two years. He never pays you a compliment. Don’t you have any pride?”
The Scorpio never changed his expression. “I can’t deposit compliments at the bank,” he said quietly. “I prefer cash.”
“But why do you take the way he treats you?” she persisted.
His answer was brief. “When I take a man’s money, I take his orders. When I decide to stop taking his orders, I stop taking his money and leave. Do you have the program schedule for next week? I need to check it before I time the commercials.”
The secretary silently handed him the schedule, he took out his stop watch and went to work. A few days later, she asked him to bring her a coffee when he returned from lunch. Somehow, he forgot to bring it. He also forgot to send her an invitation to his wedding the following spring. He remembered her insinuation that he had no pride. Scorpions have long memories. That’s an excellent illustration of how and when the typical Pluto employee chooses to seek revenge—against whom and why. It also indicates his personal code of loyalty to the man who employs him.
These workers are intense and tenacious. They’re quite serious about their careers, and they never lose sight of the goal. Scorpios can be stubborn, rebellious, passionate and overbearing. But you won’t often find them wasting office time by writing humorous obituaries. Death is a serious subject to them. So are you. You’re the bridge to power. Consequently, you’re respected, until the Scorpio has safely passed across the stream to the other side. Smart strategists don’t destroy bridges, and Scorpios are smart. Some of them are brilliant. All of them are shrewd and logical. You’ll often find Scorpio men and women gravitating to work that involves solving mysteries and penetrating the puzzles of life, machines, facts or human beings. Lots of them are detectives, psychiatrists, scientists, surgeons, policemen, researchers, reporters and even undertakers. They must increase their knowledge each day they live, at the same rate they increase talents, abilities and incomes.
Never pry into Scorpio’s private affairs. He will not tolerate that. If he likes you and his job, he’ll be generous and fair. He’ll give you eight hours work for eight hours pay, and he won’t watch the clock if the project holds his interest. But remember that he will always be firmly committed to his own code and ideas. He will be true to them above all other loyalties, including love and ambition. No one but himself can force him to alter his views and opinions. It has to be done through Pluto power, from inside his own nature. If his decision is negative, no one on the face of this earth can slam the door more suddenly or more permanently than a Scorpio, even a door bearing the title Vice-President in gold-leaf letters. He’ll take just so much, pay just so high a price. When he thinks the cost is too much, he leaves. That’s the way he plays the game. His real loyalty, when all is said and done, is to himself. That’s not always as selfish as it sounds. When he was very young, his favorite verse began: “This above all: to thine own self be true.” He’s always figured—if he does that—he can’t be false to anyone.