Ruled by Pluto and associated with the eighth house, Scorpio represents fixed water energy. The endpoint of Scorpio lies in making unconscious material of the psyche conscious. The healthy Scorpio must develop the art of enduring emotional intensity, letting go of patterns of negativity, and making peace with inner dragons of her psyche.

Scorpio is challenged to see that which is hidden, and to purge negative feeling states such as blame, anger, resentment, or guilt that impedes her ability to form intense and close bondings with others. She must be ruthlessly honest with herself first by confronting issues of grief, loss, pain, death, or the sexual mysteries. Scorpio is a deeply feeling sign in spite of her defenses that often keep those deep feelings hidden. Scorpio has a laser-like bead on others, and can easily spot where others are not being genuine. This can be valuable in spotting deceit and manipulation in others; however, an overdose of this detective capacity can lead to an overly suspicious or paranoid approach.

Another pitfall for Scorpio can lie in allowing herself to be run by negative, repressed emotional material, and to compensate by abusing power or manipulating others. Or, she could get enslaved by addictive appetites as a way of numbing out the psychological material that needs to be transformed. Strong defense mechanisms can be in place and must be gradually loosened to allow her intensity of feeling to emerge and be transformed. Once that is achieved, strong, passionate bonds with others can be realized - bonds that embody both "soul" and sexual intensity. This is what Scorpio has arrived to experience in its highest form.