Part of the Sky Above Earth Below Oracle Deck I created in 2014. Mixed Media

Scorpion (Control, Vulnerability)
Scorpion stings its enemies. Scorpions are predatory insects, with an exoskeleton and segmented body. Most correctly called an arthropod, scorpions are in the same family as spiders because they have eight segmented legs. Scorpion’s diet consists mostly of insects but they have been known to eat other small animals. Their large and distinct pincers have tiny hairs which serve as tactile receptors to help them catch prey. A scorpion's stinger contains a neurotoxin, which it uses to kill or paralyze its prey. They can ingest large amounts of food in one sitting and store that food for long periods of time. This adaptation allows scorpion to be more selective about its prey, perhaps leading it to be thought of as a symbol of control. Scorpions have complex mating and courtship rituals, using pheromone and vibrational communication to establish breeding. Scorpions are generally nocturnal in hot climates, coming out when it’s cooler to hunt. They may be more diurnal in cooler climates where the heat is less intense.

Scorpion venom is being studied by scientists for use in medicine and may have various applications in that field. In some places scorpions are eaten as a delicacy, including China. Some Asian folklore believes that scorpion represents sexuality. In some Islamic traditions scorpions were thought to embody evil, but putting their motif on a building was said to drive other evil away. The goddess Serket, from ancient Egyptian mythology, was often depicted as a scorpion and had the power to heal venomous bites. In Greek mythology a scorpion was sent to kill the hunter Orion. Because the battle was so lively they were both raised to the heaven as constellations, for the scorpion this became the constellation (and zodiac sign) of Scorpio. There’s also the tale of the scorpion and the frog. Scorpion asks frog to ferry him across the river and the frog at first refuses for fear of being stung. Frog later relents when scorpion points out that if the frog is stung and drowned they will both die. When frog is ultimately stung midway and questions scorpion’s logic the response is simply ‘it was in my nature’. The tale serves as a morality lesson about the inability to change someone if their fundamental nature is vicious.

When scorpion stings you from your cards it can bring an important lesson about control. Are you in control? Are you using your sting to protect yourself, or to keep others at bay? Is your control merely a visage to hide your true vulnerability? Scorpion is most linked to the desert biome and astrologically to the element of water.

Astrology- (Western Scorpio Oct 23- Nov 21) This western sign is bold and often misunderstood. Scorpio exercises cool control and confidence in almost all aspects of life. Focused Scorpio is incredibly capable, able to surmount all kinds of challenges. Those born under this water sign can be secretive, withdrawn, and pack a powerful sting with argumentative tendencies. Scorpios are determined, with a vigour that plays out in their personal lives. They have a well-known appetite for sex. Scorpio has a better understanding of the great cycles of nature than they give themselves credit for. They have a witty sense of humour.

Stars and Constellations
Sex, Ward, Temper, Mercurial, Shadow Side