What Is Scorpio's Ruling Planet? It Actually Has More Than One

Scorpios don’t have the greatest reputation. If you’re a Scorpion sun, chances are you've encountered at least one person in your life who's cringed, gasped, or squirmed just seconds after learning your zodiac sign. Sounds harsh, but when you take a closer look at what Scorpio's ruling planet means and how it affects the sign's energy, you'll finally understand why everything about this fixed water sign is utterly polarizing.

To be fair, those without any personal placements (sun, moon, rising) in Scorpio aren’t excused from this narrative; you don’t need Scorpio in your big three to experience its energy somewhere in your life, because every birth chart is composed of all 12 zodiac signs.

There’s A Little Scorpio In Everyone — You Just Have To Know Where To Look

Check which of the 12 astrological houses belongs to Scorpio in your birth chart. Let's say it’s your second house of value that’s governed by this fixed sign; this means you're a Scorpio when it comes to your finances, luxuries, and possessions. This is where you’re more likely to keep things hidden or on the dark side, and participate in manipulative power plays.

On a more positive note, Scorpio’s essence can be as transformative as it is alchemical, but one must surrender to the death of the ego before rising from the ashes like a phoenix.

Astrology is connected to the sacred rhythms of the earth, and every astrological season spiritually intertwines with the human experience. So, despite this zodiac sign's notorious reputation for being possessive, oversexed, shady, and vengeful, there's no escaping its energy. Though this may sound like a horror movie — fitting in perfectly with the Scorpio SZN vibes — the sun travels through this zodiac sign once every year, so you might as well start getting acclimated to its intensity. Knowing more about Scorpio’s ruling planet (or, rather, planets) can help you prepare.

Scorpio Actually Has More Than Ruling Planet

Along with Taurus, Virgo, Aquarius, and Pisces, Scorpio has two planetary rulers. Mars — the planet of action, aggression, combat, energy, passion, sex, and war — is Scorpio’s ancient ruler; Pluto — the planet of death, regeneration, transformation, and everything that's hidden beneath the surface — is Scorpio’s modern ruler. Mars took on the role of Scorpio’s ruling planet before shadowy Pluto was discovered.

Despite the planets’ innate differences, Scorpio's mystifying yet intoxicatingly passionate persona is a perfect hybrid of overzealous Mars and hypnotic Pluto. Given their unique planetary expressions, Mars governs Scorpio's relentlessly driven spirit and carnal desires, whereas Pluto takes responsibility for its deeply hidden nature, psychic abilities, and obsessive personality.

What Makes A Scorpio So Alluring

Whether it be the way they make you feel when you lock eyes with their smoldering gaze, or how they slither through your mind while reading your thoughts, those born under the sign of Scorpio have a way of making themselves unforgettable. Aside from being an elusive water sign — naturally enigmatic and highly intuitive — Scorpio's modality is fixed, which means it's unadaptable and unmoving. This modality has the power to sustain, secure, and stabilize, and water is symbolic of emotion, intuition, and the unconscious. As a fixed water sign, Scorpio automatically strengthens and magnifies the mysterious essence of the element water. Everything from its psychic connection to the other side to its numinous fluidity is ever present.

With the Lord of the Underworld as one of Scorpio’s ruling planets, Scorpions have the ability to transmute darkness, which is what makes their aura the perfect combination of alluring and terrifying. It's similar to a vampire glamouring one of their victims and manipulating them to do as they say.

TL;DR

Mars already does enough on its own, ruling over aggression, vitality, desire, and carnal instincts. Throwing planet of the shadowy unconscious Pluto into the mix only makes Scorpios more complex. This sign walks with death — and transmutes it. Who else could say that?