I have the sting of Scorpio
and I just can’t let go
of every foul and dirty deed
committed by my foes;
and even love in its purest form
cannot stop this tragedy
as my own greatest enemy
just happens to be me;
the madness is a vile one
a curse with every breath
for rather than surrender
and refusing to forget,
a scorpion will turn on itself
and sting itself to death.
The above ode to Scorpio Rising represents a snippet of what this intriguing and often unsettled ascendant goes through. The life of a Scorpio Rising is typically filled with storms, challenges, and conflict. Life is viewed as a warzone and the Scorpion must fight. When this sign lies on the ascendant, the soul and ego have agreed to do battle with one another; and the battle they will. Only one can claim victory, and this is why the life of Scorpio Rising is often filled with obstacles and crises.
Any sign can have a difficult and challenging life, but for the Scorpio Ascendant, it is a prerequisite in order for them to accomplish their greatest life lesson: that once the necessary internal war has taken place, they are able to rise to their greatest majesty and become a beacon of light for others.
How to Spot a Scorpio Rising
Ruled by Mars and Pluto, Scorpio is the ultimate sign of death and transformation. Traditionally, Scorpio is represented by the phoenix which highlights the aspect of death and rebirth, as the phoenix dies only to rise again from the ashes.
In the Tarot, the Death card represents Scorpio. For a Scorpio Rising, the challenges they face are necessary so that they may repeatedly “die” in order to be “born again”; each time they are reborn, they shed their skin and become ever closer to achieving the best version of themselves.
In their negative state (or when they are still in their infancy on a soul level), Scorpio Risings are jealous, vindictive, manipulative, vengeful, and self-destructive. It is during this stage that the ego is dominant over the soul. A Scorpio Ascendant can suffer astronomically on an internal level in regard to jealousy and obsession; like the scorpion in the wild that is said to sting itself to death rather than allow its enemy to destroy it, a Scorpio Rising can direct their intense and powerful negative emotions inwardly and this is what leads them down the path of self-destruction.
However, it is through experiencing such conflict and challenge that they discover the very best of their nature. This ascendant has an extraordinary gift of resilience; no matter how troubling or difficult their circumstances may be, they have the capability to withstand them and come out stronger on the other side. This makes them excellent friends and lovers, for they will never leave your side or abandon you if you are going through difficulties; their own experiences lead them to empathize strongly with another’s suffering. They are also intensely loyal; a Scorpio Rising, like their Sun-sign counterpart, would rather die than betray your trust.
As such, this means they expect the same loyalty and devotion from others, and woe betides those who betray them; out comes the scorpionic sting. With the Scorpio Rising, it is all or nothing. Either you have their back or you do not; they would give you no less and they expect the same in return.
The Inner Battle of Scorpio Rising
After much trial and suffering, a Scorpio Rising that has weathered the storms and learned some of the harsh lessons that life has thrown at them will naturally transform into a person of power and majesty, shedding light on others who are going through their own struggling and tribulations. It is at this point that the soul wins the war and the ego finally submits to the authority of the soul; here, Scorpio Ascendants develop a deep understanding of why they are the way they are and why life has panned out the way it has.
Through this understanding, many go on to assist others struggling with their own internal and external battles. The life of Scorpio Rising is sometimes compared to the Labours of Hercules when he battled the many-headed hydra. Every time he cut off one of the creature’s heads, another one would grow back in its place. This is the quintessential lesson of Scorpio Rising and one that the soul must teach the ego as they do battle: that winning can only come from surrendering. Once the ego has fully surrendered to the soul, the battle is won. The Scorpion transforms into the Phoenix and the flame within them burns bright enough to light up the lives of those around them and across the world.
This is a difficult sign to have on the ascendant, but many astrologers view Scorpio Rising as one of the strongest signs, simply because they must endure crisis after crisis in order to reach their highest spiritual state.
In esoteric astrology, the Scorpio Ascendant is the only rising sign that can transform their entire life path through sheer will alone. This sign was gifted with great power; will they use it for their own agenda, for manipulation and vindictiveness, forever remaining the unevolved Scorpion? Or will they conquer their shadow side by surrendering their ego to their higher self, allowing the Scorpion to die so they may resurrect as a Phoenix?
This is a choice that every Scorpio Rising must make, often several times, during their lifetime.
Concluding Thoughts…
Magnetic, intense and secretive, a Scorpio Rising is often easy to spot in the crowd. People will usually feel instantly attracted to them or instantly repelled by them. They have penetrating eyes and, regardless of their physical appearance, they will often exude sex appeal. Their inner world is a rich one and there will often be a fascination with taboo subjects.
Scorpio is the sign known for going where angels fear to tread; this is because their mission is to find the light at the end of the tunnel. To do that, they must be willing to enter the darkness of the tunnel itself.
The life of Scorpio Rising is not always an easy one, but once the necessary transformations have taken place, these people are capable of making extraordinary changes to their own lives and the lives of others. This is the greatest gift of Scorpio: transforming darkness into light and, ultimately, spreading that light into the world around them. If they can face and conquer their own darkness, they can conquer anything.
Related Article: Your Soul Speaks with Mercury in Scorpio
