Scorpius Constellation Meaning

Constellation Scorpius [Stellarium]

Constellation Scorpius Astrology

Constellation Scorpio the Scorpion, is an ecliptic constellation laying between constellation Libra and constellation Sagittarius. It spans 30 degrees longitude in the zodiac sign Sagittarius. The Scorpio constellation contains 15 named fixed stars.

Constellation Scorpio Stars

2000	B	Star Name	Mag.	Orb
02 ♐ 35	δ Sco	Dschubba	2.29	2°00′
02 ♐ 57	π Sco	Fang	2.89	1°40′
03 ♐ 09	ρ Sco	Iklil	3.87	1°10′
03 ♐ 12	β¹ Sco	Acrab	2.62	1°50′
03 ♐ 41	ω¹ Sco	Jabhat al Akrab	3.93	1°10′
03 ♐ 51	ω² Sco	Piri-ere-ua	4.31	1°00′
04 ♐ 39	ν Sco	Jabbah	4.00	1°00′
07 ♐ 27	ο Sco		4.55	1°00′
07 ♐ 50	σ Sco	Alniyat	2.90	1°40′
09 ♐ 46	α Sco	Antares	0.91	2°40′
11 ♐ 28	τ Sco	Paikauhale	2.82	1°40′
15 ♐ 20	ε Sco	Larawag	2.29	2°00′
16 ♐ 10	μ¹ Sco	Xamidimura	3.00	1°40′
16 ♐ 15	μ² Sco	Pipirima	3.56	1°20′
17 ♐ 14	ζ² Sco		3.62	1°20′
20 ♐ 45	η Sco		3.32	1°30′
24 ♐ 01	υ Sco	Lesath	2.70	1°50′
24 ♐ 35	λ Sco	Shaula	1.62	2°20′
25 ♐ 36	θ Sco	Sargas	1.86	2°10′
25 ♐ 44	M6 Sco	Aculeus	4.20	1°00′
26 ♐ 28	κ Sco	Girtab	2.39	2°00′
27 ♐ 32	ι¹ Sco	Apollyon	2.99	1°40′
27 ♐ 56	G Sco	Fuyue	3.19	1°30′
28 ♐ 45	M7 Sco	Acumen	3.30	1°30′

(Star positions for year 2000)

Ptolemy makes the following observations: “The bright stars in the front of the body of Scorpio have an effect similar to that produced by the influence of Mars, and partly to that produced by Saturn (malicious, thieving, merciless, fiendish, repulsive, liar, accidents, violent death. If culminating, military preferment but final disgrace): the three in the body itself are similar to Mars and moderately to Jupiter (great pride, grandly liberal, commanding, cosmopolitan views. If rising or culminating, military honor and preferment): those in the joints of the tail are like Saturn and partly like Venus (slovenly, very immoral, shameless, revolting, mean, sorrows in love. If rising, good-tempered, healthy, gain by industry and marriage. If culminating, improved health, fame by help of superiors): those in the sting, like Mercury and Mars (exaggerative, argumentative, unreliable, unscrupulous, given to invective, mechanical ability, very quick mind, great talker.)” By the Kabalists Scorpio is associated with the Hebrew letter Oin and the 16th Tarot Trump “The Lightning-Struck Tower.” [1]

Scorpio, or Scorpius, the Scorpion was the reputed slayer of the Giant (Orion), exalted to the skies and now rising from the horizon as Orion, still in fear of the Scorpion, sinks below it; although the latter itself was in danger. Classical authors saw in it the monster that caused the disastrous runaway of the steeds of Phoebus Apollo when in the inexperienced hands of Phaethon. For some centuries before the Christian era it was the largest of the zodiac figures, forming with the Khelai, its Claws, — the prosectae chelae of Cicero, now our Libra, — a double constellation, as Ovid wrote: Porrigit in spatium signorum membra duorum; and this figuring has been adduced as the strongest proof of Scorpio’s great antiquity, from the belief that only six constellations made up the earliest zodiac, of which this extended sign was one.

The Akkadians called it Girtab, the Seizer, or Stinger, and the Place where One Bows Down, titles indicative of the creature’s dangerous character; although some early translators of the cuneiform text rendered it the Double Sword. With later dwellers on the Euphrates it was the symbol of darkness, showing the decline of the sun’s power after the autumnal equinox, then located in it. Always prominent in that astronomy, Jensen thinks that it was formed there 5000 B.C., and pictured much as it now is; perhaps also in the semi-human form of two Scorpion-men, the early circular Altar, or Lamp, sometimes being shown grasped in the Claws, as the Scales were in illustrations of the 15th century. In Babylonia this calendar sign was identified with the eighth month, Arakh Savna, our October-November.

Ampelius assigned to it the care of Africus, the Southwest Wind, a duty which, he said, Aries and Sagittarius shared; and the weather-wise of antiquity thought that its setting exerted a malignant influence, and was accompanied by storms; but the alchemists held it in high regard, for only when the sun was in this sign could the transmutation of iron into gold be performed. Astrologers, on the other hand, although they considered it a fruitful sign, “active and eminent,” knew it as the accursed constellation, the baleful source of war and discord, the birthplace of the planet Mars, and so the House of Mars, the Martis Sidus of Manilius. But this was located in the sting and tail; the claws, as Zugos, Jugum, or the Yoke of the Balance (Libra), being devoted to Venus, because this goddess united persons under the yoke of matrimony. It was supposed to govern the region of the groin in the human body, and to reign over Judaea, Mauritania, Catalonia, Norway, West Silesia, Upper Batavia, Barbary, Morocco, Valencia, and Messina; the earlier Manilius claiming it as the tutelary sign of Carthage, Libya, Egypt, Sardinia, and other islands of the Italian coast. Brown was its assigned color, and Pliny asserted that the appearance of a comet here portended a plague of reptiles and insects, especially of locusts. [2]

Constellation Scorpio [Urania’s Mirror]

The Scorpion presides over arms. By virtue of his tail armed with its powerful sting, wherewith, when conducting the Sun’s chariot through his sign, he cleaves the soil and sows seed in the furrow, the Scorpion creates natures ardent for war and active service, and a spirit which rejoices in plenteous bloodshed and in carnage more than in plunder. Why, these men spend even peace under arms; they fill the glades and scour the woods; they wage fierce warfare now against man, now against beast, and now they sell their persons to provide the spectacle of death and to perish in the arena, when, warfare in abeyance, they each find themselves foes to attack. There are those, too, who enjoy mock-fights and jousts in arms (such is their love of fighting) and devote their leisure to the study of war and every pursuit which arises from the art of war. [3]

We come now right into the heart of the conflict. The star-picture brings before us a gigantic scorpion endeavoring to sting in the heel a mighty man who is struggling with a serpent but is crushed by the man, who has his foot placed right on the scorpion’s heart. The Hebrew name is Akrab, which is the name of a scorpion, but also means the conflict, or war…The Coptic name is Isidis, which means the attack of the enemy, or oppression: referring to “the wicked that oppress me, my deadly enemies who compass me about” (Psa 17:9). The Arabic name is Al Akrab, which means wounding him that cometh. There are 44 stars altogether in this sign. One is of the 1st magnitude, one of the 2nd, eleven of the 3rd, eight of the 4th, etc. [4]