The next Rising sign we will be tackling in the chart ruler series is Scorpio. What happens when you have a Scorpio Rising? What kind of life are you set up to lead? Well, when we look at the chart ruler, we look at the ruling planet of the sign that the Ascendant (or the Rising) is in. The chart ruler makes a huge difference in your life. In many ways, it is your life because it defines the exact moment, via the Ascendant, that we were given life; that we were born. Therefore, it says a lot about how your life unfolds, pretty much from beginning to end. But, of course, you have a lot of say in this matter, as well. I think that the chart ruler definitely needs to be worked with, instead of worked against or worked for, in order to live the best life that you can.
As a Scorpio Ascendant, this is the kind of empowering thing that you want to hear. With this Rising sign, your life is about finding your empowerment. Now, you are a unique case as, along with Aquarius Rising and Pisces Rising, you technically have two chart rulers: Pluto and Mars. Pluto is seen as the modern-day ruler of Scorpio, while Mars is the traditional ruler, which lorded over Scorpio until Pluto was discovered. In my opinion, the modern rulers of these three signs – Scorpio, Aquarius, and Pisces – are the perfect fit. However, the traditional rulers do have a significant say, especially when they return to where they are in your chart.
So, for the most part, as a Scorpio Rising, we will be looking at Pluto as your chart ruler. What is Pluto? It represents depth, intrigue, mystery, passion, power, and sexuality. It’s certainly not a lightweight planet. Instead, it’s the powerhouse planet; the one that the other planets are a little scared of. With Pluto serving as your chart ruler, then you live out your life by being the one that everyone else is a little scared of; unless, of course, they have some strong Scorpio or Pluto energy themselves. Then, you two can be best buds, although with occasional moments of wariness. There is just something about Pluto that mesmerizes, fascinates, and terrifies people. It’s no wonder that the mythology of Pluto makes it the representative of the Underworld.
Hades is the figure who is said to symbolize Pluto and Hades is the God of the Underworld. He desires Persephone, who was just a sweet, innocent little maiden, walking through the fields, one day, picking flowers. And he dragged her down to the Underworld where she was never the same again. Some stories say he seduced her, other say he raped her. Either way, she became Hades’ wife and would never be that innocent little flower-girl again. But, through her time in the Underworld, Persephone found her power. And she made a deal with her husband to spend six months with him in the Underworld and six months above ground, back in the light, using her newfound powers to transform those who’ve never been to Hell and back.
Basically, I keep talking about the Underworld because, as a Scorpio Rising, your life can certainly feel that way. It can be from the moment that you’re born. Those with this Ascendant often enter the world in a manner that can feel a battle to the death. It’s common for mothers with Scorpio Rising babies to endure an excruciating labor process. It may have been long and difficult or there may have been a ton of pain involved (more than usual). Something can also happen to the baby like getting the umbilical cord wrapped around their neck or having health issues within the first few days. The Ascendant defines how we were labeled when we came into the world. So, in some way, you were labeled as the one who was not easy to bring to life (you may have also been difficult to conceive) and, consequently, you go through your whole life never truly feeling “easy.”
With Pluto ruling your life, you may be a walking taboo. Maybe there are certain secrets around your conception or your parentage that don’t come out until later on in life. There might be a feeling of scandal or controversy surrounding your birth, particularly because of events that occur at the same time. It’s very common for a Scorpio Rising child to be born and someone within the family to die around the same time, ushering you into an atmosphere of grief or sadness that may be hidden in order for you to be taken care of. Whatever the case may be, you are used to living with the idea that you are shrouded in or surrounded by mysteries, in one way or another. And this instills the motivation to play the role of the detective, in order for you to solve these mysteries.
Your exceptional intuition develops because of this. You live your life feeling like things are being hidden from you. So, you’re driven to figure out what they are. Whatever house Pluto falls in your chart shows just how and where these detective skills will play out. If Pluto is in the 9th House, you are very investigative when it comes to the various possibilities that life has to offer. You will dig beneath the surface in order to figure out how to be free, as this is a mystery to you. Pluto in the 2nd House would make the process of attracting and manifesting security a mystery to unravel. Therefore, you will hunt down all the clues needed to help you earn the finances you want and, in turn, develop the right kind of inner security and self-worth.
But, of course, this can be taken a step too far, making you suspicious at every turn. The Ascendant emerges in just about any situation. It’s how we greet what is before us. So, with a Scorpio Ascendant, you may greet everything and everyone with suspicion. A simple “Hi, how are you?” can be met with a million internal or external questions. “Just what do they mean when they ask ‘How are you?’” At an extreme, this brings a certain tense, tightly wound quality to your demeanor. Scorpio Rising is one of the Rising signs most likely to suffer from “resting bitch face.” It’s not because you’re a mean person but because you can be so focused, so intense, and so penetrating, at any given moment, that it can be difficult for you to truly relax your demeanor.
Yet, since the Ascendant symbolizes our general behavior, you behave in ways that make you a mystery that needs to be solved. So, you can be just as likely to suffer from “resting blank face.” Sometimes, your default expression either gives nothing away or just sits there and waits, with a cool, controlled expression, knowing that the other person will eventually start babbling or slipping up and tell you exactly what you wanted them to tell you. Your personal presence is a lot like the mystical, mysterious Sphinx, just silently anticipating the answer from the other person, while keeping the right answer a secret. And if they don’t give the right answer, you might just eat them alive, in one way or another. There are other Scorpio Rising types (often times with a “lighter” planet conjunct the Ascendant or in the 1st) who are less foreboding or intimidating. They might even seem perfectly outgoing, extroverted, even cheerful. But, you also get the sense that there is a lot brewing beneath that exterior. With some of these folks, there can be a wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing kind of vibe that may end up scaring people even more.
No offense because I know, with this Ascendant, you’re so sick of feeling like you scare people off. You’re so sick of being intimidating. Well, maybe you aren’t. Maybe you get off on it and on the fact that people just somehow get the impression that there’s some underlying evil going on. But, a lot of it boils down to the fact that you believe this about yourself. As a Scorpio Ascendant, your presence is highly magnetic. This means that, through your approach to life, you are magnetizing whatever you want to toward you. If you are convinced that you’re supposed to live your life as this evil person, as a psycho, as a bitch or an asshole, then you will be able to totally convince people that you are. You will scare people away because your very powerful energy is telling them “I’m insane” or, your favorite one, “Don’t mess with me.” But, if you sincerely believe that the part you’re here to play is to transform people, to heal them, and to empower them, you will have an entirely different impact on others. You will magnetize all sorts of good and beautiful vibes your way.
Like Persephone, you’ve lived through the Underworld. This is the unfortunate and very famous side of Scorpio that I do not have to spend too much time on. As a Scorpio Rising, you can live a life plagued with betrayal, abuse, abandonment, death, and loss. It can be like you’re living out a Greek tragedy. But, maybe, you want to, on some level. Your perspective of life being so painful and tragic is causing these horrible things to happen to you, tenfold. Yes, we all suffer through emotionally difficult times. That’s unavoidable. But, you could suffer a lot whole less throughout life if you taught yourself to use your inner resources and strengths for good, instead of for obsessing over every terrible chapter or moment that’s happened in your life or that’s to come.
At this level, you will go from playing the role of the one who is constantly beaten down but constantly getting back up to the person who is done with all the drama. The Ascendant is the “character” we assume throughout life. So, yes, you are definitely living out your life as a survivor. But, don’t be masochistic about it, needing a lot of emotional drama just to keep proving that you’re a survivor. Know that you are one and your life will become a lot easier. Your demeanor will relax hugely, as well, preventing you from feeling like you need to be anticipating something terrible at every corner. Instead, you will just appear to be a person with a ton of soul and depth. You’ve been to the dark places in your life. But, be like Persephone: switching off between going down into the dark place, only when necessary, and then living in the light.
You will then be able to live as a healer and counselor for others. This is the true gift of Scorpio Rising people. Pluto ruling your chart shows that there will be something in your life that is significantly traumatic. It might be the death of a loved one in childhood, it might be an abusive experience, it may just be an exposure to the nitty-gritty elements of life too prematurely. Whatever the case, you have to find a way to heal that wound. When you do, you can see it as your role to be a healer for others through your insight and the depths of your experience. Pluto’s house placement will show just where this healing power will play out. If Pluto is in the 10th, you will be meant to be a healing member of society, in ways that bring you success and recognition. Pluto in the 12th will require you to be this healer and transformer in ways that are selfless and deeply spiritual.
Let’s also get to the sexual element of Scorpio, which is just as well-known as the other elements. It’s another part of getting down to the nitty-gritty that defines your life. With Pluto as the chart ruler, you are meant to live your life through a deep understanding of the mystery and the transformation of the sexual act. This sexual energy really shape your whole world view. Scorpio Rising people are highly Freudian individuals. Fun fact: Freud himself also was a Scorpio Rising. So, just like you can have trouble just letting a cigar be a cigar, in general terms, you can also turn that cigar into a symbol for something risqué. Just about everything you see can be assigned a sexual meaning or undertone, with this Rising sign. As a result, you’re the master of the racy joke.
You are also highly sexualized, down to your very presence, and a lot of you see nothing wrong with that. The only people who have a problem are those clueless prudes. There’s something in your walk, your talk, and your whole way of being that can scream sex. Yet, there are many Scorpio Ascendants (or Scorpio people, in general) who just don’t really “get” their scorching sex appeal. And it’s not exactly for you to understand. After all, you are here to be a mystery. So, your sexiness can be just as much of an enigma. Even if you’re not conventionally beautiful or handsome, there is still an eroticism to your appearance and demeanor. Often times, Scorpio Rising people have very seductive voices, as well: husky, deep, powerful, and passionate. It’s an aura that others can’t help but respond to, even if they don’t know why. Sure, you won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. You do have that tendency to be a polarizing, love-them-or-hate-them type of individual. But, the people who are into you are really into you, right from the jump, and not just sexually but in a general sense.
Essentially, Pluto serving as the chart ruler gives you a lifelong access to great power. But, as the famous quote goes, great power requires great responsibility. This is where Mars comes into play. Now, I think Mars is your co-chart ruler in the sense that it gives you this amazing passion, drive, motivation, and courage. But, what are you going to do with that? Mars is explosive and impulsive. So, what I think the traditional chart ruler can do, as I mentioned in the Aquarius Rising article, is undercut the aims of the modern chart ruler, which should have the final say. Pluto wants you to embody passion and power with a sense of spiritual awareness and self-mastery. But, Mars can screw all that up by throwing that control out the window and just making you go nuts.
When you see a Scorpio Rising person really losing it, Mars is taking over. They are becoming destructive and in the wrong ways. I think Pluto can symbolize a positive kind of destruction or ruthlessness for you, in the sense of eliminating and getting rid of anything or anyone that keeps you from being empowered while allowing you to remain evolved and conscious. But, Mars’ destruction can gain the upper hand, resulting in a vicious temper, cruel or petty behavior, selfish jealousy, and a desire to dominate everyone. Say what you will about Pluto but I actually think that Scorpio’s dark side comes from the Mars element of this sign being out of check. Pluto knows the dark side but also knows the consequences, even when indulging in evil. Mars, being as raw and headstrong and often immature as it is, usually does not until it happens.
It’s safe to say that you cannot have a Pluto Return, as Pluto moves far too slowly to come back to your sign and house. But, you have your Mars Return once every couple of years. And this is the time where you will be tested on those consequences. Are you using your great power responsibly or destructively? If it’s the latter case, then your Mars Return will become a time where you constantly have things blowing up in your face. The karma that your negative energy has been collecting will be dished out full force, during this time, and in the realm of your Mars’ house. So, if Mars is in the 7th, your relationships will implode. If Mars is in the 3rd, communication and inner thoughts cannot proceed without some sort of conflict. This will all occur so you can hopefully stop, assess the situation, and figure out just how you need to master and express your power.
If and when you do, then the Mars Return will be a time where you feel more motivated and more passionate than ever. The fierce focus of Pluto will then give way to the active, dynamic drive of Mars. So, the power that you’re really yearning for in this life can be accomplished during the Mars Return. With a 7th House Mars, relationships can be more invigorating or successful and with Mars in the 3rd, your thoughts and your words will lead the way toward the fulfillment of your desires. As a Scorpio Rising, your life does revolve around desire, in so many definitions of the word. Whether it’s for sex, power, intimacy, depth, revelation, or all of the above, you approach any given situation with the intent of getting these desires met. You can obsess over them, for sure. But, when you have your Mars Return, you will learn if you are positively or negatively obsessing over them.