Blog A Go-Go: In which I celebrate Scorpio men

When last we spoke about Taurus men, I promised equal time to the Scorpio archetype, for good or evil. So let's draw the drapes and pour a nice glass of wine. This is going to take some time.

The first word that comes to mind when assessing a Scorpio man is "danger". (Actually, it's "sex", but I'm trying to keep this tidy.) To understand this, you have only to think of his totemic animal. In the same way that a Taurean will exhibit bovine placidity and aggression in turns, the Scorpio lurks, waiting for the proper time to come out of the shadows and make himself known. Even if his rising sign is a gregarious one--Gemini or Sagittarius--and he is chatty, make no mistake: you will know NOTHING about this man he does not want you to know. He is obsessive about his privacy, and what is more alluring to a writer than a character with secrets? His ruling planet was Pluto, and although the astrological world remains divided after its declassification as a planet, you only have to consider the mythology to realize it still works. Pluto was the god of the underworld, master of the dead. We're off to an interesting start, no?

Another intriguing facet of Scorpio is their determination. They have a laser-like focus, and if they decide to accomplish something, it is as good as done. While Taurus may mask his ambition with an air of bonhomie, Scorpio is ruthlessly overt. He is capable of crushing you and smiling while he does it. In fact, ruthless is a word often associated with Scorpio, along with other words like obsessive, cruel, tyrannical. There are more serial killers born under the sign of Scorpio than any other. We ought to be running away, shrieking, shouldn't we?

But we don't. Because for all his twisted, dark places, Scorpio is an outrageously compelling man. If there is a little bit of the cavewoman lurking within your modern, liberated woman's heart--and honestly, there probably IS--the idea of being dominated just a smidge is intoxicating. There is an inevitability about Scorpio that is just as unsettling as Taurus' uncertainty. With one you know you're as good as had, with the other, you never know where you stand. Equally maddening, and equally exciting, even to an evolved, twenty-first century girl. The primal aspects of these astrological pairings is what makes them timeless, and that universality is why readers respond to them.

Scorpio has something else in common with Taurus, and that's money. They can be very good at acquiring it, but it is worth remembering that as an earth sign, Taurus is grounded. Scorpio is a water sign, driven by emotion, as much as he tries to hide it. Taurus will want pleasure because it feels good; Scorpio needs it to survive. There is something about the Scorpion's romantic relationships that are a bit more elemental, for all the Taurean earthiness. It should also be noted that, again like Taurus, Scorpio is capable of compiling a little black book the size of the Encyclopedia Britannica. He is also entirely capable of settling into perfect fidelity after a rousing bachelorhood. And as far as infidelity, Scorpio is far likelier to kill you than cheat on you. (Just kidding.)

But Scorpio, like their Taurean brothers, holds EPIC grudges. Neither forgets nor forgives. Again, good fodder for fiction, tricky to navigate if you're a Sagittarius girl who just wants to have fun. Strictly speaking, I would never pair a male Scorpio character with a female Sag. All of my female characters have Gemini or Libra tendencies, which I just realized is because I am a Gemini with Libra rising. (And a Pisces moon. If you're keeping track, that's about SIX personalities.) There is a push-me-pull-you battle within every Gemini, and it plays out quite nicely in conflict with either Taurus or Scorpio, both of which provide deliciously problematic matches. (I suppose this relates to a confession I heard another writer make that at five-foot ten she cannot write a short heroine. She literally doesn't see the world from that angle. So I write from the astrological perspective I know. I'm sure there's an article here somewhere.)

Back to the Scorpio men at hand, and why they are so compelling: Scorpio is not just symbolized by the scorpion. He is represented by the Eagle as well, and that is because there are nobler qualities there. Forget the scary sexual sadist that all the astrology books warn you about. Scorpio can be wildly charming--think Gerard Butler on any talk show. They can be surprisingly sympathetic, and if you plan a murder, Scorpio will help you hide the body, no questions asked. They are capable of tremendous loyalty, and they take very good care of what is theirs. They simply do not SHARE. Rousing Scorpio jealousy is as willfully stupid as pricking a Taurus temper; you better have a death wish or good running shoes because he will hunt you down. Pair that notorious jealousy with a female character who is naturally flirtatious--Geminis will flirt with your dog--and you have a deliciously combustible situation.

All the same caveats as the Taurus post should apply here. My own personal experiences with Scorpios have been tremendously positive, in spite of my Geminian loquaciousness, which should drive them to distraction. The Scorpios I use when I write are of my own invention, astrology book archetypes with a writerly twist to make them even more delectable. And in case you're curious, yes, Brisbane is a Scorpio. All those secrets? How could he not be?