Scorpio is ruled by Pluto. Mythologically, Pluto is the Roman counterpart of Hades, Lord of the Underworld. However, there is more to Pluto than textbook mythology. The astrological Pluto governs all that is hidden and taboo. Whatever society deems unacceptable gets shoved aside, either into the unconscious or the red light district or other disreputable parts of town. The “underworld” is not just Hell, but the dwelling place of people who need to work or live outside the light of day.

Religion

Sex, for better or worse, is taboo … or at least most types of sexual activity. The Church only approves of sex within the context of procreation. Sex outside of marriage, sex between two people of the same gender, sex between minors, sex between a minor and an adult, sex between clergymen and ….

Words and deeds are, of course, two separate things, as we see. But nonetheless, many people in power want to suppress sexuality, unless it is sanctioned by the ChurchState.

Death

Pluto also rules death. Sex and death are intimately related. The French call the orgasm a “mini death.” In sexual union, there is a death of the individual, when two beings dissolve their ego boundaries and become one emotional, spiritual unit. The act of procreation itself is essential for the survivial of the species. Without sex, our race will literally die. In addition, humans often feel the biological imperative to have their genes carried along future generations. There is an illusion of immortality when you know that, even when you physically die, a part of you is carried along by your children, and your children’s children, and so on.

Archetype

Psychiatrist Stan Grof conducted LSD research and found that participants had different types of psychedelic experiences. He categorized them into BPMs, or Basic Perinatal Matrices, which he correlated with stages of the birth process. BPM III relates to the stage of contraction of the uterus. It is a life or death struggle for the fetus … the most intense part of birth, no doubt. During BPM III LSD experiences, participants had inner experiences with the folowing themes: “titanic fight, sadomasochistic experiences, intense sexual arousal, demonic episodes, scatalogical involvement, and encounter with fire.“

Sounds Scorpionic, huh? Philospher and astrologer Richard Tarnas, in tandem with Stan Grof, associates BPM III with the astrological Pluto. This archetype is deeply ingrained within the collective psyche. It appears to be greater than “culture.”

Astrology

Scorpios are intimately familiar with the Plutonic realm. Sex may be a fight against death, an effort to die a little death, or a desire to overcome death. Either way, Scorpio’s planetary rulership goes a long way to explain why this zodiac sign is so sexual.

Comment below: Share your intense, Scorpionic sexual preoccupations. If you dare.

Related post: The Astrology of Kink: the Scorpio Taboo