Scorpio (Vrishchika)

Scorpio, the Scorpion, is a fixed water sign ruled by Mars (modern Western: Pluto). The Sun is in tropical (Western) Scorpio from October 23 – November 21, and in sidereal (Vedic) Scorpio — called Vrishchika — from about November 16 – December 15. The sign is associated with intensity, depth and transformation.

Why two sets of dates: the tropical zodiac is tied to the seasons and the sidereal zodiac to the constellations. The equinoxes have drifted about 24° against the stars since the zodiacs coincided (the Lahiri ayanamsa is 24°13′ in 2026), so the Sun enters sidereal Scorpio roughly three and a half weeks after it enters tropical Scorpio. The 2026 ingresses above are computed from the Sun's position, to the minute.

In Vedic astrology Vrishchika holds Vishakha (pada 4), Anuradha (all four padas) and Jyeshtha (all four padas). A Moon here is read through both the sign and its nakshatra.

Your Sun sign is only one placement: your Moon sign and your rising sign (ascendant) are read at least as closely, and Vedic astrology gives the Moon sign the most weight of all.

Questions

In Plutto
Plutto reads your Sun, Moon and rising sign in both zodiacs — and says which one each tradition means. Background: Western astrology.