In the writings of medieval Muslim astrologers, Scorpio takes on contradictory meanings as a sign of prophecy and sorcery. One of the more complex zodiac signs, it offers us interesting insight.

A thread on Scorpio in astrology from the Islamic World

Those born under Scorpio or al Aqrab are said to be fair of form of and voice. They have a mind for religion and occult sciences and deep conversations.

They are said to have alluring eyes.

Al Biruni says they are bold and impulsive but conceal a deep anxiety. He says they have a mind for vengeance and plots and dwell on evil thoughts.

(“Evil thoughts” traditionally meant they tend to have a hard time forgiving, thought cruelly of enemies, or sexual thoughts).

Restlessness at night, tossing and turning during sleep, and strange dreams or nightmares are also common.

Reputedly many have a mark on their foot or deep lines on the soles of their feet, or a mark on their back.

Scorpio is described as feminine, nocturnal, cold, watery, moist, and phlegmatic. Its season is autumn.

Despite being a water sign, it’s link to Mars connects it to a cold, icy, or blue fire.

Red and black are good colors for them to wear and they find much of their fortune on Tuesday but Friday will be difficult for them.

They have many children.

They make good sorcerers and doctors and musicians and specialists (usually indicates a niche expertise or hobby)

Scorpio is said to be the home of Mars. The Greek myth of Scorpio and Orion is re-imagined in an Islamic context showing its Lord Mars holding it by the tail and the planet being assigned to the angel Samsasail.

You can see a depiction from the 14th C Kitab al Bulhan above.

It is said Aquarius obeys Scorpio while Pisces and Scorpio hold each other in esteem. Leo and Scorpio are friendly but butt heads and Cancer and Scorpio enjoy love if they can navigate boundaries well.

Taurus and Scorpio are said to have a unique relationship. They are opposites, but for some reason are singled out, likely as they are nocturnal Venus and Mars respectively.

Both are “lusty” signs which traditionally indicate high-sex drives and marks of good lovers.

Their “lustiness” differs. Taurus is described as lusty in acceptable ways within the confines of commitment

Scorpio is described as “lecherous” usually indicating illicit or dark sexuality. This doesn't mean Scorpios are all having affairs but is used in consultation charts

This is a good reminder that Medieval people had quite complicated and nuanced understandings of love.

In the Islamic world in particular love wasn’t chaste, but linked to pleasure, sex, and passion. They also understood love as having different definitions

Sex was viewed mostly positively but within approved contexts; outside of it, it could become unhealthy

The link between Scorpio and a type of infectious desire is reflected in Muslim poetry where various body-parts of a lover are compared to the sting of a scorpion.

See a modern example in the following Farsi song where the lover’s eyebrows are compared to the sting of a gazhdum or “scorpion.”

Classic Ahmad Zahir version:

Valy remix:

Many Scorpios are said to suffer from a fall at an earlier age, suffer at 33, and at 45 face a cruel enemy.

The human body was divided up by the zodiac with Scorpio associated with the genitals.

Muslim astrologers also designated parts of the world as governed by the Zodiac with Scorpio corresponding to Arabia, vineyards, and places where bugs gather

Scorpio is described in contradictory ways and as a sign illustrate how the Zodiac was more than personality and carried different meanings in different contexts.

In consultation charts, Scorpio, especially if Mars or the Moon was in it, would mean deceit and evil was afoot

Abu Ma’shar relates a story of a miracle worker who came to the caliphal court and showed his wonders.

The caliph’s astrologer was able to reveal him for a fraud by noting Mercury was in Scorpio.

Moon in Scorpio would also be used to identify illicit affairs

Similarly, in ikhtiyārāt or election charts, Muslim rulers would avoid going to war when the Moon was in Scorpio.

Famously, during the Abbasid Civil War when brother turned on brother, the Caliph Al Amin failed to note the Moon in Scorpio while his Virgo brother, Al Ma’mun heeded his astrologers.

Al Amin lost and Al Ma’mun was victorious

On the other hand, when Mars was rising in Scorpio, Muslim leaders would promote military commanders that they may be victorious in battle.

Here Scorpio was a fortunate sign.

Magical works would invoke Scorpio for sex spells, but most famously for dealing with bugs.

One of the older methods of magic involve like influencing like, hence in spells of lust, figurines of the individuals would be fashioned to influence the targets.

Scorpio’s form would therefore give it power over scorpions and insects.

When Scorpio was on the ascendant, talismans of tin and clay would be used as a form of premodern bug repellent

Similarly, talismans made with Scorpio could be washed into water and used to treat stings

Some famous Scorpios from Islamic history include the 10th century Abbasid Caliph Al-Muqtadir who ascended the throne at 13 making him the youngest Abbasid ruler.

He was accused of spending most of his days in his harem and with his concubines.

His mother Shaghab ran the empire, creating a vast parallel bureaucracy.

The 16th century, Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent was also a Scorpio. Overseeing the largest territorial extent of the Ottoman empire and the height of its great building projects, he scandalized his advisers by marrying his concubine, the brilliant Hurrem Sultan

Scorpio, like Libra, would come to have a special meaning for Islam. Again reminding us of the different meanings in different contexts.

In world astrology, Scorpio would be the sign of Islam’s birth.

Mashallah ibn Athari would note the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in Scorpio with Libra in the Ascendant and the Moon in Cancer in 571 CE, signaling the birth of Muhammad.

The three signs would come to symbolize Islam. Cancer would represent Islamic lands, Libra the just rule, and Scorpio conjunctions the beginning and end of Islam’s dominance.

Thus when the malefic Mars and Saturn were found in Scorpio astrologers would predict civil war, while the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn would portend the end.

Indeed, the Jupiter Saturn conjunction of 690 CE was linked to Ali ibn Abi Talib’s death.

However, since many strains of Islamic thought hold Muhammad to be the last prophet, future conjunctions could not mean future prophets.

So astrologers like Abu Ma’shar would instead interpret Jupiter Saturn conjunctions in Scorpio to mean either the appearance of religious rebels or portending something about Islam the religion.

Interestingly, later European astrologers would link Jupiter-Saturn conjunction in Scorpio to Martin Luther.

Both Al Kindi and Abu Ma’shar would use the cycles of Jupiter and Saturn and its placement in Scorpio to predict the end of the dominance of Islam.

They predicted 610 to 693 years from the initial conjunction putting the end somewhere in the 13th century.

Baghdad and the Abbasid caliphate would be destroyed in 1258 CE

Ibn Khaldun notes the Greek astrologer Theophilus gives a different date, predicting the dominance of Islam for roughly 960 years and thus predicting the end or decline at the end of the 16th century.

Scorpio offers us a great deal as historians. It shows us the way in which pre-Islamic myths and calendars were Islamized.

The Greek mythology of Scorpio is re-imagined in Islam by linking it with esoteric angels.

The Sassanian approach to world history is similarly Islamized with Scorpio becoming both the beginning and end of Islam. Using the ancient calendar to inscribe an Islamic history.

I’ll cover the rest of the zodiac in future threads