The Daunting Tropes Around Scorpios
How toxic stereotypes surrounding Scorpio baddies contribute to shaming powerful women
Written by Maddy Scharrer, Lifestyle Staff Writer
Throughout my teen years, I’ve gotten the following reaction far too many times when informing someone of my birthday; “Omg, you’re a Scorpio? I thought they were supposed to be more [insert pretty much any negative character trait you can think of here].” I’m no astrology expert, but from my experience, there are some flaws in the way Scorpios are framed. From all the different stereotypes I’ve heard, there seems to be a common thread: they’re socially constructed to undermine and question the confidence of Scorpio women.
From late October to mid-November, Scorpio season burns bright and intensely. While this can be an enchanting astrological season, it is often intertwined with a lot of negativity. There are a lot of stigmas surrounding Scorpios, such as their likeness to show malicious tendencies, a craving for control and being sexually promiscuous (Biakolo, 2015). What are these labels really saying? That strong, powerful women should be shamed for taking charge of their lives? The narrative around Scorpios needs to be reevaluated to uplift and support powerful women.
One of the first things many think of when discussing Scorpios is the sensuality surrounding this water sign. Stereotypically, Scorpio women are thought to be more promiscuous than the average girl. There’s a received idea that Scorpios have kinkier and more frequent sex than other women (Biakolo, 2015). This tells women that if you’re a sexually active Scorpio, you must be very experienced and open to anything, and if you’re not, well, you must be doing it wrong. While any kind of sex should be an expressive and freeing experience, in a patriarchal society like ours, this stereotype around Scorpio women can be very harmful. We live in a society where men are praised for having sex while women are looked down upon and shamed for it. Sex should be liberating for all women, and labeling Scorpios as sex maniacs strips us of sexual freedom and contributes to worsening patriarchal stereotypes.
As if stigmatizing our sexuality wasn’t enough, there are also plenty of stereotypes surrounding Scorpio women’s independence and drive. Scorpio women are known to be fiercely independent, which should be viewed as an admirable quality, but female independence is often seen as threatening in our world. Men rephrase it into something vile to keep within their agenda. Too often, a Scorpio’s drive or wish for control is viewed as selfish and obsessive. To the naked eye, Scorpio women are known to be obsessive, controlling and demanding, which are all negative connotations of power (Pai, 2022). The sad truth prevails when a man takes control; he is seen as assertive and respectable, but when a woman takes control, she is seen as aggressive and bitchy.
Envy has to be the defining characteristic surrounding Scorpio women across all mediums. The jealousy trait is often attributed to their competitive nature, which is commonly viewed in a negative light (Biakolo, 2015). But is being competitive all that bad? In reality, the Scorpio woman is constantly competing with herself to continue breaking new ground. What’s wrong with a woman wanting to better herself through some healthy self-competition? Only it’s never looked at that way; it’s always portrayed as jealousy in a relationship leading to competition with other women. The aura of jealousy placed around Scorpio women allows for the assumption that they all compete for the attention of men. Highlighting the jealous tendencies of Scorpio women in a strictly negative light and brushing the other possible reasons under the rug contributes to depictions of women being crazy in relationships.
Relationship stereotypes are probably the deepest-rooted issue in the portrayal of Scorpio women. When you combine all of the previous stereotypes of promiscuity, control and envy, it is easy to paint the Scorpio woman as mischievous in the dating world. Scorpio is a sign that vies for passionate relationships, and while this can include sexual intimacy, it is not limited to it. The hypersexual stereotype around Scorpios can be very harmful to the more vulnerable side that craves romantic intensity in a relationship (Bell, 2021). Scorpio women also tend to have an agenda while dating; they aren’t there for a surface-level connection, so taking the initiative to get to know their partner on a deeper level is typical (Bell, 2021). This ambition is often confused with a need for control, which furthers the image of Scorpios as demanding. Hand in hand with control, Scorpios are frequently portrayed as being jealous in relationships. They are framed as distrusting and envious of other women when, in reality, Scorpios are just very passionate partners who love hard and aren’t afraid to show it. Instead of characterizing Scorpios as atrocious partners, we need to pave a healthier narrative around their romantic tendencies.
To my fellow Scorpio women, the next time a man tells you you’re too promiscuous, controlling or envious, what they’re actually saying is that you’re so driven, passionate and determined that it frightens them. It’s in our nature to make men feel weak with our ambition, so let’s use these stereotypes to our advantage if they refuse to see what truly lies beneath them. Men’s insecurities do not give society the right to demonize us. We aren’t as devilish as their fearful whispers accuse us to be. So, embrace your badass tendencies and remember to never dull yourself down for a man to feel comfortable.
Sources:
Biakolo, K. (2015). 17 Stereotypes About Scorpios That Are Almost Always True. Thought Catalog.
Pai, R. (2022). 17 Bad Traits And Characteristics Of A Scorpio (Man & Woman). MomJunction.
Bell, A. (2021, October 23). What's It Really Like To Date A Scorpio? Vogue's Astrologer Sets The Record Straight. British Vogue.