Scorpio’s sign decorates this small mango wood box, which measures 10 × 10 cm at the base and stands 6 cm high. Gold dots cover the dark blue lid, and in the cream circle at its centre is a gold scorpion. Its claws are raised and its tail curls into a spiral beneath it. Twelve sections around it hold the zodiac constellations. Hinges sit at the back and a metal clasp at the front. When you open it, the lid does not drop back. Made in India; you receive one box.
Orion and the scorpion
Greek myth says the hunter Orion died from the sting of a scorpion. In the sky the two constellations still keep apart, and as Scorpius rises, Orion sets. The sign runs roughly from 23 October to 21 November.
Scorpios are said to be passionate and determined, and good at keeping a secret.
A water sign with two planets
Scorpio is a water sign, together with Cancer and Pisces. Traditional astrology linked it to Mars, modern astrology to Pluto, which was only discovered in 1930.
Secrets under a closed lid
Put a folded letter, a spare key or a small keepsake in here, something not everyone needs to know about. A letter fits once folded two or three times. A clasp holds the lid at the front, though there is no lock. It also suits jewellery, and the inside is bare wood. Wipe the lid with a dry, soft cloth and keep the box off radiators.
If a Scorpio in your family celebrates in late October or November, this box is for them, and it comes in all twelve signs. Opal is the birthstone for October and topaz for November.