The Astrology of Sailor Moon – Part VII: Eclipses

In Part VI of this series, we finished up the third story arc with a discussion of Sailor Saturn. Throughout this series, I have been using Sailor Moon Crystal for discussion purposes, which follows the manga very closely. The reason for this is that I am focusing on the astrology involved, and the older anime series has a lot of different subplots which are less relevant to the topic at hand. At the time of this writing, the fourth story arc for Sailor Moon Crystal has not yet been released, but it has been announced that it will be a two-part movie.

As we go forward, I will be primarily using the manga rather than the anime version, for the same reason that I had been using Sailor Moon Crystal. In the manga, the story is far more streamlined, making it easier to talk about astrological topics. With that, let us begin.

The Total Solar Eclipse

At the end of Sailor Moon Crystal – Season III, we are left with our heroines and Tuxedo Kamen going to see a Total Solar Eclipse.

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This is a big event, and the whole city goes out to watch it. During the eclipse, the Sailor Senshi think about their dreams for the future. Usagi (Sailor Moon) and Chibi Usa (Chibi Sailor Moon) are distracted at the very beginning of the eclipse by a strange and beautiful sound.

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When they looked, they saw Pegasus who was asking for help.

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Help me, O Maiden!

While the city is watching the eclipse, Usagi and Chibi Usa are wondering if they are the ones Pegasus is talking to, and the other Senshi are making wishes, a hot-air balloon appears in the sky.

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Come one, come all, the Dead Moon Circus has come! O City Filled with Beautiful Dreams! O Land of Longings! This is the time you have been long been waiting for. We, the Dead Moon Circus Troupe, have appeared!

This balloon was filled with the Dead Moon Circus Troupe who set up their tent in the middle of the city.

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As would be expected, the Dead Moon Circus Troupe are the new villains, and they are trying to capture Pegasus. Pegasus later appears in Chibi Usa’s dreams. He tells her that his name is Helios and that he wants her to help him find the Golden Crystal and to save his land, Elysion.

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O, Beautiful Maiden! I have finally found you.

Traditional Understanding of Eclipses

This portrayal is very close to the traditional understanding of eclipses. While in modern times, eclipses are seen as exciting events, traditionally, they were always viewed as bad omens. They were times of vulnerability to the forces of Darkness.

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Rahu

In Vedic astrology, which is still based on a living tradition, eclipses form when Rahu, the Head of the Dragon (the North Node), or Ketu, the Tail of the Dragon (the South Node), swallow the Sun or the Moon. In Vedic mythology, they do this in revenge over their defeat during the battle between the angels and the demons.  Eclipses are inauspicious omens for anything, and there are many restrictions regarding what should not be done during an Eclipse. Some of these restrictions include not eating, sleeping, or studying during the eclipse, and taking a ritual bath after it is over.

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Ketu

Interestingly enough, in Japanese, the word for a Solar Eclipse is 日食, nisshoku, Sun-eating, and the world for a Lunar Eclipse is 月食, gesshoku, Moon-eating.

In the story of Sailor Moon, the Solar Eclipse left an opening for villains to enter the city, and the name “Dead Moon Circus” seems very appropriate for the chaos and confusion that Eclipses can bring. Later in this story arc, the villains twist and turn the hopes and dreams of the people, which is a good description of what tends to happen to projects started during Eclipses. These projects tend to become warped and not turn out the way that people expect.

Protection from Eclipses

As much as I respect the Vedic tradition, I think that the elaborate restrictions with respect to eclipses would be rather difficult for modern Westerners. This is particularly the case with all of the fanfare and pressure to watch eclipses, similar to what was seen on Sailor Moon.

I do think that simply not watching Eclipses and as much as possible avoiding exposure to the light of eclipses provides enough protection in this day and age. In Sailor Moon, Usagi and Chibi Usa were distracted from watching the Solar Eclipse, and they saw Pegasus, a magical being. Later in the story, we learn that they receive special powers from him.

I have avoided eclipses for the past several years. Since I have done so, I have experienced that the outside world seems to be stranger and crazier than I ever noticed before. I feel like I am seeing things in a clearer light and that things that I had accepted as normal now seem dark and nonsensical. It is not a tangible effect, although I seem to also have had better luck since I have been intentionally avoiding eclipses. Instead, it seems to have had more of an impact on my heart and mind.

Given this, rather than focusing on the negative impacts of seeing an eclipse, I recommend avoiding them for the protection and spiritual benefits that NOT seeing them can provide.

See also:

About Eclipses

Eclipses – What are They?

To Be Continued

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