The Astrology of Sailor Moon – Part VI: Sailor Saturn

Of all of the characters in Sailor Moon, as an astrologer, I find Sailor Saturn the most interesting. In Part V of this series, we left with the Outer Planet Senshi revealing that Chibi-Usa’s friend, Hotaru Tomoe was Sailor Saturn, and with them wanting to kill Hotaru-chan before she could awaken to her full powers.

Nature of Saturn

Before we look at the portrayal of Sailor Saturn, it helps to understand the nature of Saturn from an astrological perspective. Like all of the planets, Saturn has a threefold nature. The threefold nature can be seen in the symbolism of the Cross. The horizontal axis of the Cross represents the normal, material manifestation of the planetary principle. This is generally what an astrologer would use when interpreting the effects of the planet. The vertical axis represents the highest and lowest manifestation of the planetary principle, the spiritual meaning and the diabolical possibility.

Saturn

Saturn is the Greater Malefic, so her normal nature in material manifestation is severe. Saturn signifies hardship and restriction, as well as the qualities needed to survive this hardship and restriction, such as patience, hard work, and endurance.

The diabolical possibilities of the Saturnian principle are quite awful. At its lowest, Saturn can signify unimaginable destruction and cruelty. Indeed, in one of her aspects, Saturn is the destroyer of all manifestation. Yet, ordinary manifestation can be quite cruel. We must kill in order to survive. Even people and animals that only eat plants are still killing another living being.

While the lowest nature of Saturn represents the worst in manifestation and humanity, the highest level represents nothing short of Enlightenment, or escape from the Wheel of Rebirth, or Samsara. Saturn is the ultimate planet of transformation.

Now that we have looked at the Saturnian principle, let’s discuss Sailor Saturn.

Hotaru Tomoe – Normal Saturn

In many ways, the character of Hotaru-chan represents Saturn in her material manifestation. Years before the events in this story arc, there was an accident in her father’s lab. This accident killed her mother and fatally injured her. Apparently, the only reason that she survived was that parts of her limbs were replaced with machinery.

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Tragedy, death, and hardship are all Saturnian themes. Hotaru-chan’s personality is also quite Saturnian. She is quiet and often seems quite sad. She lives behind walls and spends much of her time alone. Her father is apparently working for the villain, and she frequently has seizures of intense pain.

Mistress 9 – Low Saturn

It turns out that it was not just the implants that allowed Hotaru-chan to survive. We discover in the course of the story arc that she was inhabited by a being from the Tau Ceti Star System called Mistress 9. We learn that her father is also inhabited by another being known as Pharoah 90. It seems that the price for Hotaru-chan’s survival was her father agreeing to the possession of both of them.

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After a complicated series of events, which involved Chibi-Usa’s Maboroshi no Ginsuishou (“Silver Crystal”), Mistress 9 is released and takes over Hotaru-chan’s body. When Mistress 9 takes over, Hotaru-chan becomes an adult, which is an interesting echo of the second story arc, when Chibi-Usa becomes Black Lady.

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While Mistress 9 had control of her body, Hotaru-chan was trapped inside her body behind thorns. At the same time, Chibi-Usa is in a coma because Mistress 9 had possession of her Maboroshi no Ginsuishou. These themes invoke the symbolism of the fairy tale, Sleeping Beauty.

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Sailor Saturn – High Saturn

As the story goes on, Mistress 9 eats the Maboroshi no Ginsuishou which causes Chibi-Usa to leave her body and enter Mistress 9 as well. She and Hotaru-chan together are able to free themselves, and Hotaru-chan leaves her body altogether. Chibi-Usa recovers and Hotaru-chan becomes a disembodied spirit.

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After this, there is a struggle between the other Sailor Senshi and the villains, and Sailor Moon calls upon the Holy Grail, which unites the powers of all the Senshi, allowing her to transform into Super Sailor Moon. Chibi Usa, now transformed into Sailor Chibi Moon watches this, and she wants to be just as strong as Sailor Moon. Her own Holy Grail then appears, and she transforms into Super Sailor Chibi Moon. Transcending the body and the Holy Grail are symbols of Enlightenment.

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The battle continues and intensifies, and it begins to look like the Senshi will be defeated. At this point, Super Sailor Moon seems to sacrifice herself.

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The talismans of the Outer Planet Senshi are activated, and Sailor Saturn appears.

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Destruction and Rebirth

When Sailor Saturn appears, everyone believes that this means it is the end of the world. Indeed, that is Sailor Saturn’s function. She completes the destruction when a world or a star system has no more future, and she clears the path for rebirth.

It is interesting that the talismans of the Outer Planet Senshi are the catalysts for Sailor Saturn’s appearance. I have long held a theory that the Outer Planets represent the poisons of the Modern world. I have also privately speculated that perhaps they are linked to the destructive power of Saturn. It could be that part of the reason they have come into our consciousness now is that we are deep into the late Iron Age and near to the end of the Great Cycle. In this story, the Outer Planet Senshi are strongly linked to Sailor Saturn.

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Just as Sailor Saturn was about to lower her Silence Glade and destroy the villains and the Earth, Super Sailor Moon re-emerged. At this point, Sailor Saturn stopped the destruction of the Earth. When Sailor Saturn appeared to complete the destruction of Silver Millenium from the ancient past, it was after Sailor Moon, then Princess Serenity, had died.

In the Filianic Tradition, the Moon represents the Daughter, and it is the Daughter that sustains life. Without her, nothing can exist. In astrology, the Moon is the source of all timing, and in a sense, nothing could happen without the Moon on the material plane as well.

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Sailor Saturn then turns her power toward the villains from the Tau Ceti Star System, and she asks Sailor Pluto to open the space-time door for her to go through in order to seal it and finish off the villains. When she does this, apparently she will be destroyed.

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After she goes through the door and it closes, a light falls from the door into the hands of Super Sailor Moon, who transforms into Neo Queen Serenity. She then restores the Earth with her powers. After the Earth is restored, a baby falls from the sky. It turns out that this baby is Hotaru-chan/Sailor Saturn. The Outer Planet Senshi pick her up and say that they will care for her.

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The Outer Planet Senshi take the baby and fly away in helicopters after assuring Chibi Usa that they will all meet again.

Part VII: Eclipses

The Astrology of Sailor Moon – Part V: The Outer Planet Senshi

In the third story arc, we meet two new Senshi, Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune. Just as the second story arc had a background of Plutonian overtones, the third story arc has a background of Uranian and Neptunian overtones. The plot of this arc is incredibly complicated. Even after watching it several times, I still am not sure that I completely understand all of the twists and turns. If we let them, Uranus and Neptune can greatly complicate our lives.

A full explanation of the plot is not necessary to discuss the astrological principles involved, so I will just give a synopsis of the relevant cast of characters.

Cast of Characters

In this story arc, we have characters that we have had from the first story arc, Princess Serenity/Sailor Moon/Usagi Tsukino, Tuxedo Kamen (Tuxedo Mask in English)/Mamoru Chiba, and the regular Sailor Senshi, Sailor Mercury/Ami Mizuno, Sailor Mars/Rei Hino, Sailor Jupiter/Makato Kino, and Sailor Venus/Minako Aino.  There are also the cat companions, Luna and Artemis. In addition, this story arc features:

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Chibi Sailor Moon/Chibi Usagi Tsukino (Chibi Usa)

After the completion of the second story arc, Chibi Usa returns from the future. Apparently, her parents sent her back to train under Sailor Moon and the other Sailor Senshi. Her cat companion, Diana, who was the daughter of Luna and Artemis, also comes.

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Sailor Uranus/Haruka Tenou and Sailor Neptune/Michiru Kaiou

Haruka-san and Michiru-san are students of Mugen Academy, a school for very gifted students that we discover is being controlled by the villains, the Death Busters. Haruka-san is androgynous to the extent that the Inner Planet Senshi originally mistake her for a boy. Michiru-san is very feminine and is an accomplished swimmer and violin player. The two of them have a very close relationship and spend a great deal of time together.

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Sailor Pluto/Setsuna Meiou

It appears that after her sacrifice in the future, Sailor Pluto somehow appears/incarnates in the present as the scientist, Setsuna-san. I am not sure of the details of how this happened were ever explained, and if they were, I did not fully understand them. In this incarnation, Sailor Pluto is able to fight along with the other Senshi.

Hotaru Tomoe

Hotaru-chan is also a student at Mugen Academy, and she is also the daughter of the Headmaster there. She is tormented by seizures but also has mysterious healing abilities. Chibi-Usa becomes her close friend.

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The Outer Planet Senshi

The portrayal of the Outer Planet Senshi in Sailor Moon is quite interesting, and it suggests a way of understanding them that is largely in line with Traditional principles.

Allies or Enemies?

At the beginning of this story arc, it is unclear as to whether Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune are allies or enemies. They do seem to help with fighting the monsters, but they refuse to join the other Sailor Senshi. This is quite upsetting to Sailor Moon, who thinks that as they are all Sailor Senshi, they should fight together.

In their civilian identities, Haruka-san seems to flirt with Usagi-chan and Michiru-san seems to flirt with Mamoru-san, even though they both know that Mamoru-san and Usagi-chan are a couple. The flirting gets so obvious that it causes a rift between Usagi-chan and Mamoru-san when he sees Haruka-san kiss Usagi-chan.  This is in line with how the Outer Planets tend to behave if we let them. They violate the accepted social order and can cause strife and chaos.

Later in this story arc, the enemies pit the regular Senshi and all of the Outer Senshi against each other. Astrologically, the Outer Planets do seem to work at odds with the Traditional Planets.

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Special Abilities

The powers of all three Outer Planet Senshi seem to be stronger than those of the original Senshi. They certainly act as if they think that they are superior to the regular Senshi. The Outer Senshi are all older than the regular Senshi, and Haruka-san and Michiru-san attend Mugen Academy, a school for prodigies.

In Modern Astrology, the Outer Planets are sometimes treated as if they were more important than the Traditional Planets. Indeed, there are those that think that the Outer Planets represent “Higher Octaves” of the Traditional Planets. The Outer Planets, especially Pluto, are given special significance in the modern branch of astrology known as Evolutionary Astrology.

Yet, in spite of their greater powers, the Outer Planet Senshi seem less pure and less good than the regular Senshi. Even the names of their powers sound ominous. Sailor Uranus’ power is “World Shaking,” Sailor Neptune’s is “Deep Submerge,” and Sailor Pluto’s is “Dead Scream.”

The Role of the Outer Planet Senshi

After the appearance of Sailor Pluto, we learn that the role of the Outer Planet Senshi is to protect the Solar System from outside enemies. Apparently, they have appeared on the scene to deal with invaders from the Tau Planetary System. They kneel in allegiance to Sailor Moon in her role as Princess Serenity. Despite this, they insist that the regular Senshi stay out of the fight, and the Outer Planet Senshi handle the problem. They claim that the regular Senshi will get in their way.

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This seems consistent with the way the Outer Planets are often used in Modern Astrology. Astrologers tend to see them as more important and more useful than the Traditional Planets, and strip associations from the Traditional Planets and give them to the Outers.

The regular Senshi are unwilling to stay in the background, and Princess Serenity does not understand why they can not all be allies. When pressed, the Outer Planet Senshi confess that their true mission is to consign the ultimate enemy, the God of Destruction, to oblivion.

The God of Destruction

As the story progresses, we learn the identity of the person the Outer Planet Senshi think is the God of Destruction. It turns out that they believe that the ultimate enemy is inside of Chibi Usa’s friend Hotaru-chan. According to them, she is Sailor Saturn, the guardian associated with the Planet of Destruction, the Senshi of Silence.

They explain that after the end of the Silver Millenium in the past, the three of them woke up, which allowed Sailor Saturn to appear. It was her that completed the destruction of this world long ago. They believe that the end of the current world is coming and that in order to prevent it, they need to kill Hotaru-chan before she can manifest as Sailor Saturn.

vlcsnap-2018-09-03-21h15m58s593Naturally, the regular Sailor Senshi disagree with this plan and insist that there must be another way. This is the real reason that the Outer Planet Senshi refused to ally with the others. They suspected that Sailor Moon and the others would oppose their plan.

In the original anime series, this conflict was even more pronounced as the Outer Planet Senshi continued to want to kill Hotaru-chan for many episodes until the very end of the story arc.

The animosity between the Outer Planet Senshi and Sailor Saturn seems to represent some of the conflicts between Modern Astrology and the earlier astrological tradition. The Saturn principle can be extremely harsh, and there seems to be a belief that the Outer Planetary principles can be used to get beyond the Saturnian principle, or even get rid of it altogether. The reality is, though, that even though the Saturn principle is generally malefic, it serves an important and indispensable purpose.

Part VI: Sailor Saturn

The Astrology of Sailor Moon – Part IV: Chibi Usa and Black Lady

It is now that we arrive at the heart of the second story arc of Sailor Moon. In Part I of this series, I discussed the Plutonian overtones and continued with them in Part II. In Part II, we also encountered Sailor Pluto for the first time. In Part III, we arrived in Crystal Tokyo of the 30th Century and learned about Planet Nemesis. Now we are ready to learn Chibi Usa’s story and to discover what happened in the 30th Century.

Before we begin with that, at the end of Part III, we left with the abduction of Sailor Moon. I will briefly state that with the help of the spirit of Neo Queen Serenity and her own determination, Sailor Moon is able to free herself and Sailors Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter. While this is an interesting and dramatic part of the plot, there is not much astrology involved, so please forgive me for this cursory description.

While all of these events were taking place, Chibi Usa, seemingly upset by Usagi-chan’s jealousy and coldness towards her, runs away to Crystal Tokyo, and we learn her backstory.

Chibi Usa/Small Lady

Chibi Usa is the central character in this story arc from an astrological point of view. Her full name is Usagi “Small Lady” Serenity, and she is first born Princess of Crystal Tokyo. As discussed in Part III, in the manga and Sailor Moon Crystal, despite her appearance, she is approximately 900 years old. She is the Heir Presumptive and the hope for the future for Crystal Tokyo. There is one serious difficulty, however. She is unable to transform.

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It seems that Chibi Usa’s inability to transform led to her being ridiculed by other children. They accused her of being a nisemono Princess, or a pretend or fake Princess. Upset with the ridicule which likely echoed her own insecurities, Chibi Usa ran off and found the forbidden door guarded by Sailor Pluto. Sailor Pluto befriended her and taught her ways to cheer herself when she was sad and upset. It is often our fears and pain that lead us into Plutonian territory.

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Later Chibi Usa went to the Crystal Chamber where the Maboroshi no Ginsuishou was housed and she stole it. The Maboroshi no Ginsuishou was the item that Sailor Moon used to transform, so presumably, Chibi Usa was trying again to see if she could transform. Immediately afterward, the villains from Planet Nemesis appeared and destroyed Crystal Tokyo. Her father, King Endymion, had told her that Sailor Moon from the past was muteki, which literally means, without rival, but is often translated as invincible. It was for this reason that Chibi Usa stole one of Sailor Pluto’s time keys and returned to the past to find Sailor Moon, which is where the second story arc began.

Toxic Shame, Guilt, and Trauma

It was toxic shame that led Chibi Usa to find the forbidden door and Sailor Pluto in the first place. She was ashamed that she was not yet able to transform. I think that what made this shame toxic was that there was nothing that she could do about this inability. There was not a training course she could take; it had nothing to do with anything that she had any control over. She believed that being the daughter of Sailor Moon and the Heir Presumptive to Crystal Tokyo “should” have given her the ability to transform, but at that point of time, it did not. Yes, other children ridiculed her, but I do not believe that this ridicule would have affected her had it not echoed her own internal shame.vlcsnap-2018-07-09-18h22m50s002

The villains from Planet Nemesis arrived and destroyed Crystal Tokyo immediately after Chibi Usa stole the Maboroshi no Ginsuishou, which led her to believe that she was responsible for this destruction.

Returning to the present storyline, when Chibi Usa runs off, she is captured by Wiseman, who is the leader of the villain group. In the older anime, Wiseman manipulates her memories, planting two traumas in her mind. The first trauma was of her falling and her parents refusing to help her get up, and the second trauma was everyone refusing to acknowledge or celebrating her birthday.

In this story, the memories were altered and twisted. When Chibi Usa’s parents would not help her up, it was because they were trying to teach her to get up on her own when she fell, and the reason that everyone ignored her birthday was that they were planning a surprise party for her. Wiseman used true memories and manipulated them so Chibi Usa saw them in the worst possible light. This made Chibi Usa believe that her parents did not love her.

vlcsnap-2018-07-09-18h28m35s961The toxic shame, guilt, and in the earlier anime, the trauma planted in her memory, all led Chibi Usa to be vulnerable to being recruited by the side of Evil. Toxic shame, guilt, and trauma, real or imagined, are all dangers of Plutonian forces. Chibi Usa literal found the door to the Dark by entering into forbidden territory and finding Sailor Pluto, and the villains seized the opportunity and completed her journey into Darkness.

vlcsnap-2018-07-09-18h34m22s377Black Lady

After being taken over by the side of Evil, Chibi Usa does transform, but not in the way everyone had hoped for. She became an adult instantaneously and called herself Black Lady. As Black Lady, she became one of the villains, and indeed, became one of the most powerful of the villains. She managed to also turn Tuxedo Kamen, her future father, into an automaton under her complete control and began to engage in what appeared to be a romantic relationship with him.

vlcsnap-2018-07-09-18h36m54s024I think that this dark transformation is one of the real dangers of the Plutonian principle. In our day and age, children seem to grow up very fast. They engage in many adult behaviors at a very early age and thus grow up warped and skewed.

The metal of Pluto is the radioactive plutonium, which is used for nuclear weapons and nuclear power. Plutonium is inherently unstable, and in a sense allows us to “grow up” or gain power very quickly, but the consequences of this are obvious. In Modern Astrology, Pluto is often considered the planet of transformation, and all of this does represent “transformation” of a sort, but I do not think that it is quite a dangerous one, not one to be celebrated.

Restoration

The story climaxes as Black Lady and Prince Demando, who was the leader of the villains before Wiseman, and who brought the villains to Wiseman, go back to Crystal Tokyo to complete their destruction. During the battle that ensued, Prince Demando came into possession of Sailor Moon’s Maborishi no Ginsuishou and the one from the future. We learned earlier that if both of these Crystals come into contact with each other it will destroy everything everywhere, Good and Evil alike.

vlcsnap-2018-07-09-18h16m39s655In the midst of all of this, we return to Sailor Pluto, who senses the danger and is told what is happening by Diana, the kitten we met much earlier. Sailor Pluto knows it is forbidden for her to leave her post, but she wants to do something to help. The kitten Diana offers to guard in her place, and she goes through the door to fight with the other Sailor Senshi. We also get a flashback to a conversation between a younger Sailor Pluto and Queen Serenity from the Silver Millennium. In this conversation, we learn about three taboos. It appears that Sailor Pluto has the ability to stop time, but that it is forbidden for her to use this ability, and if she does it will destroy her.

vlcsnap-2018-07-09-18h51m13s713When Sailor Pluto enters the scene, she sees Prince Demando bringing the two Maboroshi no Ginsuishou together, and she uses her power of stopping time, which enables Sailor Moon to take back the crystals. As per the taboo, using this power does destroy Sailor Pluto. Black Lady is moved by the destruction of her dear friend and goes towards her crying. Through her tears over love for her friend, she reverts back to her true child state, and she then transforms into Chibi Sailor Moon.

vlcsnap-2018-07-09-18h49m28s023I think that the destruction of her friend does lead Chibi Usa towards a feeling of true shame and remorse, which is very different from the toxic shame and guilt that led her to the side of Darkness. Chibi Usa had turned away from the Light, and feeling shame for this led her to tears of repentance. She was also able to then tell her mother, Neo Queen Serenity of her belief that her theft had led to the original destruction, and her mother was able to tell her the original destruction was not her fault.

vlcsnap-2018-07-09-18h56m56s910After this, Chibi Sailor Moon chose to assist Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen in the final destruction of Wiseman, who we learn is actually Planet Nemesis. All is restored, and there is a happy ending.

Pluto and Transformation

I think that in this story, Sailor Pluto does not represent the Plutonian principle, but instead represents the guardian protecting us from this principle. She is the keeper of the forbidden door. Chibi Usa ventured into this forbidden territory, which led her to a Plutonian transformation into Black Lady, which was marked by an unnatural growth into adulthood and a turning to the side of Evil. Sailor Pluto protected her and the world from the consequences of this “transformation” through her own self-sacrifice. This, in turn, enabled Black Lady to shed cleansing tears of repentance, which led to a true transformation into Chibi Sailor Moon.

Did the Plutonian principle enable Chibi Usa’s eventual true transformation? Perhaps. An argument can be made for this. On the other hand, all of the previous Sailor Senshi had gained their transformation abilities without ever venturing into Plutonian territory. The common thread to the transformations of all of the Senshi was the willingness and courage to resist the Dark and stay strong in the Light. The difference is that Chibi Usa needed a longer and more complicated journey than the former Senshi.

Part V: The Outer Planet Senshi

Upcoming Transits and Managing Uranus

The use of the Outer Planets is one of the major areas of contention between Classical Astrologers and between practitioners of Classical and Modern Astrology. I have wrestled with this question for many years, and I have written two previous articles on the topic, which can be found here and here. I have looked at charts using the Outer Planets and not using the Outer Planets. I have studied, researched, and prayed about this issue, and from all of this, I have come to what I see as a workable theory of practice.

The theory is that the Outer Planets have the potential to impact our lives, and impact them in quite a destructive manner; however, they do not have to impact our lives at all. In theory at least, we can avoid their influence entirely. The Outer Planets are generally not visible to the naked eye, although at times Uranus can be faintly visible. This means that if we want to see the Outer Planets, we need to go looking for them. I think that this is the key to their meaning.

waspWhen I was a child, I was afraid of bees and wasps. Actually, I still am a little. When I expressed my fears to the adults around me, they would say, “if you don’t bother them, they won’t bother you.” I think that this is good advice and that this advice applies to the Outer Planets.

That being said, staying away from the Outer Planets and what they represent is not all that easy to do. As I have discussed before, I believe that they represent the modern poisons of atomization, deracination, and deformation. If you are able to live in a closed community and avoid the news and modern Western media, I think that you can largely stay way from these poisons. Most people, however, are not inclined to do this so far as I can see. So, the next best strategy is to be aware of the poison, and to neutralize it as much as possible.

Upcoming Transits

The reason that I am addressing this matter is that we are in the middle of about 5 months of transits that Uranus is in the thick of. For my own sanity and well being, I try not to get too involved in current events and politics, which also means I stay away from Mundane Astrology, or the astrology associated with such matters. On the other hand, I believe in addition to the impact of these transits on world events, they will impact many on a personal level. The effect be particularly strong for those with prominent planets or chart points in the early degrees of fixed signs: Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius.

Sequence of Astrological Events:

On May 15, 2018, Uranus went into Taurus. The next day Mars went into Aquarius and formed a square, or aspect of tension, with Uranus.  Mars moved on and if something was stirred up on those couple of days, it likely seemed to pass. However, next week, on June 14, 2018, Venus will enter Leo and will form a square with Uranus on the next day. On June 16 Mars will pass the South Node at 8° Aquarius. A few days later, around June 21, when the Sun moves into Cancer, Venus will oppose Mars at 9° of Leo and Aquarius, respectively. On June 25, Venus will square a retrograde (going backwards) Jupiter at 13° of Leo and Scorpio, and on June 26, Mars will go retrograde at 9° Aquarius.

As we move into July, Mercury will also square Uranus from 2° Leo, and on that same day the Moon will join Mars by the South Node. On July 4, Mercury will oppose Mars from Leo, right on the Nodal Axis at 8°. On July 7, the Moon will join Uranus, and square the Nodes, Mars, and Mercury in turn and then move on to oppose Jupiter. Just for good measure, she will square Venus the next day. On July 9, Jupiter will make a station and start moving forward, with a square from Mercury to apply additional pressure. Then on July 12, the New Moon will begin with a Solar Eclipse, which will kick off an eclipse season of three eclipses.The first eclipse of the season will be small one that will only be visible on the Southern tip of Australia and a small piece of Antarctica. This eclipse is from Solar Saros Series 117, and it is the second to the last eclipse of this series. This eclipse will occur at 20° Cancer, and except for those with planets around this degree of Cardinal Signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn), it is likely to go largely unnoticed.

Lunar Eclipse 7-27-18
Lunar Eclipse 7-27-18

The second eclipse will be a Lunar Eclipse on July 27, 2018, and this Eclipse is from Lunar Saros Series 129 and is in its prime. There will be a period of totality of 103 minutes and will be visible everywhere except North and Central America. This will be the longest eclipse of the century, and it will occur with the Sun at about 4° Leo and the Moon at about 4° Aquarius.  Mars will be sitting right by the Moon and Uranus will be square the Sun, the Moon, the Nodes, and Mars.

The final eclipse of the series will be a baby Solar Eclipse of Solar Series 155 on August 11, 2018. It will be visible in Scandinavia and Northeast Russia. It will occur at 18° Leo, but Mars will still be retrograde at 0° Aquarius, as will Uranus at 2°. Mercury will also be retrograde at 14° Leo, square Jupiter, and 4° away from the Sun and Moon.

What Does All of this Mean?

So, now that many of you are hiding under the table, what does all of this mean? There is no getting around it, this is an astrological storm. I would definitely advise being kind to your fixed sign friends. To refresh your memory, the fixed signs are Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius. If you have planets in the early degrees of fixed signs, be kind to yourself. People are being bombarded with one irritation after another in the places that like change the least.

Even without considering Uranus, these transits are difficult. As these are world transits, we will likely hear about events in the news that will increase tension between the genders and between those that favor war and those that favor peace. These events have the potential to split family members and sour personal relationships. Uranus could turn this already tense situation into an explosive one if we allow it to.

These areas of tension are in fixed signs, so if they do explode, the impact will be felt over a long period of time.  The problems that will be highlighted by the upcoming storm have been around a very long time, and it is unlikely that they will be fixed overnight, no matter how angry people have become. If you do feel inspired to create change during this time, be aware that you must be ready and willing to see it through for the long haul.

Managing Uranus

While many of the upcoming transits are unavoidable, I do believe that we can minimize the impact of Uranus, which will make the rest of the transits more manageable.

Uranus is the planet of revolution and disruption. I believe that it is also the planet associated with the poison of atomization, or excessive individualization leading to isolation and loneliness. One of the most important things we can do is to maintain and protect our relationships with our friends, our family, and our community. It will be particularly crucial to protect our marriages and relationships with those of the opposite sex.

The events in the news may create tensions in personal relationships, and if this happens, it will help to remember that these issues are not personal. They are a continuation of problems that have been around for centuries, if not millenia, and they will not be solved over the dinner table or at a family reunion.

Choose your battles. You can not take on the world by yourself, and trying to do so is a surefire way to find yourself tossed about by Uranus’ storm. Unlike the traditional 7 planets, Uranus can not harm us if we do not allow it to.

If you are in the path of any of the Eclipses, it is best to avoid seeing them or being exposed to their light. This is particularly true of the Lunar Eclipse of July 27.  I have been avoiding eclipses for the past several years, and I have seen that doing so has provided protection from the worst of their effects on a personal level.

Try to limit time on social media during this period, particularly if you find yourself upset with the social or political views of your friends and family. Even if you are trying to avoid Uranus, many people will not be, and they will be more volatile than usual during this time. It is also alright to take breaks from the news.

Uranus introduces complexities that do not need to be there, and it will help to remember the love you have for those you care about. That is far more important than your social and religious differences.

There are a couple of verses from the Feminine Scripture that may be helpful to remember over these next couple of months. They are as follows:

All the complexities of the world are but the turnings of a labyrinth, and at the centre is the fiery rose-heart of our Mother, burning with perfect love.

Cry Marya

Therefore hide yourself not from Her, and put aside the tangled weeds of thought that strive each with the other.

For of all things, love is the simplest.

On Our Mother’s Love

And remember, if you don’t bother Uranus, Uranus won’t bother you.

 

The Astrology of Sailor Moon – Part II: More Plutonian Overtones and Sailor Pluto

In Part I of this series, I talked about the rich astrological symbolism in Sailor Moon, beginning with the very first story arc, which is a very traditional story, with classic mythic and fairy tale elements. In the first story arc, we met the Sailor Senshi* associated with the Moon, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus, and from an astrological perspective, everything about them is absolutely correct.

I then discussed the beginning of the second story arc, which began with many Plutonian overtones. We met Chibi Usa, a child who was far from innocent. Sailors Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter were all abducted by villains who called themselves Black Moon. Sailor Venus was almost abducted, but was rescued just in time. Tuxedo Kamen discovered his power, the power of the Earth. We learned that Chibi Usa was from the 30th Century, which was in trouble. We left as Sailor Moon, Sailor Venus, and Tuxedo Kamen had agreed to accompany Chibi Usa to the 30th Century.

More Plutonian Overtones

vlcsnap-2018-05-11-14h53m05s193After the rescue of Sailor Venus and before the decision was made to go to the 30th Century, at Chibi Usa’s insistence, they all spent the night at Mamoru-san’s (Tuxedo Kamen’s) apartment. The night was a difficult one. Usagi-chan admitted to feelings of jealousy over Mamoru-san’s attention and affection towards Chibi Usa. She said that Chibi Usa was in love with him. Mamoru-san dismissed this, saying that Chibi Usa was just an elementary school student, and Usagi-chan said that she was a girl, and that her age did not matter. They both became embarrassed at this conversation. As they were talking, Usagi-chan seemed to fade away momentarily, which alarmed Mamoru-san. Mamoru-san and Usagi-chan embraced, and Mamoru-san reassured Usagi-chan of his love for her and his commitment to her protection. They then retired to the bedroom together.

These are interesting developments from the perspective of the overall Plutonian themes of this story arc. In Modern Astrology, Pluto is seen to represent the deeper and darker recesses of our psyche, as well as death and destruction. Modern Astrology considers all of the Outer Planets as “transcendent,” and there is a tendency to see Pluto as a “Higher Octave” of Mars. Some even go so far as to consider Pluto a planet of “transformation.” Modern Astrology also assigned rulership of the sign Scorpio to Pluto, which was traditionally ruled by Mars.

Pluto is not visible to the naked eye, and was not discovered until 1930. As such, it is not one of the planets that was used in Traditional Western Astrology. Many Traditional and Classical Astrologers do not use Pluto at all, and if they do, they do not assign Pluto the rulership of any sign. In my own work and practice, I have come to believe that Pluto represents the modern poison of deformation, or the fascination with disturbing images and the inversion of right and wrong.

The time of the discovery of Pluto was near the end of the life of Sigmund Freud. Freudian psychology, tended to probe into the darker recesses, which coincides with the modern interpretation of Pluto, proposing that our emotional difficulties stemmed from “repression” of these feelings. In modern times, there is a popular belief that these deeper, darker feelings are our “real” feelings, and that our kinder, gentler, and more noble feelings are “phony” or just for show. I think that this way of thinking is part of the poison of Pluto, and that yes, all of us have both virtues and flaws, and all of us have darker emotions and impulses: however, we all also have the choice as what feelings to embrace and what feelings to set aside. I believe that this is what Free Will is truly means.

vlcsnap-2018-05-11-15h12m17s302That night, Sailor Moon’s feline partner, Luna, had a dream that she was back in the past in the Silver Millennium. Sailor Moon’s mother from that time, Queen Serenity, was looking for Luna. It appeared that Luna found her way to a forbidden doorway. Queen Serenity became alarmed. She retrieved Luna from this place, instructing her to forget about it. There is a theme emerging in the story of hidden and forbidden places being found and disturbed.

Sailor Pluto

The next morning, they do leave for the 30th Century, with Chibi Usa leading them. As they were traveling the Senshi and Mamoru-san became separated from Chibi Usa, and in the process, they almost lost Luna. They arrived at a mysterious door and encountered Sailor Pluto, who attacked them. It appears that Sailor is a guardian for this doorway, which is the doorway to space and time, and it is her job to defend it from anyone who breaches it.

vlcsnap-2018-05-11-15h35m58s474It is clear that Sailor Pluto is not a part of the regular world of material existence. She is the guardian for a forbidden area outside of space and time. As an astrologer who uses Classical methodology, I found this really interesting. While Classical Astrologers and those who use Classical methods are divided on whether the Outer Planets have meaning, they agree that they are not a part of the planetary rulership scheme. In Modern Astrology, Pluto rules Scorpio. Classical Astrology teaches that Pluto does not rule any sign, and uses the traditional ruler of Mars for Scorpio. Whether or not the role of Sailor Pluto has any metaphysical accuracy, it is in the realm of possibility. To my surprise, I found that I had no issue with Sailor Pluto from a Classical Astrological perspective. Whatever she represents, it is certainly not a New Age notion of a Higher Octave Mars. I also am in complete agreement with Pluto representing a place where we are not supposed to go.

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Before Sailor Pluto delivered the finishing blow, Chibi Usa arrived. Sailor Pluto stopped her attack immediately and talked to Chibi Usa. Chibi Usa confessed to stealing Sailor Pluto’s key and bringing the Senshi there in order to rescue her home. Sailor Pluto was stern, but then embraced Chibi Usa and said she had been worried about Chibi Usa’s disappearance.

We then learn that Chibi Usa is a princess in the 30th Century, and after a brief discussion, Sailor Pluto allowed them to go through the door. When they did, they found a world, the 30th Century Crystal Tokyo, that had been completely destroyed by an explosion, followed by the appearance of a large, mysterious black crystal.

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Chibi-Usa began to lead them to her home, the Crystal Palace, but some villains from Black Moon appeared. During the battle, Sailor Moon’s powers would not work; however Tuxedo Kamen’s did, and they were able to win the battle.

After the battle, they arrived at the Crystal Palace, and found a woman who looked like Usagi-chan sleeping inside a large crystal, who was the mother of Chibi Usa and whose name was Neo Queen Serenity. They also met a kitten by the name of Diana. Then, from behind a curtain, a man appeared that looked like Tuxedo Kamen.

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Part III: Crystal Tokyo and Planet Nemesis

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*In Japanese, senshi means soldier, and the transformation outfits of the Senshi are reminiscent of sailor themed school uniforms

The Astrology of Sailor Moon – Part I: Foundations

Like many people, my first introduction to anime came through Sailor Moon. Unlike most, however, I first saw Sailor Moon a little over 5 years ago as an adult. As an astrologer, I was immediately impressed by how well the series incorporated astrology and traditional wisdom into the characters and plot of the story.  Indeed, I can give a lot of credit to Sailor Moon in inspiring my Japanese studies, and I was fortunate that the newer series, Sailor Moon Crystal came out in my first few years of these studies. I also used Sailor Moon manga as I was learning to read Japanese.

With respect to astrology, there are many obvious correct associations, such as the Sun Signs of the various Senshi matching their planetary associations.  For example, Usagi-chan (Sailor Moon) was born with her Sun in Cancer, and Ami-chan (Sailor Mercury) was born with her Sun in Virgo.  Another obvious correct association is the thunder-based attack of Sailor Jupiter. While the association between Jupiter and thunder is correct in the Western system, it is also correct in the Eastern elemental system.

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It seems that the Senshi attacks are based on the Eastern, rather than the Western, elemental associations.  In the Eastern elemental system, each element is associated with a non-luminary planetary principle.  Indeed, in Japanese, the non-luminary planets themselves are named for their element. Jupiter is 木星, or “wood planet.” Mercury is 水星, suisei, or “water planet,” and Sailor Mercury’s attack is water-based.  Mars is 火星, kasei, or “fire planet,” and Sailor Mars’ attack is fire-based.  Venus is 金星, kinsei, or “gold planet,” and Sailor Venus’ Crescent beam is gold colored.  Also, heavily featured in Sailor Venus’ transformation and attack is the pentacle, the five pointed star, which is also associated with Venus.

Aside from these surface associations, there is much deeper metaphysical wisdom in Sailor Moon.  In the series, it is revealed that the Sailor Senshi have been reincarnated from Moon Kingdom of the Silver Millennium. The Silver Millennium can be seen as symbolic of the Silver Age, or Treta Yuga in traditional teachings. In the Silver Millennium, Sailor Moon was Princess Serenity.

Silver Millenium

The entire first story arc in the manga and Sailor Moon Crystal has a very traditional mythic theme. This theme is present in the original anime as well; however, in the original anime, it is muddled with many other story lines and sub-plots. (As an aside, for this reason, I will be using Sailor Moon Crystal and the manga rather than the original anime series in my discussion.)

The single male main character is Tuxedo Kamen, or Tuxedo Mask. Over the course of the first story arc, we learn that he was Prince Endymion of Earth during the time of the Silver Millennium. In true mythic or fairy tale form, Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion have a forbidden romance which ends tragically. The rest of the story arc is the cleansing and resolution of the tragedy from the past. This is a very traditional story.

The Second Story Arc: Plutonian Overtones

Given the soundness of the first story arc, I was a little worried when I came to the second story arc, particularly as I was told that I would encounter the first of the Outer Planet Senshi, Sailor Pluto, in this arc. As an astrologer who uses primarily Classical methods, I am dubious of New Age associations for the Outer Planets. I make limited of the Outer Planets in my practice, and I tend to view them as representatives of the poisons of the Modern Age.  I see Pluto as a representative of deformation, or of inversion of Light and Dark.

vlcsnap-2018-04-26-15h43m19s092Before we meet Sailor Pluto in the second story arc, there is a clear theme of deformation, or inversion. In the very beginning of this story arc, we meet Chibi Usa, a child who has clearly become hardened and cynical, and who has apparently lost her innocence.  In the first three Acts of the story, the villains abduct the Sailor Senshi one by one, first Mars, next Mercury, and then Jupiter. They abduct these Senshi by using an inversion of each of their own elemental attacks.

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After Mars, Mercury, and Venus have been abducted, we are left with Sailor Moon, Sailor Venus, Chibi Usa, and Tuxedo Kamen. Chiba Usa steals Usagi-chan’s brooch with the all important 幻の銀水晶, Maboroshi no Ginsuishou, the literal translation of which is something like Illusory or Dream Silver Crystal.  As a result of this, Sailor Moon is unable to transform when the villains attack and attempt to abduct Sailor Venus. Fortunately, Tuxedo Kamen finds his power, which is the power of Earth.

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He is able to hold off the first attack of the villains, and this is long enough for Chibi Usa to repent of stealing the Maboroshi no Ginsuishou. She returns the Crystal to Usagi-chan, who transforms and saves Sailor Venus from the secondary attack that was meant to abduct her. After this, we learn that Chibi Usa is from the future, the 30th Century to be precise. She then asks Sailor Moon, Sailor Venus, and Tuxedo Kamen to help the future Earth, and they agree.

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Chibi Usa has her own Maboroshi no Ginsuishou from the future and a special key. With these two items, she is able to travel back to the future with the remaining Sailor Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen.

Part II: More Plutonian Overtunes and Sailor Pluto