#serenitist

out of all of the Ladies, it shouldn’t really surprise anyone to find out that it’s Lady Neptune i most aspire to be like- her grace and poise, her successful career as an artist, her always glamourous appearances and unflinching love of her partner Lady Uranus, i could really go on and on [in fact, she has always reminded me of Dita Von Teese!].  but it’s also interesting to me how unapproachable she really is- she’s the only Lady who doesn’t come to me easily when i seek her aid.  in her civilian life, Kaioh Michiru is similarly unapproachable and keeps her personal life truly guarded- unlike the Inner Ladies who are open in sharing their personal dreams with each other, we very rarely see anything outside of the carefully polished and pristine visage of Professional Artist Kaioh Michiru.  her fears, her worries, her dreams and hopes- and i’m certain she does have them, of course- all of these are kept deep at the bottom of her personal ocean and only her beloved Lady Uranus ever really know what they are.  certainly, she only reveals them in their private moments alone.  to me it feels that Lady Neptune truly feels the gravity of her position and duties as a Senshi and it weighs so heavily on her shoulders, that having her heart exposed in a moment of vulnerability is just something she doesn’t allow herself to have.

that is not to say that Lady Neptune is devoid of emotion and not capable of expressing joy- now, in the anime we learn that she awakens to her destiny as Sailor Neptune entirely on her own, and both the anime and manga introduce her as being very mission-oriented- stop the coming of the Messiah of Silence at all costs.  but once that task is complete? we see her open up more to the Inner Ladies, becoming a source of inspiration to them alongside Ladies Uranus and Pluto.  we see her take on the role of surrogate mother to the reincarnated Hotaru with no hesitation and is clearly delighted with the idea of having a nuclear family in a fleeting moment of peace. she is incredibly fond of Chibusa, The Small Lady [and even gifted her her Deep Aqua Mirror for safekeeping] and she is grateful for the chance to return to normal high-school life at the beginning of the Stars arc- quite a step backward from her artistic career and motherhood role to be sure, but clearly Lady Neptune didn’t see it that way.  and- in one of my favorite traits of hers- Lady Neptune is QUITE capable of some well-placed snark and saying exactly what she needs to say to game any social situation in her favour.  Lady Uranus can certainly attest to her lover using any opportunity to needle her and make her blush! 

Lady Neptune’s skillset is rooted deep within the ocean depths itself- which she embodies to the letter.  the ocean is beautiful and powerful and mysterious and dangerous all at once, and Lady Neptune wields this aquatic force with the same grace and dexterity that she possesses in her day-to-day.  remember that this isn’t the realm of Lady Mercury, who prefers to go on the defense and use subterfuge in battle- nothing about Lady Neptune’s skills are gentle.  with the tides at her command, she will gladly push her enemies into the ocean’s depths to drown if you threaten the things she deems important to her.

of course i can’t forget Lady Neptune’s abilities of precognition.  as the Guardian of a Talisman, she uses the Deep Aqua Mirror to further supplement her abilities via scrying and also allows for a form of astral projection. the mirror also features in her attacks as well as her Marine Cathédral, her Stradivarius violin- you really can’t separate the artistry from the Senshi, in this case!

these are the titles i use when working with Sailor Neptune in my practice:

Lady Neptune- a more informal title

Lady of the Graceful Tides- a name to match her partner Lady Uranus, as well as a reference to her personal titles

Soldier of the Depths or Deep Seas, Comprehension, Affinity, Embrace- her personal titles, stated at various points in the series [she certainly has a lot of titles, doesn’t she?]

Prayer

Intelligence/Wisdom- Lady Mercury isn’t among the smartest in Japan for no reason!  Ask Lady Mercury for help in your pursuit of higher knowledge- especially in education, memory or deeper comprehension of well... anything, really!  for anyone want to use this gift for divination, consider exploring dowsing [a gift Lady Mercury was able to harness even as a civilian] as a method!

Creating/Dispelling Illusions- a good portion of Lady Mercury’s moveset deals with setting up illusions to fool her enemies, or seeing through and disrupting the enemy’s tricks.  her gift of keen perception is invaluable, and so she is an excellent figure to turn to when you need help seeing the truth that others may want to conceal from you- or maybe when you want to go by unseen yourself!

Strategic Planning- as the team’s strategist, Lady Mercury always keeps a cool, level-headed demeanor when it comes to tough situations.  she can help you do the same with your own issues, or [as i personally like to use her] can even help influence the attitudes of others so that they can judge and act with discernment.

Aqueous Affinity- Like Lady Neptune, Lady Mercury’s Realm of Influence is water- but unlike Lady Neptune she specializes in the gentler aspects of fresh water than the torrent of power that resides in the ocean depths.  once Lady Mercury grows to be at peace with herself and her gifts, she’s said to move as if she is water given form- a transcendence of self.  you can try to channel this calming energy by flowing bodies of fresh water like rivers or lakes, or even rainfall.

Relationships- in this case i mean Familial or Platonic relationships. despite the fact that she has a workaholic mom and an absent dad, it’s very clear that Lady Mercury is very fond of her parents, and holds neither of them in poor esteem for their actions or inactions in her life- and it certainly doesn’t affect her capacity to connect with those that do take the time to befriend her.  personally i feel that like Lady Pluto, this trait makes Lady Mercury an excellent representation of the kind of bonds that transcend close proximity.

Offerings and Altar Adornments

Candles- any blue candles will work well here, but specifically Light Blue and Royal Blue is what i would recommend, as Navy Blues i tend to use for Ladies Uranus and Neptune.  i also like more neutral, softer colors like gray.  anything that reminds you of the rain, really!

Incense- a traditional Mercurian scent would be Frankincense, but I think light and crisp scents like rainfall, fresh laundry and the smell of old books are more Lady Mercury’s style.  of course those kind of scents are a little harder to locate in incense form, in which case i like softer florals like lilac.

Charms and Tokens- if you happen to have anything of Lady Mercury’s such as her handy visor or her handheld computer, those would be excellent pop-culture items to have on an altar space, as well as any figurines or transformation rods.  her Mercury Harp is a little harder to acquire, but would also be an excellent addition to any Mercury-centric space.  you can also use postcards- something her father would send her during her travels.

a Mercury planetary symbol is always an easy and welcome addition to any altar, of course.

Stones- in no particular order:

Carnelian - a Virgo stone for pragmatism

Sapphire- a peaceful blue stone for September babies, like Lady Mercury

Lapis Lazuli- another deep blue stone that promotes wisdom, truthfulness and friendship [and it’s a Jupiter-associated stone to boot *wink*]

Chrysoberyl- for protection and raising self-esteem

Mizuno Ami holds the distinction of being a few ‘firsts’ for the franchise- she’s introduced as the simultaneously shy and unapproachable ‘girl genius’ of her class [and frankly all of Japan!] and is the first person out of Usagi’s friend group that we meet.  of course, this also leads to her being revealed as the first of many comrades as Sailor Mercury.  with this revelation, Sailor Mercury became both the poster child of stereotypical ‘smart and shy Asian girls’ and lauded as a character worth looking up to [it should be noted that while Sailor Mercury may not be as popular in the West, she almost consistently ranks at the top of Sailor Moon character polls in Japan].

her composed demeanor of course belies her own feelings of inadequacy and credit must be given to Takeuchi for subtly highlighting the real danger of keeping geniuses upon unreachable pedestals, lauded by their talent.  i believe for many, Ami was also probably the first time many persons saw a character of a divorced family- with her artist father choosing to pursue his career over his family and her mother being a talented [yet increasingly absent] doctor, Ami constantly feels the pressure to perform so that she can be as useful to others as her mother is [in fact, being abandoned is her chiefest fear, as shown in the Dream arc of the manga].  this is of course, a lonely trek to the top, and so she exhibits a trait not unlike her father- choosing her studies and career goals over having the stereotypical ‘teenager’ life of her peers.

this is what makes her awakening as a Senshi all the more interesting to me.  unlike the other Ladies who were able to awaken on their own, be coaxed by others, or otherwise already *know* that they were destined for greater things, there was no inkling of that in Sailor Mercury’s story.  her awakening was not of one responding to the call of Service but rather [in a much larger sense] responding to the call of Companionship [prompted of course, by Sailor Moon, Our Silver Lady].  it’s no doubt that it’s because of Usagi’s friendship that we begin to see Ami break out of her shell a little more and truly treasure her bond with Usagi in turn- and this becomes VERY apparent when taking into consideration her PGSM incarnation, which sees Ami’s unsure feelings of belonging be manipulated by Kunzite and result in the creation of Dark Mercury... for it’s not until Dark Mercury realizes that she has grievously hurt her precious friend in battle that she snaps out of her brainwashing.

of course, no discussion about Lady Mercury is complete without mentioning her powerset.  as the undisputed brains of the Inner Ladies, she defaults into the role of strategist and defense- something else that often means she gets sidelined by her comrades’ more physically impressive powers- especially fellow water-user Lady Neptune.  however, preferring the defensive line of action in no way makes her ‘weak’- as her cool head and superior intellect has gotten herself out of jams before [her chess-to-the-death game with Berthier is a classic example] and serving as the on-field strategist with her visor and computer combo [or working the data in the control center].  additionally with her natural dowsing abilities in her civilian form and her Senshi powers rooted in water sources like bubbles, mist and snow, she can both create and dispel illusions, as well as go on the offense if needed with powerful water-based attacks.  make no mistake about Lady Mercury- she is indeed a being of water, and not afraid to step up to the plate to protect those she holds dear.

these are the titles that i use when working with Sailor Mercury:

Lady Mercury- as an informal way to address her

The Lady of Knowing Waters- a more personal, yet formal title, as it helps to distinguish her from Lady Neptune’s similar dominion

Soldier of Water and Intelligence/Knowledge- her self-given titles, covering her Realms of Influence

Prayer

Speed/Haste - while Lady Pluto governs Time in general, i mentioned in Her writeup that i feel that asking Her assistance in bringing something you ask for quickly is not really in Her Realm of Influence- She is someone who reminds you that everything comes at its preordained time.  but let’s say you can’t POSSIBLY wait and you would like a hand in bringing your desires to fruition as quickly as you dare to hope.  Lady Uranus loves the thrill of moving quickly, so these requests are right up Her alley.  just remember hastiness has its own consequences!

Drive - pardon the pun, but as Lady Uranus always pushes Herself to be the best in Her races, She’ll do the same for you if there’s something you also want to excel at, but may be lacking the energy to see it through.

Confidence - put simply, everybody either wants to BE Lady Uranus, or DATE Her!  She simply exudes this confident aura that is magnetic to everyone She encounters, and She is very rarely unsure of Herself or Her motivations in life.  if you need to feel comfortable in your own skin, or reinforce that you are indeed the business, Lady Uranus can help with that.

Gender/Sexuality Expression - as i alluded to before, Lady Uranus’ ease of gender and sexual expression is precisely what has endeared Her to millions of LBGTQIA+ people around the world.  She’s the perfect Lady to turn to for support if you are someone who identifies as... well, anything non-cis, to put it bluntly, as Lady Uranus is definitely above labels.

Courage - all the Ladies possess a certain amount of courage, this is true, so why am i singling out Lady Uranus? it’s Her fearlessness in battle that makes her a terrifying force to be reckoned with, and Her daring that allows Her to shoulder some pretty heavy decision-making in the series, with choices that border on cruel and downright traitorous.  but She goes through with them because She so firmly believes that this is the only way to make things right.   She’s not afraid to make the hard choices- even the controversial ones- and that naturally requires an impressive amount of courage.  so if you ever find yourself needing to do the same, call on Her.

Amorous Devotion - naturally shared with her partner, Lady Neptune.  Her flirtatious nature aside, Lady Uranus is often pretty clear about who She REALLY loves, and puts Her lover’s happiness and well-being above nearly everything else.  She is a natural fit for those seeking to reinforce already strong romantic ties.

Offerings and Altar Adornments

Candles - Navy Blue and Gold like her fuku colors.

Incense - Bergamot and Sandalwood are my personal favorites, as very gender-neutral scents.  however i also feel that water lotuses or lily-based scents would work well to, as they would remind Lady Uranus of her beloved Neptune.

Charms and Tokens - as usual, anything directly related to Lady Uranus will work here, like a representation of her Space Sword, or any long blade, really.  alternatively, you could channel your inner Lady Neptune and opt to include a piece of art that reminds you of Her [or paint something yourself!] while i like the idea of a key to a fancy sports car or a motorcycle, would be a lot harder to acquire if you don’t already own one, though!

Uranus’ planetary symbol is of course, a given.

Stones - in no particular order, here are some suggestions:

Fire Opal [as a Uranus-specific stone]

Lapis Lazuli [a dark blue, Aquarius-centric stone]

Gold [like for Venus, a status symbol and an increase of one’s physical power]

Tiger’s Eye [to obtain strength and courage in difficult times]

Lithium Quartz [as a stone that inspires luxury and passion in long-standing relationships]

like her Outer Lady counterparts, the origins of Sailor Uranus or Tenou Haruka, aren’t really gone into much detail in the same way that the Inner Ladies were. instead we are introduced to Sailor Uranus alongside her partner/better half Sailor Neptune [more on her soon!] as an already ‘established’ character who becomes more nuanced as time goes on, as opposed to being drastically fleshed out.  as the civilian Tenou Haruka, she is the effortlessly cool, incredibly wealthy, superstar track-runner, race-car driver and accomplished [yet reclusive] pianist.  confident in her gender expression [note her creation as being inspired by the all-female Takarazuka Revue AND her first appearance in the manga dressed in Tuxedo Mask’s iconic garb and instantly sending hearts aflutter!] and an utterly shameless flirt [as Usagi very quickly earns upon beginning her investigation of Mugen Academy!], Haruka is often deservedly romanticized for her *masculine* actions and ‘handsome’ features.  on the flipside, she can’t always take the teasing she dishes out, and Michiru is almost always able to get her flustered with a carefully phrased quip. additionally, she can be quite hard-headed and standoffish, depending on the incarnation of the Senshi these overall personality traits are quite suitable for someone whose power-set deals with the winds- her presence will always be felt, even if you can’t see her [or more importantly, if she doesn’t want to be seen!].

while the manga does not tell us how she awakened to her identity as a Sailor Senshi, it’s the 90s anime series that shows us her fateful encounter with Kaioh Michiru on that track meet, and how the teal-haired warrior would be an immediate and lasting presence in her life- and perhaps most importantly, her heart.  as a Senshi, she is uniquely the only one who possesses the strengths of ‘both genders’, one of the physically strongest of the group, and often prefers a “kill first, ask questions later” strategy, which put her at immediate odds with Sailor Moon and her team when the threat of the Messiah of Silence made itself known- even more so when it was revealed who housed this terrifyingly powerful entity.  this is not to be confused with disloyalty, however- as one of the Triadic Senshi in the Silver Millennium’s past she took her role as a solitary Guardian and distant protector VERY seriously, and will do anything to protect and serve her precious Princess and guarantee her happiness.  if anything, this fierceness of loyalty manifests itself into sometimes ruthless and duplicitous behaviour, as she has no problem working without the attachment of overt sentimentality that the Inner Senshi usually do- this of course comes to a head in the Stars arc, where [along with the ever-present Sailor Neptune, of course] her feigned betrayal of the Senshi to infiltrate Sailor Galaxia’s Shadow Galactica in the anime leads to the two murdering Sailor Saturn and Pluto to make the defection seem sincere.  if she DOES ever act out of love, it will almost always be in service to her lover, Sailor Neptune- and woe betide you if you are the unfortunate soul to trigger this necessity [and vice versa!].

nonetheless, Sailor Uranus does have a soft, nurturing side, as she immediately takes to raising the newly reincarnated Hotaru alongside Michru and Setsuna, and even serves as a source of inspiration to the Inner Senshi, particularly Makoto.  if Sailor Venus serves as the designated leader of the Inner Senshi, Sailor Uranus’ courageous nature and fearlessness in battle can easily make her the de-facto leader of the Senshi outright.

of course, as important to her character is her designation as one of the Talisman bearers, specifically the Space Sword.  along with it being exceptionally powerful on its own, it holds great significance as the activation/reunification of this item with the other Talismans [also held by fellow Outer Senshi Sailors Neptune/Pluto] have the potential to summon Sailor Saturn [which of course brings about the end of the world], and as such it becomes a sought-after item by both the Death-Busters team and Sailors Uranus and Neptune in their race against time to prevent Sailor Saturn’s awakening.

these are the names I use when utilizing Sailor Uranus in my personal practice:

Lady Uranus- an informal way to address her

Lady of the Gorgeous Heavens- my personal/formal way to address her, as it references one of her introductory phrases as well as notes her Realm of Influence

Soldier of Sky/Flight, Soldier of the Winds- self-given titles as seen in the manga, referencing her Realms of Influences again.