KAORU [DIR EN GREY] Birth Chart 101
Kaoru Chart 101
Date of Birth: 2/17/1974 Birth Time: Kaoru has said his birth time is between 1AM and 2AM JST. Since it is not exact, I am approximating 1:30 AM JST for his chart reading.
Ascendant: Sagittarius Sun: Aquarius 3H Moon: Sagittarius 1H Mercury: Pisces 3H Venus: Capricorn 2H Mars: Taurus 6H Jupiter: Aquarius 3H Saturn: Gemini 7H Uranus: Libra 11H Neptune: Sagittarius 1H Pluto: Libra 10H
Table of Contents:
Kaoru Birth Chart Inner Planets/Luminaries: Ascendant, Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars Inner Combinations: Ascendant + Sun, Sun + Moon, Mercury + Venus + Mars. Outer Planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus, Pluto
KAORU BIRTH CHART
Inner Planets/Luminaries Since the Sun + Moon are not planets, they are referred to as the luminaries. These placements are also collectively referred to as personal placements, as they deal more with specific personal aspects, and the outer planets deal more with large group things.
Ascendant/Rising: Sense of Self - Appearances - First Impressions - General Life Approach
Ascendant in Sagittarius: The Ascendant, aka Rising Sign, is also the 1st of the 12 houses. Being the first house, it ties in with the Sun to set the basic building blocks of the person’s overall chart. Sagittarius is a fire sign, ruled by Jupiter and represented by the archer. Sagittarius 1H is called “The Seeker”. They’re on a life mission of seeking some sort of internal answer that they can never be satisfied with. They may try out a lot of religions, spiritual practices, and schools of philosophy to seek their answer, but always come away with more questions. The Ascendant largely plays into how we present ourselves to others on the surface - the first impression if you will. Sagittarius Ascendants have an intensity behind them even if they’re generally laid-back. Others may shy from them at first due to this intensity, but once the conversation starts they put everyone at ease. Curious in nature, they allow others to take lead of the conversation, and flow along with their energy. They read people quickly which helps them steer the conversation. More inclined to listen than speak, they are good at asking questions that show what knowledge the other person has that could be useful to them down the road.
Sun: Ego - Base Personality - Overarching Identity - Building Block for All Else
Sun in Aquarius: Aquarius is an Air sign, represented by the water-bearer. The water it carries symbolizes ideas, and Aquarius is the sign of innovation and revolution. Aquarius isn’t satisfied with things being only one way. Even if everyone else says that something cannot be improved upon or changed, Aquarius decides to take on the challenge of finding something new anyway. Very self-resourceful, Aquarius Sun doesn’t often seek the help of others unless they absolutely need it. There’s a pride in being able to come up with solutions and answers by themselves. Mental independence is extremely important to them, so they have a strong natural urge to resist the opinions and mindsets of others when their ideas are presented in an authoritative way. However, Aquarians are more than willing to discuss ideas when presented in an open, collaborative way. It’s all about the approach of the other person that determines whether Aquarius Sun will ignore them or befriend them. In the pursuit of personal innovation, Aquarius Sun can be very hard on themselves, therefore while validating that they are doing wonderfully, also regularly remind them that they are human and deserve rest. Aquarius Sun is positively developed by allowing mental space to cultivate ideas, reinforcing validation of their ideas and questions, and keeping them from dragging themselves down with self-critique. Aquarius Sun is negatively developed when they are given set guidelines and patterns to follow, when their ideas and questions are simplified or cast aside without being given a chance, and when their self-critique goes unchecked.
Sun in the 3rd House: The 3rd house largely deals with communication (especially written communication), technology such as phones and computers, transportation including vehicles and pathways (roads/rails/etc), and small social groups (friends, close family, neighbors, work/school social groups), and basic knowledge. Aquarius Sun in the 3H is interested in hearing ideas from others but resists receiving advice. He wants to know facts and information, even ideas that show a different view, but does not want to be told what to think or suggestions on how to act towards a situation. He may ask someone for advice on a topic, wanting to hear their thoughts on the subject at hand, but as soon as they say “you know what you should do is….” he will tune out and leave the conversation. This attitude extends the other way as well - if someone asks him for advice he will offer his thoughts on the subject they ask about but is reluctant to tell them how to think or act as that is ultimately their decision.
Moon: Emotions - How We Process & Emotions and Information - How We React To Others’ Words, Actions, and Expressions - Our Sense of Stability/Security
Moon in Sagittarius: Sagittarius is ruled by Jupiter and represented by the archer. Sagittarius in general is always seeking: seeking new adventures, freedom, opportunities, and more. Sag Moon in particular seeks the space to keep searching. That is, the freedom to explore without necessarily needing a final destination. They hold an optimism that something good, or better, is right around the next corner. This optimistic spirit can push them through even the toughest of life’s challenges. Sag Moons can be prone to taking risks which can be great in terms of innovation & creativity - they need to be careful to not accidentally leap further than is safe or bite off more than they can chew.
Emotionally, Moon in Sagittarius does not like strict routine or stagnation. Being able to move freely and explore new things keeps them happy - staying still for too long can cause them to feel agitated or frustrated. Places, people, and events that emotionally tie them to a fixed spot can become draining. This isn’t to say they aren’t loyal, they just require emotional freedoms to maintain a healthy energy balance. When given the proper space and freedom of movement, Sag Moons can be very down to earth and go with the flow. They believe in a live and let live mentality for the majority of life’s processes, and thrive in environments where everyone is allowed to do their own thing without too many restrictions or strict guidelines (beyond the necessary minimum to keep everyone safe).
Moon in the 1st House: The 1st House (aka Rising or Ascendant) has to do with how we present ourselves to the world at large, and ties in with our self expression and base identity. Having the Moon sign in the 1st House brings emphasis to one’s identity - the qualities of the Moon are shown more readily than other placements. People who struggle to relate to their Sun sign, who have their Moon in the 1st house, will relate a lot more with their Moon & Rising signs.
Sagittarius Moon in 1H - Kaoru’s passion behind making the world around him a comfortable space for everyone to express themselves and be themselves without restriction comes through strongly. This isn’t to say he lets people walk all over him - at the end of the day while people have the space to be their true selves, any consequences to those actions do need to be met. However, it’s unnecessary to lead with consequences and warnings - let people be themselves and show their truth before judging them or reacting to them. By encouraging people to be authentic upfront, Kaoru can cut through pretense and react to others in a more efficient and genuine way. He doesn’t want to play games - just cut to the heart and the point, gather information, and move forward in a timely manner.
Mercury: Communication - Gaining Knowledge - Thought Processes - Written/Verbal Expression of Ideas
Mercury in Pisces: Ruled by Neptune and represented by the Fish, Pisces can easily get caught in daydreams as they contemplate every idea that crosses the mind. Curious about the mystical and taboo but can heavily struggle with belief in such if the chart has prominent air or earth (or if their upbringing discourages such contemplation). Expression comes through creative means and sometimes disconnected/dreamy wording. “I feel like” as opposed to “I know for fact” even if they know for fact, the predisposition is to express through “I feel”. Communication can be indirect unless necessary - allowing space for interpretation in abstract concepts. When they need to be concisely understood, the shift to clarity from the dreamy abstract further emphasizes the importance of what they are trying to convey. Strong imagination - can get carried away, benefits from earth in the chart to pull the mind back to focus.
Mercury in the 3rd House: The 3rd house emphasizes on communication which allows him to relay his thoughts and channel his ideas into words, as well as other communicative writing such as music writing. However, it can be difficult for him to initiate conversation because his focus is more on what others are saying than relaying his own information. He can communicate what he wants to say when asked, but doesn’t want to offer up his ideas or opinions if he hasn’t been asked to do so.
Venus: Love - Beauty - Aesthetics - Money (Earning & Spending)
Venus in Capricorn: Consistency is key for Capricorn in the planet of relationships. These people are quick to decide if someone can be useful to them, and in what ways. They’re looking for people who are reliable and worth the investment of their time and effort. When it comes to committed relationships such as dating and marriage, they are especially particular with their expectations of a partner. They need to know that their investments won't go to waste, therefore Capricorn Venus can take some time to enter a committed relationship. Many either have many casual, short term flings, or they hardly date at all. But when they do commit, they are in for the long run. In both romantic relationships and platonic friendships, Capricorn Venus is slow to approach others and generally prefers to be approached. Whether outgoing and bubbly or more quiet and reserved, once Capricorn Venus decides you’re worth investing in, they become very loyal and dedicated companions. Aesthetically, Capricorn Venus tends to like antiques such as old books, old cars, family heirlooms, and historical artifacts from their culture (and other cultures as well). There’s a respect for tradition that carries through, and they are very careful with their possessions - these people make wonderful museum curators. Even the most progressive, innovative, and forward thinking Capricorn Venus will still have a strong respect and tie in to their traditional roots.
Venus in the 2nd House: The 2nd house is a house of resources, specifically the accumulation of resources, as well as personal associations to material things. Work ethic and daily routine habits fall under this as well. Capricorn has to do with things including investments and long-term commitments. Capricorn Venus in the 2nd House places heavy emphasis on material resources and security. No matter how laid-back, carefree, or impulsive other placements in the chart may be, this secures a seriousness in terms of resource security. Kaoru’s strong desires and beliefs in personal freedoms is rooted in having the security to pursue such freedoms. Being able to take risks and pursue new things comes from having a secure nest to fall back into if things don’t work out - this placement is one of the reasons he makes such a great leader for Dir en Grey. He is able to allow the members and band overall to try new avenues because he is also able to make sure their base stability is secured.
Mars: Action - Physicality - Assertiveness
Mars in Taurus: Ruled by Venus and represented by the Bull, Taurus is steadfast, hard-working, and stubborn. These people will make a plan and stick through it to the end. Taurus has a very persevering energy to push through any and everything. Even when obstacles come up that would make most people give up, Taurus Mars bulldozes on ahead. Eyes are on the prize and nothing will waver that concentration. They have great stamina and stability - in physical actions they may not have a fast start or high energy, but once they get going they won’t stop until the task is complete. Doing things quickly in a moment of impulse isn’t their style - plan to take the time to do things right. As long as you don’t rush them, trust me, they will do things RIGHT. Taurus Mars moves at their own pace and it's up to the individual what that pace is. If you try to rush them or slow them down, you’ll only make them annoyed.
Mars in the 6th House: 6H rules health, fitness, and organization. These people are generally fit and do well at sports. Taurus Mars in 6H further emphasizes a diligent worker - someone who makes sure every detail is in line and everyone is pulling their weight. Zero tolerance for slackers - if someone is half-assing their duties, Taurus Mars will be quick to confront them. These people make strict bosses who are not inclined to give too many second chances to employees not pulling their weight. Even if other chart placements show someone laid-back and easy-going, having Taurus Mars in 6H brings that serious and focused side where it is needed. Kaoru wants to let everyone flow at their own pace but he also understands the need for things to be done correctly in a timely manner so that everything can continue to run smoothly.
Inner combinations These are the major combinations, though all placements relate to each other. If you would like an analysis on any combination not covered here, please let me know.
Aquarius Sun + Sagittarius Ascendant: This combination really does not care much when others talk about “these are the rules and the way that we’ve always done things”. That’s boring. He’s looking for new ideas and concepts. He has internal questions about life and society that can be difficult to put into words, but when he hears something that could provide information or answers to those questions, he perks up and takes great interest. He’s never satisfied with how things are in the moment, and at times wonders if he ever will be - the closest satisfaction he’ll be able to achieve is the understanding that the meaning of the end of life isn’t so important as the journey it takes to get there.
Aquarius Sun + Sagittarius Moon: Similar to the above, this pulls more deeply inwards and brings out the understanding and compassionate side of these two signs. Because he can so readily see how much the world doesn’t make sense, he feels sympathy for those who suffer senselessly from the world. He may have quick changes in temperament - strong emotions such as extreme happiness, sadness, or anger burst through quickly but can dissipate just as fast. He’s not the type to hold on to strong emotional surges and draw them out - the sooner he can process them and return to something less extreme, the better.
Pisces Mercury + Capricorn Venus + Taurus Mars: This combination is calm, collected, and dedicated. He has a rich inner fantasy that he’s able to ground and focus into the physical world via a variety of outlets including music and painting. He also has a naturally good business sense of how to structure his ideas in a way that will reach like minded people and allow him to gain the necessary level of success to maintain his lifestyle. He doesn’t seek out vast riches and fame, just enough to keep the band going and able to create more wonderful things moving forward. Even though the music industry can be very changeable, Kaoru is able to find ways to set up a structured, stable base from which to work so that sudden changes and challenges can be tackled and adjusted to in a practical manner.
Outer planets
The planets beyond the asteroid belt move more slowly through the signs, and their traits and influence have to do more with large groups than personal things. How they relate on a personal level involves connecting them back to related personal placements, as I will show with each placement.
Jupiter: Travel - Education - Authoritative Structures - Luck - Growth & Expansion
Jupiter will present in 1or 2 signs in a year.
Jupiter in Aquarius: Aquarius is all about innovation and questioning old systems - when it comes to Jupiter this is a placement that actively looks to restructure and expand the parts of society where they have influence. They often have issues with authority and regularly challenge those in authority who disregard their ideas - the notion that “the way we’ve always done this is good enough, no need to change it.” does not sit well with Aquarius Jupiter. They’re the type to stand up and demand change where others may back down or get comfortable with old systems - they’re not afraid of the challenges and discomforts of trying something new. They’re likely to travel for work - the types to set up branch offices in new territories their company has never operated in before, as example. With Kaoru, also having his Sun in Aquarius, this push to expand his realm of influence with new innovations shows through in the various ways he tries to expand Dir en Grey’s reach and branding - examples within the past few years include Kaoru’s input and work towards things like the various livestreams, Spotify acoustic releases, and new music video styles using new 3D technologies. Jupiter in the 3rd House: The 3rd house here really boosts Kaoru’s ability to communicate and implement the changes he wants to make - he has a natural talent to identify people who he can trust with various tasks to bring his and the band’s visions and goals to reality. While he keeps his finger in every pie to a point, he knows he can step back and let everyone do their own tasks with minimal supervision on his part. Jupiter in the 3rd house also allows him to learn new technologies quickly so he may implement them in his daily life. He’s able to envision the big picture and trusts others close to him to fill in the details.
Saturn: Responsibility - Discipline - Karma Saturn will stay in a sign for about 2.5 years - Taking about 29-30 years to go through all 12 signs. Saturn rules time and life-lessons. Approximately every 28-30 years, Saturn will return to the sign it was in when you were born, and your Saturn return period emphasizes the life-lessons that Saturn is trying to teach you.
Saturn in Gemini: Gemini is ruled by Mercury and represented by the twins - the duality of Gemini shows in Saturn as someone who either thinks very logically and analytically or struggles greatly with logical thinking as they prefer to act purely on intuition. Regardless of which direction a person tends towards, Gemini Saturn’s overall life lesson is to find the balance between these two ways of thinking. Allowing logic and intuition to work together rather than against one another. Once that is achieved, their responsibilities will be handled much more easily and with a lot less stress. Gemini is ruled by Mercury, and Kaoru’s Pisces Mercury brings in more of the intuitive side of this placement. He’s able to imagine various concepts in the abstract, but putting them into something more concrete and straight forward may be difficult. This can cause him to choose to simply not say anything or say as little as possible about some topics - not because he doesn’t have ideas or knowledge, but rather his thoughts are too abstract to form words that properly convey them. He may spend a lot of time in his head thinking of dozens of ways to verbalize one concept, and then more time deciding which verbalization he would want to give out.
Saturn in the 7th House: The 7th house is the house of interpersonal partnerships - this includes anyone with whom one shares resources, contracts, or close space such as close friends, committed romantic relationships, business partners, work colleagues, etc. Gemini Saturn in the 7th House brings long-term lessons of communication in close relationships. There may be a feeling that because someone is very close to him, he doesn’t need to verbalize as much because they already understand his mental processes in order to be so close anyway. Saturn reminds him that no matter how close someone is, they’re not mind readers and while they may understand his basic ideas, beliefs, and thought processes, that doesn’t mean they don’t want to hear him speak. His challenge is to be more directly expressive of his thoughts and feelings to those closest to him.
Uranus: Rebellion - Liberation - Innovation - Upheavals
Uranus stays in one sign for about 7 years.
Uranus in Libra: Ruled by Venus and represented by Justice, Libra seeks balance and harmony in all things. Rebellion and innovation show through in reforms to social and structural ideas and systems of justice. What is fair or unfair, what is balanced, and what can be done to have a more harmonious balance of society. Keep in mind, with the duality of nature and nurture, the exact definitions and ideas of what is fair, harmonious, and justice will vary based on influences people are raised with.
“The last time Uranus was in Libra was from October 1968 until September 1975 stimulating changes in social justice, diplomacy, music, and the arts.” (https://www.san.beck.org › Astro-Uranus)
One of the big social showings of this time was the hippie movement - make love not war - challenging the priority of war over interpersonal relationships.
Since this is a larger group planet, for the individual it is important to relate back into the chart. Since Libra is ruled by Venus, Kaoru’s Capricorn Venus brings a seriousness to Uranus. He may find himself investing time, effort, and energy into people who take him for granted, and those betrayals are what spurs his moments of radical change - the ways he approaches certain types of relations and his views on relations are liable to go through more drastic changes than other people.
Uranus in the 11th House: The 11th House rules over large social groups - large friendship circles, company social circles, classmates at school, and social media as examples. Kaoru may often find himself torn between wanting to have a wide social circle filled with various types of people who are free to just do as they wish and express themselves as they wish, versus wanting to keep a tight close-knit circle of people who he knows he can trust and rely on exclusively. He wants to be fair and give others a chance but he also has very strict personal guidelines around who he lets in beyond a certain point.
Neptune: Dreams - Magic - The Subconscious
Neptune stays in one sign for 14 years.
Neptune in Sagittarius: Sagittarius’ enthusiastic desire to seek new ideas and answers to life’s questions brings out Neptune’s more spiritual and religious side. If the Sagittarius Neptune person is religious or partakes in a spiritual practice, they will want to dive into that practice, reading books and asking leaders to understand more. Those who are not religious or involved with a spiritual community still ask the big questions, but prefer to find their own answers instead of accepting one answer from one person or group. Sagittarius Neptune dreams of worlds far away and makes for great sci-fi writers as their imaginations thrive in envisioning new places and people. It should be no surprise that the last time that Neptune was in Sagittarius, space adventures such as Star Wars dominated popular culture. These are dreamers who allow their hearts to grow bigger than their heads. Their fantasies may not always be realistic, but they really do not care. With Sagittarius, the journey is more important than the destination anyway. They take mercy on those who are outcast as “underachievers” as their definition of “success” looks different from that of other Neptune placements. There’s very much the idea of “If you aim for the Moon and miss the target, fear not for you will land among the stars.” Sagittarius is ruled by Jupiter, and Kaoru’s Aquarius Jupiter keeps him pushing for something new - were he able to find a new idea or concept that had never been considered before, he would be absolutely thrilled. There may be nothing new under the Sun, but that won’t keep him from looking for it anyway.
Neptune in the 1st House: The first house pulls Kaoru’s drive to seek, explore, and find new things to the surface as a sense of personal pride. When it comes to personal pride, I of course think of music. Kaoru’s always seeking a new sound and new ways to express himself within that sound. Maybe he can find the answers he’s seeking within his music - it’s worth a shot at least, right? When he puts out music and performs, he is putting himself front and center. For him it’s not just the fun of making music and enjoying a performance, it’s also a way to express his inner thoughts and ideas to others in hopes that they may understand what he is trying to convey.
Pluto: Things That Are Hidden - The Shadow - The Taboo - Long-Term Transformation
Pluto stays in a sign anywhere from 12-30 years depending on the speed it is moving. This is the generational planet.
Pluto in Libra: Transformation is made through interpersonal relationships - relating to others, building strong social networks, and perfecting personal concepts of diplomacy and harmony. Pluto in Libra also transforms through reimagined concepts of art and beauty. Utilizing art and visual effects in new ways - taking art forms and transforming them into their own unique style. Pluto was last in Libra 1971 to 1984 - during that time visual marketing took off in new directions and major changes and developments to cinema were made. The people born during that time went on to lead the way in the development of modern social media.
Relating back to his chart, Libra rules Venus and Kaoru’s Capricorn Venus comes in to put his ideas and energies to work. He finds personal transformation through the external expression of his thoughts and ideas to others. Sharing everything inside with people who can understand, or at least are receptive to him. By having that freedom to express himself in various forms, he can find his own answers to the questions about life and reality.
Pluto in the 10th House: The 10th house is often called the Careers House - it rules over not only career but public image and long-term goals. Having Puto in the 10th House shows a lot of personal transformation overtime via one's career or public presence. For Kaoru, this really shows through in the ways that not only he presents himself publicly, but the ways he works together with others to build up his and their public images (ie his public image and the Dir members' images as individuals are tied together through Dir’s public image as a band). So he is very conscious of this interconnectedness. Pluto in the 10th also shows that his career and public image can shift frequently, so he is constantly mindful about what direction these shifts are going.














