claymore, and the distinction between (wo)man and monster, through the lens of vedic astrology
—————————————(pt. 1)
DISCLAIMER: these will all be very very VERY long posts, and altogether this deep-dive literally took me damn near two full weeks straight of pure research to put together, and i’m still writing + revising as i go along. also please be aware that i am NOT a professional astrologer, NOR am i interested in becoming one. while i do hope you all take the time to read these entries and enjoy them, i will not and can not be open to extensive asks about personal charts, nakshatra analyses of celebrities, planetary symbolism, etc. (at least not for freee ~^.^~) i will be providing direct reference to all the fellow tumblr baddies + actual vedic astrologers i sourced some of my information from, and i will provide direct links to their works, because frankly they all deserve the support for the extensive research they put consistently into multiple posts on multiple platforms. i’m just a silly little rabbit who’s just a little *too* obsessed with badass women and the stars. <3
alas, in this case study i will be doing an exhaustive deep dive and nakshatra analysis of the series Claymore (2001-2014) by mangaka Norihiro Yagi.
for anyone unfamiliar, Claymore is basically a story about women orphaned from a young age who are transformed into half human/monster hybrids in order to fight the same monsters (known as Yoma) whose flesh is embedded inside them, utilizing a sort of dark energy (akin to magic in some cases) derived from this demonic origin known as “Yoki,” that is utilized to increase physical strength and durability, manipulate their own or other’s Yoki to disorient, weaken, or gain some other advantage over them in battle, as well as heal far beyond normal human capabilities (more experienced Claymores are even shown being able to reattach or even completely regrow severed limbs). these warriors are constantly having to balance humanity and monstrosity, life and death, sacrifice and identity. it’s dark as hell, but it’s also surprisingly emotional. if you’ve ever heard of or read Berserk, this series is commonly referred to as its “little sister” lol.
now, while i highly doubt Mr. Yagi is into vedic astrology, after reading the manga front to back twice in a one-month period & truly dedicating time and energy to identifying the core emotional themes, i genuinely believe Claymore to be one of the most nakshatra-heavy pieces of fiction ever written, because almost every major plot point revolves around a person’s relationship to suffering, identity, sacrifice, and transformation. these themes are all most prevalent seen through bharani nakshatra.
the burdens of bharani
i believe bharani nakshatra is the spine of the story. i don’t even think bharani is merely “present.” i think it’s the fundamental nakshatra (imagery and theming-wise) of the series (although of course i will be extensively talking about other nakshatras in this series).
but why?
because bharani’s deepest symbolism isn’t just “death” or “violence” or even “sex.” but it’s about carrying something within you that can, and will, destroy you.
every Claymore has Yoma flesh physically implanted inside her body and spends her entire life walking the line between humanity and monstrosity, becoming essentially half-demons (bharani is ruled by Venus, Shukra, the teacher of demons) and, despite their extremely fast healing factors post-surgery, they are symbolized by something called a Stigmata, which is a scar stemming from the top of their sternum all the way down their chest and abdomen and down to their mons pubis. bharani is literally symbolized by the yoni. (notice how syntactically and phonetically identical ‘Yoni’ and ‘Yoki’ as well as ‘Yama’ and ‘Yoma’ are?) no matter what, this is the only scar Claymore warriors are unable to heal (except in VERY rare/extreme circumstances, usually as a result of awakening). it is also described to be very unsightly to look at for non-Claymores. Claymores are also referred to as Silver-Eyed Witches due to them losing almost all melanin in their body as a result of becoming a Claymore, identifiable by their signature ash-blonde hair, pale skin, and of course, their silver eyes.
the entire physicality of these warriors is literally built around, and designed for, containment.
bearing unbearable burdens, surviving unspeakable trauma, enduring endless suffering, living in a state of “half-death,” sacrificing yourself for others, ALL of these are bharani themes.
clare herself is absurdly bharani
when first introduced to our series’ main character, she is portrayed (and even outright described by others) as exceptionally cold. early on in the series, however, the former Rank #2 Claymore-in-hiding known as Quicksword Irene outright tells her “your real heart is a whirlpool of passion.” i mean doesn’t get much more bharani than that right? (oh except it absolutely does)
Clare is not only an interesting protagonist, but also an interesting Claymore because of her origin. as stated prior, every Claymore has Yoma body parts directly implanted into their bodies, essentially making them half-Yoma themselves. Clare, however, actually has the flesh of another Claymore named Teresa (who we will talk deeper about later on in this series) inside of her, uniquely making her one-quarter Yoma. in the beginning of the series, she starts off as the lowest ranking Claymore (#47 out of 47), making her a subject of constant underestimation and ridicule by her peers. But unlike many Claymores, Clare does not simply seek power for power’s sake. her story revolves around her desire. Her desire for justice, her desire to honor Teresa’s memory, and her desire to cultivate sisterhood, even in the face of The Organization enforcing a strict culture of coldness, self-preservation, and an overall lack of compassion amongst Claymores. this empathetic aspect of Clare’s nature is what prevents not only her from fully awakening, but also what allows her to prevent other allies and sisters-in-arms to not fully awaken (such as Jean).
but ser4ph7m, what the fuck is ‘awakening?’
oh boy am i glad you asked that, reader!
awakening, sexual symbolism, rohini?
Awakened Beings (覚醒者 Kakusei-sha) are former Claymores who went over their 80% limit and Awakened. Their forms vary greatly and, similar to Yoma, have a desire to eat humans. Even so, they are much stronger than Yoma, who are often reduced to working for Awakened Beings as expendable drones.
Awakened Beings, officially, are known to humans as Voracious Eaters, and are explained as simply being Yoma that have simply lived too long and as a result have become more powerful. This lie was made up in order to cover up the fact that it is actually Claymores themselves who become this bigger, stronger type of Yoma.
-description on ‘Awakened Beings’
Awakened Beings (覚醒者 Kakusei-sha) are former Claymores who went over their 80% limit and Awakened. Their forms vary greatly and, similar to
as shown by the description above, whenever a Claymore pushes their Yoki abilities too far past their threshold, they “awaken,” distorting in both body and mind into a sort of “Super-Yoma.” these are Awakened Beings.
the act of awakening is frequently likened to a feeling of intense sexual gratification, particularly sexual climax. this is the reason why (almost) all of the Claymores seen throughout the story are female. the very first generation was the only all-male generation of Claymores, but they were discontinued due to the allure of awakening being far too tempting for the men to disregard. the second generation had a mixture of male and female warriors, but only the women proved to be successfully able to resist the allure of fully awakening, believed to possess greater restraint and self-control, making them more suitable vessels. from the third generation forward, no more male Claymores were ever produced.
now, obviously, on paper this does seem a tad bit misogynistic, playing into the stereotypes of men being these mindless sex-crazed beasts who can only think with their dicks (which isn’t totally inaccurate….), whilst women are seen as completely chaste, abstinent, dutiful, and obedient beings. but again, this is merely a surface-level interpretation, as obviously throughout the story PLENTY of female Claymores awaken.
i’m going to get more into detail about just how twisted The Organization is a little bit later, but, if you couldn’t tell, this is very obvious propaganda.
The Organization frames it as: “men are too weak-willed. women are inherently more disciplined,” but then the actual story proceeds to show damn near all the female warriors awakening, or near-awakening, at one point or another.
so clearly the issue isn't simply “men get horny. women do not.”
which, yeah, is obvious to anyone with an intelligence level higher than that of a 12 year-old’s.
what the series is actually expressing as sexual gratification is misleading purposefully. the true symbolism behind awakening is in the relationship between power, temptation and suffering vs. freedom.
the reason why the allure of awakening, as well as the physical act of awakening itself, feels so enticing is because what awakening truly offers is release. release from restraint. release from fear. release from suffering. release from weakness. release from punishment. release from subjugation. release from the burdens of being a fucking human.
the orgasmic metaphor here isn’t actually about sex when it comes to awakening, but it’s about release. i mean, when we orgasm, we physically release bodily fluids don’t we? but in addition to that, we also (even if temporarily) are releasing our inhibitions, our worries, our fears, our hatred. in those fleeting moments, we are 100% unencumbered in our own bodies, our own minds, our own spirits. if any of these sexual themes sound familiar, that’s probably because you’re picking up on subtle themes of rohini.
the star of ascension. ruled by brahma, the creator. the reddish one. eve in the garden of eden.the favored wife of soma, the moon. (notice how syntactically and phonetically identical ‘Soma’ and ‘Yoma’ are?)
these are all monikers and themes associated with rohini nakshatra. another major symbol is that of a young woman approaching sexual maturity, with the reddishness (not quite fully red) associated with this nakshatra (as well as, frankly, the entire taurus rasi) being linked not only to fertility and reproduction, but also also being likened to blushing, either due to embarrassment or, as discussed prior, desire. not necessarily a sexual desire, but simply desire for desire’s sake. desire to experience and be experienced. desire to possess and be possessed. desire to cultivate and be cultivated. desire to create. desire to destroy.
this distinction is important because rohini is often reduced merely to superficial beauty, romance, or sexuality. the reality is, however, that the sexual symbolism of this nakshatra, similarly to the imagery in the story, is merely a surface-level expression of a much deeper principle:
the desire to be uninhibited. (prepare to get sick of me constantly bringing up this point)
rohini is a nakshatra of incarnation. its ruled by Brahma; not a preserver like Vishnu, or a destroyer like Shiva, but the Father of all Creation himself. his entire function as a God is taking the unmanifest and making it manifest. grabbing hold of mere ideas and birthing them into something tangible. it is where spirit seeks form. where longing seeks union. where potential seeks embodiment. where desire seeks experience.
Rohini nakshatra research, mythology, science, philosophy, psychology. Details the placement of every planet in R for each ascendant.
this is why the process of awakening in Claymore is seductive in such an oxymoronic way. it is likened to sexual gratification not because it is simply a lust for power (although that definitely plays a part), but moreso a lust for liberation. it is the removal of human limitations imposed upon us beginning in bharani, and then made manifest under krittika’s critical knife. for the first time, a Claymore is no longer bound by the restrictions that have shaped & defined her human existence. she no longer has to fear death (either causing it or experiencing it). she no longer has to suppress her Yoki. she no longer has to endure the constant tension between human and Yoma. she no longer has to carry the burden of restraint. she can simply just be. this is why clinging to the idea of awakening merely as an orgasmic sensation is actually purposefully misleading. sexual climax functions as the metaphor here because climax itself represents a momentary collapse of boundaries. for a brief moment, the mind becomes quiet. fear, self-consciousness, and inhibition disappears. the allure of awakening is getting to experience that feeling permanently. permanently getting to be released from restraint, a permanent exiling of one’s own suffering from their former human life.
this is precisely where the danger comes from. rohini’s shadow has never been promiscuity, but rather, it is this lack of inhibition that makes The Organization prohibit and condemn awakening to the degree that they do.
when unencumbered, there is an inability to detach. the inability to stop seeking. the inability to stop desiring. the inability to stop taking. the inability to stop consuming.
what begins as uninhibited desire eventually distorts into an insatiable hunger, and nowhere is this more evident than in the Awakened Beings themselves. officially referred to as ‘Voracious Eaters,’ they are defined, above all else, by their insatiability. their hunger can never be satisfied. it cannot be reasoned with. it cannot be fulfilled. it cannot be exhausted. it cannot be controlled. they consume endlessly because the very act of awakening erodes their base level human desire into something vacuous. in this sense, awakening mirrors one of the oldest myths associated with desire itself:
the story of the Garden of Eden.
you see, like Adam & Eve. the Awakened Beings don't actually become free. that's the ironic tragedy behind their existence. their Yoma minds disillusion them into believing they are, but they don't. they simply exchange one prison for another. before awakening, they are enslaved by restraint. after awakening, they are still enslaved, this time by their own lack of restraint. what they convince themselves is liberation from their previous human boundaries is actually just another cage: their eternal emptiness. the “sin” of eating the fruit was never truly about acquiring the knowledge from the tree, but it was about crossing a boundary to attain something beyond that boundary that appeared irresistible. disregarding even divine authority to satiate that never-ending hunger. the Claymores do the same thing. once they reach beyond their limits (both physically in terms of their Yoki output, but also philosophically), there is no returning to the innocence that existed beforehand, for they have tasted something greater than themselves, and the mere knowledge of that experience is what removes them from their humanity forever.
what does it mean to be a “human?”
the story is quite consistent in not only telling us, but also showing us as readers that awakening affects the mind just as much as it does the physicality of a Claymore. while pretty much every Awakened Beings has the ability to embody a form resembling their human form (many even retaining their pre-Claymore appearances), these forms are merely aesthetic, and nothing more. according to Chronos, an Awakened Being, awakening "changes you to the core," and "human consciousness disappears." Awakened Beings retain their intelligence, but generally lose all their humanity, becoming merciless, sadistic, and often arrogant. while even the most indifferent and apathetic of Claymores generally stick to their duty of protecting humans, Awakened Beings see humans as nothing more than prey. while Claymores can sustain without sustenance for weeks on end without feeling fatigue or hunger, Awakened Beings are insatiably, ravenously hungry, with a particular craving for human entrails. (yum!)
this is best seen through the character Riful, known as The Abyssal One of the West (‘Abyssal Ones’ are referred to as former Rank 1 Claymores who awakened, and Riful, specifically, due to her ruthlessness and sheer strength, occupied and controlled the entirety of the West territory of the country-island the story’s setting takes place in). Riful primarily takes the form of her pre-Claymore appearance, portraying herself to be a young pubescent girl in both body and mind (showcased via her bubbly, frivolous personality). however, she is utterly ruthless, manipulative, and self-serving, kidnapping and torturing Claymores in attempts to force them to awaken in order to subjugate them into an army for her to face off and defeat the other two Abyssal Ones in order to gain control over more of the land. all with a cheeky smile on her face, and a hint of girlish coyness (albeit, lathered in condescension) in every sentence.
but have Awakened Beings truly abandoned all their humanity? a prime example would be, ironically, Riful herself, and her Awakened companion/lapdog/boytoy Dauf. Riful at pretty much every opportunity has no reservations about manipulating Dauf, weaponizing his lesser intelligence and utter obsession and reverence for her to her advantage, sicking him on pesky enemies and berating him, as though he were nothing more than her pet behemoth, pretty much all for her own amusement and machiavellian whims. however, she still was more than willing to risk her own life in order to protect him and drag him to safety after her lost a face-off against Clare and other kidnapped Claymores she had rescued during the show. hell, even Dauf being as devoted to her as he is should be entirely paradoxical to his very existence as an Awakened Being, especially as a male one (he was the former #3 warrior of the first generation of all-male Claymores).
perhaps an even stranger case would be Miria’s (THEE baddest bitch in the series btw, but trust i will talk extensively about MOTHER much later) former best friend, Hilda. despite being a former Rank #6 Claymore (a testament to her skill and strength even prior to awakening), when she did awaken, she seemed to have allowed herself to be slain without dealing any meaningful damage to any of her assailants. what’s even more strange, is that she didn’t even speak during the whole ordeal, yet still appeared to have remorse in her eyes as she was struck down and laid to rest by Miria. at the core of their innate misanthropy and chronic selfishness, all Yoma, ESPECIALLY Awakened Beings, have an intensely powerful survival instinct. it’s almost entirely antithetical, then, for an Awakened Being as powerful as she must have been to refrain not only from absolutely obliterating her opposition (as Miria, despite being the leader of the hunting squad sent to eliminate Hilda, was only Rank #17 at the time), but also refrain from weaponizing and exploiting the emotions of someone she knew cared deeply for her. that is, unless she couldn’t bring herself to do so.
this is where the imagery behind awakening drifts away from rohini and drifts into mrigashira. if rohini is desire made manifest, mrigashira is what happens after desire has already been fulfilled. mrigashira is represented by the head of a deer. unlike the predator, the deer is not a creature that conquers. it wanders. it searches. it runs. just like rohini ran from her father’s lustful gaze. it is constantly looking for something just beyond its reach. ruled by Soma, the name of both the Moon god himself, as well as the divine nectar of the gods. Soma is associated with nourishment, vitality, immortality, ecstasy, altered states of consciousness, and divine power. in Hindu mythology, Soma was consumed by gods, sages, and warriors alike in order to transcend ordinary limitations and approach something closer to divinity.
sound familiar? this is almost exactly the same role Yoki plays throughout Claymore. Yoki is the source of every superhuman ability possessed by Claymores. it grants strength beyond human limits, allows them to heal catastrophic injuries, heightens perception, enables transformations of both body and mind. it essentially allows them to transcend to near-godhood. it is simultaneously the source of their power and the catalyst of their downfall. much like Soma, Yoki offers transcendence, a liberation from ordinary human boundaries. much like Soma, Yoki offers something resembling immortality. yet unlike Soma, the story of Claymore is fundamentally concerned with what happens when that transcendence becomes addictive.
as stated multiple times already, the story likens awakening to that of a sexual climax. viewed through the lens of Soma, however, what if awakening is actually more akin to intoxication? obviously i’ve already discussed the loss of inhibition and self control, but i don’t use the word ‘intoxication’ in the simplistic sense of drunkenness, but intoxication through power itself. what if Awakened Beings are merely Claymore who used too much Yoki, but rather consumed too much of it? and, in turn, became unable to stop consuming? unable to stop chasing the “high.” unable to stop pursuing the next “climax.” unable to stop seeking transcendence. unable to stop drinking from the proverbial cup.
mrigashira is not merely enthralled by the thrill of pursuit itself. it is instead burdened by it, never truly being able to find what it’s searching for in the first place. Claymore repeatedly presents awakening as a final destination. according to The Organization, once a Claymore awakens, her humanity disappears, and she becomes something fundamentally different. something irredeemable, beyond saving. yet the story itself repeatedly contradicts this. if awakening truly erased the human self completely, then Hilda should not have hesitated. she should not have cried. she should not have allowed herself to die. she should not have cared. and yet, she did.
Mrigasirsha nakshatra is aimless and wandering like Bambi the deer headed. Map makers, strategic, powerful but gentle. Explore the depth of
💬 13 🔁 41 ❤️ 276 · Mrigashira: Always On The Run · TW: abuse, kidnapping, r*pe, murder, stalking, violence, incest I have been doing more
the same contradictory existence as Dauf, who remained obsessively devoted to Riful despite having every biological and psychological incentive to act solely in his own self-interest. Riful herself, despite presenting as manipulative, cruel, and self-serving, repeatedly demonstrated the same level of genuine concern for Dauf's well-being, even risking her own life to protect him. these moments are small, but they should not exist at all if awakening functions the way The Organization claims it does. the question then becomes: what if awakening does not actually destroy humanity? what if it merely buries it? this possibility feels profoundly mrigashira in nature. the symbol of the deer constantly appears in Vedic mythology as something being pursued, but also something pursuing. rohini took the form of a doe to escape her disgusting father, and he, in turn, transformed into a stag to continue to pursue her. to hunt her. there is always a sense that something has been lost and must be found. something remembered only partially. something glimpsed briefly before disappearing back into the forest.
the Awakened Beings all exist in precisely this everlasting state. they have achieved the very thing every Claymore is tempted by. unlimited power. freedom from restraint. liberation from human limitations. and yet none of them seem particularly fulfilled by it. instead, they continue to wander, hunting and feeding on measly humans to satiate themselves, yet they still remained unsatisfied. so they seek combat with greater opponents. they hunt for greater territory. they hunt for greater power. they hunt for greater stimulation. they hunt for greater satisfaction. but no matter how much they consume, it never seems to be enough. through this lens, the tragedy of awakening is not that the human self disappears, but that the human self remains.
hidden somewhere beneath the hunger.
hidden somewhere beneath the violence.
hidden somewhere beneath the instinct.
the inner humanity is still trapped, forever searching... no, hunting for the version of itself it can no longer recognize.
and that remaining humanity, that contradiction, is what The Organization seeks to inhibit, control, and destroy.
so basically, the TLDR: GO FUCKING READ CLAYMORE RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!
