Neptune In Pisces: The Rise of the Superhero Movies

Neptune in Pisces most recently began in April of 2011 and will conclude in January of 2026. Its previous journey through Pisces occurred between April 1847 and February 1862, the years leading up to and at the beginning of the Civil War, which took place between 1861 and 1865. While Neptune moves through Pisces, beliefs shift significantly, and on a large scale. This article will explore the rise of superhero movies.

Neptune in Pisces

Each point in the sky rules a specific sign; when that point is in that sign, its energy is strongest, and its effects last the longest. When the point is in a different sign than its rulership, especially a sign that is also very different in terms of element and expression, the impacts take on the areas of life ruled by that sign. When Neptune moves through Pisces, individuals and large systems, like societies and cultures, experience spiritual awakening. For some, the awakening ushers in changing beliefs while, for others, the awakening energy increases their resistance to change.

Neptune in Pisces encourages us to have faith, surrender, be vulnerable, and recognize our connectivity to everyone on the planet. Neptune wants us to understand that we are all in this together. These are the positive traits of Neptune in Pisces. Its shadow energy is delusion, disbelief, confusion, and deception. It can be hard to “know what is real” while Neptune occupies its own sign.

During the time Neptune moves through Pisces, humanity learns how belief shapes the world, and how competing beliefs battle over the construction of civilization. Cinema, encompassing movies seen in theaters and streaming services, has become one of the most profound influencers worldwide, especially now that you can watch movies on your cell phone and there are an estimated 6.4 billion smartphones in use. That number represents just over 80% of the world’s population.

• Neptune In Pisces: Virtual Reality

History Repeats

It is interesting to study astrology over the course of human history and see how the patterns cycle through, especially when seen through the lens of the outer planets Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. In the case of Uranus, the cycle happens every 84 years for an 8-year span. In the case of Neptune, the cycle happens every 165 years for about a 14-year span. And Pluto returns to a sign every 247 years for anywhere from 17 to 31 years.

Therefore, it is not surprising that, as an aspect of American history, the period between 1847 and 1862, and the years soon after, when Neptune entered Aries, would be one of astounding disruptions in social norms and beliefs. The most profound event in those years was the Civil War, which brought about the end of slavery in the United States. It did not end inequality, but it did force the nation to begin a long process of reconciliation regarding race that is still unfolding.

One of the most dominant narratives in the world is that of the superhero, which has its origin in US popular culture. The first superhero comics came out at the end of the Great Depression and flourished during World War II (Superman – 1938, Batman – 1939, Wonder Woman – 1941, and Captain America – 1941).

Measuring Film Success in the Global Consciousness

For most of the publication period of comic books and the viewing period of superheroes in television and film, the stories largely stayed within the borders of the United States. Only after the rise of globalization, starting in the mid to late 1980s, did films start to attract worldwide box office measures of success. It was not until 1981 that box office gross numbers were collected in the US. As the popularity to know this information grew, so did reporting, especially the numbers for a weekend tally or run at the top of the chart. In 1994, Variety published the first annual global box office chart.

Now box office numbers are reported domestically (US), internationally (everywhere else), and globally (all box offices, US and foreign). Of the top 25 all-time highest grossing films listed in 2021, ten of them are superhero movies made within the last nine years. Nine of those movies belong to Marvel Studies, including the one ranked #2, Avengers: Endgame. Before China closed its cinema borders to Shang Chi and the Eternals, the Marvel movies were being shown everywhere in the world.

The Superhero Commercial Juggernaut

Box office numbers do not account for streaming numbers; that measuring system is still taking shape. With Neptune in Pisces, we need to understand anything that has global reach, whether we are talking about a pandemic disease, cultural phenomenon, or commercial saturation. Whatever is “all pervasive” is Neptunian, in some important way. How it affects our beliefs, is Piscean.

• Neptune In Pisces: Social Media

Superheroes and Box Office Success Include Diversity

When Black Panther broke box office records, to the tune of over 1 billion dollars, it blew past any Superman, Batman, or Captain America movie. Captain Marvel, with lead Brie Larsen, hit the top 25, also well in front of Superman and Batman. Even handicapped by the pandemic Black Widow is a raging success on streaming and Shang Chi was the highest grossing film of 2021, so far (at nearly 225 million). In fact, the top three spots belong to Marvel movies; number 2 is Venom and number 3 is Black Widow.

In Neptunian fashion, a world audience supports a diverse representation of superhero types. Therefore, the superhero movie has become, for this period, the vehicle for a more diverse representation of the lead characters in Hollywood produced movies. Also, the superhero “virus” has started to spread worldwide, with other countries making their own versions of the superhero genre:

• Bhavesh Joshi: Superhero (2018) – India
• They Call Me Jeeg (2015) – Italy
• Guardians (2017) – Russia
• Hentai Kamen (2013) – Japan
• Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota (2018) – India
• The Adventures of Supermama (2018) – South Africa
• Phantom Boy (2015) – France
• Yeom-Iyeok (2018) – South Korea

To conclude

As is the case when Neptune gets involved, clear lines of delineation begin to blur. Both Black Panther and Shang Chi are the creations of white men who culturally appropriated them for narrative devices in the hopes of selling a particular issue of a comic book, and then a series based on the created character. If these movies had come out twenty, maybe even ten, years ago, the directors would have been white men, not African American for Black Panther or Asian-American for Shang-Chi … or female directors for Black Widow and Wonder Woman.

It is the influence of Piscean awareness through the largest narrative film franchise in history, the superhero genre, that is demonstrating the power of Neptune it the sign it rules, Pisces.