Apr 4, 20233 min read

"Corpse Bride" Beauty: Magha Nakshatra

Updated: Nov 3, 2023

Are you the beauty type to be cast in a Tim Burton movie? Vedic Astrology can explain the energy he is unconsciously attracted to when he chooses his muses. Burton has his Sun in the Magha Nakshatra portion of Leo/Simha (0° – 13° 20′), which is ruled over by the dead ancestors (pitrs पितृ) relating to funeral rites and ancestral veneration. Its planet lord is then the smokey shadow planet Ketu (the destructive inhale of the material plane into spiritual energy). Ketu rules the past and Sun rules the father, so this Ketu portion of the Sun-ruled Leo makes an emphasis on the (Ketu) Past (Sun) Fathers, the forefathers. Both the planet lord and presiding deities can help to explain why this is a very aesthetically gothic nakshatra. Many of the most iconic edgy, gothic female characters (cigarette in hand, appearing through a cloud of smoke) of all time are Magha natives.

A recent social media trend was using a filter to transform into a "Burton" character, where users were essentially mimicking common Magha features. They would compress the cheek to make their cheeks appear more gaunt, as well as would whiten and then pull down the waterline of their eye. Magha's often times exaggeratedly round eyes come from minimal fleshy support below the eye, which causes the lower lash line to curve downward, the undereye to appear dark or concave, often gives Yin Sanpaku (visible white below the iris), and makes the eye protrude from the face. Frequently, the eyes are gently downturned.

This heavily tamasic nakshatra gives the eyes the appearance of being about to enter in to a state of sleep, drug-induced coma, or meditative trance, calling to mind its basis below, leaving the body (tyage kshepani shakti). Minimal flesh on top of the eye gives strongly defined "skeletal" eye sockets. At the same time, the lips are generally full (some of the naturally fullest amongst nakshatras). The full lips, big or unique hair (often giving "A Beautiful Mess" vibes), protruding heavy-lidded eyes, and gaunt cheeks & under-eyes come together to create a sleepy, hazy "Corpse Bride" Beauty type that has a sedating, tranquilizing effect on perceivers.

The Magha nose has frequently emphasized, drawn back nostrils and a slightly bird-like, broad triangular tip and nostril wing shape. Tim Burton's Magha characters are well-suited to their roles as their beauty brings a unique blend of vulnerability, peculiarity, and outsider status that contributes to his stylized unusual, edgy worlds. Even when Burton does not cast Magha natives, he projects many of his own Magha traits onto his characters, such as the emphasized hair & gothic look of Lydia Deetz. His latest muse, Jenna Ortega, does not have a confirmed birth time but was inspired in her role by the previous Wednesday Adams, played by Christina Ricci (Magha ASC). Her iconic dance scene-- the moves and serious facial expression-- took inspiration from Uma Thurman's (Magha ASC) dance in Pulp Fiction.

It's worth noting, on the topic of Jenna Ortega, that she is a Rohini Moon. Ketu’s gothic energy and facial appearance can account for one primary energy Tim Burton is attracted to; the next one, the whimsical Rohini, his ascendant, is something I’ve touched on before and that is also found in quite a few of his favorite actors to partner with (like Lisa Marie and Helena Bonham Carter-- she has Rohini Sun).

You can view visuals for the Magha features, vibe, and aesthetic in the gallery below. Remember, as with anything in astrology, this is a tendency not a rule for Magha natives. Your other primary placements will also affect features. There are other Magha patterns (and much more depth and many further examples even to this pattern) that I will explore in future videos and content. Click here to view the video-short correlating to this blog-post to see Magha's appearance in motion.