I feel somewhat proprietary about the archetype of the Moon—so when it’s co-opted for some odd and sentimental advertising, which gets 12 million views in a couple of days and ignites admiration and controversy across the web–I’m interested. The commercial stars a sweet little girl—perfect emblem for the innocent heart of the Moon. She represents the naked part of us that wishes to nurture and connect. In the advert, this little emblem of mother love turns her telescope to the rocky Moon above and spies a single old man sitting there, very sad. Her attempts to reach him—with post cards and arrows–fail.
Count me among the crowd perplexed at why an old man is living with such a deep depression on the Moon—a space mission gone wrong? Matt Damon’s recent achievements on Mars are still fresh in my mind. But of course the advert—for British retailer John Lewis—has its happy ending. The girl’s wish to soothe the old man’s loneliness comes true on Christmas morning. It looks like John Lewis manages to send a wrapped package to the old man via balloons–it contains a telescope! With this, he finally sees the girl and is happy at last.
Among those who hated the commercial, many thought it was just too gloomy for Christmas. I wondered why Saturn–the archetype behind the gloomy old man–was playing such a starring role in the Moon’s territory. I confess it had to be explained to me that the commercial was making a political point. It was raising awareness about a serious social problem-the isolation of elders. In the UK, it’s estimated that a million seniors will go a month without speaking to a single other human being.
This is a Moon message! Though it’s laced with consumerism, the idea that we should think of other hearts at Christmastime is goddess worthy. But the old man? Ah—here’s another face of Saturn in Sagittarius. Telescopes, arrows, advertising, and political opinions—all are emblems of Saturn in Sag.
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