Month of Gemini 21 May - 20 Jun
On 21 May the Sun moved into Gemini, a day marked also by a New Moon and therefore a unique double beginning - a perfect and poetic fit with the symbolism of the Twins. Gemini is the first of the dual signs, in some systems represented as two brothers and in others as two sisters. The constellation’s signature stars, Castor and Pollux, have been revered since ancient times as the heavenly archetypes, representative of all the pairs of opposites – day and night, dark and light, masculine and feminine, mortal and immortal, body and soul.
Castor and Pollux are celestial reminders of duality as the basis of the manifested world and in particular how we experience it. We only know pleasure in relation to pain, happiness to sadness, success to failure and so on. Duality enables perspective and discrimination.
This reinforces the assignment of Mercury as the ruler of Gemini. Those with strong Gemini characteristics (Sun, Moon, Ascendant or multiple planet placements in Gemini and or strongly emphasised Mercury) are most often bright, mentally active, inquisitive, versatile, social and elusive, as befits the mutable and airy quality of this sign/planet configuration.
Significantly, as the third sign, Gemini symbolises a third force, relating opposites one to the other. Gemini is thus pre-eminently a sign of relating. Through the agency of Mercury information is assimilated, analysis and comparison undertaken and knowledge gained (both useful and useless varieties alike). Add in Uranus as the ruler of technology, Aquarius as the sign associated with the world wide web and the global circulation of ideas and connections; plus Libra, the people sign, working through Venus, motivating the phenomenon of social media, and the three Air signs working together can be seen as being potently expressive and influential as we now transit into the Aquarian (Air) Age.
This reinforces the assignment of Mercury as the ruler of Gemini. Those with strong Gemini characteristics (Sun, Moon, Ascendant or multiple planet placements in Gemini and or strongly emphasised Mercury) are most often bright, mentally active, inquisitive, versatile, social and elusive, as befits the mutable and airy quality of this sign/planet configuration.
Significantly, as the third sign, Gemini symbolises a third force, relating opposites one to the other. Gemini is thus pre-eminently a sign of relating. Through the agency of Mercury information is assimilated, analysis and comparison undertaken and knowledge gained (both useful and useless varieties alike). Add in Uranus as the ruler of technology, Aquarius as the sign associated with the world wide web and the global circulation of ideas and connections; plus Libra, the people sign, working through Venus, motivating the phenomenon of social media, and the three Air signs working together can be seen as being potently expressive and influential as we now transit into the Aquarian (Air) Age.
In Soul centred astrology it is Venus who is ascribed rulership of Gemini. By this is meant a transition from Mercurial to Venusian relatedness. Where Mercury acts to define and relate opposites by objectifying them, Venus seeks to merge and blend them. Here feeing and intuition interact with the mind to bring about a different order of intelligence, motivated by harmony and, at the highest level, by love. This unifying of opposites and the principle of union represents the true object of self or spiritual development, the Hermaphrodite (Hermes/Aphrodite or Mercury/Venus) being an eternal symbol. In this great alchemical process Gemini stands as the Child, the third aspect of the trinity, both the force of attraction between the Father/Mother (Aries/Taurus) principles and also the fruit of their union. Behind these symbols lies the deeper meaning of giving birth to oneself. Consistent with its many dual qualities and the principle of duality itself, Gemini contains both the seeds of superficiality and the deepest of mysteries.
Soul centred Venus/Gemini themes will be especially highlighted in the coming weeks by the once in a hundred plus year transit of Venus and the Sun. Students of astronomy/astrology will be aware that a unique relation exists between these two. In an eight year cycle Venus makes five conjunctions to the Sun, tracing a celestial pentagram, or 5 pointed star, in the process. In this cycle is expressed much of the beauty and symmetry so much associated with Venus. The 8 year Venus cycle is linked to a larger pattern where the orbital planes of the 2 bodies intersect every 100+ years. I won’t attempt to outline the physics here but it may be likened to the distinction between an ordinary new or full moon and an eclipse. During the transit Venus can be seen moving across the face of the Sun. This last occurred in 1874 and 1882 (note the 8 years) and before that in 1761 and 1769. The observance of the 1769 transit (to assist a deeper scientific understanding of the Solar System) was James Cook’s primary objective in visiting the Pacific. The discovery of Australia and New Zealand (the great southern lands) was assigned second!
For all of us this will be a once in a lifetime event (including the 2004 transit), the next passing being in 2117. For students and lovers of astrology there is much to ponder on the fact that each pair of transits takes place in the sign Gemini and its opposite Sagittarius (1631/1639 Sag, 1761/1769 Gemini, 1874/1882 Sag, 2004/2012 Gemini). The soul centred meaning of Venus in Gemini will be once again projected onto the cosmic stage on June 6 this year (at 15° Gemini), perhaps to remind us that heart and mind and the fusion of opposites and the power of love as the highest expression of intelligence are what we are individually geared to and capable of and where we, as a species, are ultimately heading.
The Mayans utilised and integrated a Venus calender into their intricate system. That their 5,000+ year calender 'ends' in the year of the Venus transit - 2012, gives even more food for thought on the nature of whatever new phase we are about to enter?
Until next time.......cheers
The Mayans utilised and integrated a Venus calender into their intricate system. That their 5,000+ year calender 'ends' in the year of the Venus transit - 2012, gives even more food for thought on the nature of whatever new phase we are about to enter?
Until next time.......cheers
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