Gemini ♊ Ingress – Fine-Tuning The Lower Mind

“A man has a property in his opinions and the free communication of them.”

– James Madison

This year, our Sun ☉ enters the mutable air sign of Gemini ♊ at 10:16am CDT on May 20, 2012  which is also accompanied by a solar eclipse later in the day occurring at 0° Gemini at 6:46pm CDT. The sign directly before Gemini is Taurus, where energy is focused, steady, grounded, and productive. Consequently, Gemini is where we learn to lighten up, explore, and harness the power of flexibility, and multitasking when it comes to our burdens. Gemini is the first of the intellectually oriented air signs of the zodiac, preceding the signs of Libra and Aquarius and is therefore associated with the keywords, “I Think”.  As a Mutable sign (along with Sagittarius, Virgo, and Pisces), Gemini is highly analytical, versatile, and factual, yet this can also sometimes manifest as scattered, contradictory, and superficial energy as well.

The dual nature of Gemini derives from the Roman tale of Castor and Pollux, brothers who agreed to remain immortal by living alternate lives on heaven and earth instead of dying. Similarly Gemini natives are often the embodiment of a state of mental flux and flexibility. Therefore, mental stimulation is oftentimes somewhat of a necessity for these intellectual beings.

Gemini ♊, Mercury ☿, and House III – Learning and Communicating

There’s a youthful, curious, communicative, verbal, and witty quality to many native Gemini’s and Mercury, planet of communication is directly linked to this quality.  Certain ancient cultures considered language to be a mystical and supernatural gift, only worthy of certain people.

Skyscript tells us that Hermes is known as the Greek counterpart to Mercury.

“Hermes acts as a a holy personification of the Mind and Intelligence of the Creator. He is the inventor of language, written words, arithmetic and geometry, and his skill in communication is a direct demonstration of his Divine and Sacred powers –

” Words, and the way they were constructed, were perceived as magical symbols, mirrors of the Divine Mind. Spoken with proper intonation and with the correct spiritual approach, they were the means to summon the gods, heal the sick and command obedience.”

Because of Gemini’s association with Mercury and the mind, the sign is linked to the nervous system, hands, and lungs. This rulership speaks to the tendency for Gemini to experience nervous tension under stress, similar to the sign of Virgo which is also ruled by Mercury. I can oftentimes discern someone with Gemini energy if they speak or write eloquently, are knowledgeable about a wide range of subjects, or are crafty and tech-oriented.

Also, Gemini is connected with House III of a natal chart, representing language, learning, siblings, short trips, and neighbors. Dana Gerhardt  writes:

“The 3rd house rules siblings, neighbors, short trips, grammar school, the acquisition and use of language. But underneath these keywords lies a profound mystery: our fundamentally human dance of development–of curiosity, imitation and communication, of adapting to and connecting with our immediate world. It is not so much a house of “things” as it is a zone of activity. The way a plant reaches for light, in our 3rd house, we reach for the world with our minds. The essence of all 3rd house nouns might be collected in a single verb: in this house we learn.”

Therefore, I propose an alternate set of keywords for Gemini, “I Learn“.

Gemini ♊ and Sagittarius ♐ – Lower Mind Vs. Higher Mind

 It seems that Gemini and Sagittarius have more in common than other pairs of opposite signs. In Mapping the Psyche, Claire Martin calls Gemini and Sagittarius the Axis of Exploration. However, the issue with this polarity is that it seems to lack a grounding element despite plenty of fun! Furthermore, these two signs represent different facets of mental activity; Gemini being associated with information (objective facts) and the lower mind, while Sagittarius represents meaning (philosophy or religion) and components of the higher mind.

“If we lose our objectivity, and ignore the actual facts, then we will find ourselves increasingly out of touch with, and alienated from, the very sense of vision and meaning which was so important to us, because we will not have any perspective or have learned to put our vision into words, or developed the ability to discuss it objectively with others, to compare it to other schools of thought or to teach it.”

Progressed Sun in Gemini – Mental Acquisition

There have been several times in my life when I felt completely overwhelmed by copious amounts of data. As a Taurus born with Mercury retrograde conjunct the Sun, it has oftentimes been important for me to properly absorb new information on my own terms. Yet, the current cycle of my life is prominently characterized by flexibility and a infinite and compulsive hunger to learn! Naturally, it seems that my passion for acquiring such knowledge has a lot to do with the fact that my progressed Sun is moving across 5° Gemini during this year.

Education is a very serious issue for me, and as my progressed Sun moved from Taurus in House XI to Gemini in House XII at age 16, I experienced an involuntary detour in my educational path that led me to take  alternative steps in order to further my education.

I am really enjoying The Zodiac by Degrees by Martin Goldsmith. The following is for the degree of my progressed Sun.

5° Gemini: An outrageously dressed artist bursts into a quiet museum and shocks the patrons by nailing up a painting and a printed manifesto

“Descriptive Phases – Publicity; passionate desire to get one’s message across; putting one’s message in a catchy, original form (slipping important messages into humor, crazy wisdom); catalyzing social change by bringing fringe ideas to the attention of the public; throwing a complacent public off-balance through extremist tactics (attention-seekers, may cultivate notoriety if fame is not forthcoming, publicity stunts): presenting reality in a startling new light (visual arts), faith in direct perception, living with few assumptions (constantly amazing by life’s surprises); jauntily dancing  within a situation in spin, keeping one’s edge vs. relying on proven formulas; staying true to one’s viewpoint vs. selling out; developing a trademark style; self-advertising.”

Goldsmith’s imagery for 5° Gemini eerily describes my experiences of this past year. I began broadcasting my own astrology and music based college radio show on COOG Radio, and it was the beginning of an empowering phase of original self-promotion that I never really expected. I conceived The Ecliptic, with Garron Ballard from the depths of my own mind, and never thought it would grow into an international entity that so many people would come to support. I have also certainly taken huge leaps in learning new skills and developing my dormant talent in the visual arts such as photography, graphic design, and web design.

My progressed Sun will continue to move through the sign of Gemini for the next 25 years, and through this time I aspire to continue learning as much as I can. I didn’t always see it, but I can certainly see the incredible strength that exists in remaining flexible, communicative, and lighthearted now more than ever.

Famous Geminis via Cafe Astrology:

Michael J. Fox, Angelina Jolie, John F. Kennedy, Mel Blanc (Sun and Moon in Gemini), Drew Carey, Courteney Cox (Sun and Mercury in Gemini), Johnny Depp, Melissa Etheridge, John Goodman (Sun, Moon, and Venus in Gemini), Steffi Graf (Sun, Moon, and Mercury in Gemini), Elizabeth Hurley (Sun and Mercury in Gemini), Nicole Kidman, Anna Kournikova (Sun and Mars in Gemini), Lenny Kravitz, Kylie Minogue (Sun, Moon, Mercury, and Mars in Gemini), Marilyn Monroe (Sun and Mercury in Gemini),  Prince William (Sun and Mercury in Gemini), Brooke Shields (Sun, Moon, and Venus in Gemini), Pete Wentz (Sun and Mercury in Gemini).

Chino Moreno of Deftones was born on June 20, 1973 under the mutable air sign of Gemini  ♊.

Solar Reflections – A Birthday Analysis

May 5th – Full Moon in Scorpio ♏

How fitting that the Moon ☽ (my chart ruler) is nearly full this year on my birthday this year (May 4th); a culmination of the abundance of valuable lessons that I’ve learned during my twenty first year of life! Many are calling tomorrow’s full moon in Scorpio ♏ a Supermoon due to its proximity to the earth.

Technically, the Sun ☉ returned to its position during my birth at 13° 51 Taurus ♉ at 5:28pm yesterday on May 3rd. Sometimes our Solar Return occurs a little before or after our birthday. This year, it’s an odd feeling that carries much reflection. However, I must say that May 4, 2012 feels incredible! Maybe it’s because of the hard work that I feel I’ve done this year (i.e. consolidating responsibilities through the constricting influence of Saturn ♄ square ☐ Saturn ♄, purging of inauthentic relationships through Pluto ♇ conjunct ☌ my descendant (DC), and learning the power of transcending my ego with the progressed Sun and Moon in the introspective twelfth house (XII). Regardless, I couldn’t feel any more fortunate to have amazing things going for me and amazing people in my life at this time!

Sabian Symbols – Intuitive Tools

I just received my copy of The Zodiac by Degrees by Martin Goldsmith. The book is basically a massive update to the existing 360 Sabian Symbols associated with each degree of the Zodiac (i.e. 0-30 of Aries-Pisces) which can be quite telling. In the introduction, Goldsmith writes:

“Symbols have the power to engage your intuitive faculties. They help you make a direct connection with a person’s basic spiritual energies and penetrate the private language of their own personal mythology.”

Goldsmith’s updated symbols for the position of Sun ☉ in my chart are the following:

13º Taurus A porter studies a pile of luggage and then deftly hoists the bags to his shou

lder

“Descriptive Phases – Assessment-seeing the basic problem underlying seemingly unrelated problems; getting a good handle on a situation; makeshift but serviceable solutions; calmly reassessing one’s balance of priorities and readjusting one’s use of time and energy accordingly (juggling acts); serving society by taking on it’s weightier problems, but only on one’s terms (bail out when personal freedom is threatened, ramblers, working class heroes); keeping one’s head and shoulders above one’s worldly problems; cheerfully accepting one’s lot in life (worriers); escaping a rut vs. being mired in problems; robust and competent handling of everyday problems vs. obstinately sticking with a method that isn’t working; putting in the requisite effort; taking the bull by the horns; resourcefulness.”

This imagery is known as the karmic condition (task to complete in this lifetime) for the placement of the Sun in my chart and certainly alludes to someone who has been called to handle heavy burdens. Naturally, I was exposed to very real issues at a very young age such as poverty, divorce, and death. Most of the time I felt as if the experiences of my friends were so much different than mine yet, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Shouldering such special ‘luggage’ has blessed me with an abundance of confidence and strength to face whatever awaits me in the future. Some descriptions describe 13º Taurus as a degree of extreme self-reliance and this could not be more true especially with my natal Venus in Aries as well. I tend to nurture my visions of practicality. However, I also have to remind myself to relax and open up to the subtle, lighter, and unseen influences of life.

14º Taurus: Crayfish are groping toward land, while high above the shore a modern city rises upon the ruins of an ancient civilization.

“Descriptive Phases – The slow, natural evolution of consciousness or social structures; the instinctive urge to press forward despite internal and ex

ternal resistance; small steps forward that eventually result in tidal shifts; learning from mistakes of the past; crawling out of the muck of ignorance and prejudice and rebuilding society among more humanitarian lines; shedding outlived social structures vs. getting stuck in a shell; crawling out from under an oppressive situation once one has seen the light of day (tentative fumbling while one is still “in the dark”); forming an underground brotherhood that shares breakthroughs in consciousness and tries to guide human evolution; refusing to be bullied or pushed back once one has seen where one is going.”

This second set of imagery also hits home for me and is known as my quest (the result of my efforts). I’ve always thought that one day, I will head my own personal creative and material empire. I like the fact that this degree speaks of modernist notions as I would certainly consider myself to be a progressive and socially conscious individual with an abundance of energy once I begin moving. Everything that I’ve endured in my life certainly fuels me to press forward. I’ve always harbored the Taurean instinct to build my life into something solid, but  also something innovative.

Solar Return – 2011

Yesterday I was analyzing my solar return charts for the past couple of years and I was certainly able to find the major lessons of each year within each chart. The Cancer ♋ Ascendant of my 2011 Solar Return chart on the left easily alludes to emotional and domestic issues. Indeed, I experienced a big security crisis of sorts and moved twice. Ironically, it was a Cancerian woman who was kind enough to aid me during this rough patch.

Naturally the chart ruler of the chart is the Moon at 29′ Taurus ♉ in House XI (groups and organizations). I joined COOG Radio this year and found myself a

s part of an amazing and budding organization.

In retrospect, 2011 was a considerably difficult and emotionally charged year for me, but also a year of immense accomplishment and responsibility which was totally indicated by the placement of the Sun ☉ in House X (career and public status). I spent part of the year feeling as if I had lost my personal effectiveness with my progressed Sun and Moon in House XII (ego dispersion) and working a job that I fell into where I felt highly unsettled. However, there is a happy ending. My domestic situation came full circle (Cancer Ascendant), I found a job that I love (House X) and I am about to begin a fantastic internship with a wonderful organization (House XI) next month!

Solar Return – 2012

My 2012 Solar Return chart on the right is an interesting one, boasting a Libran ♎ Ascendant. It appears to be a spectacular year for my creative pursuits and I am certainly much more creative now than ever before.

The Sun ☉ sits in the Scorpionic 8th House which indicates psychological insight and transformations. I did book an appointment with a therapist. Not really for any specific reason, but mainly for emotional well being. There are sure to be powerful emotional und

ercurrents this year and most likely more big changes so creative outlets and similar methods for emotional purging are essential.

Also, there’s the Moon ☽ again right on the Libran Ascendant!  Saturn ♄ in House I (self and physical manifestations) may help to keep me much more refined and task oriented in as well.

One specific part of  Goldsmith’s imagery for 14° Taurus resonates deeply for me this year:

“Small steps forward that eventually result in tidal shifts.”

All in all, I believe it’s going to be a great year. Keep an eye out for huge waves in 2012!

Photo by Garron Ballard / May 6, 2012 Supermoon / 3am Richmond, Texas

Tina Dico was born on October 14, 1977 in Aarhus, Denmark under the sign of Libra ♎