Mercury in Gemini: Two Sides of the Same Story

When I think about Gemini in the context of the human collective, I see Gemini as a representative of all of of our human contradiction; those parts of us that show up saying one thing yet doing something totally different simply because we can. To Gemini, the world is just too big. There are too many options; too many interests and tastes to tie itself to only one.  As a matter of fact, Gemini asks why should we have only one? Forty is just as good, if not better. In fact, in the area of my chart where Gemini sits, I am reminded of how this energy shows up in my daily life through the diversity of the people I attract and find myself attracted to, people who in their own right are diversified, multifaceted beings coming from various walks of life, cultures, and schools of thought. Also, it's no surprise, given Gemini's rulership by Mercury (the communication planet) that many of these people are writers, journalists, filmmakers, radio and television personalities, public relations specialists, event planners, etc. These are the people who make a living on connecting us to the many different pieces of our world.

Photo courtesy of New Image Art. "Twin" by HUSH

As an air sign, its Gemini's job to serve as a conduit, a connector of people and information. Gemini grabs what's out there and then brings it home to share. However, the caveat for Gem is when it becomes too scattered or superficial to commit to something that lasts--after all this isn't Taurus we're discussing. Mercury's pass through its home sign of Gemini is going to work to bring this message of curiosity and contradiction home to us. Where Gemini sits in your own chart is the place to look for cues and clues. Mercury is going to present you with fresh options and opportunities to grow beyond what you know, but with tension coming from Neptune, Pluto, and Saturn (and perhaps configurations in your own chart) we'll be asked to base our choices on depth of perception for a shot at something with real long term reward. This time, who AND what you know will matter.

Jupiter Retrograde in Gemini: The Party Is Over...For Now

Planet Jupiter, otherwise known as the "Good Time Charlie" of the zodiac has went retrograde on October 4th and will stay there until January 30, 2013. Since I'm a Sagittarius--the sign ruled by the party hound himself, Jupiter's retrograde is a bit of a killjoy for me as I need all of the good fortune and BIG fun I can get these days. LOL! I think this clip from Adventure Time sums up the next few months for all the Jupiter-ruled areas of life (hint: it's those places where we just seem to get lucky or overdo it big time; for better or worse).

Gemini Season Revisited: What’s the Good Word?

Yes, I know. Gemini Season has technically ended. However, we’ve had lots of planetary activity happening with the Sun, Moon, Venus, Mercury, and Jupiter all making their rounds through the sign of The Twins. Before the season officially started I had wanted to write one post that encapsulated the energy of Gemini. Instead I wrote two posts, one on Venus Retrograde and the other on the Solar Eclipse. Not a bad move considering Gemini is all about multiplicity; still with all this activity taking place, I wanted to do something a little bigger (blame it on the Sag in me).

Then Jupiter came along. (Ha-ha! See what I did there?)

Anyway, when Jupiter moved into Gemini I was all set to blog on it but I was blocked. Maybe it was my Aquarian Moon rebelling against regurgitating what was already said or maybe, it was because Jupiter is said to be in its ‘detriment’ in Gemini—not exactly functioning at its best capacity. Whatever the reason, it wasn’t until I did something Gemini-like that the light went on. 

A few nights ago, I went down to Brooklyn to attend the Zodiac Lounge, a monthly astrology-infused forum hosted by expert astrologer Samuel F. Reynolds. I went looking to get some new info, to learn, to circulate with folk I had never met before within a relatively short trip from my neighborhood (that’s Gemini!).  The centerpiece of the evening was Sam’s presentation on the genius of Gemini. While Sam lauded Geminis for their gift in bridging gaps between seemingly unrelated worlds, he also spoke about their potential for rigidity and gossip. Here is where I found just what I needed.

Thanks to Sam’s insight plus some rather interesting exchanges that I’ve had within the past few weeks, it occurred to me that the transit of Jupiter in Gemini (and essentially the season of Gemini) is not only about exploration/networking but it’s also about engaging a filter. As a swell of information tumbles in at lightning speed we are being asked to think critically about how much of it we are willing to accept as truth. What do we believe? Who do we believe? Further, do we have any valuable info of our own to add, or are we too heavily focused on fluff? Is the information we're exchanging credible?

Now is a good time to sort it all out.

Lunar Eclipse In Sagittarius: Bigger & Deffer

Def (dĕf) :
adj. Slang, def·fer, def·fest.
1. Excellent; first-rate.

Today's lunar eclipse in Sagittarius, which follows last month's solar eclipse in Gemini, continues the most recent eclipse trend on the Gemini-Sagittarius axis that began back in early 2010.  As Gem and Sag rule the zodiac's 3rd and 9th Houses (respectively) of communication, education, and travel; eclipses in these signs tend to push us toward expanding ourselves out of our immediate environment and into the unknown with the aim of learning something new.

Representing the elements of Air (Gemini) and Fire (Sagittarius), this dynamic team is most concerned with What's Out There. Their (or should I say OUR?) mission is to journey out into the world and mingle--to confer and congregate with those of various cultures, backgrounds, and expertise, to LEARN--then to bring back and share what they (I mean, WE) have learned from such experiences. Over the next six months, you will find that this too will be your mission in order to take your career, relationships, and overall self-development to the next phase. Yes, it's time to shake it up, darlings (it was getting a little musty In There, no?).

As always, when it comes to the way the Universe works, the key is for us not to become stagnant or complacent...the world is just too big to do so; there is way too much to do, see, and learn. This is the Gem-Sag mantra! Through travel, communication, and education we expand ourselves; we GROW. We become bigger and deffer, wiser, improved...and that's the point, is it not?

Solar Eclipse in Gemini: Electric Feel

Yesterday's solar eclipse, as most eclipses, came to shake things up. Add the legendary changeability of Gemini and you've got a HUGE shakeup.

Since Gemini rules over communication and abhors anything passe, look for changes surrounding how you think and communicate over the next six months. Got an idea for something fresh and innovative? Show it to the world! Is it high time to let go of an old way of thinking? Do it!

Now is  also the time to grow your network and look to others to help you get where you need to go (Gemini also rules the area in our lives that houses siblings and neighbors. NETWORK. NETWORK. NETWORK!).

Oh, and watch this: 

Feels kinda Gemini-like, no?

Venus Retrograde: What's It Worth To You?

Venus, the planet representing beauty, self-esteem, money, material possessions, love, and relationships has been in retrograde in Gemini since May 15th and will continue to do so until June 27th. Planets in retrograde always bring opportunities to re-examine and revamp a way of thinking or doing something that may keep us from living life at the height of being. In other words, it’s probably broke and we need to fix it. 

Okay, so what is “it”? That “It” will be anything having to do with Venus-ruled areas as mentioned above. As Venus is the natural ruler of Libra and Taurus (the two signs most concerned with one-on-one relationships and material wealth), over the next few weeks the question of the moment for many of us will be “what’s it worth?” Has a key relationship (romantic or not) turned out to be more than we bargained for? Is there a relationship in our lives worth saving? What about our relationship with ourselves? Do we think we’re really good enough? (I mean, really, really?) And what about our relationship to our bank accounts? Does it match the lifestyle we want to lead? If not, can it? With Venus currently in Gemini, the sign of communication, our responsibility is to ensure that we are having the right conversations with ourselves and those in our network to get the answers to these questions; then, in typical Geminian fashion, applying what we have learned.

In my own life, I’ve already been feeling the effects of this retrograde by being forced (I’ve been ignoring the proverbial knock at the door for quite some time now) to majorly restructure my spending habits (starting with my high-ass monthly cell phone bill) and to rethink my relationship to money. In addition, with Venus currently transiting my 10th house of career and public image, part of my concern around finances has to do with whether or not I warrant opportunities that will sufficiently pay me for not only my talents (am I good enough?) but also for doing the (creative) things that make me happy (do I deserve it?). 

In the coming weeks, the universe will be providing us all with the time needed to catch up on our homework. I have an idea about what my lesson is, what's yours?