A photograph of New York's Madison Avenus looking north through
a jungle of structures humans have created, beyond which is the sky.
(photo credit: Zahnstein, June 2005)
Every year’s Sun-into-Gemini ingress is a chance to discover new things and think new thoughts. It’s also a time when choices get made, some simple, some complex, some off-the-cuff and a few of which are likely to prove life-changing.
The Sun in Gemini is also a time to change our mind. But since capriciousness is not a Gemini positive, we wouldn’t want to be using this time to give up on ourselves or something which looks (or mentally ‘sounds’) really difficult but which merely tests our ability to sort things out and learn things step by step.
There is a tendency to want to opt of the thing light-hearted or ‘just for the fun of it’ under Gemini’s influence. And that’s fine! But there is another side of Gemini which is all about our ability and willingness to think. After all, every zodiacal element is a ‘process’ which extends from the first sign in that element to the last. And when it comes to air signs (which encompasses the thought-oriented processes of life) Gemini is the start of something which in moving through Libra (which is the thinking through ‘how this would work’ part of the process) leads ultimately to Aquarian success… popularity… acceptance… income… inclusion in the world – all that stuff. The great discoveries we associate with science and Aquarius as the hallmark of all things techy and modern, all that has its roots both in our mental ability to recognize either the need or the possibility.
And yes, to then carry through on figuring out how to fix things or create that ‘something’ which fills the personal, group or societal need.
It all starts with the idea – the Gemini of it all. And when better to have ideas, or to think through an idea, or to move forward with an idea than when the Sun is in Gemini?
Although…nobody says getting somewhere is easy, right? The dualistic dichotomy of Gemini expressed by the twin stars Castor and Pollux is that there is the simple and very human ‘I’ll just give it a go’ and the more complex act of thinking something through, of making a plan, of being willing to build something even though that takes time, dedication and yes, maybe a flew flubs along the way.
There’s all that – and that level of ‘duality’ – and then there is the ‘why bother’ versus ‘I want to accomplish something’ sort of duality.
Yes, Gemini is a sign all about the need versus the want versus the urge versus the willingness to commit to something. And it’s about the mind or mentality which does or doesn’t make any given choice, leading us to Gemini as the sign of organizing our lives and priorities, or Gemini as the sign of learning, choosing to learn (or learn better) and our entire spectrum of life choices.
Gemini also rules all those things which help us do any of those tasks. So Gemini is the list of errands and the body limbs which go about getting those errands done. It’s transportation. It’s accounting. It’s the mail service. It’s writing and/or just writing things down – or remembering. At a mundane level Gemini is the equipment we use to do things with – the phone, the computer, the pen or pencil, the paper, with all this being true even if technology is Aquarian (because it’s all electrical) and paper as a commodity would probably fall under either Taurus or Virgo, the general signs of physical commodities.
One other very important aspect of Gemini: Gemini is the mind or mentality which is capable of doing all that. Which is capable of making a given choice, whether that means you have/don’t have the information, or whether your mental capacity is capable of making choices.
As the Sun is entering Gemini on May 20th at 9:11 in the evening (UT/+0 time), it ushers us into a seasonal month of searching and thinking about…or hearing about things. Occurring in the wake of a potent Solar Eclipse which has moved us all back towards bigger and more intrinsic questions about what we need to do in order to have the life we want to have in spite of the fact that we can’t ever promise ourselves or anyone else that everything is always going to “be all right”…there are a lot of pipe dreams which have been exploded over these past couple of months – and as terrible as those moments may have been, in the metaphysical scope of thinking, we have needed to learn such things and what we can glean is as yet not fully known.
Unbeknownst to us, the universe is unfolding as it should.
As a race, human beings have come to think they run this planet. And in one sense, the do. But the planet is still bigger than we are. Life is far, far vaster than we will ever even conceive of. For all we know, our Earth is part of a vast, vast universe which is just a dust mote on a flower in some other even vaster existence.
That’s the ‘Horton Hears a Who’ version of What Is, of course. But even if we just stop and recognize that with all of life’s immediate needs and responsibilities we are still a grain on the sand of time’s beaches…that’s humbling.
So why try? Is there any merit to being the shiniest grain of sand we each can be?
Probably yes. But probably not in the everyday sense we tend to think in. There’s what we do and there’s why we do it. And when that ‘why’ is just about us or our family, that has a value to be sure. But is that a credit to the beach? That’s hard to know and for each person to think through.
And fortunately, the Sun is entering Gemini now, so we have the perfect solar month to do that thinking in!
However (yes, there’s always a ‘however’) because the Sun is entering Gemini accompanied by Chaldaea and Phaethon, maybe you’re thinking things are just moving too fast? Maybe you’re feeling life has passed you by? Maybe you think we all need to slow down? Or not bully our way to our goal regardless of what harm we do ourselves, others or even our world?
Those are all valid. Yet another form of Chaldaea and Phaethon with the Sun is ‘the bold thought’ which ‘takes off’ from the old and soars to new heights. Given the story of Phaethon, the warning is probably to not go beyond the limits of our understanding or ‘strength’ (be that endurance or skill) over these next few weeks.
Will we want to? Heck yes! But should we give ourselves free rein to? Thinking through Sun-Chaldaea and Phaethon….
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Phaethon
by Gustave Moreau (1878, Louve Museum)
Let’s just put it this way: this looks like another ‘Gemini dichotomy,’ a choice between impatience (or maybe frustration or need) against our willingness to not run ourselves off a cliff, into a brick wall or smack dab into trouble. In other words, particularly where we’d like to think we know and we’re on top of things, maybe that’s exactly the place to ask ourselves whether we really are on top of things…or whether we know as much as we think we know.
Or maybe just whether the status quo is going to hold…or where the world or our life is really going.
And whether we want to go there.
And whether we have a choice.
The pickle in the ointment here (and yes, I know that’s a singularly unappetizing concept) is that as the Sun enters Gemini, Uranus (in Aires) squares Pluto (in Capricorn). And that part of the current equation is happening at what seems to be this year’s favorite degree in any sign, eleven.
(That would be Uranus at 11 Aries and Pluto at 11 Capricorn.)
And that brings to mind one of the important concepts about eleven in the metaphysical realm of numerics and such. Twice eleven (in other words, twenty-two) is the number of “mastership.” So 22 equals 11 times 2.
Two is the number of direction, a concept drawn from the idea of one as the whole and two is ‘the duality.’ If you’re into numerology or Kabbalah you may have heard of these concepts. If you’re into Systems Theory this is also familiar.
But if you’re not familiar with any of this, that’s no problem either. One is ‘the whole’ or ‘the point’ or simply where you are. So two is somewhere else – and the line between where you are and where that somewhere else is that you might be going…which leads to that wonderful pair of dueling concepts: the shortest course between two points is a straight line versus the ever popular world of ‘the road less traveled’ and what we learn by diverging from that efficient and effective linear direction.
Again, a choice. Again, very Gemini.
Eleven is your life, your soul, your essence, you spirit bridging the differentiation of concept between the everyday-present and the Path of Possibilities which as a whole ‘bridges’ the gap between the life simple and a life of Mastership.
So eleven is a bridge in two senses. It is the ‘stepping out’ of your known into what you are either willing to experience or that which you need to learn or grow into, and it is also the first step in evolving your experience of existing in the whole of your life and as part of that greater life we know as Existence.
The image of 11 is also very Gemini.
Okay…so maybe you aren’t into systems theory or numerical sequences as progressions to mastery. Then try thinking of eleven in purely human terms. Eleven is the beginning of the teen ‘poltergeist’ years when our brains are rewiring and we just seem to know too much and nothing all at the same time.
And this makes sense in the planetary-astrological sense when we consider Jupiter’s 11.86 year orbit around the Sun. If as the largest planet in our solar system Jupiter represents ‘growth and expansion’ and all things which between the ‘overblown’ and the ‘fulfilling of potential’ (or promise), the first ‘round’ of Jupiter is ‘the basics.’ So in human being terms, the first 11.86 years is when we do a lot of physical growing. From our bodies to our brains, it all gets built. The ‘structures’ get put in place. And then all gets ‘filled in’ and ‘fleshed out’ during Jupiter’s successive rounds.
Eleven Capricorn is a degree which grants to us operational ability without revealing everything. Obviously this can be useful or detrimental, depending on what you’re doing and what you’re not showing to everyone. This is a degree which grants the ability to forge alliances as well as dissolve them. So with Pluto (now retrograde) at 11 Capricorn, we are both seeing some of the outcomes of choices already made to us via our awareness or feelings or situations which are prompting us to learn more about ourselves, we are being asked whether we are willing to make some changes which either build or discard situations, people, presumptions, alliances, life directions – something!
But this isn’t likely to be anything close to a simple or simplistic process. (Which makes it a very good thing the Sun entering Gemini makes this such an excellent time to think things through!)
And why isn’t this a simplistic process we’re waltzing, slouching, sauntering, tango-ing or being shoved into, depending on who you are to begin with? That answer involves the dynamics of a cardinal t-square.
Most of the time, t-squares connect signs of like modality (manner of action) and unalike element. The only exception to this is when one or another of the t-square elements is at the very end or very beginning of a sign. So in this case we have a t-square in cardinal signs, of which there are four (Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn) which means the cardinal modality includes one sign from each of the four elements: fire, earth, air and water.
Modality tells us how a sign works. Cardinal signs always ‘go for it.’ People with cardinal Suns are those always willing to give things a try. If you don’t try, cardinal thinking is, how will you know what you can accomplish? And how will you know if you don’t enjoy something if you don’t try it?
Suffice it to say the other two modalities (fixed and mutable) see this differently. The fixed sign reply to ‘how will you know if you don’t try’ is ‘I’d rather not.’ Or maybe ‘Yes, I might gain something. But I also might lose something. Can you give me a good reason why I’d want to try?’
As for mutable signs, they’d want to try ‘a little bit.’ Your standard mutable answer also might be ‘Show me. You first.’ Mutable signs are willing to try things, but not commit to carrying through on the effort until they see what’s involved. Or what’s to be gained or lost – all that.
Need I say Gemini is a mutable sign? Learning to choose wisely enough that you can commit is a prime Gemini lesson (in the life of a Sun, Moon or Ascending sign of Gemini life). And that’s a biggie.
But fortunately, the Sun isn’t involved in this t-square. In fact, the Sun’s ingress into Gemini at the moment of this Uranus-Pluto square (cum t-square) gives us the clue that this is a good time to try to get some dispassionate, analytical perspective on goings on – whether in your own life or at some other level.
That said, back to the t-square. The core of it – and the challenge of it – is Uranus squaring Pluto.
Before I get all into this part of the astro-tale, let's remember that Pluto conjuncting Vega is a long term process. Here's the link to the post all about that:
We say it in this order for a reason, that reason being that Uranus is the faster moving planet, and therefore it is moving towards and through the square with Pluto. And the reason why this is important is because the ‘t’ in the t-square is always the sticking point. We tend to think it’s just about us when the issue is not the ‘egotistical’ or “only about me” perspective, but a more inclusive concept. After all, the “goal” of a t-square is the polar opposite of its starting point (which in this case is Pluto in Capricorn)...which in this case means that what we do in the world (or “how things work” in the world) and how they may or may not be changing is meant to benefit not just us, but to be ‘worth the cost’ (Vesta) of going through understanding and dealing with what it takes to make good on the process (Ceres) at a very basic and fundamental, humanistic level (Cancer).
The sticking point – the Uranus in Aries part of it – is at some level about our willingness to own our uniqueness. With Uranus positioned here conjunct Kleopatra, there is certainly some sort of ‘cleverness’ involved. But if we’re coming into this time thinking we’re ‘the clever one’ and maybe therefore either entitled to do what we want or capable of outsmarting others, that won’t work.
An image generated by the JPL Small Bodies Databank which
is annotated to show the current t-square.
In point of fact, with the Taurus Solar Eclipse which just moved through, we may be up against dealing with the repercussions of just that concept. We thought we could ‘get away’ with something and it’s come back to haunt us, biting us in our nether parts.
Some of us have been playing dumb. Some of us have been preventing ‘newer or smarter’ ideas from being put into play because (heaven forbid!) we might have to learn something new. Or maybe we just don’t want to change our ways. Or our point of view. Or how we think (Gemini) others see us.
11 Aries being a degree which by any measure reveals the need to ‘rebalance’ or learn how to balance asks us to see the unbidden and that we haven’t ever considered before. Of course, with Uranus positioned in this degree, it is to be expected that there will at least be some surprise involved. So maybe you’re ‘surprised’ at the amount of effort it takes to do something? Or maybe you’re surprised at the amount of (Capricorn-ish) time it takes to get things moving or changed or straightened out or built or, or, or….?
To those who resist, Uranus is your enemy. When I was learning astrology, I remember asking the guy who taught me the basics (his name was Tony) about Uranus. His answer was something very close to this: Uranus is the astrological precept which says that if you refuse to get out of a rut, life will at LEAST require you to redecorate that rut from time to time.
Colorful and true, that. But Uranus is much more. Uranus is the idea that discoveries engender more discoveries and that denial only bottles up energy which eventually bursts through. It doesn’t matter how much we don’t like something, in other words, in time we have to deal with it. As ‘outcome’ ruler of Aquarius, Aquarius symbolizes the release and all the many forms of reward we may get for accomplishing some goal. But woe be to those who don’t remember that no goal in this life is achieved in isolation. You may be baking a cake in your kitchen, for instance, but where did you get your ingredients? Where does your power come from? And are you planning on baking that cake and eating it too, or does your ultimate reward – the Aquarian knowledge that you’ve ‘succeeded’ which fosters the Taurus-sextile feelings of satisfaction come from the huzzahs which you get when everybody at the picnic or party sees that glorious cake?
Our greatest successes always come from being appreciated. The old expression is ‘no man is an island’ and that’s a tried and truism of great import. So since Uranus is always the outcome ruler of Aquarius (Saturn is the Aquarian qualifier and ‘in’ door) Uranus in Aries is about our changing so that we achieve greater (or maybe just different) forms of success in this life.
In that sense, Uranus in Aries is about turning us all into well-rounded folks.
Not that we’re all so snappy-happy about leaving our comfort zones. Or with what it takes to integrate our ‘special and unique’ qualities into a world which is already in progress. As people, we may or may not have to literally ‘fit in.’ Do you have to dress a certain way or talk a particular language or lingo? Maybe for convention’s sake in some situations. But in the end, time and again it has been shown that genius will out…and Uranus is nothing if not genius.
Aquarius is an air sign. And what did we start out saying about air signs? They’re a process and they’re mental. So it’s the idea which has to fit in even as it expands, changes, improves upon or otherwise enhances the functional status quo.
Given that the ruler of Aries (Mars) is currently in the third and most worldly decanate of Taurus and conjunct Sedna (a dwarf planet all about ‘letting go’), with the ruler of Capricorn (Saturn) retrograde in early Scorpio there are some of us who will let go of our hesitation, our insistence on things being ‘our way’ or some set of blinders we’ve been insisting on wearing. We may get the answers we’ve been working towards. We may reach some milestone.
Then again, we shouldn’t be surprised if this moment marks yet another episode where someone, somewhere isn’t able to maintain their Gemini Sun perspective. Where someone shows us just how important it is to pay attention to the quality of a life and not just ‘quality of life.’
This is not “splitting hairs.” This is a real and vital difference upon which lives may well depend.
We are on our path. Those who choose not to see the various levels life manifests on don’t get to negate the existence of that which is merely more esoteric or clarified than they want to deal with.
Or rather, they can…but they are also likely to fall into a hairy trap of their own design. Life is like that, after all.
As the Sun enters Gemini, the Moon is in early Libra. It will reach the opposition to Uranus (and square to Pluto) at around one in the afternoon on May 21st, UT/+0 time. Having moved into the square with Vesta (‘the cost’) some two hours earlier, this sets up a tension which may manifest in substantial problems.
Deep down inside, our sense of life is changing. That we were 'enchanted' by is being (dare I say) eclipsed and changed at a Plutonic, Vega level.
The next ‘window’ for this t-square to be set off occurs on May 22, as the Moon enters Scorpio. As of around 10pm (UT/+0) on May 22nd, the Moon begins to set off Saturn’s Scorpio vibe. Where trouble is brewing, this would like as not ignite a long fuse which then (rationally) needs defusing. It’s a time to be aware and when the cool and calm is often the solution for the volatile. Softness doesn’t win now, no matter what you think – go for the facts.
May 22nd is also when Mars conjuncts Sedna. It’s a good time to get over sticking points, and we all can hope no one comes ‘unstuck’ about now.
The Moon as a ‘timing trigger’ sets Saturn off at around 7 a.m. on May 23. It will be the afternoon of the 24th before it opposes Mars (which has now moved past Sedna to 25 Taurus) and Moon/Mars in opposition can be an argumentative, explosive, sometimes sulky and often intense sort of period.
Fortunately the Moon moves about a half-a-degree per hour. Things happen, they seem to wear off after a few hours pass…such ‘moments’ and ‘moods’ are triggered by the Moon, our prime and primal emblem of astro-emotionality.
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Moonlight Night on the Volga River (1975) by Vladimir Ivanovich Ovchinnikov
Once the Moon reaches Capricorn late on May 26th (UT/+0 time) we are in for a day or so of efforts, accomplishments and disappointments. Both are meant to teach us what approaches in life really work, so if you don’t succeed, do try, try again.
But first regroup. Do the Sun-in-Gemini thing and think through why something didn’t work. Pay particular attention to where you may have ‘skimped’ on thoroughness (that would be the Gemini). And don’t be surprised if something you ‘threw out’ some time ago suddenly turns out to be the very thing you need now.
Pluto lessons are like that. They do tend to teach us that the easy way is not always the ultimately valuable way. (Drat!)
There will be another ‘edition’ of tension and shift while the Moon moves through Aries, an event which begins at around dawn on June 2nd in the UT/+0 zone. That gives us until afternoon on the 2nd (again, in the UT/+0 zone – you’ll need to adjust for local time) before we get to those evocative surprises and shifts of dynamic, focus or priority. By then, Mars will have moved on into Gemini, which means the pace of life is rather nutsy.
But this would be a good moment for finding our right path.
You know – the thing which will help bridge the gap from where we are now to that place which will truly help us become what and who we need to ultimately be.
We can think our way through this. And that’s the point: the Sun is going into Gemini, and what we think about how we think – and what we think about – becomes the name of the game throughout our next solar month.
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