Gemini 2008 - Creative Open Minded Air Spirits

by Robert Wilkinson

June marks the end of Spring and the beginning of Summer, a time when the creative pulse of Spring expands in forms of ideas and new discoveries leading to fundamental reorientations. This month is usually dominated by the Air energies of Gemini, and this June is no exception, with Mercury and Venus joining the Sun in Gemini.

Gemini is the phase in the twelve-step evolutionary process where what was stabilized in Taurus goes through a period of adaptation, expanding into many possibilities and new understandings, preparing for decisions that will be made when the Sun enters Cancer at the Summer Solstice June 20, 4:59 pm PDT, which will be June 21 east of Iceland.

This month will seem more Gemini than usual, thanks to Gemini's ruler, Mercury, moving backward then forward in its home sign. The Earth and Fire elements are also very prominent this month, thanks to Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Pluto in those elements this month, feeding the Gemini-Aquarius Air trines to brighten things up in major ways. Water returns later in the month when Sun and Venus enter Cancer.

Gemini is symbolically associated with the Twins, a human sign representing the infinite curiosity and dualisms of the rational mind seeking to discover everything all the time, without thought to order or necessity. In the year cycle we can now express our new discoveries and exteriorize the revolutionary developments of the larger collective "atmosphere" we're a part of.

We now have a new social effectiveness, and established the basis of our excellence. In our Gemini experience each year we find new ideas around our widened vision of ambition or worldly service that we found in Aquarius that was deepened in Pisces, glimpsed and communicated in Aries, and concretized and anchored in Taurus.

Lest you think that Gemini is just a waystation on our way between the stability of Taurus and the security of Cancer, it is important to remember that Gemini is one of the faces of Mercury, a force misunderstood and ignored by many astrologers as simply being the mind in its infinite variety and inconsistency, undervalued especially in the Eastern traditions as "the slayer of the real." However, Mercury has perhaps the most important function in our human personalities.

In my book, "A New Look At Mercury Retrograde," I elaborated on the idea of Mercury, or Hermes, as that which guides our personality to our Soul. So actually Gemini is one of the year periods dedicated to that which can guide us to our Soul. Whether hectic or organized, linear or all over the place, Gemini helps us see how to coordinate our mind and view to become more impersonal in how we define our needs and values.

Gemini is a lifelong learner, and wants to discover everything it can, without feeling much need to categorize any of it. All 3 decans, or 10 degree spans within Gemini, have a built-in duality. The first decan of Gemini has to deal with Mercury-Jupiter dilemmas. The second decan of Gemini has to deal with Venus-Mars dualities, and the third decan of Gemini has to resolve Sun-Saturn oppositional tendencies.

Mythologically, Gemini is the sign of the freedom loving, questing, wandering Magician-Engineer, who shows that all of life is an unending grand series of experiments in truth. The lessons of the Magician require that one learn how to regard all of life experiences as so much grist for the mill of Soul, and all things seen as opportunities to break free of obsolete limitations.

Through Gemini, we can see how all "failures" have been a result of an incorrect approach to our "experiment," and observe our lack of skill, or bad timing, from a detached point of view. By the same token, we can see past "successes" as merely our using the right tools in the right way at the right time, without taking any of it too personally.

Gemini wants knowledge about the energies of self (Aries) and nature (Taurus) that it follows. This sign, along with its opposite, Sagittarius, opens these Lover and Warrior energies preceding it to a more impersonal view, less attached to making love or war. Geminis have the power to open their world to many different perspectives and points of view. They are always good raconteurs, clever and “in the know.“ And they always have multiple sides to their personalities.

They are the antithesis of the Taurus stubbornness that precedes them, unless their ruler, Mercury, is in Taurus. Usually very conversational and interesting, they’ll come up with the most diverse and even obscure information on the spur of the moment. Solitude really bugs them, because they are naturally outgoing and like to have others around to bounce ideas off of.

Gemini is driven by the urge to be different, whether from friends, family, or culture. That’s what keeps them on the go nonconformists their entire life. Once they learn to value stability, concentration and a steady learning discipline, there is no end to what they could accomplish. They stick to the truth as they know it, and are pretty unfazed by differences of opinion.

Gemini must learn to step back from what they think is truth from time to time, so they may glimpse other truths and come to a more well-rounded view of the larger context of what they perceive. Gemini energies in our charts show us and others how to find truth through the process of constantly learning a wider variety of information. Gemini is able to communicate great truths to others, once they get over the tendency to relate all truth to pre-set belief systems.

Gemini, when freed of the traps of restlessness, indecision, superficiality, changeability, confusion, obfuscation, distractibility, lack of focus, nervous worry, and talking too much, demonstrate a creative versatility that opens new perspectives and provides a positive outlet for their active, resourceful open-mindedness.

They have a flexibility and cleverness of understanding that assists others to open to different points of view, different interpretations, and different perceptions to round out any field of knowledge. They can usually talk others (and themselves!) into almost anything. This is where they should remember that the ends usually do not justify the means, and should not resort to foul means if fair ones don't yield results. Even though it’s all an experiment, often the results are determined by the means and expectations.

They are a humane sign, good mediators, studious and fluent, able to consider and adapt to many things other signs cannot. Naturally alert, sociable, and expressive, people of this tribe will have many varied experiences and attitudes throughout their life. They are the master communicators of the zodiac, here to spread the news far and wide, opening minds to others points of view.

Think Bob Dylan, America's 20th century bard who gave us "Blowing in the Wind," "With God on our side," "The Times They Are A-Changin'," and "Like A Rolling Stone," powerful messages that have echoed around the world for over 40 years. Another Bard of a different era, Walt Whitman, excelled as America's 19th century poet laureate who sang the "song of the open road" while celebrating "the body electric."

Gemini is featured heavily among authors, many of whom were famous metaphysicians: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes and world-renowned metaphysical investigator, Ralph Waldo Emerson, American Sage and originator of the Transcendentalist movement, Abdul Baha, pioneering Baha'i, Bulwer-Lytton (Zanoni), Sir Edwin Arnold (The Light of Asia), W.B. Yeats, Alan Ginsberg, Jean-Paul Sartre, Pir Vilayat Khan, and the scribe of the Tibetan Master known as "D.K.," the venerable Alice A. Bailey.

Other notable authors are Ian Fleming (James Bond), Anne Frank, Alexander Puskin, John Masefield, Dashiell Hammett, William Styron, Maurice Sendak, Harriet Beecher Stowe (Uncle Tom's Cabin), Athol Fugard, G.K. Chesterton, Thomas Mann, Gwendolyn Brooks, Runemaster Ralph Blum, Saul Bellow, Joyce Carol Oates, Erich Segal, Salman Rushdie, Paul Erlich, Larry McMurtry, Robert Ludlum, and the famous Russian scientist Immanuel Velikovsky, author of "Worlds in Collision," "Ages in Chaos," and "Earth in Upheaval," all of which opened global history to new perspectives.

In the political world Gemini has given us England's Queen Victoria, Jan Smuts (who also wrote the pioneering work "Holism and Evolution," the foundation for holistic philosophy), Che Guevara, Nathan Hale, Patrick Henry, Jefferson Davis, Henry Kissinger, Robert McNamara, Hubert Humphrey, Mario Cuomo, John Edwards, and Presidents John F. Kennedy and George H.W. Bush.

Famous Gemini musical legends include Richard Wagner, Miles Davis, Fats Waller, Benny Goodman, Richard Strauss, Robert Schumann, Cole Porter, Fred Waring, Howlin' Wolf, Igor Stravinski, Les Paul, Chet Atkins, Josephine Baker, Judy Garland, Jim Nabors, Nelson Riddle, Peter Nero, Ramsey Lewis, Erroll Garner, Dean Martin, Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter, Johnny Gimble, Tom T. Hall, Peggy Lee, Burl Ives, Rosemary Clooney, Artie Shaw, Sammy Cahn, Helen O'Connell, Hal David, Beverly Sills, Sir Edward Elgar, Frederick Loewe, Alexandre Tansman, and Louis Jordan (considered one of the founders of rock and roll).

Modern Gemini musical luminaries feature musical innovator and genius Brian Wilson, as well as the composer of some of history's most beautiful and enduring music, Beatle Paul McCartney. We'll complete this quartet of geniuses by spotlighting Danny Elfman, Mr. Oingo Boingo and composer of themes we'll remember forever, and Curtis Mayfield, amazing composer and founding member of the Impressions.

Along with these contemporary legends, Gemini also includes some of music's greatest talents: Lenny Kravitz, Boz Scaggs, Peter Yarrow, John Fogerty, Gladys Knight, Prince, Stevie Nicks, Michelle Phillips, Marvin Hamlisch, Roseanne Cash, Wynona Judd, Jewel, Patti LaBelle, Melissa Etheridge, Tom Jones, Gary U.S. Bonds, Gary Brooker (Procol Harem), John Bonham, Rod Argent (Zombies), Harry Nilsson, Chick Corea, Lionel Ritchie, Andre 3000, aka Dre', Mike Gordon, Morrissey, Noel Gallagher, Julian Marley, Billy Martin, Lee Ryan, Paula Abdul, Kylie Minogue, Suzi Quatro, Alanis Morisette, Kanye West, Tupac Shakur, Kenny G, Munky Shaffer, Brian "Head" Welch, Rivers Cuomo, Boy George, and Rolling Stones Ron Wood and jazz drummer extraordinare Charlie Watts.

Timeless Gemini legends from the big screen include pioneers Al Jolson, Stan Laurel, Moe Howard, Keye Luke, Hattie McDaniel, Doug Fairbanks, Lawrence Olivier, Bob Hope, Johnny Weismuller, Jay Silverheels, William Boyd (Hopalong Cassidy), Pat Buttram, Errol Flynn, John Wayne, Basil Rathbone, Vincent Price, Ralph Bellamy, Don Ameche, Uta Hagen, Rosalind Russell, Robert Morley, Leo Gorcey, Jeanette MacDonald, Jeanne Crain, Peter Cushing, and megalegend Marilyn Monroe.

More recent film and television legends include amazing and versatile talents Clint Eastwood, Raymond Burr, Jessica Tandy, Tony Curtis, James Arness, Sal Mineo, Robert Preston, Maureen Stapleton, Martin Landau, Malcolm McDowell, Ralph Edwards ("Truth or Consequences"), Andy Griffith, Christopher Lee, Denholm Elliott, Carroll Baker, Michael J Pollard, E. G. Marshall, Claude Akins, Paul Winfield, Gena Rowlands, Lou Gossett Jr., Richard Boone, Scatman Crothers, Gene Wilder, Dennis Weaver, Chuck Barris, Richard Benjamin, Paul Lynde, Bob Cummings, Gene Barry, and film directors Howard Hawks and Tony Richardson.

Contemporary movie stars include Morgan Freeman, Johnny Depp, Nicole Kidman, John Goodman, Ian McKellen, Angelina Jolie, Helen Hunt, Liam Neeson, Mike Myers, Joseph Fiennes, Danny Aiello, Annette Bening, Elizabeth Hurley, Kathleen Turner, Bruce Dern, Colleen Dewhurst, Susan Strasberg, Mark Wahlberg, Natalie Portman, Jim Belushi, Tommy Chong, Isabella Rossellini, Lea Thompson, Colin Farrell, Shia LaBeouf, Shane West, Ice Cube, Zoe Sladana, and Ally Sheedy.

Modern luminaries who came through the small screen include Michael J. Fox, Jerry Stiller, Edward Woodward, Gary Burghoff, Timothy Busfield, Sally Kellerman, Paul Winfield, Joan Collins, Jerry Mathers, Richard Thomas, Keenan Ivory Wayans, Tim Allen, Dana Carvey, Drew Carey, Phylicia Rashad, Leslie Uggams, Courteney Cox, Chad Everett, Gregory Harrison, Yasmine Bleeth, Phillip Michael Thomas, Carol Kane, Sharon Gless, Adrian Paul, Sandra Bernhard, Joan Van Ark, Brooke Shields, Anne Heche, Hugh Laurie, Connie Sellecca, Adrienne Barbeau, Stacy Keach, Noah Wyle, Joe Piscopo, Adam Carolla, Caroline Quentin, and the Olsen twins, Mary-Kate and Ashley.

Gemini visual artists feature Paul Gaugin, Albrecht Durer, Mary Cassat, Christo, and illustrators M.C. Escher, Mel Blanc, and Bob Monkhouse. Journalists include Katherine Graham, Bill Moyers, and Anderson Cooper. Athletes include Vince Lombardi, "Iron Horse" Lou Gehrig, Jim Thorpe, Bjorn Borg, Steffi Graf, Anna Kournikova, and Joe Namath.

Other notable Geminis who made it to the top of their field(s) include Frank Lloyd Wright, Isadora Duncan, Dr. Charles Drew, Wild Bill Hickok, Frank Oz, Tim Berners-Lee, Fred Allen, Brigham Young, Art Bell, Pierre Salinger, Jacques Cousteau, Supreme Byron White, Siegfried Fischbacher, Alan Mesher, Donald Trump, Naomi Campbell, Ken Jennings, Isabet Tranchin, and Blaise Pascal.

Famous Gemini astrologers include Cyril Fagan, Vivian Robson, John Addey, Jim Lewis, and one of the greatest astrologers of all time, the venerable and legendary Grant Lewi, one of my three "mentors" when I started my craft a looooong time ago. His pioneering works "Heaven Knows What" and "Astrology For The Millions" are two of the most remarkable astrological books ever written, and are still among those I recommend to those who wish to take up the craft. You can read more about this amazing Dartmouth professor turned astrologer at this link.

One interesting thing to note is that many of these luminaries are known in more than one field, as befits the Gemini dual nature which would be bored doing only one thing. For example, Danny Elfman, Judy Garland, Dean Martin, Jim Nabors, Marilyn Monroe, Chuck Barris, Scatman Crothers, and Paul McCartney all are or were known both in the worlds of film or tv as well as music. Velikovsky was author and multi-disciplinary scientist, as was Conan Doyle. Weismuller was a world-class Olympic athlete as well as the actor who defined the role of Tarzan. Clint Eastwood is both actor and director extraordinare. Geminis are often known for doing more than one thing.

Finally, a big happy birthday to the states of Arkansas, Kentucky, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Wisconsin, the nations of Armenia, Belgium, Denmark, Egypt, Sardinia, Venezuela, Wales, and the West Indies, and the cities of Bruges, London, Melbourne, Metz, New York, Nuremburg, Plymouth, Rio, Tripoli, Versailles, Flagstaff, Hot Springs, Hartford, Bridgeport, Dover, Des Moines, Springfield, KC (Mo), Las Vegas, Scranton, Newport, Houston, Burlington (Vt), and Tacoma.

To top it off, a very happy birthday to the Lincoln Memorial, Brooklyn Bridge, Golden Gate Bridge, the first night baseball game and the baseball Hall of Fame, Alcoholics Anonymous, the outlawing of slavery in the U.S., the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Miranda ruling, Ford and Chrysler, the Indy 500, YMCA, telegraph, vacuum cleaner, Dionne quintuplets, and the Continental Army, founded June 14, 1775.

© Copyright 2007 Robert Wilkinson

Comments

[magenta]

Hi Robert,
I hope you're staying cool down there ! A veritable frying pan over here...

This wonderful, enlightening article has made me realize that I seem to have somehow blanked Gemini out of my chart since I have no planets "down there".
My IC is 28.08 Taurus and Gemini is both on the cusp of and occupies the majority of my 5th house. So, despite no planets in either house, Gemini is taking up almost two full houses.

What is the interpretive effect when the house cusp and first degree or so is in one sign but the bulk of the house is in another, as I describe here with my IC / 4TH ? Is the significance different because it is in the 4th, an "important" or "foundational house "? How would you interpret this in my case ? I do often have the feeling of being unsupported or groundless. And often nature feels like home when nothing else does...

I would like a better handle on how to think about this factor, which is of course duplicated at my Scorpio midheaven, with that Venus right on it preceded by the heavily tenanted 9th. And that empty 10th, all Sadge except for that Scorpio cusp.
Many thanks, magenta

[larissa]

Hi Robert! I love Gemini people, not love love them but it is so easy for me to engage in any sort of flowing discussions with these folks! They are funny and we connect beautifully. I love exchange of information and they do provide me with lots of it! My Mercury is in Aries, so maybe that is why. i wish a very Happy Birthday to my genius easy going Gemini friends! My boss is a Gemini, we understand each other perfectly. Most talented poets! natural gifts for speech and languages! LOve you guys!

[danae]

Hey Robert, great article... reminds me that according to Alan Oaken's take on esoteric astrology, my Taurus sun combination Gemini Ascendant means I am pretty much a lowly earth-bound (read: materialistic!) creature... lol... This means there's no pressure to be a 'light worker' right? Gemini (almost wrote 'Femini'!) energy is huge in my life, with Mercury at 0 Gem in the twelfth house - bridging conscious and unconcious - this makes a mind more than a little susceptable to the collective mind, especially opposite Neptune in last degrees Scorpio! Oh, Gemini... me me me ;)

Interesting that in Alchemy, Mercury pretty much takes over. My teachers always remind me that S/he is everywhere - thought, spirit, energy. There's so much more to everything..and Mercury, if we pay attention, will show us. Gemini gives us the choice to see or not.

enjoy Merc retrograde everyone! :) d

[Nan]

When Pluto transits the moon in gemini/3rd house/cusp of the IC and also the ruler of IC, from the 9th house/MC--what are the most relevant ideas to keep in mind about that process?
Also, when an transit such as this makes a separating opposition aspect(this year is the last of the exact aspect)--are separating aspects w/Pluto as "strong" or "potent" or whatever? Thanks so much.
The vacuum cleaner and Gemini;a neat elaboration on the power of air.

[Joshua]

I loved this article. I have My Sun and Venus in the first house in Gemini. I have a Leo Moon in the third house. I have Mercury in the second in Cancer. Soon, you will be reading my books. Your article is enlightening and inspiring. God Bless you