As the Sun enters playful Gemini, we get a light-hearted breather from taking life so seriously.
MAY 20-21 – The Sun shines in GEMINI.
May 20 at 7:59 PM PDT (May 21 at 02:56 GMT) through June 21 3:51 AM (10:51 AM GMT)
Air sign Gemini reminds us of the power of our mind, thoughts, and spoken word. While the Sun shines in Gemini, we are invited to pay attention to how we use all of the above and upgrade our personal and cosmic communication skills.
May 28 – Gemini New Moon at 29 degrees.
11:40 AM PDT, (18:40 GMT)
At the New Moon, both the Moon in Gemini and Venus in Aries are at 29 degrees of their respective signs. 29 degrees of any sign indicates the imperative of dealing with a lesson of that sign. Gemini lessons/goals relate to (1) how we perceive reality, (2) observing the nature of our thoughts, and (3) being attentive to how and what we communicate.
Aries is about courageously taking initiatives that support the expression of our soul, not our limited ego. Moon and Venus are about establishing a feeling relationship between our heart and our mind.
Mid-May through Mid-June – Water Grand Trine with Chiron, Jupiter, and Saturn
Chiron in Pisces, Jupiter in Cancer, and Saturn in Scorpio tune us into our instinctual sensitivities and our intuitive intelligence. The caring heart power of the water signs and their trine formation facilitates acceptance, relaxation, and letting go, which are basic components of transformation and healing. These warm-hearted energies encourage us to be kind to ourselves and each other. They remind us that we are all doing the best we can in the challenging environment of physical reality.
JUNE 12-13 – Sagittarius Full Moon
June 12 – 9:11 PM PDT (June 13 – 4:11 GMT)
Gemini Sun and Sagittarius Moon make us aware of how we view, define, and interpret reality. How we perceive and process the vast amounts of information that we receive at every moment determines what and how we share with others and how our mind projects into the world and the universe. This Full Moon invites us to examine how our belief system determines what we consider possible, true, and real. Take time to be aware of how your mindset circumscribes the boundaries of your personal reality and the nature of your projection (how and what you non-verbally communicate to the world and the universe).
JUNE 14 – 25 – Third Cardinal Grand Cross
The Sagittarius Full Moon initiates the third cardinal grand cross (active for a week) involving Mars, Jupiter, Uranus and Pluto. The first grand cross was on December 17, 2013. The second (and most intense) peaked on April 20-22. We are still under intense pressure to deal with life challenges in the areas of individualization (Aries), relationships (Libra), our feelings, emotions, and home (Cancer), and our work (Capricorn.) Hopefully three is a charm and we will see clearly and respond appropriately to what and how we are being asked to change.
Frustration, fatigue, and worsening of circumstances are clear indications that something needs to be transformed through a higher perspective, a shift of consciousness, and not only surrendering to the inevitable, but dealing with it. Letting go of our resistance and self-righteousness is a critical part of the moving on process.
The good news is that when we are willing to move on, new possibilities that we previously blocked become available. Key touchstones for making decisions include (1) honor your values, (2) give yourself value, (3) honor your limits, and (4) choose and work within realistic parameters. All of the above can help you define workable and realistic solutions.
JUNE 7 to JULY 1 – Mercury Retrograde
(3 degrees Cancer to 24 degrees Gemini)
Mercury retrograde this year starts off in Cancer and continues in Mercury’s associated zodiac sign Gemini. The day Mercury turns retrograde it slows down to a stationary position. In this point of stillness and with Mercury in Cancer, we have a chance to feel deeply into our emotional body and get an honest read of how we feel about ourselves and things in our life. We can and should certainly take advantage of June 7 to notice, not what our mind thinks about our feelings, or mental interpretations of our current life challenges, but the messages that our emotions are expressing.
July 7 through 16 (while Mercury is in Cancer) we can get an emotional understanding of deep and often suppressed and ignored emotions. What emotional needs are crying out for our loving attention? What sensitive needs have we ignored that need to be honored? Hint: our deepest emotional wounds and needs relate not to how others treat us, but to how we relate to ourselves. It is time to monitor and upgrade self-love, kindness, and self-acceptance.
June 17 – July 12 – Mercury moves into Gemini, where it stays for the rest of the retrograde period. Mercury will continue to be in Gemini when Mercury goes direct on July 1 through July 12.
July 13 – July 31 – Mercury re-enters Cancer, where it stays through the end of July. Note these dates and pay attention to how your mind and emotions change as Mercury shifts between signs in both its retrograde and direct periods.
* More on Mercury Retrograde in my next blog.
Yogi Bhajan Story and Listening
Years ago a student asked Yogi Bhajan why, after practicing Kundalini Yoga for ten years, he had made so little progress. Yogi Bhajan responded, “Because you don’t listen.” While the Sun is in Gemini, make it a daily practice to deeply listen. Listen to your thoughts. Listen to your intuition. Listen to what others are saying. Listen to silence. Listen to any sound that gets your attention. This exercise can produce very productive results. Make it into a game, and enjoy your inner awakening.
References and Footnotes
Austin, Stephanie, Gemini New Moon- May 28,
The Mountain Astrologer, April/May 2014, p. 105.
Johnson, Kenneth, The Many Faces of Mercury Retrograde, The Mountain Astrologer, April/May 2014, pp. 25-7.
The Power of Neutral, which explains the workings of the mind, is a perfect guide while the Sun shines in Gemini.
