gemini times are upon us, friends. the stillness that settled into our bones aches for movement. the life we’ve all been living of a bull out to pasture- sleeping, eating, and fucking for comfort- has grown a little stale. now, with our bodies feeling tended too, and our hearts a little more full from nourishing ourself with the things that are good for us, we’re now ready to enter into gemini’s stimulating, mental & verbally active horizons. gemini times awaken our minds out of a dead sleep, intensifying all of our senses in hopes of enhancing our perceptions of those things around us. our voices stir in our throats, longing to be heard. thoughts knock at the door, waiting impatiently to be expressed. our urge to move increases, dangerously so in the times we’re currently living in. you can already see it on your local streets, people growing tired of the novelty of staying in, stuck at home or wearing a mask. gemini brings about a restlessness in us that isn’t easy to tame. but rather than rebel against the rules and restrictions placed upon us, out of boredom or assuming normalcy, we can hopefully put gemini’s curious mind to other uses. we can take courses from our homes, crack open books that we’ve never finished, or write and express things we uncovered from the contemplative time taurus allowed us. wrestling our need for movement is the trickiest part. we don’t want to suppress it, but we don’t want to abandon ship all together. know that you’re gonna need a little extra time outside, longer walks to places you haven’t explored, and lots of fresh air.
swimming upstream:
as i write you, i try with little success to dampen a voice in my chest, one that repeatedly screams failure! at me. last week, with three planets going stationing retrograde, the productive astro-swing I had found myself in came to a screeching halt. i knew this was coming ofcourse, perks of being an astrologer, but didn’t heed my own advice to expect the drastic change of pace. knowing that the universe was demanding i tread a bit slower, i gave myself the week off to process- to feel, to sit in the bath, to play with the tarot, to buy shit, to be drunk- whatever. having brushed the dirt off my knees, i was prepared to put my nose to the grindstone this week. yet, as i dutifully prepped the next chart on my list, i found myself spending several more hours than i usually do. turns out, i couldn’t decipher shit. i had pages of notes, different ideas- but i completely lacked the coherent words to tie the story together.
i kept sitting down to record, thinking i’ll just have to push myself through this. but i would hate my voice. i sounded uninterested, unenthusiastic, dry, forced. i never want to do that with a client- so i pulled the plug and deleted my progress. stress flooded my body, knowing i didn’t complete my task. theres always tomorrow i tell myself, after multiple tomorrows had already passed. an email rolls in from another client whose been expecting a reading for a few weeks now. the stress skyrockets again. i have to apologize and explain myself, as usual. defeated, i drag myself onto the porch for some leo-rising therapy- sunlight. after some time among my plants, and two heaping glasses of pinot noir, i gently realized that its okay to be unproductive. that perhaps that chart’s story isn’t ready to be told. and maybe my story isn’t fully formed either, that i’m still listening to the whispers, and i’m not ready to give the speech.
stopping:
maybe you’ve felt some area of your life come slamming the brakes this past week? perhaps some major course correction was necessary, or maybe you just needed to give yourself a much needed break? with gemini season upon us- shifts, movements, and sharp turns all lie ahead- the problem with right now is that we can’t go full-speed. its like choosing between driving on the highway or taking country roads. you know the highway is the more efficient way from point a to point b, you recognize that. but something in you needs to slow down and witness those picturesque weird little farm towns, the beautiful scenery, the memories and nostalgia that sleep in those old houses. you need fresh information, for what you have on hand right now isn’t cutting it.
air:
gemini is an air sign and among other things, rules over the lungs and hands. air as an elemental quality represents logic, intellect, communication, vacillation, connecting, social impulses, objectivity, and our need for space. we’re less likely to be bogged down by emotional heaviness with gemini’s crew activated, it’s more likely that mental heaviness is what’s taking up space. we forget about air so easily, it’s invisibility perhaps being a downside. a thousand breezes swirl around our yard, gracing no-one if we aren’t there to feel them. breath comes and goes unannounced from our bodies. we soar through it in planes or whip open a kitchen window to have it rescue us from the all-consuming smoke of our bad cooking. as the first sign of the zodiac, gemini’s job is to take a deep breath and try to make some sense of the world around us. gemini uses words, voices, texts, expressions, laughter, storytelling, singing. we need air to expel these expressions forward. even as i write i find myself taking deep breaths or releasing loud sighs after making a point. as if even through I’m not speaking verbally, my heart feels the momentum behind the concept of sharing ideas. where in your life do you need some fresh air? where can you open a window and let go of some stagnancy? i would bet your gemini house has a good idea.
a venus retrograde opportunity:
elemental imbalances in our chart show us where we can overcompensate or can forget we need it all together. for example, I have one planet in air in my chart- and some of my biggest hurdles revolve around clear communication IRL and making space for objectivity when it comes to my emotions. I recently participated in a breathwork session with my good friend, Hadley Ryser, back on the scorpio full moon and I was so moved by the intensity of the experience of active breathing. it’s basically like tripping, releasing, and powerful emotional forgiveness all in one- all performed through a very simple, but regimented structure of breathing. after the class i felt like a weight was lifted. i carelessly blurted out “It feels like an orgasm for your hands” to the whole zoom class, but i still stand by that statement. your hands buzz with this insane energy! I realized that since Gemini rules the lungs and hands, and breathwork unlocks deep emotional pain for processing, it would be so fitting to incorporate Venus retrograde into a breathwork collaboration. Thus, we created it! you can join whats surely to be an incredible, breakthrough of an experience here.
what is venus retrograde again?
Venus retrograde is a 40 day period of profound introspection, where Venus transforms from the evening star, goddess of love, to her morning star phase, the goddess of war. Venus retrograde assists us by helping us realign with our core creative values, while simultaneously showing us the emotional give and take we require in our close personal relationships. This deeply introspective period is a ripe time for dealing with unprocessed emotions around intimate partnerships past and present, as she instinctively targets unconscious feelings and ancient hurts, rather than conscious, rational thought. This particular Venus retrograde occurs in Gemini, and links back to events that took place in May of 2012, May of 2004, and May of 1996. I will briefly explore the current area of life impacted by this retrograde for all 12 signs. If you're longing to process those places in your heart that feel stuck, or you're wanting to acknowledge the ways in which you self-sabotage your close relationships- don't miss out on this opportunity to dig a little deeper with Venus.
new moon in gemini:
so how do we make the most of this scattered, excitable, inquisitive, changeable story-telling energy while we’re locked away inside? for starters, locate the house that gemini rules over in your chart. if you need help finding that, feel free to write me and i’ll happily help you find out. the new moon in gemini bursts through on Friday, May 22nd at 1:40pm. new moons are the most powerful times to align your current intentions with the cosmos. the themes, goals, and concepts on your mind that you wish to push forward and pursue get their start right here and now, for six months from now when the full moon in gemini arrives, on November 30th of this year, you’ll get to see how those intentions have played out and see them fully illuminated in your life. this is one of the finest new moons to take advantage of this year, before we move into the wildcard eclipses next month which are a little too super charged for my taste. one of the reasons this new moon is so delicious is the fact that it forms a stabilizing connection to hard-working, disciplined Saturn. Gemini can lack concentration and a has a bad habit of taking on too many things at once so much so that it actually winds up with nothing. Saturn’s hand in the month ahead helps us firmly plant roots so that what we build can survive and be sustainable if we can harness the focus, hard work, and dedication to see our goals through. i’ve highlighted this connection in the new moon chart below so you can have a visual understanding.
the impact:
so, what house is this curious & well fortified new moon taking place in for you? lets have a look:
Aries Rising / Aries Sun: 3rd house of communication, self expression, education, learning, writing, messages, texting, zooming, face-timing, talking, reading, podcasting, speaking, short journeys, mental activity, visions, meditation, siblings, cousins, aunts & uncles.
Taurus Rising / Taurus Sun: 2nd house of self-worth, self-value, value systems, belief in oneself, talents, skillsets, underutilized skills that could help boost earning power, finances, budgeting, saving, spending, money awareness, possessions.
Gemini Rising / Gemini Sun: 1st house of self, self-experience, body, physical being, self image, self expression, personality, health matters, health consciousness, body consciousness, liking how you look, examining feelings around how you appear and come off.
Cancer Rising / Cancer Sun: 12th house of developing a deeper spiritual connection, isolation, shedding, releasing, letting go, becoming aware of how one self sabotages, reconnecting to source through tarot, intuition, baths, poetry, soul healing awareness.
Leo Rising / Leo Sun: 11th house of friendships, groups, community, humanity, social media, social networking, followers, audience, goals big and small, hopes and dreams you keep to yourself, what you want the fruits of your labor to look like,
Virgo Rising / Virgo Sun: 10th house of destiny, career, what you want your reputation to look like, what you want to be known as, what you’re remembered for, where you’re striving to be but aren’t quite there, the thing you do when you quit your day job.
Libra Rising / Libra Sun: 9th house of belief systems, educational plans, travel (lol but covid), journeys (maybe take acid or meditate?) what you believe about life that sets you apart from other people, spiritual pursuits, connecting to something higher than you than brings you perspective.
Scorpio Rising / Scorpio Sun: 8th house of responsible, mature responsible partnerships, shared resources between partners, talking about money issues within relationship, the work it takes after the honeymoon phase ends, intimacy hang ups & phobias, the relationship problems you talk about in therapy, the topics that are hard to discuss with a partner, honest, sex life, dealing with your own shit in the midst of being close to someone else you respect.
Sagittarius Rising / Sagittarius Sun: 7th house of partnerships, the other vs. the me, we vs. me, what do i want, need, and value in a relationship, one on ones in platonic ways, what i project onto other people because i believe i don’t possess it, what i dislike in other people, what i like in other people, do i love you or hate you?
Capricorn Rising / Capricorn Sun: 6th house of work, awareness of health problems, mind body spirit connection, what you do to make ends meet and put food on the table, figuring out a job that gives you a sense of purpose, finding your mentors, finding the skill you wish to polish and hone.
Aquarius Rising / Aquarius Sun: 5th house of self-expression, reconnecting to what brings you joy however silly or childish, learning how to have fun again, sex for the sheer enjoyment of it, leaning into romance and love, parties, playfulness, creating things to show the world what you’re good at, getting on your own stage, being fearless about sharing yourself.
Pisces Rising / Pisces Sun: 4th house of home and family, your early psychological foundation, the roots of your therapy, where you come from, your tribe, your ancestors, your sense of a home base, creating a sanctuary, exploring ancestry, doing a dc na test, understanding what elements of your family have made you the way you are.