Gemini - The Path of Humor

by Guru Rattana, Ph.D. - Issue #160, May 22, 2009

After a summary of what is happening astrologically, and how the planetary interactions are influencing our personal and collective lives, we will explore one of Gemini's strategies for dealing with duality. We examine our relationship with our dualistic mind and how we can enjoy the dance of polarities.

Planetary Alignments

• The Sun entered Gemini May 20th at 2:51pm PDT (9:51pm GMT).
• The Sun enters Cancer June 20th at 10:48pm PDT (June 21st at 5:48am GMT).
• Jupiter goes retrograde at 27° Aquarius, May 15th 0:51am PDT (7:51am GMT). Jupiter returns direct October 12th.
• Saturn went direct at 15° Virgo May 16th at 7:07pm PDT (Saturn went retrograde December 31st, 2008).
• The Gemini New Moon is May 24th at 5:12pm PDT (May 25th at 12:12pm GMT).
• Uranus goes retrograde at 26° Pisces May 28th at 9:31pm PDT (May 29th at 4:31am GMT). Uranus returns direct November 3rd.
• Mercury goes direct May 30th at 6:22pm PDT May 30th (1:22am GMT May 31st).
• The Sagittarius Full Moon is June 7th at 11:13am PDT (6:13pm GMT).
• Jupiter and Chiron conjunct - May 23rd, July 22nd and December 7th.
• Jupiter and Neptune conjunct - May 27th, July 10th and December 21st.
• Jupiter, Neptune and Chiron conjunct at 26° Aquarius May 24th, and on-going within 10° of each other through mid February 2010.
• Pluto is retrograde April 4th through September 10th.
• Venus squares Pluto three times - February 5th, April 3rd and May 2nd.

Gemini New Moon and Sagittarius Full Moon

This extraordinary new moon May 24th coincides with a rare rendezvous of Jupiter, Chiron and Neptune all at 26° Aquarius. When one or more planets interact at the same degree, their energy is focused on ending a cycle and birthing a new beginning.

Jupiter and Neptune conjunct every 12-13 years. Jupiter and Chiron conjunct every 13-20 years. Chiron and Neptune meet at the same degree every 57-80 years. This is truly an Aquarian moment. Aquarian themes of freedom, unity, interconnectedness, equality, diversity, collaboration, group efforts, reform and community, will be the source of our healing (Chiron), the motivation for our evolutionary growth (Jupiter), and the inspiration for our connection with the Divine (Neptune). (For more on Aquarian energies see Issue 156).

This conjunction is an extended interaction that will impact our lives permanently. These three planets are within 10° of each other from March 2009 through mid February 2010. This is possible because all three planets turn retrograde shortly after the Gemini New Moon. Neptune goes retrograde May 28th, Chiron May 30th and Jupiter June 15th.

The last time these three planets were in near conjunction was in 1945 in Libra, just after the end of World War II. Before that they were conjunct in 1881 in Taurus, during the rise of capitalism, corporations, electrical power, and mechanization.(1)

Chiron and Neptune are within 10° of each other from January 2007 through March 2014. Our healing (Chiron) must include our personal connection with the Divine (Neptune.)

Jupiter intensifies and focuses our attention on political, social and economic reforms. Jupiter - the planet of expansion, enterprise, new possibilities, social change, good fortune and hopes and dreams - is in Aquarius from January 5th, 2009 through January 16th, 2010. Jupiter conjuncts Chiron 3 times (May 23rd, July 22nd and December 7th.) Jupiter conjuncts Neptune 3 times as well (May 27th, July 10th and December 21st.)

Mercury squares this triple conjunction, and remains within 5° of all three planets from mid May through mid June. SQUARES require action. Hop to it! We are being supported in moving forward. Make 'implementation' your touchstone.

The Sagittarius Full Moon accentuates the same themes. The continuing Neptune, Jupiter and Chiron conjunction calls for a deeper understanding of our life purpose (Jupiter). As we engage from our hearts and focus on our contribution, we experience the healing (Chiron), that is only possible with soulful action directed at accomplishing what we came here to do. We are beginning to understand that we are all in this together. Our collective awareness (Neptune) is instrumental in changing our personal and collective realities. Everyone, our institutions and the planet are changing. Hop on the train. It is a fun ride.

Gemini Awakening

Gemini is the first air or mental sign. The Gemini archetype investigates and teaches us about polarities. We all must learn to work with the never-ending play of duality and opposites, which is the nature of our mind and the essence of physical and universal reality.

The Gemini archetype introduces us to the dualistic mind, where there is always a conversation, and often a fight, between two different points of view. In our dual mind we experience an endless debate:

• Should I or shouldn't I?
• Will this work, or will that work better?
• Am I OK, or is something the matter with me?
• Should I do this or should I do that?
• Am I safe or am I in danger?

The constant swing between two extremes is a source of confusion, conflict, indecisiveness, over-stimulation and inability to focus.

Strategies to Deal with Polarities

A major challenge for the Gemini archetype is to learn how to deal with, and transcend, the conflict of duality in our rational mind. One of Gemini's strategies to deal with the reality of polarities is humor.

Components of the path of humor include:

1. an attitude of playfulness,
2. choosing the heart over the head (major lesson of Gemini and mental air signs),
3. not taking things so seriously or personally,
4. witnessing the cosmic play, and
5. enjoying the dance of life.

The Gemini twins embody the nature and traits of their mentor Mercury/Hermes. Forever young and a perpetual adolescent, both are cheerful, playful, and always on the move. Their tool chest for dealing with life includes:

1. a flexible attitude toward life,
2. an ability to rationally analyze pros and cons and mistakes,
3. the willingness to change, and to adapt, their behavior and their thinking, and
4. a sense of humor.

Together these skills create a formula for not taking life, themselves, or their mistakes too seriously.

What If there was Another Way?

Let's ask ourselves some 'serious' questions?

1. What if we could get enlightened by being happy and helping others (and ourselves) open our hearts?
2. What if we could be liberated by being kind to ourselves and each other?
3. What if the first rule of Earth school was to learn how to enjoy this precious life?
4. What if to 'pass go' we had to laugh and joke every day?

These are all "serious" possibilities that we might have overlooked. Like everything else in life, we can only know if we experiment. Our challenge, while the Sun shines in Gemini, is to raise our vibration with happiness, kindness and humor.

The Path of the Heart

If we accept the challenge, we will soon realize that the path of humor is the path of the heart, not the head.

1. We can't figure out the path of the heart.
2. The path of the heart is not a brainy logical endeavor.
3. The path of the heart is a spontaneous encounter with life, our soul and others souls.
4. When our heart is open, we are freed up to love and be loved.
5. We make ourselves available to be happy, and to spread happiness in the world.

I had a tee shirt once with a bright picture of a dancing clown. It said "Life is so mysterious. Don't take it so serious". I am sure a Gemini designed that shirt. As a mental air sign, Gemini has the innate gift of being detached. Maybe we should call the cosmic messenger the cosmic clown.

Let's ask the Gemini clowns to teach us how to make the journey from our head to our heart. There is a lot we can learn from the Gemini clowns!

The Playful and Mature Duality

Gemini is the third sign of the Zodiac. The 12 Zodiac signs symbolize the various developmental phases of our life. Each sign confronts us with challenges, that help us figure out how to successfully navigate our lives. We could benefit greatly by figuring out Gemini lessons early.

As we get older we ask ourselves, how we can maintain our playfulness and also attain maturity? We are faced with another duality. How can we learn to navigate life as a dance instead of drudgery? Our awakened, mature Gemini clowns can help us answer this existential question. The first thing we can do, is to notice that when the Sun moves into Gemini we feel lighter and happier. We find Gemini's joyful spirit refreshing and relaxing.

Gemini's Secrets

So what are Gemini's secrets? How can we cultivate this spontaneously alive and joyful consciousness?

1. ATTITUDE. The Gemini clowns have a light-hearted attitude. The Gemini clowns don't take things so seriously or worry very much. They use the gift of the neutral mind to detach from emotional trauma-drama.
2. CHOOSE HUMOR. We are always at choice. Choice is a great gift of duality.
   
   When my mother was making her transition, she greeted her many visitors wearing a red clown nose. When the hospice nurses first arrived, she put on her clown nose and told them, "Now don't take this all so seriously". She made a lot of people laugh during those last months of her life. (My mom was a Cancer with Venus in Gemini.)
   
   We can all make similar choices, even during difficult times. Humor takes the edge off of situations so we can relax. Humor also heals and keeps us healthy. It is common knowledge that stress is one of the main causes of disease. Humor is an antidote to stress and pain.
3. When we aren't indulging in stories and analysis, we can be in our hearts. When we are in our heads and lost in our thoughts, we block off the connection to our heart. It is a major Gemini lesson, to not let its busy mind prevent it from being in its heart.
4. Gemini thrives on experimentation, and loves to experience everything. The twins enjoy exploring life. They thrive on participating fully in the grand adventure of the human journey. Gemini is forever in discovery and adventure mode. Gemini delights in newness.
5. Gemini's toleration level is very high. The Twins accept things the way they are, without judgment. There is wisdom and freedom in acceptance and non-judgment. Our mind gets freed up, to be in neutral where our heart can open. However, Gemini doesn't just tolerate. The clown seeks out and enjoys diversity.
6. Gemini uses its agile mind to gather insights. Instead of getting lost in its mind, it keeps its heart open, and speaks to the hearts of others, by sharing its insights with a playful, optimistic spirit.
7. Tuning into the bigger picture, and offering a higher perspective, can lighten our burdens. Gemini gets this skill from its polarity - the wise Sagittarius.

Gemini's Evolutionary Journey

Gemini's evolutionary goal is to consciously dance with the ever-unfolding dynamic of polarities, and to thoroughly enjoy the cosmic play. We transcend the conflict and join the dance in our neutral mind, where:

1. We see duality as the cosmic play of polarities.
2. We no longer perceive life as a standoff, ideological war, or moralistic battle between right and wrong, black or white, this way or that way. We understand preferences and its all ok.
3. We witness a dance between the universal polarities of stable and fluctuating, eternal and evolutionary.

A Million Magical Moments

Gemini teaches us that our daily routine can become a treasure chest of a million magical moments. Memories are made from magical moments. So much is happening in the now. In the present we discover how fascinating, entertaining and elegant life is. Gemini delights all the time in on-going changes. Gemini teaches us that by cultivating openness to ever-shifting reality, we can consciously enter the dimension of miracles and magic.

Another Gemini secret is to welcome the unknown. As a result of an open mind, Gemini encounters surprises and the unexpected.

Gemini teaches us that our heart pulses in perfect cadence with the Universe; and here is yet another Gemini secret - if we relax into the rhythm of our breath, and enjoy how our heart beats in tune with cosmic energies, we can synchronize with the universal dance of polarities. We magically enter the dimension where serendipity and synchronicity are the norm. How awesome is that!

Enjoy, Discover and Celebrate Life

While the Sun is in Gemini, let your heart lead you to new experiences. Take yourself for a walk around your neighborhood, and be aware of what you have never noticed before. Reach out beyond your garden walls, and encounter other people and how they live their lives, other approaches to life, other ways of living. Expand your horizons and areas of interest. Our world is a beautiful and fascinating place.

Maybe Gemini's message is deceivingly simple - enjoy this precious life. Savor every breath. We really don't have to go far. We just have to firstly to take our awareness with us wherever we go, and secondly expand our awareness of what already exists.

Your Gemini Assignment

Your Gemini assignment is:

1. Do not take yourself or every minute detail in life so seriously
2. Don't take everything that happens personally.
3. Make it your priority to uplift others and spread joy
4. Make others and yourself laugh
5. Change negative conversations into heart-felt connection
6. Perfect your sense of humor
7. Look beyond the details and see the dance. Witness cause and effect.
8. Remember to celebrate life!
9. Buy a clown nose at a party store, and wear it to keep things light.

We all have an inner clown that wants to express itself.

Kundalini Yoga to Experience Joy in our Heart

Our ability to enjoy everyday events depends upon our inner state of affairs. Our Kundalini Yoga and meditation practice lead us deeper into our heart, where we experience joy for no external reason. We are simply happy inside ourselves, with ourselves. We enjoy our breath and the feelings of being alive in our body. In our inner sanctuary we can witness cosmic humor, and how elegantly and delightfully everything fits together.

The kriya I taught for this class is the Alligator Set on pages 96-97 of Transitions to a Heart-Centered World 2nd Edition. Note that the first exercise - dancing - should be done standing up.

Directives for Kriya

While you are practicing Kundalini Yoga and meditation, take time between exercises to feel the dance of the Kundalini clown within. The following are some directives you might choose to use, to shift your attention during and after the exercises (for this and other kriyas).

1. Observe the dual conversation in your mind.
   Am I going to look ok? Is it safe to dance?
   Dance as though no one is looking. Thoroughly enjoy YOUR dance.
2. Transcend the conversation of your dual mind. Move from your negative, evaluative mind to your heart. Adopt an attitude of playfulness.
3. Choose your heart.
   Don't take whatever you are thinking about so seriously.
   It isn't that important. Go into your heart and uplift yourself instead.
4. Things always change, alternate, shift.
   Welcome the unknown. Be available for surprises.
   Let your heart lead you to new experiences.
5. Experiment, experience, participate.
   Each exercise and its effects are new. Be in discovery mode. Enjoy the adventure.
6. Be in your neutral mind.
   Expand your awareness of what already exists right at this moment.
7. Don't pay attention to the thoughts in your dual mind. Go into your neutral channel. Look beyond the details. Witness the cosmic play. Detach from and look beyond the details and drama. Feel lighter.
8. Be flexible in attitude. There is freedom in acceptance and non-judgment.
   Enjoy the diversity.
9. Enjoy and appreciate your body and how it moves.
   Savor every breath.
10. Be kind to yourself
    We are here to spread love, light and joy. Start with yourself.
    In your heart, feel free to love and be loved.
11. Another magical moment right now.
    Enjoy this precious life exactly the way it is. Be aware of what IS.
12. This moment is rich with sensations, fascinating, entertaining and elegant.
13. Go deeper into your heart. Experience joy for no apparent reason.
    Enjoy your breath, being alive in your body.
    During the relaxation, let go and let your body pulse in perfect cadence with the Universe.

Meditation

The meditation we did was For Concentration in Action on page 141 of Relax and Renew 2nd Edition. The directions are as follows:

• Sit in a comfortable position, chair is fine.
• Place the four fingers of the right hand on the left wrist and feel the pulse. The fingers are in a straight line and touch lightly so you can feel your pulse with each fingertip.
• Focus at the brow point with the eyes lightly closed.
• On each beat of your heart, mentally hear the sound SAT NAM.
• Start with 11 minutes.

This meditation sounds and is very simple. The results can be amazing. One student shared, 'I actually got quiet enough to listen to my pulse'. Another one shared, 'It's all very simple. Here I am!'

Be with your breath as it breathes with the universal breath. Synchronize with the universal dance. Our heart wants to be part of oneness. We just have to let it.

By the way, the happy mantra is Wahe Guru. Chanting Wahe Guru generates happy brainwaves. Wahe Guru imparts the vibration of ecstasy. There are many meditations with this mantra. We can also chant it during the day to pull us back into our heart.

References and Footnotes

"Gemini New Moon", Austin, Stephanie, The Mountain Astrologer, April/May 2009, Issue #144, page 108.

"Sagittarius Full Moon", Austin, Stephanie, The Mountain Astrologer, June/July 2009, Issue #145, page 101.

1. Austin, Gemini New Moon, p. 108.

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