Gemini New Moon - Celebrate Life and Rebirth

by Guru Rattana, Ph.D. - Issue #89 - June 4 , 2004

The Sun parties in Gemini from May 20th through June 19th. The Gemini New Moon is June 17th 1:27pm PDT.

New Moon June 17th

New Moons are always auspicious times to initiate change and to begin something new. The forces favoring transformation at this New Moon are as potent as the Sagittarius Full Moon, June 2/3. The pressure of the Grand Cross is weakened, but Pluto is right there opposite the Sun, the Moon and Mercury in a stand off that no one can ignore. The Sun and the Moon at 26° Gemini and Mercury at 25° Gemini are together (conjunct), with Venus also still in Gemini at 12°.

So while the Sun, Moon, Mercury and Venus might like to avoid seriousness at their New Moon party, Pluto in Sagittarius is going to make them squirm and insist upon authenticity. The lights will be out, but perception will be deep. In penetrating darkness, Pluto lets no one hide from themselves. Pluto ferrets out what needs to be exposed, dealt with and integrated. Gemini's shadow manifests as evasiveness, hypocrisy, and a sense of entitlement, as well as the Puer Eternus, the Peter Pan who refused to grow up.(1) Pluto makes sure we all get in touch with how we deceive ourselves and each other, and how we need to grow up.

Pluto/Mercury Add Their Flavor to the Party

Mercury and Pluto are the be present in the moment king and queen. For mercurial Mercury, moments pass so fast from one to the next, that we have to be present or we will miss out. For Pluto, if we are not here now we are in denial. In total awareness we get in touch with our deepest truth. Together they add a get real now dynamic to this New Moon. The energy is intense (Pluto), but it is also very interesting (Mercury). The interaction of these two shamanic archetypes expedites our transformational journey toward wholeness.

In mythology, messenger of the Gods Mercury, is able to travel freely between the heavens and the underworld (Pluto's domain). Mercury is both a guide and a messenger. He mediates between light and dark. He is a go-between facilitating communication between different levels of awareness. His mission is to achieve the wisdom that results from connecting the mind and the heart. In alchemy, Mercurius is the Great Transformer who exemplifies the sacred marriage, the unification of body, mind, and spirit.(2)

Pluto rules death and rebirth. Pluto makes sure we become aware of our shadow side and of the unexamined parts of our unconscious. Leaving no stone unturned, Pluto keeps the mind probing into uncharted territory. We either visit Pluto's underworld voluntarily, or we are abducted by force into facing our darkness.

Mercury and Pluto are an unstoppable team. Mercury, the planet closest to the Sun, and Pluto, the planet farthest away, collaborate to shine light onto darkness, to bring the denied into acceptance, and to shift tyranny into empowerment. They work together in a very synergic way. Through their collaboration, we learn to use our mind to examine our fears, so that our mind is not controlled by our unconscious programming. We train our mind to focus on the light of our soul, so that we can set ourselves free and are no longer imprisoned by our neuroses. Through familiarity and acceptance of our fears, they no longer torment us. What we once rejected or dismissed is transfigured into a gift or power. As warring energies are transformed into complementary allies, we experience wholeness, peace and joy.

The Nature of Air Signs and the Male Mind

To understand Gemini, we have to understand the highest expression of male energy. Male energy doesn't need to be to be comforted and doesn't try to comfort. Male energy observes, analyzes and tries to understand. Male energy is neutral. Male energy achieves peace through non-attachment. To integrate this level of male energy in our psyche, we have to match this non-judgmental neutrality. (See meditation at the end to cultivate a neutral mind).

Gemini is ruled by Mercury. The substance Mercury is very slippery. In unevolved consciousness Gemini is flighty and slippery. A positive attribute of the Mercury mind is that it can move on and let go without attachment. Detachment can appear cold to those needing empathy (We have the female polarity for that), but the ability to remain detached is a powerful tool, that we all need in our survival kit.

The ability to detach makes it possible to listen to ourselves and to each other, and to actually comprehend the meaning and hear the message behind the words. Detachment facilitates speaking our truth. It allows us to differentiate and discriminate. This does not mean that we suppress or try to ignore our emotional responses, the unevolved male/mind response to feminine expressions. The detached, non-judgmental quality of the mind is an absolute requirement for allowing, interpreting and integrating our emotional responses into our decision making process. The ever-changing emotions need a solid, stable mind, to feel free to register their honest reactions to life situations.

Learning about the World

In Aries and the first arena of life, we discover ourselves and our own identity. Our territory is ourself and our body. In Taurus and the second house, we figure out how to take care of ourselves by cultivating our unique talents. Our arena is our personal garden. In Taurus we learn about possessions and how to acquire them by making money. Taurus teaches us to hold tight to what is ours, so that we can manifest and take care of ourselves. Consolidation and containment are essential abilities that we must master. Without them, our energy is dispersed and we are unable to feel safe.

Once we feel secure in ourselves, we are ready to venture out into the world: we are ready to enter Gemini territory. Taurus is concerned with physical security. Gemini is interested in activities and mental stimulation. In Gemini we set out to learn more about ourselves by interacting with the world. In Gemini we expand our mind by exploring our environment and communicating with others. We don't have to go far. We discover our siblings, venture out into our neighborhood, encounter the people around town and take short trips.

Gemini seeks many new experiences because the twins learn from their explorations. Gemini can get distracted and over stimulated by an over abundance of activities. The Gemini challenge is to learn to focus on its goal of becoming Earth-smart. We can do this by asking what are these experiences teaching us. What did we learn today?

Forever Young, Gemini Must also Grow Up

In Gemini territory we need activity because this is how we learn. We humans develop through our experiences in our immediate world. Instinctively, our minds reach out to the world with innate curiosity. We figure out how to manage ourselves through observing others' behaviors and interpersonal encounters. We discover through trial and error what words, actions and attitudes get us what we want. We learn to adapt, to be flexible, and in the process we grow, evolve and mature.

Gemini will always set out on new adventures, but even Gemini can mature and make wise and directed choices. I remember speaking with a young Gemini man just after his 26th birthday. He said that he had just moved out of the apartment that he had been sharing with several other law students. He didn't want to be around the drinking and smoking (probably more than cigarettes) anymore. As of his 26th birthday he had given up these habits. He explained to me that certain things were ok before you are 26. Experimenting is what kids do. But if you indulge in destructive habits after 26, you have serious problems. Since then he has kept his focus on more meaningful ways to investigate the world.

Gemini's toleration level is very high. There is wisdom here. Gemini is forever in discovery mode, where not taking things seriously adds delight to his adventures. Gemini invites us to discover and accept diversity. Look around, enjoy; diversity is an exciting fact of life

The Mind

Gemini, the first air sign, introduces us to the domain of the mind. In Gemini territory we develop intellectual skills of perception, evaluation and discrimination. We learn about interpersonal communication. As we mature, we learn how our mind creates our reality, and how to use this power to serve, not defeat or tyrannize us.

Gemini must learn the art of HOW to constructively expand our mind.(3)We can use our mind to concoct fantasies, indulge in useless conversation or disperse our attention. Or, we can use it to realize reality, and to have experiences that productively and enjoyably connect us to the physical world. Gemini teaches us that we have to leave the house to learn about life. We don't have to go far, but we can't just stay in front of our computer and television set.

There are several inherent flaws in our modern living, where we spend most of our time at the computer, staring at the television, driving our cars and sitting in windowless offices:

• First, we fall prey to the illusion that information substitutes for experience.
• Second, when we don't have the on-hand experience required to cultivate our own internal wisdom, we rely on experts to inform us and to give meaning to excessive information.
• Third, we become gullible. We swallow lies. We don't question even the most blatant abuse and threats to human dignity.
• Fourth, we lose, or never acquire, the faculty of discrimination. We listen to garbage and we speak the same.
• Fifth, we have no clue about the power of our thoughts and spoken words.
• Sixth, we remain confused about what to do, because we don't listen to our intuition.

Throughout history, humanity has used the mind to construct artificial realities; to create belief systems that legitimized abusive religions and exploitative political/economic systems. Instead of teaching us how to experience reality, religion has been used to control our reality. Instead on serving the human spirit, political systems have served power elites. This New Moon, with all its dynamics of change, is challenging us to swallow less and question more. It is warning us that our naïveté is dangerous. It is inviting us to become wiser and kinder. It is obliging us to tune into higher truth and live by it. It is warning us of the urgent necessity of running our institutions from a base of integrity and fairness.

Bored? Upgrade Your Routine

If you are bored or have lost the zest for life, you need to activate your Gemini energy and explore your third house neighborhood. What interests you? Investigate the sign on the cusp of the third house, the planets and signs in the third house, and your planets in Gemini. This will help you identify what you find interesting, what you like to explore, and how you approach your adventures. Gemini represents how we enjoy life, the simple pleasure of living day to day, and it is different for everyone. Don't think you have to like or be entertained by the same things as someone else.

If Gemini is in your third house, or you have one or more planets in Gemini, you will delight in light entertainment, movies and parties. Gemini has a very high toleration level. Scorpio and Sagittarius do not. Scorpio needs depth, mystery and mastery. Sagittarius searches for meaning and spiritual experiences. Capricorn needs recognition and purpose, and may find his most delightful moments working on his many projects. Aquarius requires freedom and is interested in the collective. Libra seeks out beauty and relationships. Libra could find it fascinating to take pictures of roses. Aries could find this a total waste of time and need to be off biking up a mountain path. Taurus will smell the roses with Libra, but first will make sure there is enough money to acquire creature comforts. Cancer may favor a dinner party at her house or simply being alone.

We also may need to change our attitude. If daily routines have lost their glow and turned into drudgery, if communications have become trite and the trivial, we can shift our reality by relating to these same activities as teachers. It is amazing how many ways the Universe talks to us through the things and people we encounter every day. Even the numbers on the clock send us messages. We just have to be receptive to the signs, and willing to enter another level of awareness.

What Stimulates Your Mind?

The third house cusp and the sign of our Mercury also indicate our natural communication style, how our mind can be employed most efficiently and pleasurably, the ways in which we try to make ourselves understood, and the filter through which we perceive the world. These indicators can also be used to identify where and how we get excited, and over extend ourselves. Mercury in Cancer probably does too much caretaking, until we grow out of our codependencies. Mercury in Aries can tend to be too self-centered. Mercury in Leo may try to bring too much attention to himself. Mercury in Virgo can be too critical or picky.

In addition, the planets and signs in our third house and Gemini identify our mental predispositions, what stimulates our brains, what we seek out in our daily environment, and the type of communication we find interesting.(4) We can change our whole life, by making sure that our daily routine is kept watered and refreshed by the type of information and activities that interest us, that we learn from, and that we enjoy.

We expand and satisfy our mind through the wonderland of our daily world. We acquire new knowledge and enrich our lives by being constantly available to life as it unfolds. To stay young at heart, we have to embrace the unfoldment of life. To stay vital and effective, we have to constantly update ourselves. The mastery of figuring out how to program the telephone or operate a new function on the computer may not only bring us a deep sense of satisfaction, it may upgrade our mental capacity.

For Gemini everything is interesting, because Gemini is tuned into the fact that the Universe and our world is always active, moving, changing, evolving; and all these experiences provide opportunities to learn, to understand, and to find out how the world works.

The Pluto Factor

Opposing astrological pairs work together to help us achieve wholeness and more complete perceptions. Pluto in Sagittarius warns the planets in Gemini, that we get in trouble when we get lost in the details, and don't take the bigger picture into consideration. To accurately monitor day-to-day events, we need to view them in the context of our long-term goals. Our choices need to be evaluated and made with a meaningful purpose in mind. Pluto warns us of illusions of grandeur and control. We cannot just think something is right. In one Peanuts comic, Lucy tells Charlie Brown, "In all of mankinds history, there has never been more damage done than by people who thought they were doing the right thing". Pluto keeps us honest and in integrity by exposing inconsistencies, lies and stupidity.

Pluto's goal is to transform our worldview from separation and conflict to oneness and peace. But a new worldview is not going to be imposed. We can't be convinced it is a good idea and expect to live it. A new worldview is not a belief. A new worldview enters our consciousness, not because we decide it is a good idea, and not by popular vote. We don't simply change our minds. We OPEN our minds to an expanded reality. A paradigm shift happens at the level of deep inner knowing, which causes us to instinctively think, speak and live differently. This New Moon is about graduating into a more accepting and profound level of consciousness.

Venus in Gemini - The Twins

The Venus Transit is about a paradigm shift. It is interesting that Venus is in Gemini, the sign of the twins. The twins introduce us to polarities. Gemini wants and needs lots of experiences so it can learn about contrast. It is only through contrast that we have a basis for making good decisions about what we do want and what we don't. Gemini introduces us to evaluation, but not to judgment. Gemini teaches us that before we can make decisions, we have to investigate what works for us and what doesn't; and the answer is different for everyone. It is also different for us at different times, because our lives are always changing and we are always evolving.

It is revealing to check out the pictures on the astrological calendars for Gemini. The ones I have handy have the same sex. 2001 was two young girls, one blonde and one dark haired. The one for 2002 was two android figures. The one for 2003 is two asexual cherubs. Does anyone have Gemini pictures with a male and a female? How about boy and girl twins - masculine and feminine energies - born from the same womb but expressing the two energies that made their creation possible.

Venus in Gemini may be helping us gain a deeper level of understanding of the twins. If we relate to the Gemini twins as two distinct but inseparable energies, which are simultaneously both at one and distinct, we can begin to understand (male/mind) and experience (female/body/emotions) the dance of the polarities. The masculine twin is our mind, our awareness, our observer. The feminine twin is our feelings, what we are aware of, the vast ever-changing subject that is being observed. The twins represent the interconnectedness and interdependence of opposites. Our spiritual goal and key to healing is the resolution and integration of the two basic universal energies.

A Million Magic Moments

Gemini teaches us that our daily routine can become a treasure chest of a million magic moments. Memories are made from magical moments. So much is happening in the now. In the present we discover how fascinating and entertaining life really is.

Gemini delights in ongoing changes that occur at every moment. Gemini teaches that by cultivating openness to our every shifting reality, we can consciously enter the dimension of miracles and magic.

Gemini welcomes the unknown. As a result of an open mind, Gemini encounters surprises and the unexpected. Gemini's heart pulses so in sync with universal polarities, that it lives in the dimension where serendipity is the norm.

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. Gemini is trying to teach you that your world is a fascinating place.

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

Enlightenment through Non-Judgment

Studying the mind, we learn that what we think is what we project. How we think determines not only how we act, but how and what we attract. Our inner mantras create our reality. We cleanse our mind with meditation so that we can get rid of the clutter and make space, for not only the bliss of the Divine but for the enchantment of the simple pleasures of life. What greater joy than to listen, learn and live without judgment. A verse in the Tao states, "The quickest way to enlightenment is through non-judgment". While the Sun dances in Gemini is a good time to try out this formula.

Kundalini Yoga - Meditation to Cultivate a Neutral, Non-Judgmental Mind

Sit in a comfortable position with a straight spine, hands on the knees with thumb and forefinger touching. Lock the tips of the front teeth together. Focus the eyes on the tip of the nose, eyes 1/10 open. Tongue touches the upper palate. From the third eye, between the eyebrows, silently project SA TA NA MA, beaming the mantra out.

SA = infinity

TA = life

NA = death

MA = rebirth

Coordinate the mantra with the breath. Usually one or two repetitions of SA TA NA MA per inhale and exhale feel comfortable. However many repetitions per breath you choose, there must be the same amount on the inhale and exhale. Practice for 11 minutes and work up to 31 minutes.(5)

This meditation will put you into a very clear, quiet space. Sit quietly afterwards and simply be present in the neutral state in your mind. Experience non-judgment. Enjoy these moments of clarity and freedom. Then take this neutral space with you in your daily life.(6)

References and Footnotes

"Sagittarius Full Moon, and Gemini New Moon, June 17", by Stephanie Austin, M.A., The Mountain Astrologer, Issue #115, June/July. 2004, pp.113-114.

"The Third House", by Dana Gerhardt, The Mountain Astrologer, Issue #113, Feb/March, 2004, pp.63-67.

1. Austin, p. 114.
2. Austin. p. 114.
3. The Mind by Yogi Bhajan is a fascinating book.
4. Gerhardt, p. 66.
5. More information about this meditation (Dhrib Dhristi Lochina Karma Kriya) is on page 138 of Relax and Renew, 2nd Edition.
6. There many meditations and Kundalini Yoga sets that cultivate a neutral mind in:
Transitions to a Heart-Centered World, 2nd Edition,
Relax and Renew, 2nd Edition and
Sexuality and Spirituality, 2nd Edition.

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