Mary Jo Wevers

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Venus Retrograde in Gemini: Reviewing our Attachments to a Way of Thinking

A planet moving retrograde appears to move through the same part of the zodiac three times. It is as if the planet is walking back and forth reviewing its issues and processes from different perspectives and providing opportunities for us to revise and re-address them. This “sensitized” part of the zodiac is sometimes referred to as the Retrograde Shadow. 

During a planet’s first pass through the Retrograde Shadow, issues emerge that will be revisited and re-examined during the retrograde period. It then stations retrograde, and slowly begins to move through the Shadow area in reverse direction. This is a time for us to be more internal, reflective, and review what arose for us during the planet’s direct transit through the Shadow area. What emotions triggered in us are surfacing? What missing pieces of information or insight can we become aware of? When the planet arrives at the beginning of the Shadow area it slows, stations direct, and begins moving in a forward direction once again. As it makes its third pass through the Shadow area we can absorb, integrate, and apply knowledge and understanding garnered during the retrograde.

Venus rules, or determines, our natural instinctual physical needs and desires, and our ability to experience comfort and contentment in the physical world. She represents what we appreciate and love for the beauty and physical connections they provide. She defines what matters the most to us, what we find valuable, what we really want in life. She indicates the tangible possessions and material goods we are attached to for the abundance, security, and pleasure they provide.

Venus moves in retrograde motion once every 19 months or so. Its retrograde period lasts approximately 6 weeks. Venus entered its current Retrograde Shadow area on April 10th at 5 degrees Gemini. It stationed retrograde at 22 degrees Gemini on May 13th. It will station direct on June 24th at 5 degrees Gemini, and begin its third pass through its retrograde territory. On July 29th it will reach 22 degrees Gemini once again, leaving the retrograde Shadow area with its issues and lessons, and move on.

During this Venus retrograde in Gemini, we are tasked with reviewing our fixations and attachments to ways of thinking: our thoughts, ideas, and what we “think” we know. Can we find greater value, security and gratification in being more adaptable and flexible in our thinking? Where and how can we entertain other ideas and perspectives on matters? 

We can also reflect on our interactions with our environment and our side-by-side relationships. How do we move through our day? Can we improve the way we communicate and share information? How good a listener are we? How do we respond to the needs of others? What do we love and value about our exchanges with others?

We may also become aware of ways we are fickle, restless, or inconsistent in living by our true values. Are we easily distracted by superficial pleasures which only provide a fleeting sense of pleasure or security? Are we committed to our deeper values, or changeable, depending on how the wind blows?

During its retrograde period, Venus will square Neptune in Pisces twice, challenging us to face up to ways we are unrealistic, or self-delusional by romanticizing or idealizing matters. What illusions or magical thinking do we engage in that we need to acknowledge? Being curious about our inner workings, we can reflect, revise and refine our thinking and ways we interact with the world. Using spiritual awareness we can become more flexible, adaptable, and versatile in order to engage more compassionately in a rapidly changing world. 

“Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix.” – Christina Baldwin

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The Feminine Face of Gemini

Sunday May 20th the Sun leaves the stable, patiently creative earth sign of Taurus and enters the adaptable and interactive air sign of Gemini. Each succeeding sign of the zodiac provides the means to redirect or apply the energy of the previous sign. Gemini lifts the solid and steadfast energy of Taurus to engage the intellect, connect with others, and create movement. It helps us interact with our world, share our thoughts and ideas, and adapt to changing conditions.

Gemini is traditionally viewed as an outwardly directed “masculine” energy, and its dualistic quality is usually represented by a pair of male twins. In ancient depictions, however, the twins are a woman and man joining hands, or an androgynous pair. The expression of Gemini this month has a distinctively “feminine” quality: grounded, inwardly directed, reflective, sensitive and nurturing. In the ingress chart the Sun in Gemini is disposited and expressed through Mercury in Taurus, giving it an earthy, stable quality. Taking in information through all the physical senses and listening to the body’s communications grounds us in the present moment. Taurus’s ruling planet Venus is in the emotionally sensitive, receptive, and reflective sign of Cancer. It conjoins Pallas Athena in Gemini, describing a creative feminine emotional intelligence that knows how to use communication to build strategic connections. Venus in Cancer is linked to the Moon in Leo conjoining Ceres and the lunar North Node. We are invited to nurture our self and others through sensitive heartfelt expressions of our creative life force as we move towards our evolutionary spiritual destination.

The decidedly feminine quality of the planetary energies described above is reiterated and emphasized by Uranus, newly in the sign of Taurus. For the next seven years Uranus will apply its revolutionary force freeing us to access our feminine side and urging us to embrace the Divine Feminine. It will create changes needed to bring balance to the masculine and feminine principles in ourselves and in our world. Look to the feminine face of Gemini, and tune in to her guidance in the month ahead. Use patience, emotional sensitivity, and heartfelt appreciation for grounded sensibility in your thoughts and communications.

Having been immersed in patriarchy for thousands of years, we are not conscious of the many ways it keeps us from accessing and utilizing our Divine Feminine energy. Patriarchy devalues and denigrates the feminine values of relationship, nurturing and supporting others, having a connection to our emotions, using intuition, and appreciating our Earth, our bodies, and our physicality. Retrograde Jupiter in Scorpio dispositing to retrograde Pluto in Capricorn in the ingress chart speak to the continued unearthing of toxic secrets, corrupt systems, and hidden ways the patriarchy exerts its power and control. In order to restore balance in the outer world, we must deconstruct and transform the old, rigid attitudes and systems of patriarchy that are deeply embedded in us. We can dive deep and eliminate or transform toxic belief systems we carry within us, so that we can hear the voice of the Divine Feminine and embrace her values once again.

In a rapidly changing world Gemini directs us to move with the times. As the structures and systems of the patriarchy continue to undergo deconstruction necessary for evolution, we can listen to the feminine voice of the Messenger of the Gods for direction and guidance through revolutionary change. As we receive her downloads of information and creative insights, we can begin to make sense of the chaos in the world. By embracing Gemini’s feminine communication filter we can be more adaptable, make connections, and bridge divides. Be practical, methodical, deliberate and consistent when communicating with others. Respond carefully, with warmth, serenity and calm. Keep your feet on the ground and a strong connection with your heart. Gemini in her feminine expression will provide fresh perspectives and innovative ideas for supporting others and building a better world.

“Think of yourself as an incandescent power, illuminated and perhaps forever talked to by God and his messengers.”
     – Brenda Ueland

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Gemini: Adaptability in a Changing World

ist1_1164242-eastern-tiger-swallowtail-isolated-objectsToday the Sun leaves the stable, placid earth sign of Taurus and enters the adaptable and interactive air sign of Gemini. Each succeeding sign of the zodiac provides the means to rectify or redirect the energy of the previous sign. Gemini lifts the solid and steadfast energy of Taurus to engage the intellect, connect with others, and create movement.

Gemini is bright, curious and intelligent. It has a child-like enthusiasm for exploring its immediate environment and learning new things. Gemini engages its intellect to work quickly and come up with easy solutions and answers to problems. Quick in thought and action, inquisitive and clever, Gemini easily grasps new ideas. It loves facts and is an avid information gatherer. The key phrase for Gemini is “I Think.”

The symbol for Gemini is The Twins, which represent duality seeking other viewpoints. Gemini appreciates both sides of an argument and knows there are two sides to every coin. Gemini is adept at seeing all aspects of a situation. It easily turns things upside-down or inside-out to view them from all vantage points.

Gemini is versatile and adaptable, understanding and accommodating. Gemini can be difficult to pin down because of its desire for more information, its need for sharing information with others and its reluctance to make firm decisions. Like the wind and the weather, this mutable sign is ever changing.

Gemini appreciates being in the moment. It is spontaneous and dislikes routine. It searches for variety, and delights in the multi-facetedness of life. Multi-tasking Gemini can do many things at once, such as talking on the phone while checking Facebook messages and browsing web sites. Like its archetype the juggler, Gemini is adept at keeping many objects in the air at once.

Quick-witted Gemini has a sense of humor and enjoys tricks and riddles. It excels in word-play, such as puns and limericks. Gemini mentally free-associates and can quickly change subjects when talking with others. Gemini effortlessly flits from topic to topic like a butterfly, briefly alighting on one idea and then the next.

Gemini rules our side-by-side relationships with siblings, peers and neighbors. Social Gemini shares its information and ideas with others. While talkative, Gemini can also be a good listener. It is a communication chameleon, adapting itself to changing situations and people.

Gemini rules our early childhood and grammar school education, when we learn the skills we need in order to adapt and move about in our small corner of the world. We acquire and refine our motor skills, learning how to tie shoes, play catch and team sports. We are taught language skills and how to read and write. We learn how to interact in socially acceptable ways with siblings, playmates, and other children at school. We master using the telephone and the computer to communicate with family and friends.

While Gemini appears changeable on the surface, it often lacks depth and persistence to make lasting changes. It has a short emotional memory and often fears the lesser known, deeper parts of itself. When it feels uncomfortable it changes the subject, or finds a back door to escape. Sometime appearing to lack good judgment, Gemini needs to learn to take responsibility for its feelings and actions.

Gemini’s restless intelligence becomes bored easily and it can lack follow-through. When it lives exclusively in the realm of the mind, it can neglect the body and practical, worldly matters. As the breath helps unify the mind and body, deep breathing exercises can be very grounding, centering and restorative for cerebral Gemini.

Archetypes for Gemini are twins, Peter Pan, the Fool, Coyote the Trickster, jesters and mischievous imps and sprites. Writers and journalists, novelists and book sellers, elementary school teachers, news commentators, weather forecasters, telephone operators, taxi drivers, and messengers of all sorts embody the energy of Gemini.

The color for Gemini is lemon yellow, which stimulates mental processes and encourages movement. Visualize yellow as you move about in your environment, in your car or on your bicycle. Malleable and flowing quicksilver is the metal for Gemini. Citrine is its gem. Ferns and Lily of the Valley are Gemini plants. Butterflies, small birds and monkeys are Gemini animals. Parts of the body ruled by Gemini are the hands and arms, the lungs and respiratory system.