LEO THE LION: THROUGH MY JOYFUL HEART I ENGAGE THE WORLD AND GIVE THE GIFTS OF CREATIVITY AND LOVE

LEO THE LION

Preface:  As I do every month for each of the signs, I want to emphasize that if your birthday does not fall during the Leo timeframe for the year you were born, this DOES NOT mean that you do not experience the energy of Leo, because somewhere in your natal birth chart, it is present.  All twelve signs of the zodiac are expressed in your being, although some signs, and therefore their corresponding energies, may be more emphasized than others.

The Sun sign is about your essence, your vitality (what makes you feel alive), and your self-image.  Whatever your Sun sign, you are on a life-long journey to discover and fully embrace this sign’s energy.  You may be tested in life to experience the meaning of your Sun sign’s energy.

The Sun began its transit the sign of Leo on July 22, 2011.

«««««««««                 

 “Only from the heart can you touch the sky.”                         

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"Gamble everything for love"

««««««««««

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"If I love myself

I love you

If I love you

I love myself"

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Excerpts from poems by Rumi

Persian poet of the 13^th century

Introduction

C

oleman Barks says that the mystical poet Rumi was known as the “heartmaster” in his 13^th century Persian community (in the geographical area known today as Afghanistan). Coleman Barks is a well-known American translator of the works of Rumi, and a poet in his own right. Barks says that the work of Rumi’s religious community was to open the heart to that mystery of union.[i]

I quote lines from the works of Rumi because the zodiac sign of Leo is about heart. Some may argue that Rumi’s subject matter may be too mystical for the territory ruled by Leo, and that it may be better suited to the realms of Pisces. I have not studied Rumi, so I cannot give you an expert opinion about this. I can only say that from my understanding, Rumi talks both about the love between two people, as well as about the mystical love with the divine (if indeed one sees a distinction between the two). The records from the time of Rumi describe him as being joyful and spontaneous when performing his poetry.[ii] This is what inspired me to quote Rumi in this profile of Leo.

Leo’s Rulership, Symbols, and Characteristics

The Sun has completed its transit of Cancer at the beginning of summer, and now enters the midsummer, when the climate is hot and steamy, and ripe for the passions to ignite. Cancer withdrew inward to explore its realm of feelings. Now, in midsummer, the feelings are turned outward, and this display is open, quite public, and there is no concern for privacy or protection. The name of the game in the sign of Leo is shameless performance from the heart.

Leo rules the fifth house whose purview is fun, children, gambling and risk, romance, and creativity. The lion is the symbol of the sign of Leo. This sign’s glyph resembles a flowing mane or a curling tail of a lion. Veteran astrologer Bruce Nevin says that Leo and its animal lion can be associated with the kundalini, the source of physical animal energy.[iii]

Leo is a fire sign, and like fellow fire signs Aries and Sagittarius, it demonstrates spontaneity, high energy levels, quick responses, expressiveness, and high spiritedness. Their passionate natures can inspire others. Fire signs are attracted to the dramatic and the risky. They are comfortable with attention, particularly in the case of Leo.

Leo is associated with romance, the type of love where we are courting; it is the early dating stage where we try to impress the other. The depth of Scorpio will not be found here, nor is it the more reality-based, long-term committed relationship.

Leo is a fixed sign, and this will tend to moderate any tendency for impulsive actions. Leos take their time to formulate an opinion. Leos tend to take a broad view of situations, rather than delving deeply into a subject area. This viewpoint, along with their positive natures, tend to make them “executive material.”

The Sun is the ruler of Leo, and it rules no other sign. Just as the Sun is the heart or center of our solar system, so Leo identifies with a need for being a focus of attention and, and some might say, a motivation to rise above the ordinary. The Sun symbolizes power and command, asserts astrologer Deborah Houlding. In traditional astrology, Leo was associated with royalty, and its personality can take on a persona of grandeur. Houlding claims that Leos perceive themselves as the royal center of activity. In the wild, lions develop boundaries for their territory, and they must have an area where they rule. Similarly, Leos must have their own “kingdoms” where they can be in control, and where they can shine. [iv]Astrologer Nevin says that the characteristics associated with Leo are courage, heartiness, pride, and strong personal will.[v]

Houlding elaborates on the darker side of Leo. When Leo is confident about his territory, he can be the warm, sunny, and the generous personality that the sign’s stereotype promotes. If Leo is less secure and feels threatened, the traits can be quite bestial, with acts of destruction and savagery. Less extreme traits might include airs of superiority, conceit, and a bullying nature.[vi]

Leo’s Purpose

Nevin posits that in the phase of Leo, humans are to learn dominion, not over others, but over one’s own internal forces, and this process can only be accomplished through love.[vii]

Master astrologer Steven Forrest says that the endpoint for Leo is the development of personality, and the strategic behaviors used to this end are free expression, the celebration of life, and a positive attitude. Like other fire signs, Leo lives in the now. Being in the now is very much how children live, which is why Leo is seen as the sign of children. Children find it easy to be joyful and happy. Leo utilizes its childlike qualities to advantage, where spontaneity, innocence, and creativity are necessary ingredients in its growth process. Forrest says that Leo is about the development of an ego, not its transcendence.[viii]

Think a moment about what children need and how they behave. Of course, not all children have the same personalities, but they will utilize their own unique personas to express their creativity. Small children are intent upon seeking attention. They will often perform (dancing, singing, joking, sports) to get attention, and they relish the approval they get for their performances. Forrest says that it is this self-dramatizing, present-tense spirit so universal among children that captures Leo’s essence.[ix]

I know that it takes me a while to understand in greater depth the meaning of an astrological sign. In contemplating the meaning of Leo, I asked myself how children, creativity, performance, courage, risk, and love are related. I settled on the theory that Leo is about passionately engaging the world through the path of creativity and romance. Leo passion is different from the fire sign Aires, which is more concerned about the self. Leos require an “audience,” even if it is a transitory relationship. The love for creative expression and the desire to be loved is a driving force for Leos. Diving into these processes require courage. It is a risk to perform creatively and to love. After taking risks, Leos may experience at least some success, and this builds courage. Even without success, there is a need to believe in the self and to do what we love, and this involves the development of ego strength.  The development of a healthy ego is not an absolute guarantee of success. It does improve our chances of having the guts to play whatever game we are intent on playing, whether it is the love of a vocation or the love of another person.

The musical A Chorus Line epitomizes for me the Leonine process as it relates to vocation. Dancers and other types of performers have to maintain a certain Leo energy, in spite of the hard knocks of reality. The performances of “What I Did for Love” and “One”captures this “heartiness” of a performer. The first musical number is in response to the question “If today were the day you had to stop dancing, how would you feel?." The character’s response is that she would have no regrets because she did this all for love. The second number “One” tells of the desire to be that special person who rises to the top over other performers. Below is a You Tube video (not the best sound quality) clip from one version of A Chorus Line, which was posted by abo1121 :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udgWlpRAr5Q&feature=player_embedded

Click on the link in blue above this photo for video

Sage astrologer Caroline Casey observes that the fixed signs act as stewards of some resource, and that in the case of Leo it is creative energy that flows through them. In its grander form, says Casey, Leo’s creative energy goes beyond the struggling child ego to inspire others.[x] Inspiration is a gift of the fire signs.

I penned this poem in honor of the sign of Leo. I have entitled it “Leo the Lion in a Celebration of Life.”

Born in midsummer, these children of the radiant Sun

Spontaneously show us ways to have the most fun.

Leos lead us all in a joyful celebration of life.

They say “yes” to opportunities, taking risks to feel alive.

Leos learn dominion by having a space over which they rule.

They make fine leaders, because they take a broad view.

Their steadfast positions can make them appear loyal,

When it’s really their desire to rise above, much like a royal.

Leos love the stage, and will do anything to perform

Drama or comedy, it’s how lions freeform

The other interest that may capture their hearts more

Is the flush of love in romance for the ones they adore.

Our sun sign represents the journey we take to master the lesson of that zodiac sign. Think of famous Leos who are on that journey in this lifetime. Some obvious examples are Barack Obama, Madonna, Mick Jaggar, Bill Clinton, and Monica Lewinsky. These individuals learned to believe in their talents.

Here is a more complete list of those born while the Sun transited Leo in the respective year of their birth.[xi]

July 23, 1865 - Max Heindel - Occultist
July 24, 1895 - Robert Graves - Writer
July 24, 1897 - Amelia Earhart - Pilot
July 24, 1900 - Zelda Fitzgerald – Socialite wife of writer F. Scott Fitzgerald
July 24, 1902 - Alexandre Dumas - Writer
July 26, 1856 - George B. Shaw - Writer
July 26, 1875 - Carl G. Jung - Psychologist
July 26, 1894 - Aldous Huxley - Writer
July 26, 1943 - Mick Jagger - Musician
July 28, 1929 - Jacqueline Kennedy - First Lady
July 29, 1905 - Dag Hammarskjold - Statesman
July 29, 1907 - Mevin Belli - Attorney
July 29, 1938 - Benito Mussolini – Fascist leader/head of state of Italy
July 29, 1928 - Peter Jennings - Newscaster
July 30, 1818 - Emily Bronte - Writer
July 30, 1863 - Henry Ford - Industrialist
July 30, 1947 – Arnold Schwarzenegger - Actor
August 1, 1819 - Herman Melville - Writer
August 1, 1936 - Yves St. Laurent - Designer
August 1, 1942 - Jerry Garcia - Musician
August 2, 1924 - Carroll O'Connor - Actor
August 2, 1932 - Peter O'Toole - Actor
August 3, 1940 - Martin Sheen – Actor

August 4, 1961 – Barack Obama- U.S. President
August 4, 1792 - Percy B. Shelly - Poet
August 4, 1900 - Queen Mother Elizabeth - Royalty
August 4, 1929 - Yassar Arafat - Political Leader
August 5, 1806 - John Huston - Director
August 5, 1926 - Sydney Omarr - Astrologer
August 5, 1927 - Andy Warhol - Artist
August 5, 1930 - Neil Armstrong - Astronaut
August 6, 1809 - Alfred Tennyson - Poet
August 6, 1881 - Sir Ian Fleming - Writer
August 6, 1911 - Lucille Ball - Actress
August 7, 1860 - Alan Leo - Astrologer
August 7, 1876 - Mata Hari - Secret Agent
August 7, 1942 - Garrison Keillor - Writer
August 8, 1937 - Dustin Hoffman - Actor
August 9, 1963 - Whitney Huston - Singer
August 10, 1874 - Herbert Hoover - U.S. President
August 10. 1904 - Norma Shearer - Actress
August 11, 1933 - Jerry Falwell - Religious Leader
August 12, 1831 - Helena Blavatsky – Occultist/Theosophist
August 12, 1881 - Cecil B. De Mille - Producer
August 13, 1899 - Alfred Hitchcock - Director
August 13, 1927 - Fidel Castro - Political Leader
August 14, 1969 - Magic Johnson - Sports Figure/Basketball player
August 15, 1769 - Napoleon - Emperor
August 15, 1872 - Sri Aurobindo - Religious Leader
August 15, 1879 - Ethel Barrymore - Actress
August 17, 1786 - Davey Crockett - Frontiersman
August 17, 1876 - George Llewellyn - Astrologer
August 17, 1943 - Robert De Niro - Actor
August 18, 1927 - Rosalyn Carter - First Lady
August 18, 1933 - Roman Polanski - Director
August 18, 1936 - Robert Redford - Actor
August 19, 1743 - Mme. Du Barry - Courtesan
August 19, 1882 - Cocoa Chanel - Designer
August 19, 1902 - Ogden Nash - Poet
August 19, 1946 - Bill Clinton - President, USA
August 20, 1946 - Conning Chung - Newscaster
August 21, 1906 - Count Basie - Musician
August 22, 1904 - Deng Xiaoping – Chinese Political Figure
August 21, 1936 - Wilt Chamberlain - Sports Figure

ENDNOTES

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[i] Moyers, Bill (2001). Fooling with Words. New York: Perennial, an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers, pp.16-30.

[ii] Ibid.

[iii] Nevin, Bruce (1982). Astrology Inside Out. Rockport,MA: Pararesearch Publishers, pp.82-83.

[iv] Houlding, Deborah. (June/July 2006). Leo the Lion. The Mountain Astrologer, Issue#127, pp.29-35; 105.

[v] Nevin,Bruce. Op Cit.

[vi] Ibid.

[vii] Nevin, Bruce. Op Cit.

[viii] Forrest, Steven (1988). The Inner Sky. San Diego: ACS Publishers, pp.56-60.

[ix] Ibid.

[X] Casey, Caroline. (1998). Making the Gods Work for You. New York: Harmony Books, p37.

[xi] Modified list from Ecentral.com

CANCER THE CRAB: I WITHDRAW INTO MY INNER SELF FOR STRENGTH AND MY GIFT OF FEELINGS NURTURES AND PROTECTS OTHERS

Preface:  As I do every month for each of the signs, I want to emphasize that if your birthday does not fall during the Cancer timeframe for the year you were born, this DOES NOT mean that you do not experience the energy of  Cancer, because somewhere in your natal birth chart, it is present.  All twelve signs of the zodiac are expressed in your being, although some signs, and therefore their corresponding energies, may be more emphasized than others.

The Sun sign is about your essence, your vitality (what makes you feel alive), and your self-image.  Whatever your Sun sign, you are on a life-long journey to discover and fully embrace this sign’s energy.  You may be tested in life to experience the meaning of your Sun sign’s energy.

The Sun transits the sign of Cancer beginning, June 21 2011 until late July 22, 2011(all calculated based on Pacific Daylight Time).   Cancer is the fourth sign of the zodiac , and it rules the fourth house, which represents the home, establishing roots, family legacies, ethnic origins, the most private self, and the unconscious.   Cancer is a water sign and a cardinal sign.

«««««««««« O, swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon, That monthly changes in her circled orb, Lest that thy love prove likewise variable. Juliet’s response to Romeo, Capulet’s Orchard ««««««««««

I

n this passage from William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet [1], the young female protagonist aptly captures the qualities of the moon, the luminary in astrology that symbolizes changeability, emotionality, sensitivity, moodiness, nurturance, protection and ties to the past. It is a yin energy that females understand at a deep level, since the cycle of the female menses coincides roughly with the cycle of the moon.  In artful language, Juliet is telling Romeo that she wants their love relationship to be an emotional tie that she can count on— one that is NOT like the moon.  Perhaps this represents an inherent contradiction in the nature of the sign of Cancer, ruled by the inconstant moon.  Cancer, with changeability in its nature, craves emotional security. 

Interestingly enough, Cancer does get a “monogamous commitment” from its ruler, the Moon.  Unlike most of the other planets in both traditional and modern astrology, the Moon only rules the sign of Cancer.

The symbol of Cancer is the crab with its protective shell and pincers.  The crab carries around its “home” that protects its fragile interior. A primary concern for those with a heavy emphasis of Cancer energy is the need to be taken care of, or conversely, to be the nurturer and the one others depend on.  Cancerians are the quintessential mothers.  It can in fact be their raison d’être, i.e. their reason for existence.  In order to fulfill their mission at a competent level, Cancerians need to build an appropriate home or nest of some type.  This is a facet of their need for a secure environment, a place that is personal, where people important to the sign are nourished.

After the intellectual whirlwind adventures of the preceding sign of Gemini, the succeeding sign of Cancer wants to go inward into its home and focus on the subjective world of feelings.  Gemini represents externalized, outwardly focused male energy (although some say this sign is androgynous).  At the summer solstice, the cycle precipitates a change to the female energy of Cancer. This is a whole new realm of exploration, and it suits the Cancerian just fine to burrow in this challenging, but comfortable world of caring for others and forging bonds. 

In her usual eloquent style, astrologer Dana Gerhardt elaborates on the nature of the sign by observing the life of the crab.  Gerhardt asks why the crab didn’t evolve to swim full-time in the sea, or why it did not evolve to live on land’s hard surface.  Gerhardt says that crabs must have a love or need for both form (land) and formlessness (the ocean).  The crab lives between the rhythmic sea and the surfaces of cliffs and sand.  This astrologer says that this unstable living environment explains the protected shell, the sideways movement, and the clawing pincers. Cancerians, as represented by the crab, seek security because the watery world of feelings is constantly shifting.[2]

Cancer has natural instincts about other people’s needs.  While all people vary in their need for domesticity, each of us has a “minimum daily requirement” for a home, a reliable place where we can rest and be surrounded by what we value, people, and/or objects we cherish.

This is where we nourish our bodies and our souls.  Some sayings must have been derived from the innate wisdom of a Cancerian, like “there is no place like home.”  Or perhaps a Cancerian first uttered the adage, “the fastest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” This sign extends its protective tendencies to its love of country, and it wouldn’t be surprising to hear patriotic utterances from those who have Cancerian energy highlighted in their natal charts.  My mother’s oldest brother was a Cancer Sun Sign, and he was the uncle who most valued his military service.  He would gather his nieces and nephews around him to tell them war stories.  He loved his military buddies, and he maintained strong ties to them throughout his life.  He was also the most domestic of my uncles, knowing how things around the home could be repaired.  His domestic cleanliness and compulsive orderliness irritated my mother (a Cancer Sun on the Leo cusp) to such an extent that she would refer to him as “Felix,” the fastidiously neat character played by Jack Lemon in the movie version of the Neil Simon comedy, The Odd Couple.

My mother has many of the traits associated with the sign of Cancer.  She was not the neat freak her eldest brother was, but she did identify strongly with the importance of motherhood and creating a good home environment.  She was proud of her own roots, and she and her brothers, by all accounts, had a healthy and loving childhood.  She spent a lot of time recounting stories about her childhood and the adventures of her parents and her siblings. She could be ferociously loyal to her family, to the extent that she had difficulties acknowledging the talents of others outside her family because, from her vantage point, her family was the best.

My mother and I were not close as I grew into adolescence, for a number of reasons.  When I developed an interest in astrology, the sign of Cancer was the one I avoided because I thought I could not understand or relate to this personality type.  I remember reading that any two signs which are quincunx (inconjunct) to one another have nothing in common.  I no longer believe this to be true.  My sun sign of Sagittarius is ruled by Jupiter, the benefactor and philanthropist.  A benefactor or philanthropist is often concerned with the protection of the disenfranchised or those who can’t care for themselves.  This quality of protecting and caring for others is applied at a societal level by Sagittarius, whereas Cancer focuses this orientation to the family unit. (I am speaking here about the sign profiles and not about specific people representing these signs, because of course there are Sagittarians with children who exhibit these qualities towards their offspring, and conversely, there are Cancerians who may be concerned with caring for people beyond their families.

When I think of motherhood and its association with Cancerians, I am reminded of the story of Evelyn Ryan, captured in a book authored by her daughter, Terry Ryan, who entitled this memoir The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio: How My Mother Raised 10 Children on 25 Words or Less.  This book was later the inspiration for the movie, which included a perfectly cast Julianne Moore as mother Evelyn Ryan.  Evelyn is married to an alcoholic who often spends his paychecks on liquor rather than on the family’s necessities. When Evelyn seeks guidance from the parish priest about her husband’s problem and its impact on the family, her concerns are essentially minimized by the priest, who is quick to excuse the alcoholic father. To bring stability to the family’s finances during the 1950’s and 1960’s, Evelyn enters contests that challenge participants to devise jingles for various consumer products.  Clearly, Evelyn has communication and marketing talents, and she becomes successful in winning contests, securing both valuable items for the family, as well as prizes that become amusing conversation pieces (like multiple wall clocks, and gourmet food products not enjoyed by the children (e.g. caviar and lobster). Despite overwhelming challenges, Evelyn makes the best of her difficult situation with an upbeat attitude and deep affection for her children, meanwhile contending with an envious and abusive husband, and no moral support from her religion’s institution.  Regardless of what any mother’s sun sign may be, if she is “doing” motherhood, she is activating the Cancer energy in her being.  Like Evelyn, many mothers operate on the octane of “love” to overcome enormous obstacles while raising their families.[3]

Like the other water signs, Cancer’s personal boundaries are fluid and therefore encourage the expression of the emotions and ties to others.  In astrological terms, the element of water is passive and receptive.  When you envision water, you know that it can take on many forms, from a hot vaporized steam to an extremely cold slab of ice.  Similarly, the nature of Cancer takes on many personalities, from a moody, weepy, plotting personality to the native’s state of soothing, protective warmth.  Like other cardinal signs, Cancer does not tend to give up ground, but rather will persist with a goal she believes is worthy of pursuit.  This is not the aggressive pursuit of an Aries, or the duty bound plodding of a Capricorn.  Cancer maintains her power with resistance.  Think of the many years Cancerian Nelson Mandela spent imprisoned with the vision of a South Africa free of apartheid.  Another Cancerian, the fourteenth Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan Buddhist leader, has also utilized peaceful resistance to gain support for a free Tibet.  The “father” of nonviolent resistance, Mahatma Gandhi, is another prime example of this powerful energy.  He led civil disobedience movements that ultimately convinced the British to abandon their colony of India.  On a less political note, Cancerian Princess Diana (“shy Di”) won the hearts of the British public with her averted gazes and her low-key utterances about the stifling environment created by the Royal family.

The human being’s journey around the zodiac is a process of incorporating various aspects of our humanness.  In each zodiac sector we have the potential to learn how to assimilate the lessons of that way of being. Astrologer Dana Gerhardt helps readers of The Mountain Astrologer learn the zodiac sign archetypes at a deeper level by telling the mythical story of the twelve labors of Hercules, the lessons which are analogous to those experienced by each of the signs.  Gerhardt says that in Cancer we must learn to put intellect (Gemini) aside to listen to our inner self, our emotional self.  This requires learning the quality of receptivity. This process involves vulnerability and opening ourselves to our pain, which then opens the heart, and ultimately the healing process. From this process, the qualities of empathy and compassion emerge, and these are the real treasures of mastery for the sign of Cancer.[4]

May you all experience a nurturing month while the Sun transits Cancer. 

I penned this poem in honor of the sign of Cancer.

CANCER’S TREASURE TROVE        

By Chris Gonzalez

Daughter of the luminous moon, the hard-shelled crab flows with the tides

She carefully navigates rough waters, with a gait that moves side to side.

We often get the wrong impression when she’s overcome with tears;

Like others of her element, she’s stronger than she appears.

This sign’s modus operandi is to nurture and to care;

She is the model of the mother extraordinaire.

Cancer shows us how to protect what we value and those we love,

Through her, we learn how feelings are life’s greatest treasure trove.

Her power is rooted in a steadfast resistance;

She does not confront, instead using persistence.

Standing her ground for what she believes,

Defending her moral stance, with which others will come to agree.

Here is a list of well-known individuals born when the Sun was transiting the sign of Cancer (partial source: http://www.ecentral/astra/cancer)

June 21, 1982 - Prince William – British Royalty

June 22, 1949 - Meryl Streep - Actress

June 23, 1927 - Bob Fosse – Dancer/Choreographer

June 24, 1895 - Jack Dempsey - Boxer

June 24, 1912 - Norman Cousins – Writer

June 25, 1903 - George Orwell - Writer

June 27, 1930 - H. Ross Perot - Politician

June 28, 1946 - Gilda Radner - Comedian

June 28, 1966 - John Cusak - Actor

June 30, 1966 - Mike Tyson - Boxer

July 1, 1941 - Twyla Tharp – Dancer/Choreographer

July 1, 1961 - Princess Diana – British Royalty

July 2, 1877 - Hermann Hesse - Writer

July 2, 1908 - Thurgood Marshall - Supreme Court Justice

July 3, 1873 - George M. Cohen - Songwriter

July 4, 1826 - Steven Foster - Songwriter

July 4, 1927 - Neil Simon - Playwright

July 5, 1951 - Huey Lewis - Celebrity

July 6, 1933 – The 14^th Dalai Lama – Tibetan Buddhist Spiritual Leader

July 6, 1946 - Sylvester Stallone - Actor

July 7, 1491 - King Henry VIII – British Royalty

July 7, 1962 - Tom Cruise - Actor

July 7, 1940 - Ringo Starr – Musician/Member of The Beatles

July 7, 1947 - Camilla Parker Bowles – 2nd wife of Prince Charles

July 7, 1956 - Tom Hanks - Actor

July 8, 1958 - Kevin Bacon - Actor

July 9, 1951 - Angelica Huston - Actress

July 9, 1956 - Jimmy Smits - Actor

July 10, 1856 - Nikola Tesla - Scientist

July 10, 1943 - Arthur Ashe - Athlete

July 10, 1947 - Arlo Guthrie - Singer

July 11, 1934 - Georgio Armani - Designer

July 12, 1917 - Andrew Wyeth - Painter

July 12, 1817 - Henry Thoreau - Writer

July 12, 1934 - Van Cliburn - Musician

July 12, 1937 - Bill Cosby - Comedian

July 13, 1942 - Harrison Ford - Actor

July 14, 1913 - Gerald Ford –U.S. President

July 14, 1918 - Ingmar Bergman - Filmmaker

July 14, 1938 - Jerry Rubin - Activist

July 15, 1946 - Linda Ronstadt - Singer

July 16, 1821 - Mary Baker Eddy - Religious Figure

July 17, 1912 - Art Linkletter - Comedian

July 17, 1935 - Donald Sutherland – Actor

July 18, 1918 – Nelson Mandela – South African Liberator/President

July 18, 1921 - John Glenn - Astronaut

July 19, 1922 - George McGovern - Politician

July 20, 1890 - Theda Bara - Actress

July 21, 1899 - Ernest Hemingway - Writer

July 21, 1952 - Robin Williams – Comedian

ENDNOTES

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[1] Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet, Capulet’s Orchard, Act 2, Scene 2.  Retrieved:  http://shakespeare.mit.edu/romeo_juliet/romeo_juliet.2.2.html

[2] Gerhardt, Dana. (2009, June/July).  Cancer’s Labor: Meeting the Goddess.  The Mountain Astrologer, Issue#145, pp.11-15.

[3] Ryan, Terry.  (2001). The Prize Winner of Defiance Ohio: How My Mother Raised 10 Children on 25 Words or Less.  New York; Simon & Schuster.

[4] Gerhardt, Dana. Op.Cit.

A PROFILE OF GEMINI: I EXPLORE DUALITY IN EARTHLY EXISTENCE AND MY GIFT OF COMMUNICATION BUILDS BRIDGES

 

The Twins Castor and Pollux
Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain



Preface:  As I do every month for each of the signs, I want to emphasize that if your birthday does not fall during the Gemini timeframe for the year you were born, this DOES NOT mean that you do not experience the energy of Gemini, because somewhere in your natal birth chart, it is present.  All twelve signs of the zodiac are expressed in your being, although some signs, and therefore their corresponding energies, may be more emphasized than others.

The Sun sign is about your essence, your vitality (what makes you feel alive), and your self-image.  Whatever your Sun sign, you are on a life-long journey to discover and fully embrace this sign’s energy.  You may be tested in life to experience the meaning of your Sun sign’s energy.

The Sun transits the sign of Gemini beginning May 21, 2011 through June 20, 2011.  Gemini is the third sign of the zodiac and it rules the third house, which represents the rational mind, communication, your local environment and siblings.  Gemini is an air sign and a mutable sign.

In the Company of Gemini

By Chris Gonzalez

These pros of networking know how to make the rounds

They talk up a storm, in what seems like surround sound

Winged Mercury has incarnated in the fair sign of Gemini,

Linking unknown parties, who then forge ongoing ties.

Geminis roam their world to see what they can learn

Curiosity is what drives their vast search at every turn

They collect all sorts of information to contrast and compare,

Facts used in debates where they challenge willing peers.

Geminis are not meant to spend a lot of time alone,

Preferring company, like a sibling or a beau

Together they share lots of jokes, not to mention all those puns

The Twins love to play with words, because that’s their idea of fun.

Gemini is a sign that one might erroneously trivialize with descriptors such as quick, scattered, social and superficial.  If one contemplates the motivations of a Gemini and its reason for existence, one can understand that Gemini is far more complex than meets the eye.  Astrology often delves into mythology to more deeply understand human behavior.  Western astrology of course draws upon the mythos originating from Egypt, Babylonia, Greece, and Rome, but similar themes can be found in the mythology of other cultures.  Even within Western mythologies various versions of the same story abound.  Stories relevant to Gemini center on the story of Castor and Pollux, who in some versions, were the sons of Zeus, and in other accounts were descended from the Queen and King of Sparta.  Their origin is complex. One twin, Castor, is born as a mortal and has the gifts of ingenuity and logic. The other twin, Pollux, is immortal and has the gift of great physical strength.  They progress through life facing choices in pairs, such as marrying twin sisters.  Castor and Pollux became so intertwined that their lives are symbiotic and separation becomes difficult. Their lives reflect themes of entanglements, dependence and rivalry. Eventually the two engage in battle, and the mortal Castor is killed by Pollux’s spear.  The immortal Pollux is left to grieve, feeling that something is missing without his brother. The feelings of emptiness are so great that Pollux implores Zeus to make him mortal so that he can join his brother in death.  In another version of this story, the twins make a pact to share immortality by living alternating lives in Heaven and on Earth.

Did you have a strong sibling relationship growing up? Or was your sibling-like relationship with a friend? Do you remember the stages in your life where you had a “best buddy,” and the two of you were almost inseparable?  These friendships may have occurred during your school age years, or perhaps college, or maybe later in adulthood.  I was an only child for over six years, and while I played with neighborhood kids and classmates at school, I did not experience these “tight” sibling-like relationships at a young age.  My two sisters are only sixteen months apart, and as a much older sister I observed them at play (or at war).  They had their own gestures, unique terminologies, and similar interests.  They were true siblings.  In fact, one of my sisters is a Gemini Sun! My own experience with sibling like relationships came much later, in college and even into my thirties.  These were the friends I spoke to every day, either on the phone or in person.  I knew their families and participated in their family celebrations.  My friends and I shopped together, ate together, and gossiped together.  I lost these sibling-like relationships when my friends began to marry, and especially after they began to have children, but not without some pouting on my part.  It was time for everyone to proceed into a new stage of maturation.

Astrologer Brian Clark says that the Gemini myth reveals themes of duality, sacrifice, separateness, loss and searching for the other.  Clark says that in Gemini, separation awakens consciousness, and the consciousness of being separate is painful.  Clark posits that this sense of a loss of connection becomes embodied in the nervous system as anxiety or the lack of concentration, hence the fidgety quality we often associate with the sign of Gemini.  Clark states that dodging commitment is one way that a fear of loss is manifested.[1]

This Gemini journey brings to mind the metaphysical process of the “perennial philosophy”, where spirit manifests into the separate selves of earthly existence, and then our selves once again merge back into spirit.  While on earth, humans often seek “the other” to feel a spiritual completion.  This is a primary concern of Gemini energy.

The Gemini’s exploration of duality reminds me of the quote from writer F. Scott Fitzgerald: “Before I go on with this short history, let me make a general observation - the test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function. One should, for example, be able to see that things are hopeless and yet be determined to make them otherwise.”[2]  People with an emphasis of Gemini energy seem to have this inclination, and perhaps this ability to see multiple perspectives is one reason the sign is labeled as “fickle.” 

Astrologer Deborah Houlding notes that Gemini takes its name from the two bright stars that dominate the astronomical constellation.  Duality is a central feature of its symbolism, and consistent with Hermetic principle, contradictory forces must be brought together and recognized as mutually dependent upon each other. Houlding explains: “The sign of Gemini can indicate acute polarization of the spiritual and material and alternation between the extremes of rational logic and instinctive belief, although its symbolic theme is development of the ability to reconcile all contradictions in a central threshold where reason and belief, intellect and emotion, masculinity and femininity merge into one.” She observes that contrary to the typical image of Gemini as “light and flighty,” Geminis have their brooding moods.  Houlding continues: “This integration of opposites never allows one half of the dualistic experience of life to be fully separated from the other.” Houlding posits that the Gemini propensity to be inconsistent and changeable can be viewed as a virtue in the sense that Gemini must remain responsive to their environment and address contradictory demands simultaneously.  Therefore, the mark of this sign, Houlding says, is mental agility and bridge-building.[3] 

Gemini’s ruler, Mercury, has infused this sign with its mojo, including the ability to serve as an intermediary.  Astrologer Dana Gerhardt says that Aries initiates, Taurus stabilizes, and Gemini connects.[4]  Mercury’s energy, as it is manifested in Gemini, has made its mark in this era of online social networking.  When you are “doing” Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, you are utilizing your Gemini (and Aquarius) energy.

Dana Gerhardt advises her astrology clients that where Gemini appears in their charts, they might consider doing “two.”  For example, if you have Gemini on the cusp of the tenth house of career and social standing, you might do well having two careers.  If you are knowledgeable about the meaning of all twelve houses, you might take some time to find where Gemini is in your chart, and think how this advice might impact your life.  Gerhardt’s adage stems from the desire by Gemini to not get bored with activities in his/her life.  One way of keeping life interesting is to do more than one activity.  Becoming engaged in an interesting task wards off boredom, and Gerhardt presents a beautiful example in the storytelling of Scheherazade, of Arabian Nights (or One Thousand and One Nights) fame.  The tale goes that King Shahryar was vengeful because of an unfaithful spouse, and he retaliated by setting out to marry a virgin each day, beheading the bride he had married the day before.  The witty, wise, self-educated, and charming Scheherazade volunteered to read to the King for one night.  She wove interesting stories with intricate and suspenseful plots until dawn, and stopped the storytelling, saying that she could not continue because it was a new day.  The King, wanting to continue to hear the intriguing story spared her life, and asked her to read another story the following night.  Because she cleverly avoided ending the story, and left each story with a cliffhanger, her storytelling continued for many nights, and during this period, Scheherazade bore the King children.  Finally, there came a night when she finally ended a story, but the King by this time had fallen in love with her and asked her to be his Queen.  Scheherazade incorporates many of Gemini’s qualities: the ability to understand her environment (the king), intelligence, cleverness, wit, and great storytelling (i.e. communication) skills.[5] May we all have access to Scheherazade’s skills when we need them the most.



Scheherazade and the King



I wish you all a great month of Sun in Gemini energy where you utilize your logic, reconcile contradictions, and use your communication skills to build needed bridges.  Enjoy your agility, flexibility and gift of gab!

The following is a list of prominent sun sign Gemini individuals:[6]

May 21, 1904 - Robert Montgomery - Actor
May 22, 1813 - Richard Wagner - Composer
May 22, 1859 - Sir Author Conan Doyle - Writer
May 22, 1907 - Sir Lawrence Oliver - Actor
May 23, 1928 - Rosemary Clooney - Singer
May 23, 1940 - Rennie Davis - 60's/70's Activist
May 24, 1819 - Queen Victoria - British Monarch

May 24, 1941 - Bob Dylan - Singer/Composer
May 25, 1803 - Ralph Waldo Emerson - Writer
May 27, 1878 - Isadora Duncan - Dancer
May 27, 1907 - Rachel Carson - Scientist/Activist
May 27, 1911 - Hubert Humphrey - Politician
May 27, 1911 - Vincent Price - Actor
May 27, 1923 - Henry Kissinger - Statesman
May 27, 1937 - Louis Gossett, Jr - Actor
May 28, 1908 - Ian Fleming - Writer
May 29, 1903 - Bob Hope - Comedian
May 29, 1917 - John F. Kennedy - American President
May 30, 1908 - Mel Blanc - Cartoon Voices
June 1, 1926 - Marilyn Monroe - Actress
June 3, 1926 - Allen Ginsberg - Poet
June 3, 1906 - Josephine Baker - Dancer/Entertainer
June 4, 1910 - Rosalind Russell - Actress
June 5, 1934 - Bill Moyers - Journalist/Commentator
June 7, 1848 - Paul Gauguin - Artist
June 7, 1958 - Prince - Musician
June 8, 1933 - Joan Rivers - Comedian
June 9, 1893 - Cole Porter - Song Writer
June 9, 1963 - Johnny Depp - Actor
June 10, 1922 - Judy Garland - Actress/Singer
June 11, 1934 - Gene Wilder - Actor
June 11, 1956 - Joe Montana - Famed Quarterback of San Francisco 49'ers
June 12, 1929 - Anne Frank - Writer
June 13, 1865 - William Butler Yeats - Writer
June 14, 1811 - Harriet Beecher Stowe - Writer
June 14, 1946 - Donald Trump - Entrepreneur
June 17, 1878 - M.C. Esher - Artist
June 17, 1882 - Igor Stravinsky - Composer
June 18, 1942 - Paul McCartney - Singer/Composer (of the Beatles)
June 19, 1947 - Salman Rushdie - Writer
June 20, 1972 - Nicole Kidman - Actress

ENDNOTES

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[1]
Clark, Brian.  (2000, June/July).  Gemini: searching for the missing twin.  (A longer version appeared in The Mountain Astrologer). Retrieved: http://www.astrosynthesis.com.au/includes/sitePages/articles/astrology.html

[2] Fitzgerald, F. Scott (1936, February).  The Crack Up (essay). Retrieved: http://www.quoteland.com/share/F-Scott-Fitzgerald-Quotes/715/

[3] Houlding, Deborah (2008, June/July).  Gemini the Twins.  The Mountain Astrologer, Issue #139, pp.37-43.

[4]  Gerhardt, Dana. (2010, June/July).  The Hundred-Headed Dragon of Gemini.  The Mountain Astrologer, Issue #151, pp. 13-17.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Retrieved: http://www.ecentral.com/astra/fgemini.html