I Bow to the Teacher Within: Gemini New Moon June 17th/18th

Gemini, the Prankster

When I was a kid my best friend, Allison, and I had a prank-calling side hustle, a passion project, if you will. These were the days before Caller ID and cell-phones. We set up shop in my brother’s bedroom; he was the only one with two phone jacks in his room. With two phones, we could both listen in.

One of our favorite pranks was telling people they were a part of a nation-wide contest: if they could list all 31 Baskin Robbins flavors in 60 seconds they would win a prize.  The prank callee, if they hadn’t already hung up on us, would begin frantically blurting out ice cream flavors, at which point we could not hold in our howls and they would usually catch on and angrily end the call. But one time someone successfully listed all the flavors, or must have come close enough to it, and Allison announced: “You are the proud new owner of a matching shower curtain and shower cap!” I don’t know what made her think of this peculiar and random prize but it sent us rolling on the floor with laughter – it still makes me laugh, I admit. After the booby prize notification, I think the “poor devil” (as my mom used to say) probably hung up. I can’t recall, but I do remember that we devoted many weekends to our hobby of annoying people.

I bet if we were to do our Composite Natal Chart (two people’s natal charts combined), Allison and I would have had a strong Gemini component. Gemini is the prankster and, as my mom used to say, a little stinker. My Sun is in Gemini’s house (the 3rd house of the Natal Wheel) so, although I have a serious Capricorn Sun (with a dash of dreamy Neptune), I also embody the silliness factor that defines Gemini.

As we approach the New Moon on July 17th (9:37 pm PST) and 18th (12:37 am EST), Gemini can offer us some comic relief.

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Gemini brings themes of communication (hopefully not prank calling!) and information. Gemini loves to collect information. Its jam is a list of “pros and cons.” Gemini is the sign of the writer and the teacher.

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Maybe, you are working on a writing or communication project. With opportunity-granting Jupiter in business-minded Taurus, the focus is on building something and increasing earned income. Perhaps, like me, you have been watching videos on how to increase your income or manifest your business goals and dreams. At this Gemini New Moon, you may decide to enroll in a class or course.

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In the ancient practice of Yoga, we aim to integrate the heart and mind. For most of us this means coming more into “the heart,” and reconnecting with the body, with what we feel. If your mind is flying in too many directions (in typical Gemini fashion), and you start to feel scattered and depleted, re-connect to your body through a meditative movement or breathing practice. This will also help balance out any Neptune fogginess (more below).

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There’s another aspect to this New Moon. And that is watery and feeling-based Neptune. Neptune is clashing with the Gemini New Moon and can thus add a dose of cloudiness or confusion to the usually sharp Gemini mind, but it can also spark the imagination and get our creative juices flowing. Neptune reminds me of the childhood show, Land of the Lost (do you remember that show? I just remember that I was fascinated by it). When Neptune is part of the New Moon affair, questions around our life-paths and the deeper meaning of things can come up and cause us to feel a bit lost. Juno, the asteroid that symbolizes marriage and fairness in relationships, is also showing up for this New Moon event, so there may be an additional theme of the roles we play in our relationships – who we are and who we want to be in our relationships.

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It’s possible that there will be a decision to be made during the New Moon. Neptune shows us the world through a rainbow prism that doesn’t always reflect the reality of the whole picture or what we are truly looking at, so if you are making a significant decision be aware of the disillusionment that can develop over time with Neptune-infused experiences. I began a teaching job once during a strong Neptune transit and what started as inspiring and idealistic philosophies about education didn’t, unfortunately, translate well in terms of implementation and the reality of the day-to-day work with students who, often, were facing serious mental and emotional challenges. It’s wonderful to have lofty dreams and goals but we need a sound foundation, structure, and plan to meet those goals. That’s where Saturn comes in, who is also a member of the New Moon committee; he is connecting with Mercury, the Sign that Gemini rules, as well as the upcoming Cancer Moon. Saturn always shows up with a dose of realism and the truth that we may not want to hear but, ultimately, enables us to reach our goals.

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The Sabian Symbol for the degree of this Gemini New Moon is “A man declared bankrupt.” At first, this is a bit frightening to consider but if you think about it, it suggests “beginning again” or starting over without the weight of the past. We may “begin again” in some way, shape, or form during this new moon chapter.

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As I sit outside on my balcony, writing this blog, with my Animal Spirit Card Deck on the table beside me, a gust of wind blew a card out of the deck and onto the ground. The card is the Firefly. I decided to shuffle the deck and choose a card before settling on the Firefly (since I chose this card two weeks ago, during the prior Sagittarius Full Moon/Gemini Sun) and, sure enough, after mixing up the cards thoroughly, cutting the deck in thirds, putting it back together, picking the card on the top, I landed on the same card.

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In the Animal Spirit Guidebook, author Kim Krans writes, “The Firefly contains the light of a thousand stars. It’s pure, radiant, and illuminating. This high frequency charge cannot be sustained for long, therefore the Firefly card indicates a moment of inspiration or awakening that quickly fades if we do not catch it. Their is a Firefly energy behind every poem, song, and invention. Our job is to be ready to harness this creative spirit when it graces our path.”

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Krans’ writes:

What will you create during this New Moon phase (that is, of course, a part of much larger cycle of life) and how might you move forward?

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Gemini likes to consult with lots of different sources and, while that can be a valid and wise decision-making method and is an excellent start, ultimately we need to come back into the heart and connect with our own inner wisdom and guidance. Only you know the right, or true, answer for you.

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As Saturn stations Retrograde this week (on June 17th through November 4th 2023), we will be asked to “go inward” for guidance and direction, to be our own wise teachers. There is a chant in the Kundalini Yoga system that is sung at the start of each class to remind us of this truth: “

Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo.” I bow to the divine teacher within.