Historia Géminis

This will not be a typical horoscope, like what you’d find on astrology.com or horoscope.com.

To explain why, I must go back to the heart of Astrology, to a cave in eastern Europe where the oldest evidence of the practice was found.

The earliest astrologer’s board was discovered in a cave in Croatia, overlooking the Adriatic Sea, the northmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea that extends from the Strait of Otranto. The cave was near the hamlet of Nakoana. The people there called the cave ‘Spilla’ which simply means ‘the cave’. Part of this cave had been completely sealed off for more than two-thousand years. Researchers determined that it was sealed by human hands in the first century BC as part of a Roman military campaign against the locals. Inside this space, with limestone so thin it cracked under their weight, having lied undisturbed for so long, they found it. Thirty ivory fragments of a horoscope board that depicted the signs of the zodiac. The signs were engraved in a Greco-Roman style and included images of Cancer, Pisces and Gemini.

This means Geminis have been around for a very long time.

In this ancient Greek period, Gemini occurred between May 21st and June 20th. These signs are referred to as ‘Western’ or ‘Tropical’ Zodiac signs. This is because astrology shows up in multiple ancient cultures and belief systems. From the Chinese to the Sumerians and from the Babylonians to the Polynesian pathfinders, humanity has always looked to the stars for guidance, for advice and to keep time throughout the year. Concerning advice specifically, that practice stems from a psychological phenomenon for humanity’s tendency for ‘self-selection’. Which means that the search for interpretations match what we already hoped to be true. It is why most horoscopes are written with vague language, to allow for this phenomenon to occur in the minds of readers. But this will not be one of those horoscopes. I will not tell you what your personality traits are or that all Geminis act this way.

What is most fascinating about the historical significance of astrology, is that the Earth has moved on its axis (precession) and now the dates that are used to mark the signs do not correspond to the constellations that gave them their names. For Geminis it’s constellation comes from Dioscuri (Greek Dioskouroi meaning ‘Sons of Zeus’) also called Castor and Polydeuces (French) and Castor and Pollux (Latin). They were sons of Leda. Pollux was fathered by Zeus, who approached her in the form of a swan while Castor was fathered by her mortal husband Thynadreus, king of Lacedaemon. They hatched from eggs and became twin deities who rescued shipwrecked sailors and received sacrifices for favourable winds. Their sister, Helen, is also said to have hatched from an egg at the same time. So, they are half-brothers and part of a set of triplets, rather than twins as we understand the term today. When Helen was abducted by Theseus, they invaded Attica to recover her. After the murder of Castor, Zeus gave Pollux a choice: come to Olympus or share half your immortality with your brother, so that they might alternate realms. When he sacrificed part of his immortality, the pair became Gemini. As a result, the stories seem to suggest a strong sibling connection, a sense of loyalty and of kinship. But, like all history, this story gets complicated because several other pairs are also associated with the constellation. There is never a clear answer, a distinct telling or even consistency between the stories of Gemini.

Today Geminis are born between May 22nd and June 21st. They are ruled by Mercury, a planet of the mind that influences how we make sense of the world, our communication, intellect, memory, and travel. So, out of all the signs, they would appreciate the historical point of view the most.

Gemini is also in the third house, which is the House of Communication and local culture. Traditional associations with this house are methods of communication, early education, siblings and close friends. This makes sense for a Gemini considering the Dioscuri. The more modern ideas about this sign are very similar, but now also include data gathering, writing, reporting, neighbours and short distance travel.

Gemini is also the Mutable Air Sign, which means in your pursuit of knowledge you are more curious and more adaptable.

Therefore, the advice I give is for everyone, but with a focus on community, knowledge and communication. Considering the history of Gemini, this is the guidance I give for 2021.

Family

It has been a hard 15 months for the world in general. Of reported cases, the global pandemic has killed 3,478,958. Just today 731 new deaths were added to this total. Every death was a love lost. A grandparent, a parent, a child. Sick and healthy, poor and rich. Everyone knows someone who has died. Others have died for different reasons, but there could be no one at their bedside, no traveling for the funeral, no last goodbye for the person you love. The world grieves. And even if you survived, long-covid may have come to roost in your home. Child suicides, with factors relating to Covid-19 or the lockdown contributing to the deaths, has scarred families worldwide. It is time to reconnect with your family and with your neighbours, to offer and ask for help. To do what you have been postponing and to engage with community wide events.

Love

So as Gemini arrives and lockdown eases in some places, I urge you to let the those you love know how you feel about them. Even if you think they know, say it anyway. Share your love with others, inspire others to love and start rebuilding your connections with the people you care about. If the person you love doesn’t know, it’s time to tell them. Gemini is about communication. Even if they don’t feel the same way, the saying of it will allow you to move on to greater loves.

Finance

Favourite stores, local places that were established when your grandparent was a child, even large chain stores have disappeared from our streets. Entering the world again feels like walking past a long line of ghosts. Empty windows, boarded up, shut down. As Gemini arrives, take heart in the knowledge that what you spend has more power now than it had before the pandemic. You can choose to help the family run business, the local treasure or the neighbourhood store. It is up to us to help provide them with favourable winds. It is time to get the word out about the places you hope to save!

Work/Career

The pandemic has cost many people their jobs, their savings, their dream career. Do not settle for a job that does not stimulate your mind. Search for work that inspires you to think, otherwise you will become bored, despondent and depressed. If you retained your work, then it’s time to start innovating. As Gemini approaches, start coming up with new ways to improve your work environment.

Celebrities, Authors and Historical figures

Geminis can use their voice to become a celebrity, even if it’s just in your own community or family. You share a birth sign with celebrities like Natalie Portman, Marilyn Monroe, Johnny Depp, Ian McKellen, Clint Eastwood, Neil Patrick Harris, Angelina Jolie, Kanye West, Naomi Campbell, Aly Raisman, Kendrick Lamar, Lavern Cox, Octavia Spencer, Amy Schumer, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Roger Ebert, Prince, Liam Neeson, Mike Myers Stevie Nicks and Tupac Shakur.

Geminis can make great writers. Authors born under this sign include Arthur Conan Doyle, Anne Frank, Ralph Waldo Emmerson, Allen Ginsberg, Walt Whitman, Marquis de Sade, Larry McMurty, Ian Fleming, W.B. Yeats, Alexander Pushkin, Thomas Hardy, Osamu Dazai, Gilbert K. Chesterton, Alex Garland, Joyce Meyer, Thomas Mann, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Joe Hill, Harlan Ellison, Frederico Garcia Lorca, Mona Simpson, Ben Jonson, Joyce Carol Oates, Kazi Nazrul Islam, Saul Bellow, Dashiell Hammett, Giovanni Boccaccio, Dorothy L. Sayers, James Weldon Johnson Gwendolyn Brooks, Thomas Moore, Ruth Graham, Svetlana Alexievich, Jamaica Kincaid, Patrick White, John W. Campbell, Frances Burney, Henry Lawson, Theodore Roethke, Ken Follett and V.C. Andrews.

Gemini is about learning. This is also the birth sign of historical figures like Queen Victoria, John F. Kennedy, George H.W. Bush, Charles II of England, James VI and I, George III or the United Kingdom, George V, Richard Wagner, Adam Smith, Peter the Great, Edward I of England, Igor Stravinsky, James Clerk Maxwell, Richard Strauss, Frank Lloyd Wright, John Maynard Keynes and Prince Philip who passed away earlier this year.

Pick one name you do not recognise from each section and read about them. It will help you connect with this sign and feed your need for knowledge!

Future

We make our own destiny. Our actions, decisions and determination will make an impact on our lives and on our futures. As we enter Gemini, it’s time to start thinking about who you are and where you want to be. Gemini is about planning, so in the wake of the pandemic it’s time to start thinking of new plans for our new world. Look to your past, it has the clues to help guide your future. If ten years is too far in the future, then start by planning tomorrow.