Ruled by Mercury

I have to admit, upfront, that I had initially approached this challenge with disinterest. I rarely pay attention to astrology and have no investment in my horoscope. I was ready to move onto the next challenge, when I noticed the description of a Gemini. Born during specified weeks; fitting as my birthday is tomorrow. Represented by an air sign. Latin for ‘twins’ — two parts of a whole. Ruled by Mercury…

Naturally, I knew that this sentence was referring to the celestial body. However, the playful smile had already tugged at my lips, as I began to think about what it truly means to be:

Ruled by Mercury.

Freddie Mercury. Farrokh Bulsara. The King of Queen. A man who died tragically young but left behind a legacy that has kept his spirit alive for generations. A man whose lyrics are quoted with as much reverence as sermons. A man who can spark a crowd of thousands to find their voices, both during and after his life. A man who sits on my shelf (a figurine gifted by my incredible brother), who poses on my shirts, who serenades in my headphones. In a way, aren’t I ruled by Mercury? Aren’t we all? If not, let us be. Let our Gemini horoscopes be ruled by this man.

Let us be ruled by the man who was near the end of his life, yet swallowed a mouthful of vodka and said, “I’ll f---king do it, darling.” Let us be ruled by the man who, immediately following this bold statement, belted out that the show must go on.

Let us be ruled by the man who seized a vacuum and our attention as he announced to the camera that he wanted to be free.

Let us be ruled by the man who was under pressure, who wanted it all, who was going slightly mad, who was waiting for the hammer to fall.

Let us be ruled by the man who mourned for the radio, who rode bicycles, who found a kind of magic.

Let us be ruled by the man who was living on his own, yet still appreciated his best friend, for friends will be friends.

Let us be ruled by the man who was the prince of the universe, who knew that time waits for no one, who knew that life was real.

Let us be ruled by the invisible man. Let us be ruled by the great pretender.

Let us be ruled by the man who did this:

Let us be ruled by the man who softly said, “Anyway the wind blows…” Let us be ruled by the man who dared to ask, “Who wants to live forever?” Let us be ruled by the man who bit the dust but said unto the universe, “Don’t stop me now.”

Let us be ruled by the man who challenged us to spread our wings.

Let us be ruled by the bombastic bisexual man. Let us be ruled by the man who loved men, who loved women, who loved cats, who loved fat-bottom girls, who loved life. Let us be ruled by the man who believed in that crazy little thing called love, even after the loves of his life had hurt him. Let us be ruled by the man who was trying to find somebody to love, who found him in the end. Let us be ruled by the good old-fashioned lover boy.

Let us be ruled by the man who’s paid his dues. Let us be ruled by the man who's rocked the world. Let us be ruled by the champion.

If we’re to be ruled, let us be ruled by the killer queen.

My fellow Gemenis, let us be Ruled by Mercury.