Mercury hosts the Sun’s grand ascent

Gemini III: 10 June- 21 June 20°00’ - 29°59’ Gemini

At some point in nearly every twin myth, one twin kills the other. It’s just the cycle. This self inflicted, partial destruction is bittersweet. In order to grow more complete, we must allow parts of ourselves (our twin) to be cut away in an ever moving journey of search, refinement, love & death. Within this process there’s distrust & anticipation for the inevitable ending of a part of oneself. We distrust ourselves the moment change peeks around the corner.

A few nights ago, I had a gut feeling to go outside, something was up. So I stepped into the cloudy night onto my front porch, it was dark, yet out of the corner of my eye, I saw a possum looking at me. As I turned to get a full look, I watched their nose and eyes disappear into the blackness. The symbolic medicine of the Possum is the medicine of strategy. They will play “dead” as a final resort to divert their fate, to get out of tight corners, to fool their opponents. They are clever, resourceful and sassy and they are my totem for this Gemini season.

The Sun is ascending to its highest point of the year in this decan, it is reaching its maximum brilliance. The strategy we choose in order to continue our future journey includes letting go of the very things that have been close to us. To exit into blackness around the corner. This is future us watching past us play dead. The betrayal of our old selves leads to the renewal of our future yous.

What’s reminiscent in this tale through Tarot, is the story of the decan ruler, the Sun, and the tarot card that it corresponds with. Unlike other mysterious planetary symbolism in tarot, the Sun in Astrology is simply the Sun card in Tarot. Easy peasy. The minor arcana card associated with this decan is the bloody 10 of Swords. If you see this image as the death of the twin that needs to be killed in order to regain equilibrium, the image becomes less frightening. It is the roadkill of an idea, the baggage we used to carry on our backs, it is the carcass of what we used to care about.

Early depictions of The Sun card showed two children in its scene, but Pamela “Pixie” Coleman Smith (the painter of the Rider-Waite-Smith deck) shows just one child. The Sun child killed its twin to ascend to full brilliance in this card. It is the most referenced tarot deck and Pixie’s choice to paint just one figure, instead of the preceding Sun cards’ two, has influenced the way that we’ve interpreted it for over 100 years. There is no past self in the present time. It is only now. It has always only been now.

Twins in sibling myths. The Sun & Moon.

In thinking about this decan, I couldn’t stop thinking about two things: the fate around eclipses and the Sun & Moon as siblings. Let me explain my thought process as a brief diversion (diversion=another possum tactic) : Gemini is the third sign of the zodiac and, in modern astrology, gets associated with the 3rd House (3H). This correspondence pattern is called the “12 Letter Alphabet” where the first sign, Aries, is associated with the 1st House. You then go through the entire zodiac giving each house an association based on the sign’s sequential number of order: Taurus 2H, Gemini 3H etc... I don’t practice the theory of the 12 Letter Alphabet because it seems forced without much of a tap root of wisdom. However, I see astrology as a living, continued language and I believe that astrologers, in their day, invented the 12 Letter Alphabet for reasons we may not yet understand (reasons they may not understand). We have it baked into our astrological modern day for a reason, even if that reason is to just annoy trad astrologers. In this modern pattern, Gemini & 3rd House are associated with siblings (among many other things). This has less to do with Gemini & more to do with…ancient, rooted wisdom.

Using ancient theory, the 3H gets their association of siblings because of its relationship to the 9H, the place where the Sun finds its joy. The Moon, finding her Joy in the 3H, is the sister of the Sun. The Sun & The Moon, Apollo & Artemis, are twins and as they represent the luminaries, each residing in the hemisphere of their joy (3H is below the horizon, the night team; 9H above the horizon day team) So during eclipses, one of these luminary bodies, one of these twins “dies” or is temporary hidden, playin’ possum.

Siblings…twins…Gemini…Possums…Siblings…twins…Gemini…Possums… In reading about this decan, I began to pull on these threads to see what story was being spun. I landed on this rabbit hole: “When were the last eclipses around the Summer Solstice?” So I did a little digging to find historical moments that fell into this narrative for Gemini III. Some of these eclipses happened with the Sun was in this decan, but some I found with the Moon in this decan (Sagittarius III Sun). I followed the white rabbit here:

Eclipses In Gemini III

Partial Solar Eclipse June 19 1917: King George V changes the Royal surname, renouncing its German royal surname of “Saxe-Coburg-Gotha” to “Windsor” in response to the anti-German sentiment during World War I. Despite German roots within the royal family, the king wanted to distance the monarchy from its associations with Germany. Mercury was conjunct Mars in the first decan of Gemini while the luminaries were in the third decan of Gemini. The cutting (Mars) of the name (Mercury) of the title (Sun).

Partial Solar Eclipse June 17 1928: Amelia Earhart becomes the first woman to fly across the Atlantic ocean. She was a passenger, not the pilot, but no woman had ever flown across this ocean prior to her voyage. This ended the monolithic idea of where women “belong” in aviation. Venus was conjoined the luminaries for this moment.

Total Solar Eclipse June 19 1936: Post Civil War in Ireland. On this date the Free State of Ireland declared the IRA illegal. A killing of the twin, a radical and revolutionary arm of the body of Ireland is severed from official relation to their brothers in the revolutionary government. Venus & Mars joined the Sun & Moon in this third decan of Gemini, all squaring Saturn in Pisces.

Total Lunar Eclipse December 18 1945 Occupation authorities in immediate post war Japan issued the “Shinto Directive” which abolishing official state support for the Shinto religion. The eclipsed Gemini Moon trined Jupiter in Libra while the Sagittarius Sun was copresent with Venus and Mercury.

Total Solar Eclipse June 19 1955 Two days before this eclipse, Argentine president Juan Perón was excommunicated from the church. Demonstrating in front of a crowd of thousands in an attempt for support, Perón survived a failed coup attempt as fighter jets flew overhead and dropped bombs into the crowd. This killed hundreds of people and forced Perón eventually into exile. Mercury was retrograde in this decan of the eclipse while retrograde Uranus trined the eclipse.

Total Lunar Eclipse The week of this eclipse in mid December 1964, Jomo Kenyatta became the first President of the Republic of Kenya as it declared its independence from British rule. Mercury was in exile and retrograde less than 1°from an exact opposition of the Gemini III Moon.

Total Solar Eclipse June 19 1974 East Germany v West Germany in the 1974 World Cup. This was the only time these two teams, from a once unified country, played against each other in the World Cup. This Gemini III Moon was being trined by a retrograde Uranus conjunct Spica.

Partial Solar Eclipse June 21 1982 Prince William, heir to the British throne, was born to Prince Charles and Princess Diana. Significance of this date is yet to be seen but felt important enough to include. This Gemini III new moon was being trined by a retrograde Pluto conjunct Spica.

Partial Lunar Eclipse December 21, 1991 The Soviet Union formally dissolves as 11 of 12 republics sign a treaty forming the Commonwealth of Independent States. The Gemini III moon was being squared by an exiled Jupiter. That Jupiter was in sextile with Pluto & an exiled Venus, squared by Mars & exiled Mercury while trined by Uranus and Neptune.

Total Lunar Eclipse December 21 2010 The repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, a 17-year policy banning gay, lesbian, and bisexual people from serving openly in the US military, is signed into law by US President Barack Obama. The Sun was joined by Mercury & Venus, trined by Saturn.

Total Lunar Eclipse June 15 2011, A painting by Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh, once thought to be a self portrait, was revealed to be his brother, Theo on this date. I like this one as a sibling being brought back into light. Mercury was with the Sun during this Gemini III eclipse.

The next eclipses to happen in Gemini III will be on June 12 2029 & December 20 2029. Uranus will be the guest of honor in these stories.

Gemini III:

Tarot card: Ten of Swords

Gemini III

Planetary Ruler: Mercury

Decan Ruler: The Sun

Remember: Decans are a 10 day “week” and at some point during that decan/week if you take the time to honor the things you’re noticing, that is all that is asked of you. Stay calm & keep walking.

Gemini III is extreme, polarizing, conflicted, mesmerizing, talented & wise.

Austin Coppock names it “An Executioner’s Sword”

The Golden Dawn titled it “Ruin”

Teucer of Babylon writes of the third decan of Gemini: “Makes rich, honored persons, ruling but dying early”

The Sun (Sun) & The Lovers (Gemini)

Decan Transit:

This is the Sun’s time. It is climbing to the ultimate height to reach the moment of the Summer Solstice. It has been 6 months since the darkest point in the year, Winter Solstice, and three months in between the two equinoxes of equal light. The Sun is in charge here but it will not bear witness to the biggest transit of this decan. Hours before the Sun enters Gemini III, Jupiter and Venus will come together in Cancer. This benefic conjunction is a lovely aspect bringing synthesis and harmony to our worlds. The Sun, being in the adjacent sign of Gemini won’t be a part of this story. The first and only strong aspect the Sun makes is the New Moon a few days later on June 14, with the moon connecting back to the Sun while it waxes in Leo & Virgo. The rest of the connection the Sun is making is through a whole sign trine to Pluto in Aquarius and a whole sign sextile to Neptune & Saturn in Aries. The Sun seems like it is being left alone with that New Moon energy to enact the Mercurial seeds as they are planted in the Gemini Mind.

Natal Chart Consideration:

In your own chart, look to see if you have any planets or points in 20°00' - 29°59’ Gemini. The Sun will be traveling through & activating these degrees. Also consider if you have your natal Sun in aspect to 20°00’ - 29°59’ Gemini: Sun in Sagittarius will oppose the Sun; Sun in Libra & Aquarius will trine the Sun; Sun in Virgo & Pisces will square the Sun; Sun in Aries & Leo will sextile the Sun.

Personal Work:

If you’re writing during this decan, here are some journal prompts for this solar moment in the decan story.

• If you were just sitting down with a new therapist, what story would you start to tell that you’re immediately tired of repeating. This is the dustiest story in your library and there’s something of it that wants to die. What can you do to edit away the oldest, most worn thin threads of the tales you’re spinning? How can you bury the remnants of those old stories in a way that lets you start telling it in a new way? Write this story out, in full, take all 10 decan days to do it if you need, but let this be the very last time you tell this story, that way.

• Where is the sun in the sky right now? Did you see the sun this morning? or at lunch? How about sundown? Find the sun during this decan and sit in its warmth. Let it shine on you, look at the shadows you cast. What do they remind you of? Can you have fun with the shadows, make shadow puppets or funny photographs with them? Write on a page that is full of sunshine. Leave your shadows in the words.

• The pivotal time of the solstice is coming towards us. Now is the time to drop off any old excess, parasites, habits, patterns of unhelpful thought. Hand your trash to the flight attendant so that you’re not carrying it with you on this new adventure of this new season. Draw a big trashcan in your notebook and fill it up with the thoughts you’re ready to compost/trash/recycle. Then take that page out of your journal and crumple it up. It’s done. Give it to the flight attendant.

For further connection to the Sun, as the decan ruler, you can focus your practice on the Sun’s Day (Sunday) & the Sun’s Hour. June 14th is the only full Sun day during this decan but you can work within the Sun’s hours on any day. Find the planetary hours for your location with this link: Planetary Hours Calculator Link

Bonus points for choosing the Sun’s hour ON their day for a special honor. They like bright citrus, gold, ginger, felines, luxury linens and chimes. Make a Sun tea with Sunny colored herbs: chamomile, chrysanthemums, st johns wort, hibiscus. Set the tea on a throne.

Resources:

One of my favorite conversations with one of my favorite astrologers: Gemini with Emilie Litzell

As a part of this project, I’ve invited new writers to share their voice on a decan. To close out this post, I hope that you will check out Alison’s wisdom on Gemini III

Alison Dale | Hearth & Spiral | Gemini III

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Thank you for constellating with me

End Credits:

Gemini III Natives

10 June João Gilberto, (musician, Father of Bossa Nova) 11 June Jacques Cousteau (oceanic explorer) 12 June Anne Frank (diarist & famous victim of war) 13 June Fernando Pessoa (writer & poet) 14 June Che Guevara (Marxist revolutionary) 15 June Xi Jinping (politician & leader) 16 June Geronimo (Apache Leader) 17 June James Weldon Johnson (lyricist & civil rights activist) 18 June Anastasia Nikolaevna (Duchess & victim of war) 19 June Aung San Suu Kyi (politician & leader) 20 June Wolfe Tone (Irish revolutionary)