Finding Balance in the Complex
Relation Between Earth and Sky
Carlos Cardoso Aveline
Mercury rules the flexible and malleable
sign of Gemini, whose element is the Air
The sign of Gemini begins around May 21 and reinforces versatility, kindness, and a certain cunning in human beings.
A thousand paths open in this region of the zodiac. Ideas multiply. The soul wishes to move in every direction at the same time. Gemini is the sign of active mind and unceasing speech.
Throughout the nations of the northern hemisphere, it is in the malleable atmosphere of Gemini that spring gives way to summer. The conservative state of mind of previous weeks, which make the territory of Taurus, is now replaced by a general relaxation regarding form; by the will to learn; by curiosity and the pleasure of adapting to present circumstances so as to better achieve one’s goals.
An alliance emerges between human soul and the immediate moment. Its object is to make sure life unfolds in relative peace from the point of view of the short term.
In every sign of the zodiac, the efficiency of human action depends on the quantity and quality of the experience gathered by the soul in its various incarnations. With each round of the energy of life through the zodiacal circle, some aspects are improved.
Aries inaugurates the annual cycle of action and effort. Taurus, the second sign, gives persistence to whatever you do. Gemini expands the speed and mutability of form. At the same time it teaches the ability to see each specific thing while keeping an open mind to the others.
Ruled by the planet Mercury, Gemini liberates life. It makes it relax and grow in many directions at the same time. [1] In mythology, Mercury is the messenger of the gods. He transmits the news, and Gemini is the sign of interaction, dialogue, communication.
Among other great thinkers, Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), Alexandre Pushkin (1799-1837) and O. S. Marden (1848-1924) were born when the Sun was in Gemini.
Many astrological writings qualify Gemini as a sign limited to superficial mind and selfish points of view. Each astrologer tunes into what he can see. The truth is that the different regions of the zodiac are stairs to heaven. They all offer opportunities for spiritual learning.
From a philosophical perspective, Gemini is a classroom of souls in which divine knowledge is imparted. In this sign there is a sacred renunciation and a spiritual transcendence occurs towards the heavenly world. The living, collective spirit of the planet Mercury is a protector of our mankind. This celestial body – the closest to the Sun – is esoterically associated with the Buddha and eternal wisdom.[2]
In the current cosmic cycle, the beginning of the sign of Gemini is under the influence of the yearly blessing that comes from the Pleiades. The fact is easier to see for earnest seekers of the path to wisdom.
The days of synthesis and transition between the stability of Taurus and Gemini’s flexibility bring a natural experience of bliss. The passage through this door of time and karma coincides with the sacred dimension of the high point in the northern hemisphere spring; and also with the renunciation made by the soul during the height of autumn, in the southern hemisphere.
Castor and Pollux
Gemini is a dual sign, and the legends narrating it refer to the two identical brothers in the world of gods and demigods.
In “The Secret Doctrine”, Helena Blavatsky reveals the hidden side of the Gemini lesson. According to book XI of the Odyssey, Leda gives birth to two twin sons “with a brave heart”. Their names are Castor and Pollux.
Blavatsky writes:
“Jupiter endows them with a marvellous gift and privilege. They are semi-immortal; they live and die, each in turn, and every alternate day. As the Tyndaridae, the twin brothers are an astronomical symbol, and stand for Day and Night; their two wives, Phoebe and Hilaeira (…) personifying the Dawn and the Twilight.”
In another mythological narrative – explains Blavatsky -, Castor and Pollux represent the dual man in his inferior (mortal), and superior, or immortal aspects. Each of them needs to “die” in turn for the other to live.
Human life is an intermittent combination of divine intelligence and terrestrial intelligence. In a moment, the focus of consciousness is on celestial intelligence; the next moment, the focus is established in the realm of terrestrial intelligence.
The mutation of form is a mystery taught by Gemini.
On the other hand, according to Blavatsky the duality of the brothers represents the evolutionary transition from the animal-man stage to the higher level of divine man, who, while being innerly divine, also has an animal physical body.
Castor is a mortal warrior. He represents the lower self. Pollux is immortal, symbolizing the spiritual soul.
One day Castor is seriously injured in combat. As Pollux sees his brother dying, he asks Zeus to make him die, too, so that he can remain side by side with his brother.
Zeus says that Pollux cannot die, for he is immortal. But he offers him a choice. Blavatsky narrates:
“Pollux will either remain immortal, living eternally in Olympus; or, if he would share his brother’s fate in all things, he must pass half his existence underground, and the other half in the golden heavenly abodes. This semi-immortality, which is also to be shared by Castor, is accepted by Pollux. And thus the twin brothers live alternately, one during the day, and the other during the night.” [3]
This is an allegory of reincarnation. During physical existence, the mortal brother, Castor, commands life. As the spiritual existence starts in the dawn of Devachan – the enlightened period of time between two material lives – Pollux, the immortal brother, takes the helm. The life of each twin brother decides upon and complements the life of the other.
The legend of the two brothers transmits a lesson of fraternal devotion, and shows the way cooperation takes place between heaven and earth. In Gemini, as in every sign of the Zodiac, it becomes clear that one can only understand the lessons of sky if one sees the diversity and unity of the various levels of human consciousness. [4]
The spiritual soul and the earthly soul are united by Antahkarana, the bridge and the synthesis between heaven and earth. The two souls learn from each other. They are partners in evolution. They are two, yet each one is made in the image of the other.
Consistency and the Spirits of Air
While discussing the relationship of signs to elements, Stephen Arroyo quotes Paracelsus. The nature spirits that correspond to the element Air are the sylphs, and they can be controlled through the practice of constancy.
Arroyo clarifies:
“… A definite, consistent approach to life is something that the air signs could well cultivate. Making a commitment with determined resolution is difficult for the air signs [Gemini, Libra and Aquarius], but it is an important step in their evolution.” [5]
When seen from the point of view of eternal wisdom, the energy of Gemini expresses the creative contrast between the terrestrial atmosphere and the celestial realm, between the animal soul and immortal spirit. In order to understand the mystery of life, the pilgrim must know both sides of the equation. There has to be a deep sense of self-discipline.
As long as it is protected by sound Ethics, the energy of Gemini accelerates the learning of the soul.
The flexibility of this Air sign must be associated with a firmness of moral principles and a stability of action in the pursuit of elevated goals. Once this is granted, the fact that it is malleable offers us a useful tool for learning, and allows the pilgrim to move with less difficulty towards the victory of wisdom in his own soul.
NOTES:
[1] See the articles “The Lesson of the Sun in Pisces”, “The Lesson of the Sun in Aries” and “The Lesson of the Sun in Taurus”.
[2] See “Isis Unveiled”, by H. P. Blavatsky, volume II, p. 132.
[3] “The Secret Doctrine”, volume II, pp. 121-123. See also volume I, p. 366. In the sentence that refers to the wives of the twin brothers, Boris de Zirkoff establishes in his edition of the work the correct name of the twilight’s personification: Hilaeira. The 1888 edition has it “Hilasira”.
[4] A study about the different levels of human action and perception is presented in “The Seven Principles of Consciousness”. The connection between mortal soul and spiritual soul is discussed in the article “Antahkarana, the Bridge to Sky”.
[5] From the book “Astrology, Psychology and the Four Elements”, by Stephen Arroyo, M.A. The subtitle of the volume is “An Energy Approach to Astrology & Its Use in the Counseling Arts”. CRCS Publications, California, EUA, 191 pp., 1975, p. 107.
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The article “The Lesson of the Sun in Gemini” was published on the associated websites on 20 June 2020.
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Read more on the dialogue between the sky and the earth:
* “The Light of Stars”, a poem by Longfellow on the planet Mars.
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