“Hermes is the god of the unexpected, of luck, of coincidence, of ‘synchronicity.’ The ancient Greeks would say: ‘Hermes has entered our midst,’ whenever a sudden silence had entered the room, descended on conversation and introduced into the meeting another dimension. Whenever things seem fixed, rigid, ‘stuck,’ Hermes introduces fluidity, motion, new beginnings – as well as the confusion which inevitably precedes new beginnings.” Arianna Stassinopoulos – “The Gods of Greece”

New Moon Gemini, Thursday, June 17, 2004 1:27 PM

We’re most familiar with sun sign Gemini as the symbol of the twins. Astrologically, we know we’re encountering two halves of a whole– duality. Throughout history, twins are associated with light and the dark, the good and the evil, saint and sinner. Gemini Sun knows the contradiction of light and shadow quite intimately; a formulaic approach toward life never works for cutting off the opposite is a certain form of death. To be creatively whole and rich, Gemini’s key resource is the ability to switch up. When speaking of Gemini it behooves us to remain flexible, to not do so actually creates a chasm in which we find our innate creative freedom denied, opportunities missed and resources wasted.

Mercury, also known as Hermes, is the planetary ruler of Gemini. Hermes has many different traditional associations that speak to his/her creativity and diversity of role and form. Hermes is an androgynous figure, most often portrayed as male in literature and art, with a reputation for being able to wear the disguise of anyone– male, female, human, creature, both visible and invisible. As the natural element of mercury is ‘quicksilver’, mercury is changeable in form agilely shifting and adapting to the environment. The Olympian Gods gave Mercury the dubious task of delivering messages to/from the underworld. They obviously held Mercury’s gift of swift and sure movement in the highest confidence. Mercury was bestowed with ability to move back and forth between not only physical locations but also spaces of consciousness. This function of Mercury as messenger is absolutely essential to movement into new realms.

As Mercury traveled between realms, he had the skill to ‘language in’ new elements–providing a synthesis between gathered bits of information (indeed Mercury influenced people often excel at foreign language). As patron saint of the crossroads, many early European trade routes were known for their ‘mercurial’ figures: guides, visionaries, tradesmen, hustlers, thieves and bandits. Inhabiting the boundary between the known and the unknown, mercurial types were repositories of information: from conditions of mountain passes to where to find supplies, to who was trading what and where the next big thing was sought. At this crossroads, information is king; so unschooled travelers were vulnerable to schemes and cons of all sorts. Mercury is street smart and cunningly knows how to work this innate talent to his advantage. He uses his skill to advantage, not only transforming information into marketable, durable goods but in his magical function uses this same creativity as a bridge between worlds of the known and unknown. In this form, Hermes is the healer; objectively bring new information from the subconscious to the conscious, reconciling opposites as true act of healing.

This new moon shows a crossroads, where a new level of adaptability is necessary. We are able to receive information on new levels, and some of this information has to do with our alter ego or shadow self. As New Moon and Mercury opposes Pluto, the Daemon, Doppelganger, the Devil on your shoulder—all of these characters speak to our dual nature. Coinciding with the necessity of receiving new information we seem to be having mercurial experiences of receiving new bits of information beyond our 3-dimensional reality, beyond the reality-self interface. Many of us are noticing an enhanced ability to respond to signs and signals from beyond our everyday left-brain mode. Thoughts are becoming reality rather quickly and synchronicities more apparent. According to Carl Jung, Hermes inhabits the liminal dimension of space, or the space between. This 4th dimension is the realm where information, people, events, dreams, connections, directions just ‘drop in’ through no conscious ego effort. In this realm we are not involving the all-powerful Self, which often distorts and uses messages to the end of ego. Without the ego’s meddling, these bits of information are all the more precious. The term ‘hermetic seal’ means ‘air-tight’ and was associated with Thoth, the Egyptian god of alchemy and mystical secrets. Thoth, with Hermes’ assistance, sealed sacred spaces of information. Mercury invites us to revere these sacred pieces of information, to hold them as communion with unseen forces of truth.

Mercury symbolizes mind, as this is the physical and creative vessel in which we receive and translate information. Around this new moon we may find our minds restless and unstable, flip-flopping from one idea to another like fish flopping in a bucket. This may be a result of choices we are facing, of which the multiplicity and diversity of outcomes astound. You may embody a Mercury character in your life right now, or someone may have appeared on the scene creating ambiguity or multiplicity of choice. Mercury as the trickster has an amazing dexterity to talk us into or out of anything. Here we may use Mercury’s street talk for good or evil, to trick ourselves, or others. Mercury as a friend and fellow traveler may be friend turned into foe. Friends who become ‘shady characters’ are usually old issues that need address for resolution. Whatever form he/she takes, with Venus retrograde we see shadow in our relationships easily now and that shadow is pointing the finger back into our own heart. The trickster element wants us to acknowledge that these people around us are giving us a map or trade route to the jewel inside.

This New Moon brings new abundance of information and mental activity and associated with Pluto, a particular harshness. A semisextile to Mars & Jupiter indicates right use of power is possible, but with a quincunx to retrograde Chiron, circumventing old wounds is critical. The risk is: the head may try and leap ahead of the heart. Gemini is the mental element of air and used in excess without grounding in heart wisdom you may find yourself pulling the 9 of swords. In tarot, the 9 of swords card is a heart pierced by thoughtless thinking, the intellect without practicality or heart wisdom. Whether it’s one of negative self-talk or harsh words, the bleeding heart is a particularly painful image. Aleister Crowley names this card ‘Cruelty’ aptly describing the harsh mental critic as the heart cries out for reprieve. If you are struggling with the right words & thoughts, remedy yourself with some Venus light therapy. Before you speak, visualize yourself in a soft green blanket of light to soften your mind with heart energy. If you speak from your heart you are honoring both yourself and the other. It’s a win-win.

Retrograde Venus squares Jupiter Saturday, 6/19. Having just passed a pretty tight relationship to the Uranus and Jupiter opposition, someone or something valuable may’ve dropped onto your radar screen or fallen off. This certain something has held your self- worth in a precarious position. The tension created is a certain excitability lending itself to an attraction/repulsion sensation. The risk is overvaluation or overspending, so beware of this tendency. How to move forward confidently when there’s an argument between values and expansion into the future? Communication probably holds the wisdom key here when Mercury moves into the sign of Cancer, the sensitive crab. This is a reminder that communications over the next month should draw on the feeling nature and principles of the heart. Tune into intuition and find the answer.

6/20 Sun moves into Cancer and issues of emotional security will surface. The U.S. is a Cancer Sun ruled nation and with Saturn soon to touch on this, look to heightened domestic issues of security, tightening of economy. Emotionally too, the bare essentials are highlighted. We’re still in Venus retrograde so the personal value of safety is relevant. When do we feel safe? It’s an important question for this Sun in Cancer time and in true mercurial form you may find the answer in it’s opposite. Despite BushCo’s assertions, safety is not about issuing defense, weapons and safeguards against the forces of ‘out there’. Connectedness to others allows us freedom to express our self. This engenders a feeling of safety. When we feel safe, we let our full being shine, and if our self-expression is successful, we receive love, honor and esteem– Venus’ favorites.

6/22 Mercury trines Uranus retrograde putting a little schwizzle in your mizzle (translation: some spunk in your missive). Take Snoop Dog’s cue. As a modern day rapster/trickster Snoop Dizzle spins a rhyme and busts out a new vocabulary. Today a new connection or important meeting electrifies your consciousness. Suddenly your mind is in a whole new place. This is a good thing as both planets are bent on opening you up to radically inventive insight.

6/23 Mars enters Leo where haberdashery and bravado seem to get you everywhere. Leading into the first quarter with a swish of the lion’s tale, your best investment is about what you hold inviolable. Don’t lose your footing on 6/24 when Saturn quincunxes Neptune. The planet of form meets the planet of dreams and dissolution. It may take a little re-working to project confidence when your best foot forward feels connected to sea legs. Dreams can meet reality with some fancy footwork & creative negotiation. New solutions arise when you open up to alternative ways of working within the apparent limitation. The first quarter moon in Libra on 6/25 tells you to lay tracks down only if your heart deems it worthy. Information surrounding your adventure abounds on this day when Jupiter sextiles Mercury, opening doorways previously shut. Just like Fed-Ex, (surely an invention of Mercury) the parcel is delivered right on time.

Discern the message as the urge to commit on 6/26 appears when Saturn conjunct Mercury. Discernment. This may be a particularly mentally demanding day. Be sure you know you’re in the green before signing your name on the dotted line. This aspect emphasizes the importance of words, contracts and all forms of communications. Any commitment you make on this day will have lasting effects for better or worse. Watch what you say and think, paying particularly close attention for any negativity creeping in. It may or may not be justified; use your inner critic wisely. Try to see if this day reflects some of the issues you were sorting at the new moon. You may field more clarity around these, and find yourself able to communicate with precision.

If thoughts turned fearful yesterday, today 6/27 the order of today is lightening your load. Like 6/22, this is another day of impulse toward originality and invention. Today’s a great day to step out of the box and try something new. You are excited and optimistic, as the future seems to face forward again. Break ground today for some communication breakthroughs tomorrow.

6/28 Mercury quincunxes Pluto as communication seems to get sucked into a vortex. Keep the new insights from yesterday going as again, originality and flexibility is required to dodge the popcorn being thrown from the peanut gallery. Some of it is just junk being thrown at the super sensitive ears of Mercury in Cancer; today we may run up against the idiom ‘don’t kill the messenger’. Imagine yourself as Hermes with an ability to travel the space between. Separate old habitual patterns of thinking as you navigate new paths. Often neurotransmitters create nerve paths out of old habits no longer useful; this day we can realize an old way of functioning no longer works.

Today, 6/29, remember that the work of life is love. Venus goes direct and she’s given you the past month and a half to re-assess what makes you happy in relationship to yourself and others. With the help of Pluto you’ve gained a new level of understanding about those places you absolutely must be honored–your bottom line. As you’re challenged to bring this new awareness lovingly into your life, revel in Gemini’s gift of curiosity. Curiosity lightens the load. Be playful and curious as you receive messages from curious channels. Mercury says: take heed of messages in all forms. Messages in bottles, symbols, or shadow aspects of our self may be marked ‘handle with care’ for good reason. You’re building bridges between the old and new model of love. Proceed with Care!