My old therapist Joe once said if he were to hang a sign over his counseling room door, it would say, “Abandon hope all ye who enter here.” If I were to hang one it would say, “Curiosity will set you free.” One of the most certain ways to grow — indeed, the essential ingredient — is to be curious about yourself.
Gemini is nothing if not curious. It’s a whole sign dedicated to the interplay of polar forces, of opposites, of little kids who are motivated by nothing but their quest for experience. Cue: Esoteric Astrology by Alice Bailey, page 391 of the paperback edition. “In Gemini, Venus reveals the desire for the pairs of opposites for each other for this is the underlying theme of the entire creative and evolutionary process — the interplay of opposites.”
Today at 10:33 am EDT, Venus stations retrograde in Gemini. For the next 43 days, Venus will take us on an introspective journey into many of the opposites and inner polarities that we contain, many of them emotional and psychological. Venus is one of the guardians of the sexual realm, and in Gemini, the dance of opposites will have an extended opportunity to explore within those polarities.
For this experience, remember to take your curiosity and use it like one of those awesome overpowered Maglites as you investigate who you are and what you’re made of. Curiosity needs to be balanced by compassion, and Venus will help provide that element.
Many times I’ve observed that Venus is the planet that grants intelligence. Mercury can bestow wit, it moves information, it has ideas — but true intelligence, emotionally grounded and supported by authentic values, I believe is often described by Venus. In Gemini, Venus will be in a Mercury-ruled sign, doing something that Mercury does a lot of — being retrograde. So we will have all the tools we need to conduct an adventurous inner investigation, which will be safe as long as you remember curiosity and compassion.
You may not have words for the things you discover. Twins have an interesting property — when left alone and unattended by adults, they will develop speech unique to them. This is called an ideoglossia or sometimes cryptophasia. Think of this as a language that manifests between two people that cannot be understood by anyone else. Occasionally, ideoglossia manifests within a single individual — a language between you and yourself.
You don’t need a lot of people to understand you; you understanding you is a good start and even one other person will make a difference. The contact will likely be synchronous or seemingly coincidental. As you move through your inner spaces, notice who seems to understand you intuitively. Let your curiosity guide you!
Here are couple of facts from the chart for Venus stationing retrograde.
♥ Venus is opposite the Galactic Core (three degrees away) when it stations retrograde. It’s been close to this degree for a few days. I think of this point as being directly in line with the messages emanating from the heart of our galaxy; imagine this as a homing signal that is viscerally spiritual.
♥ The Moon is in Pisces, square Venus. Moon square Venus can have an emotionally needy feeling, and the Pisces Moon is nothing if not emotive. If you handle your sense of need with compassion and curiosity, it can be a dependable way to translate your feelings into the realm of desire. Desire feels more voluntary and gentler than need.
♥ Venus is exactly trine Saturn in Libra. Venus is the ruler of Libra and Saturn is exalted in Libra. This trine suggests that there will be actual flow of emotions, though on the level of air signs — easier to move through and to describe in language. I suggest being careful about over-talking. If you’re going to overdo anything with language, make it writing, so that this way you have something to show for it.
♥ Venus is trine Nessus, the bad boy of the centaurs who is most often associated with shadowy sexual material. Nessus and Saturn are also in a trine, so this is a grand air trine. That has the hint of caution about going in circles (one way that grand trines can manifest). To find your way out, indulge in the divine chaos or focus on a specific subject or theme.
♥ Mars is about to oppose Chiron. That aspect is exact on Thursday, but it’s going at full strength right now. This is the spirit of the healing-spiritual ‘warrior’ (if there can be such a thing). Think of it as a brave heart and the ability to focus your intentions on the greatest good for all concerned.
One last thing I would note is that because Venus is in a Mercury-ruled sign, we may have something of a Mercury retrograde kind of effect. I suggest backing off on the outbound cash flow if you can; avoid making investments in anything other than something you actually need. (I am watching with one eye to see how the Facebook IPO turns out, but that’s another topic entirely.)
For today: all hail the goddess of curiosity.
liminali,
We can only wonder. Perhaps with Venus in mutual reception to Mercury she’s bungled the communication system, or maybe just pulled rank and banished Mercury temporarily.
Thanks Huffy, you sound like a very good sister!
be
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdQnuqFlD7U
🙂
♥☮♫
“There is no hope, only what is so, and action you can take as a result”. Yes, I love this zen story, The Parable of Mushin, from Charlotte Joko Beck:
http://hack.org/mc/texts/the-parable-of-mushin.txt
Thanks Eric. Good point. I’m re-reading The Power of Now, and this dovetails nicely with that also.
I love your distinction between hope and faith, Eric. One clings, and the other holds lightly, ready to move with the changes.
The reason is that hope is inert at best, toxic at worst. There is no hope, only what is so, and action you can take as a result. As has been said, “Hope is dope” — a drug, a palliative, a way to distract yourself. Look at what it got us in the 2008 election.
Faith is an active process, based on a connection to something within, or something larger.
Thank you for your beautiful post dear Be. Resonated so much for me. It’s kind of weird but I have natal Venus in Gemini, Mars in Virgo and Chiron in Pisces – and a (‘wounded’) twin brother. Think i’ll really step up those love rays in his direction right now. xx
Be, chart ruler Sun is intercepted in the 10th, along with Mercury et al; maybe Mercury is hiding behind the somewhat constricted light of the Sun?
I really want to know why a therapist would have a sign about abandoning hope. There has to be a very interesting reason…
P.S. For some bazarre technical reason, the chart above doesn’t show Mercury at 12 or so Taurus, between Vesta and Ceres. We really must include him in the earth grand trine. (I’ve never known him to be so modest!!!)
be
Further emphasis on the contemplation of opposites can be found in the TNO Teharonhia-wako in Pisces, midway between the north and south nodes of the Moon. Teharonhia and his brother Sawiskera, so the story goes, had differing views of how to live their lives. Sawiskera saw the world as his oyster and would take all he desired, regardless of the cost to the mother Earth. His brother Teharonhia felt compassion for the Earth and took only what he needed from her. He would always remember that he came from the “sky” while his brother forgot that and sought only the pleasure of living on earth.
In this chart for Venus station retrograde, Teharonhia-wako is in the north bending of the “nodes” (between Neptune and Chiron) which provides open access to the increased consciousness and subtle promptings of the Universe. Opposite him is Mars in Virgo in the south bending, who thus loses the ability to express his Martian quality directly and must shed it or give it away. Might not Mars, in this chart, be standing in for the twin brother Sawiskera (who has no solar symbol) while in his opposition to Teharonhia?
If Venus while retrograde in Gemini is a time of reflecting on the “interplay of opposites”, and polarities, her partner Mars is also giving her a rare glimpse of his ability to “serve” (Virgo). By giving away his fire in the name of service to our planet, Mars provides the ultimate gift of healing in participation in the grand earth trine with Vesta (and Ceres) and Pluto. With twin brother Teharonhia standing between Chiron (wounding) and Neptune (love) we have an opportunity, as a species, to choose to do no (more) harm to mother Earth and invest (Vesta) our combined healing efforts into the regeneration (Pluto) of our planet. Where’s the harm in that?
be
Dear Eric,
Amazing article, so much information! And causing so much resonating intuitive thought. You are truly gifted. This is tons of good, but need time to allow space to fully emotionally and mentally take in and reflect. Sounds like we will have time over it’s influence the next month or so. Thank you. BTW, loved the morning love shot too!
Quickly one question, (as Venus trine Saturn in Libra you warned I may do)….I was immediately struck in your reading by … “Venus stations retrograde in Gemini. For the next 43 days, Venus will take us on an introspective journey into many of the opposites and inner polarities that we contain many of them emotional and psychological. Venus is one of the guardians of the sexual realm, and in Gemini, the dance of opposites will have an extended opportunity to explore within those polarities.”
I have recently been dating someone where there are certain qualities to be admired yes, but also certain qualities I am experiencing that are quickly becoming a major turn off for me. They always say what you don’t like in someone else, you may readily find somewhere in yourself. I began realizing this weekend, and now after reading your article here, these actually may be qualities that are similar in nature to some of my character, and not opposites. Or, are these characteristics pointing to inner polarities?
Eric, anyone out there, what are your thoughts on inner polarities? It feels like these are perhaps mirrored aspect of me which are not that bad to start in me), but as seen in another are magnified x 10 and what could be slightly annoying parts, are becoming ugly parts on steroids. Is this part of what you’re explaining as the introspective journey? Personally, I’d rather concentrate on the opposite aspects of myself and in another that I admire, want to aspire to, develop further in myself. The areas I am lacking I always wished could be coupled with another so to beautifully complement and balance each other’s opposites out. **Carrie you seem to have with your partner and I have seen in other relationships. I am sick of doing all the opposite work on my own. And for the record, I did give this guy a shot last year too and now again confirmed, not interested in this man either way.
Thanks for listening.
Yipe! No reading PW at work/on work computer for me! Will catch up on my phone…
” As you move through your inner spaces, notice who seems to understand you intuitively.”
Wow. This concept came up last night when Dave and I were discussing the weekend that just passed. I was laughing about how I could tell just when he lost his desire for me in the middle of having sex. He said I was reading the signs correctly so I asked him if he could tell when the same happens to me. He said that I feel distant to him, sort of withdrawn. Bingo. That’s exactly how it feels when the desire drops suddenly for whatever reason ( in the case of this past weekend, the position wasn’t working for me and that caused me to lose the desire). He was exactly right because as my desire waned, my focus on HIM also waned as I tried to keep moving to please him but was no longer able to trance/feel/experience into him. Both of us laughed because we know each other so intuitively but hadn’t really discussed it before. I was a surprise to me that he actualy felt my inner withdrawal. My physical motions had not changed but an inner shift had and he felt it. Awesome, just awesome. This relating thing always amazes me.
Only other person to intuit me like that during sex was my Piscean first husband. Love those water men and their accurate intuition.
Yes, I join my friends in their applause. Thank you Eric! And thanks for the dick stick! Was a great image to start the day with – you saucy thing.
@ indranible and Eric = thumbs up – exactly my sentiments upon reading this !
Thank you Eric of your look at Nessus that I keep in memory as a bad boy of the Centaurs to the square Uranus sextile Moon mi-point of the axis of nodes Lunar. That is I had completely abandoned it in his corner. The trine with Saturn makes me think about the political image of men, then see individually or is Nessus… In the meantime it is always a pleasure to read you, is that discoveries in the sky as we even
http://www.zanestein.com/galactic_center.htm
xxxp
**I wish these blogs came with a ‘like’ button!** (Consider it ‘liked’!)
Eric,
All hail indeed, and not just the goddess of curiosity. All hail your blog today. It’s a masterpiece of comprehensive coherency. Thank you so much.
As I have read the various descriptions of the Venus Retrograde, and looked more deeply into how it touches my chart, I feel more and more like my whole life has been designed to be transmuted by this event. Venus makes station a few arc-minutes shy of my midheaven, and just a couple of degrees past Mercury in Gemini. When she makes station again in late June she’ll be within a degree of my Sun. And natal Venus at 1+ of Gemini will be energized by the Eclipse on Sunday.
I can’t find words to describe what is bubbling inside of me, a rarity given all the Geminian energy I carry, maybe this is how the caterpillar feels before snuggling into his cocoon?