The Moon will begin a new cycle with the Sun at 26° 43’ of Gemini on the night of June 17 on the West Coast, and in the early hours of June 18 in the east. Soon after, the Moon will move into Cancer, as the Sun will do also on June 21 at the June solstice. Summer is upon us in the Northern Hemisphere. Astrologically, this summer will be hot (and I’ll say why, in a bit).
Gemini is the mutable air sign, “ruled” by the planet Mercury, which is also currently in Gemini, making this particular New Moon time an ultra-mercurial one.
Geminian people tend be chatty, witty and insatiably curious, thriving on collecting and sharing information. They may make good journalists, and they may be perpetual students. They can turn a phrase and spin a tale.
The glyph for Gemini looks like the Roman numeral II, two vertical lines contained by two horizontal lines. Two-ness, duality, is a Geminian quality. Soup or salad? This or that? One rap about Geminian people is that they vacillate, but that’s because there’s just such an abundance of choices, and there’s always more data to be had.
One thing that’s popular now is memes about “Mercury retrograde.” It’s the idea that tech and scheduling snafus are rampant when Mercury is in one of its normal, thrice-yearly periods of retrograde motion. I don’t know about you, but I have computer problems year-round no matter what’s going on in the sky!
Seriously, Mercury represents a complex set of themes in myth and astrology.
Mercury is the Roman name for the god Hermes of earlier Greek cosmology. Soon after his birth, the baby god Hermes did two precocious things: he invented a musical instrument, the lyre, and he plotted to steal his brother Apollo’s cattle without getting caught. But he was caught, and Apollo reported Hermes’ thievery to their father Zeus. Then, as part of a deal to make amends, Hermes gave Apollo the lyre. After Hermes grew up to become the winged messenger and the “herald of the gods,” he was still known for trickery and making deals.
It’s also from Hermes that we derive the word hermeticism, the knowledge of occult sciences and the ability to keep a lid on magical secrets. Hermes was a psychopomp, one who accompanies souls on their journeys to the afterlife.
All of this is to say that despite pop astrology portrayals of Gemini as a light and fluffy air sign, Mercury-ruled Geminians are devoted to knowledge and to carrying important messages. When the Moon is new in Gemini, it’s time to learn new things and tell new stories.
At the June 17/18 lunation, the Moon will have recently separated from a square aspect with Saturn in Pisces. Our thinking processes may have been fuzzy or even melancholy, as Saturn can be ponderous.
The New Moon will be making a square aspect with Neptune, now in the later degrees of Pisces. Again, we may find ourselves feeling dreamy or unfocused, as Neptune is the outer planet of visions, illusions, and even delusions. With the Gemini Moon square Neptune in Pisces, it’s advisable to pay attention to staying grounded.
The big transit of the summer—and why I said the summer will be hot—is Venus’ transit through the fiery sign of Leo, June 5 to October 8. (During much of this time, Mars will also be in Leo.) Venus usually spends about a month in any sign. But about every 18 months, Venus has a period of retrograde motion and spends longer than usual in one sign. This Venus retrograde period will be from July 22 to September 3.
Venus, the planet connected with love, beauty, relationships and values, may prompt reviews about what does and doesn’t work in partnerships and even our physical appearance. Leonine energy is creative and passionate, with a drive to be seen and honored by others. One literal take about a Venus retrograde period is that you may find yourself reviewing the most pleasing features of a romantic relationship. Or, a person or a relational dynamic from your past love life may re-appear on the scene.
For many people, the transit of Venus in Leo, including the 44-day retrograde period, may not be all roses-and-sunshine. Google tells me that about 30% of U.S. adults are single, i.e. neither married nor in a romantic relationship, and many are single by choice. Among those who are partnered, who knows how many are satisfied?
I don’t want to be a downer about all this. My point is simply that a retrograde period of Venus, especially in fun-loving Leo, may bring up regrets for some people. Relationships are not easy. It’s trite to say, but the relationship one has with oneself is primary.
With a long transit such as Venus in Leo, this summer and into the fall, we look to each person’s natal chart for the astrological houses—the areas of life and psyche—where the planetary archetypes will play out. Fortunately, all transits are just that, transitory, and there are ways to work with all of it.
For navigating the long transit of Venus through Leo—whether one’s currently in a partnership or not—the New Moon in Gemini brings a message: What always matters most is the brightness of your mind, and the sincere curiosity of your heart.
Blessings for the New Moon in Gemini!
~ Sara
Sara R. Diamond, an astrologer based in the San Francisco Bay Area, is a life-long student and practitioner in several esoteric paths. Her style of astrology combines modern-psychological astrology with insights from traditional astrology. Sara is also an estate planning attorney. In addition, she has published four books on right-wing movements in the United States and earned her Ph.D. in Sociology at the University of California, Berkeley. You are invited to contact Sara via her website at www.SaraDiamondAstrology.com.
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