Dearest moonbeams, we are just about to complete another lunar cycle as we enter into the dark moon phase today. Tomorrow, we welcome in the New Moon in Gemini. Gemini is the third sign of the zodiac and we continue our journey of the self which we began with the New Moon in Aries. Last moonth with Taurus we began the investigation of the throat chakra and how we express ourselves - we continue that journey with Gemini which is very much to do with communication and in particular how we take our ideas out into the world. Gemini is the first of the air signs and it rules the realm of ideas, communication and consciousness. Combining Gemini's air element with it's placement in Spring/Summer is what gives it this delightful whimsical quality. Gemini's are curious and inquisitive and it can sometimes be a challenge getting them to focus on one thing at a time or getting them to complete tasks - often they're off on to the next thing before the previous thing is completed. Gemini rules the third house in astrology which is about teaching, learning and communication. It is ruled by Mercury - the planet of the mind and communication - Mercury is also referred to as the trickster of the zodiac. As we write this blog, we are still for the most part in a period of lockdown so we wanted to dedicate this blog post to all things to with the mind. If we can't travel outside physically, Gemini invites us to travel with our mind. For New Moon in Gemini we are awakening our inner Alchemist and Philosopher, our book nerd and our playful side! At a time where it feels like there is so much restriction this a great opportunity to expand our minds. key themes/words: adaptable, mercurial, intelligence, imagination, playful, communication, storytelling, whimsy, web-weaving, connection, community, contemplation, curiosity, meditation, mindfulness, daydreamering. The Air ElementAs we mentioned above, Gemini is an Air sign and with each New Moon it's always a lovely practice to connect to the element of that New Moon. Air is thought, ideas, communication, sound, expression, consciousness, creativity, spring, connection and the mind. Moon in Gemini is a time to deeply connect to the power of the mind. The mind is the creator of all our experiences and is the architect of our reality. Gemini invites us to harness the power of our mind by directing our energy to innovation, creativity and elevating our consciousness. The constellation of the twins can be seen to represent the left and right sides of the brain and we can ask ourselves if these two halves are in balance. Do we dwell more in the left brain - the analytical and methodical? Or do we dwell more in the right brain - the creative and artistic side? Too much right brain and we might be away with the fairies, too much left brain and we can close ourself off from wonder and imagination, analysing things until all the fun goes out of them. The symbol of the twins also helps us to tune into this transitional time, Gemini has one foot in Spring and one in Summer and we are definitely in a state of transition at the moment. We are currently shifting from maiden into mother, from spring to summer and from life pre-lockdown to life post-lockdown. We find ourselves in liminal space. We can utilise this time for transformation. Synchronizing with this new moon is Venus going retrograde as she is about to complete her 8 year cycle. There's a sense in the collective at the moment of transformation, alchemy, metamorphosis and more and more people are referencing butterflies and the powerful imagery of their transformation to help us make sense of this time. Reflect on where you were 8 years ago and try to get a sense of what is trying to shift, what old way of being needs to die in order for you to be re-born? How are you alchemising all the lessons and experiences of the last 8 years to create a new and improved version of yourself? The AlchemistThere are a fair few archetypes associated with Gemini- the fairy, the philosopher, the pan, the messenger etc. As we were doing our research for this blog we were really drawn to the archetype of the Alchemist and started to research female Alchemists which we've featured below. The definition of Alchemy is "a seemingly magical process of transformation, creation, or combination." Alchemists are fascinated with human being's relationship to the world around them whether it be through the elements, the natural world or the cosmos. We thought this idea of Alchemy worked really well tied in with the theme of metamorphosis. It also ties in to Gemini's love of innovating and creating. As we stand at the threshold of a new way of being - in the alchemy lab of your heart and mind what would you like to concoct? How would you like to innovate a new way of being for yourself? "Alchemy is defined as the process of taking something ordinary and turning it into something extraordinary, sometimes in a way that cannot be explained. An example of using alchemy is a person who takes a pile of scrap metal and turns it into beautiful art." - YOUR DICTIONARY We can take inspiration from this quote above and look at how we can transform the seemingly ordinary of every day into something extraordinary. We can even learn to transform difficult situations into gold, by valuing the lessons in them. As you look back on the last 8 years, what gold can you find in all the challenges you have faced? In your journal, make a list of your gold! FEMALE ALCHEMISTS OF HISTORY HYPATIA Hypatia was a philosopher, astronomer, and mathematician who lived in Alexandria, Egypt. She is the earliest recorded female mathematician and unfortunately her story doesn't end well. She lived at a time of great conflict between Christians, Jews, and Pagans and because of the nature of what she was teaching she was viewed as a Pagan. Hypatia was an incredibly popular teacher and had many followers and students which seemed to draw more and more hatred and anger from her enemies, in the end she was brutally murdered by a mob of Christians. But she remains a powerful female icon and representation of a sovereign woman dedicated to uncovering life's mysteries. You can watch the story of Hypatia in the film Agora featuring Rachel Weiss as Hypatia. MARY THE PROPHETESS Mary the Prophetess was an Alchemist and Inventor who lived in Egypt and is the first known/recorded Alchemist in history. She is famed for teaching on sacred union - the joining together of feminine and masculine and is quoted as saying: "Join the male and the female, and you will find what is sought." CLEOPATRA THE ALCHEMIST “An old alchemist gave the following consolation to one of his disciples: “No matter how isolated you are and how lonely you feel, if you do your work truly and conscientiously, unknown friends will come and seek you.” ― Carl Jung Gemini GoddessesPolik-mana - BUTTERFLY MAIDEN Polik Mana is a Hopi Spirit Goddess of the Amazon and each year at Spring she is celebrated for pollinating flowers with her dancing and bringing the rain. There is a beautiful section on The Butterfly Woman in the book Women Who Run with the Wolves: "Butterfly Woman mends the erroneous idea that transformation is only for the tortured, the saintly, or only for the fabulously strong. The Self need not carry mountains to transform. A little is enough. A little goes a long way. A little changes much. The fertilizing force replaces the moving of mountains." - Women Who Run with the Wolves ISIS Isis is an ancient Egyptian Goddess of magic, healing, wisdom and the after-life. She is a wonderful Goddess of transition as she is known to help the dead on their journey and journeyed to the after-life herself to resurrect her husband Osiris. Isis is a mother Goddess and was worshipped in Egypt for over 7,000 years. She helps us to step into our power, truth and magic. Sheherazade Sheherazade features in the story One Thousand and One Nights. In the story, Sheherazade had infused herself with knowledge and wisdom and was similar to a high level Bard - knowing hundreds of poems and stories by heart. She is married to a King who at this point is marrying women for one day and then having them beheaded and re-marrying the very next day. When Sheherazade marries the King, he has already killed 1001 women. The king's first wife betrayed him with another man and so this is his plan to avoid being betrayed again. On the night of their wedding, Sheherazade begins to tell the King a story, he is so enthralled by her story he delays her execution till the day after and then the day after that. This goes on for 1001 nights and in the end the King is so in love with Sheherazade that he cancels her execution and she becomes Queen. Sheherazade teaches us the power of stories, wisdom and the arts. Vila Vila is an Eastern European shape shifting Goddess and protectress of nature. The Vile are Slavic nymphs of the earth, sky and waters. They are known to be beautiful but also deadly when crossed. They are associated with nature, dance and healing. Sophia Sophia is the feminine personification of wisdom. The Ancient Greek word Sophia can roughly be translated to skillful, intelligent and wise and the word Philosophia is translated to a love of Wisdom. Sophia helps to awaken our spiritual potential and guides us towards the light. Just like the Gemini twins, her story teaches about uniting the lower self of the psyche with the higher spiritual self. PSYKHE Psykhe is the Greek Goddess of the Soul and Spirit. In the stories, Goddess Aphrodite sets Psykhe a series of almost impossible challenges one of which includes a journey to the underworld. Psykhe triumphs and becomes immortal. Her story, similar to so many stories featuring the underworld, teaches us that we must journey into the shadows in our psyches to purify our souls and attain enlightenment. She is often depicted with Butterfly wings. Follow your whimsyGemini Moon invites us to follow our Whimsy. We find ourselves in between the light and playful seasons of Spring and Summer - the time of the year for honouring joy, wonder and playfulness. As we mentioned earlier, Geminis are often wondering off on mental tangents and have this infectious childlike curiosity and wonder, what would it be like to give yourself permission to follow your whimsy? Think of channeling Alice and Wonderland. “Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland We have put together a playlist to help you connect to the spirit of Gemini and we particularly loved these lyrics by Aurora: "And we become night time dreamers And street walkers, small talkers When we should be daydreamers And moonwalkers and dream talkers" AURORA Here's our Spotify Playlist for New Moon in Gemini CLICK HERE Wondernoun
Gemini is the first of the Air signs and is also only the third sign in the Zodiac which is what gives it this inquisitive energy. Can we practice looking at the world through the eyes of a child? Look around at nature and marvel at the wonder all around you. We can receive so much wisdom and guidance from taking time to slow down and witness the divine in everything. You could set yourself a challenge to write down one thing each day that has filled you with wonder, better yet, share them in a our facebook group! "Wisdom begins in Wonder" - Socrates Communicating with natureGemini is ruled by the planet Mercury, the planet of communication and the mind. Mercury is also the messenger of the Gods, New Moon in Gemini is a wonderful time to check-in with our relationship to listening to our inner guidance and receiving messages from the Divine. Often, when we think about communication, we focus a lot on what we can/can't say. We ask ourselves if we're speaking our truth and being honest and open. But another key aspect of communication is listening. How good are we at listening? Do we listen to other people? Do we listen to ourself? Do we receive messages from our body, the world around us, and our intuition? We can use this period of life in the slow lane to fine tune our listening skills. One of the best ways to do this is to work with nature. There are so many messages, signs and teachings that nature can show us everyday if we just slow down to look and listen. RECOMMENDED READING Here are some books to help you connect to the natural world and be in communication with her: THE HIDDEN LIFE OF TREES REWILD YOURSELF THE GREEN WITCH THE ILLUSTRATED HERBIARY We LOVE this video and song by Aurora! Journaling Prompts- First of all, make a note of anything from this blog post that particularly spoke to you. - How would you like to connect to the AIR element over the next month? - Do you let yourself follow your whimsy? What would life look like if you let yourself do this? - Looking back on the last 8 years, what have you learned from all your challenges and experiences? - What within you right now is metamorphosing? Do you have a sense of the person you are changing in to? - How good are you at listening? Think about how much you listen to your own inner guidance and intuition. - Which side of the brain is more dominant for you, left or right? - Think of the story of Sheherazade, what knowledge, wisdom and stories would you love to fill yourself up with over the next month? What stories would you tell if you had to use them to save your life? Moon in Gemini intention setting ritualIf you can, collect some dandelion seeds for this ritual. Find a quiet and peaceful place in nature where you won't be disturbed (this can be your garden, or you can simply open a window) and hold your Dandelion seeds in your hands. Bring to mind your new moon intentions and then hold up your seeds to your mouth and whisper your intentions into your seeds. When you've finished and you feel you've imbued your seeds with your wishes, release them out into the air to be carried away by the nature spirits. Gemini Self CareGemini rules the lungs, shoulders, arms and hands so on days when the moon is in Gemini it's really lovely to connect to these parts of the body and take care of them. BREATHE Breathing practices are a wonderful way to connect to the element of Air but also a great way to bring calm and nourishment to our body. Our breath is our life force energy, it's our vitality, it's the very reason we are here! Just sitting for a few minutes and focusing your mind on the breath is incredibly effective for bringing the mind to peace, you can also tune into our theme of wonder and marvel at the mechanism of your body and how it breathes you. It breathes you all through the day and all through the night. Many Buddhist practitioners spend time each morning giving thanks that their breath has kept them alive through the night and they start the day with a deep sense of gratitude. As we focus on our breath in this way, we can also marvel at the connection between our breath and the breath of trees and plants. We draw in our life force energy from trees and they in turn draw theirs from us. We are interconnected! This is particularly comforting if we are in a time of isolation to remember that the world around you is sustaining you and you in turn are sustaining nature! MANTRA Reciting mantras out loud actually blesses the air in our environment as well as internally blessing our energy channels (nadis). Mantras are a wonderful way to practice devotion to a Deity or to make prayers and wishes for others. AROMATHERAPY Aromatherapy is another wonderful way to connect to the air element and infuse our home and environment with positivity and clarity. Essential oils that resonate really well with Gemini are the top notes such as Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Basil and Ravensara. You could use oils that resonate with the third eye and crown chakra such as lavender, sandalwood and frankincense. NOURISH YOUR MIND
Perhaps this month we could swap out time we normally spend watching netflix or scrolling on our phones and nourish our mind with books. Do you have a pile of books waiting to be explored? Why not join our online book club, we're just about to start a new book. For details click here. We really hope you've enjoyed our New Moon blog. We are gathering tomorrow night for our Gemini moon sister circle, if you'd like to join us please email [email protected] for more information. New Moon blessings to you all x
1 Comment
Coralie
5/22/2020 09:59:13 am
So beautiful Chelle - lots more inspiration for my visual New Moon in Gemini journal! Thank you xxx
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