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.
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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