Gemini Full Moon Newsletter
Happy Gemini Full Moon!
It’s officially the Holiday Season (for me, Modern Yule begins in early December and continues through January) — my tree is up and decorated, the Yule Log is out and ready to be adorned with whatever we can find for greenery outside, and thanks to a particularly unbeatable Black Friday Sale I’ve stocked up on three new winter jackets which I absolutely love. Carefully-curated gifts are stacked in my office and ready to be wrapped, and as the day’s become shorter I find myself respecting my body’s changing needs and sudden desire for more sleep. But as much as I love the weeks leading up to the Winter Solstice, it’s a time that can also be stressful for a lot of different reasons — there’s so much to do and for many of us, there’s deadlines to be met or a limited amount of time in which everything can get done (and for a lot of us, it’s when SAD kicks in.) Even if you don’t celebrate any of the December holidays, I invite you to take a moment to breathe, relax and open yourself to the magick of this month which in most spiritual and religious traditions, is special — it’s when sacred babies are born, acts of generosity are committed (and, if nothing else, it’s a great excuse to rock a bold red lip color!) It always flies by, so embrace this as your invitation to be present through the holiday season!
Two-Week Astrology Report:
Wednesday, December 7th: Today’s Full Moon in Gemini forms a close conjunction to Mars as each “planet” opposes the sun (which essentially is a Mars “Eclipse” or a Lunar Occultation — the moon will cross Mars and conceal the red-hot planet’s brightness which, if visible in your area, will be quite a stunning phenomena to behold.) Ancient Astrologers had a lot of conflicting theories about what this event might mean; more fear-based Medieval interpretations connected it to covert acts of hostility (with the moon regarded as a truth-concealing influence while Mars = aggression and conflict) while others viewed it as a plot-furthering reveal of something which had been previously hidden. Both of these interpretations are a little simplistic for my personal taste (and I tend to favor more nuanced interpretations of both Mars and the Moon, as they’re each often wrongfully assigned ominous implications) but undeniably this astrological phenomenon is an irritant. Emotions will be amplified (as with every Full Moon) but they’re more likely to express themselves in a pressing, aggressive or action-oriented way. A Full Moon conjunct Mars can trick us into assuming that an emotional experience is a trustworthy cue to act and, especially with the Warrior Planet currently retrograde, impulsivity and raw instinct are not likely to lead us toward the desired outcome. Because this is a Full Moon in Gemini, verbal communication is spotlighted and wording should be chosen very carefully; it’s not a good time to act out of raw emotion (whether this means cutting someone a break or initiating hostility with them) and if the truth of a situation feels hard-to-parse, refrain from making any major decisions until the emotional pull of this influence has subsided. Otherwise, today’s Full Moon features plenty to look forward to: according to traditional astrology, a Full Moon in Gemini is the perfect time to purchase a new vehicle or may present one which meets your qualifications, whether you’re looking to upgrade to a stylish dream ride or simply find something more affordable or eco-friendly. As Full Moons represent natural culmination points, it could also mark an unexpected cease-fire or a period of resolve with regard to any ongoing feuds or nemesis scenarios, particularly if we soften to the idea of diplomacy (as a magick charm for this, carry a Chrysocolla* stone — it was the talisman Cleopatra used when meeting with other politicians to discuss resolution.) This Full Moon also energizes creative collaborations and partnership duos and, if you’re looking to cultivate one, work the magick on this moon to call in an appropriate candidate. Mars opposite the Sun is energizing and innovative — use it for a creativity or identity rebirth or to make a bold announcement. But to navigate some of the earlier-mentioned angst of this Full Moon (and maximize it’s benefits), look to your natal Mars and access it’s haute qualities (if, for example, your Mars is in Aquarius like mine, anticipate a tactical spike in quirky ingenuity and innovation but shun a tendency to self-isolate or become an island amidst conflict.)
Friday, December 9th: Venus enters Capricorn today but only after squaring Jupiter which amps all appetites for the next few days — it’s potentially activating for love/lust scenarios along with online shopping escapades, hangover-inducing nights out and other forms of hubris-fueled overindulgence. It’s essentially fun — particularly for those in need of a total Venusian reset or a gentle re-introduction to pleasure — but where we draw the line depends on our personal values and our ability to navigate any inconvenient aftermath. If you can safely revert to full-on party monster mode, it’s a good time to throw or attend one but with Jupiter currently in Pisces, our boundaries can become blurry and using “fun” scenarios to distract from hard truths or big emotions can lead to outright poor decision-making (or, an emotional crash when the high wares off.) Avoid reaching for glass bottles, relationships or impulse-purchases as a numbing agent today but instead, embrace the day’s vibe by creating a container for fun, play and pleasure as an act of celebration — book a massage, wear a fun and wild outfit, eat something delicious or spring for that second cocktail. On the contrary, Venus in Capricorn for the next month is sobering and clarifying: when the Goddess of Love traverses the organized sign of the sea-goat, she invites us to get serious about our long-term financial and/or romantic goals. If you’ve been entertaining a passionate fling which you quietly suspect might not be a long-term fit, this transit may invite you to make a decisive move. Conversely, it’s an auspicious time to take the proverbial next step with regard to any romantic relationships, whether this means professing your true feelings to a friend with whom you want more or proposing co-inhabitation with a long-term lover. If unpartnered and open, this transit is the antithesis to down-dating and challenges us to raise our standards: open yourself to someone who can teach or offer you something tangible and real, or someone who brings great value to your already-full life. But Venus in Capricorn isn’t all serious and commitment-oriented: this highly sensual Earth sign brings out Aphrodite’s lust for life and luxury. Our ability to identify quality, value and worth — in people, items and opportunities — increases over the next few weeks, and it’s a fabulous time to fortify and nurture physical you via sensory pleasures, cooking your favorite meals, storing cash in a savings account and cultivating a richer body-heart relationship.
Monday, December 12th: A cool Sun/Saturn sextile occurs today, a twice-yearly event where we get to reap the benefits of our latest Saturnine lesson. It’s a subtle influence but more than likely, something which would have derailed you prior to a recent maturation surfaces today, and you get to capably handle it with grace, style and knowledge. Another possibility is that someone else presents a problem you’re familiar with and have already solved for yourself, rendering you uniquely equipped to offer well-timed guidance and wise mentorship. Essentially, what felt like a previous “why me?” moment comes full-circle today as we get to whip out some newly-acquired wisdom or exercise a new skill, either using it to help another person or to stop an emerging personal dilemma before it forms.
Wednesday, December 14th: The Sagittarius Sun squares Neptune, recently-direct in his home sign of Pisces. The unfortunate side-effects of this astrology include the emergence of con-people and energy vampires and the possibility of arrested cognitive function: among the benefits, however, is a sudden burst of creative genius and an illuminated inner landscape. It’s not the kind of astrology during which to take a chance or commit to a decisive action — doing so could lead us into an unfavorable arrangement, agreement, relationship or legal bind, as our external circumstances become more difficult to read accurately — but it’s fabulous for quietly creating art, journaling, deep introspection or healing work (and if you have to deal with the public today or be around energy vamp types, carry a Black Tourmaline* for auric protection!)
Thursday, December 15th: Mercury squares Chiron and trines the North Node today bringing the possibility of chance run-ins and pop-up conversations which feel poignant, purposeful, or lead us away from our past with the relevant insight or empowered action they inspire. It’s also a possible mental recalibration: an outdated perspective gives way to new and improved concepts (possibly prompted by a chance meeting or a run-in synchronicity) or a new idea abruptly forms or begins to develop, becoming clearer over the next few days.
Saturday, December 17th: The Trickster God trines Uranus which carries on the Mercurial vibe of the last few days or brings it to an important climax. Especially with both planets in earth signs, it’s brilliant for generating fresh new ideas and concepts which can easily be translated into concrete action steps or tangible change. For air witches in particular, Mercury is one of the most important archetypal energies we can work with; as the thought transmitter and greater idea-bringer, the Messenger God is particularly potent when he contacts out-there Uranus, bringing unique flashes of insight, sudden bursts of inspiration or clarity and aligning us to the zeitgeist as we embrace a sense of relevance. Work with this energy to generate a bold, fresh take on your artform, hobby, career or lifestyle and while you can hold a focus group or brainstorm session, we don’t need to do anything special to access this magickal vibe — we’re just as likely to experience game-changing revelations or a swift mental recalibration while selecting an avocado at the grocery store or waiting in traffic.
Monday, December 19th: Venus squares Chiron and trines the North Node, so we should trust emerging instincts today around style, art, romance and aesthetics, as we’re more attuned to how to evolve and connect with our future self via our Venus vibe. A sudden urge to invest in new curtains, buy a blazer or make a relationship move might seem trivial or impulsive but could actually prompt forward-movement in other areas of life, empowering us to connect to (and make larger decisions as) our alter-ego self.
Tuesday, December 20th: Jupiter returns to Aries until May, an energizing influence for entrepreneurs, adventurers, and all self-started ventures. We might notice today that stagnant energy or situations quickly resume or receive a burst of spirited momentum, and this will continue as an emerging theme over the course of the winter. Work with this enterprising and risk-rewarding influence to ignite a personal change, pioneer a new beginning or to initiate a new project or elevate an existing idea; self-backing and confidence are rewarded over the next few months, so don’t shy away from opportunities to take healthy risks or to demonstrate personal autonomy and a sense of trust in oneself.
Wednesday, December 21st: The Sun enters Capricorn, officially marking the Winter Solstice and the re-birth of the sun in the Northern Hemisphere. Capricorn season is perfect for fortifying, consolidating and re-structuring, and as the holiday hustle and bustle comes to it’s yearly climax, the vibe shifts from the playfulness of Sagittarius Season to more of a stern, pragmatic Saturnine sensibility, helping us clean up our finances, organize our affairs and confidently enter the new year with a sense of structure, poise and organization. But as the sun spends it’s first moments in Capricorn, the luminary finds itself in a tense square with Jupiter which urges us all toward a sense of extremism today from our opinions to our spending, to our creative dabbling and our romantic adventures. It’s not a problem, per se — in fact, this astrology only amps influences and impulses which were already present — but as an ego-boosting inhibition-inhibiter it’s generally combative, prompting the unapologetic expression of unpopular opinions at holiday parties or leading to next-day regret overt a sloppily-written or emotion-filled monolog sent via text. Ideally, grab a cocktail (or mocktail) and avoid the more chaotic circumstances fueled by this astrology while enjoying it’s more playful side, allowing it to amp your pleasure threshold, creative instincts, social charisma and healthy romantic longings.
Thursday, December 22nd: Venus Trines Uranus which gently liberates us from our personal norms with regard to Venusian themes including dating, art, cosmetics, fashion, values and aesthetic choices. It’s favorable under this influence to depart from our usual Venus-ruled routines: if, for example, you never engage in online dating, give the apps an honest go — if you typically revert to a cozy sweatshirt or flannel when self-adorning, reach for the bodysuit buried in the back of your closet today (or another garment not usually included in your go-to weekday ensemble.) Think of it as an experiment: it’s not that the optimal result is promised, but at the very least, we’ll learn or experience something cool or our small departure from the norm garners an interesting feedback loop.
*= Stones which can be directly purchased through me!
Tarot Card For the Full Moon in Gemini: The King of Swords
The King of Swords (pulled from The Modern Witch Tarot by Lisa Sterle) is a discerning, responsible and impartial character with a commitment to justice and an unwavering ability to see all sides of a situation. Kings generally represent leadership and maturity within the context of their element, their mastery and skill reflected outwardly and behaviorally (as opposed to the Queens, who master the magick of their suit internally and then radiate this quiet sense of empowerment outwardly, allowing it to infuse their every action.) But while Queens are a magickal vibe, a state of being or embodiment, Kings are more concerned about our immediate choices, behaviors and courses of action, encouraging us to align to our most capable self in service of inspiring others who may be watching closely and following our example. As the ruler of the realm of thought and word, there is perhaps no King of more integrity than that of the Swords suit; it’s within this card that we learn to keep the promises we make to others and ourselves, to uphold the boundaries and rules we’ve set for ourselves and to do the generally more just, responsible thing (which, usually, isn’t the easier thing.) The Tarot’s Court Cards are complex; the students in my Tarot Course often express confusion around them because we tend to associate them with other people, often who fit the physical appearance or personality type generally assigned to the card. However, as you know if you’re familiar with my interpretations, my approach to the Court Cards is more aligned to the modern perspective which is that we each contain all the archetypes illustrated in the Tarot inside of us, and the Court Cards are no exception. The Kings don’t only apply to a physically male, or chronologically older, individual; instead, it’s about masculine energy as opposed to feminine energy, with each of us harboring both (and I love that to assert this point, Lisa Sterle makes the creative choice to represent the King of Swords in this deck as a female-bodied person!) While our inner feminine plays, nurtures and expresses itself creatively, intuitively and sensually (again, think the Queens), the inner masculine is what keeps us physically, emotionally and intellectually protected: it’s also the aspect of the self which creates containers and boundaries, pays bills and makes lists — it’s the more linear-thinking, rationally-minded fragment of our being, the part of us that gets shit done so we can play, feel and make magick the other 50% of the time. This Gemini Full Moon challenges us to access our inner King of Swords, to conjure a deeper sense of maturity and emotional impartiality as we traverse the emotional intensity of the moment’s Mars-influenced astrology. But make no mistake, the King of Swords isn’t a doormat and doesn’t tolerate acts of hostility or disrespect — in fact, this is an energy which can be quite ruthless. It’s where we set a clear boundary and then uphold it, even if this requires us to eliminate repeat-offenders from our VIP section. It’s an energy which deploys ruthless objectivity when making decisions, with emotional pull and personal favoritism factoring very little in the overall thought process. Their response to any attacks on their kingdom or personhood are strategic and methodical, never impulsive or emotional-filled and as a result, they tend to be more impactful. It’s an energy that’s powerful, self-aware and absolutely impossible to manipulate. But perhaps most relevant for the Gemini Full Moon is the communication aspect of this card, as the King of Swords teaches us to be clear, articulate communicators who can convey a perspective, boundary or decision with ease and empowerment. The Sword in the Tarot represents truth, knowledge, and pointed authenticity, and the King of this suit wields it with a certain sense of strength and confidence which we only really see in the Justice card. They use their words to speak their truth, to pass along knowledge and to shed light on any injustices occurring around them, and while we may not be leading any movements or speaking any lectures this week, we too can embrace the throat chakra as a liberation tool for ourselves and others, even if our platform is quite small (or even if we do so in the context of a specific relationship or moment of private, one-on-one dialogue.) In short, it’s safe to say that we’re advised to do the more responsible, emotionally-objective and mature thing this Full Moon, annoying though that may sound, and we’re rewarded when we communicate clearly and in a way that gives others an opportunity to understand. We should also check our inner dialogue this Full Moon and consult the rules and protocols we have in place for ourselves. Are they misguided, too strict or have we simply outgrown the need for them? Conversely, do we need to firm up some boundaries around spending, relationships, family dynamics or work? Make promises to yourself this Full Moon which feel good and aligned, and do what it takes to keep them with integrity. Behave and speak privately in a way that would make you proud publicly and perhaps most importantly, embrace this King’s vibe of honesty and authenticity. This might mean we have to have a difficult conversation, set a boundary or make a hard decision, but this card arises to affirm that we have the strength inside of us to take care of business this Full Moon, to speak our truth eloquently and honestly and to uphold our values with thought, word and action.
Listen Here! 👂🔮
Other Announcements:
✨Local witches: as the holiday season approaches, my crystal spell pouches make a fantastic stocking-stuffer or small gift for the intentional person in your life! With an individual’s name and a few details about their current magickal goals or intentions, I’ll assemble an organza bag of reiki-treated and anointed crystals, complete with description cards, to support them along their path of co-creation. Crystal spell pouches are $15, $20 or $25 (you choose the tier.) You can also purchase a crystal spell pouch on the basis of one specific intention (such as abundance, love, obstacle removal, etc.)
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