Gemini, Pluto and Sir Paul

New Moon in Gemini, 27th May 2006, 06.25am

And a very happy birthday this month to all you canny Gemini’s out there!

Gemini is the sign of the twins, and is linked to the ancient myth of Castor and Pollux, twin brothers who were tragically separated. Because one twin was mortal, he was killed in an accident, leaving his immortal brother to search the earth desperate to be reunited with his lost sibling. Finally Zeus, King of the Gods, took pity on the twins and reunited them in the sky in the form of the constellation Gemini.

The theme of searching for the lost part of oneself is a strong one for Gemini people – those who have the Sun or other key planets in this air sign. Just like the immortal twin, Geminis are on a quest in life to find a part of themselves which they feel is missing. For this reason they seek information from as many sources as they can, whether this be in conversation with a wide variety of people (do you know a Gemini who’s not up for a good chin wag?!), or a well developed curiosity about the world around them. They have an innate restlessness which means they always have at least four projects on the go at once, projects they may never finish, especially if something more interesting comes along in the meantime!

Like the other air signs the acquisition and distribution of information is a strong driver for Geminis. Curiosity is a strong Gemini characteristic – as is a tendency to get bored rather easily! To accommodate their ever changing focus of attention they flit from one new idea or conversation to another like information hungry butterflies, and are experts in a social situation. Charm comes naturally to Geminis and they are generally well liked, though are likely to have lots of more casual acquaintances rather than several very close friends. The moral of the story for Gemini is, however, that the lost part of themselves they are searching for in the outside world and in other people is, in fact much closer to home than they realise: they finally understand this when they learn to look within and find that the “lost part” they’ve been so intent on seeking was there all the time.

Gemini is what is termed a “mutable” sign, one of the signatures of which is adaptablility. This will have been an especially invaluable asset for Geminis over the last eleven or so years, as the planet Pluto, Lord of the Underworld, will have been at a key confrontation point opposite their Sun at some point during that time. (Sagittarians, Virgos and Pisceans, the other mutable signs, will have also experienced something similar during this time period.) When Pluto comes to visit in our birth chart, we are placed in a position of deciding what it is that truly matters in our lives, at the deepest emotional level. It’s usually a point at which there is no room for compromise, and nowhere to run and hide – even if we believe we can’t face the challenges we’re being asked to take on.

Pluto brings under intense scrutiny that which is not a hundred per cent authentic or useful to our personal and emotional growth, and demands that we sacrifice outmoded attitudes, habits, relationships or ways of behaving. This can feel like a journey through our own personal underworld, a journey on which we are asked to face the scariest demons from the darkest recesses of our psyche. But once we’ve taken on the challenge Pluto presents, we have the opportunity to rise from the underworld into the light, to be reborn. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes we feel cleansed and invigorated, as well as being enriched by a sense of personal power we did not realise we possessed: this is the treasure Pluto gives us to bring with us to the surface after our dark journey. All sounds pretty heavy, right?! Well, sometimes, life is like that. We get stuck in relationships or situations which we know deep down are just not positive for us any more, but because it’s our nature to take the easy option, we sometimes avoid moving on from things when we know we really should.

One very famous Gemini who is going through something of a personal challenge at the hands of Pluto during 2006 is none other than ex-Beatle, Sir Paul McCartney. At time of writing (late May 2006) his relationship break up with wife Heather Mills McCartney, has been splashed all over the press amid speculation of her being nothing more than a gold digger. The high level of publicity surrounding events is no surprise, given that Sir Paul’s Sun is at the highest and most visible point in his chart, at the Midheaven, representing social status, career and direction. Whatever the kind of transformation Pluto was going to demand from him, it was a safe bet that it would be played out in public. Pluto opposing his Sun from the fourth house of home and family is demanding sweeping changes both in his home life and his marriage (social status can be taken to mean how other people see us in the sense of single, married, divorced etc as well as the position we hold in the social hierarchy or the world of work). His chart indicates that this state of affairs will have been building up for at least a year now, with the pressure mounting from early 2005 as Pluto crossed his IC, or point of home and roots.

As well as opposing his Sun until late 2007, Pluto is also making a challenging aspect to his ascendant, or front door, demanding that he changes his outlook on life or his position in the world. It may also greatly affect how others see him; sometimes this transit can affect the physical appearance, though not in all cases. Into 2007 whilst Pluto still dances opposite his Sun, it will also take a challenging position in relation to his Neptune, demanding that he seeks spiritual truth and honesty at a very deep level. Turmoil for Sir Paul, indeed. All of this is not to say that Pluto will manifest in such a dramatically public manner for everyone, as it can work on a more subtle, inner level: the publicity in this case is partly due to the birth placements of Sir Paul’s planets and his already huge fame and power. It could also be a message to him from the cosmos that he hasn’t been listening to more subtle messages about the need to clear his psyche of clutter and unwanted baggage over many years, and this time the message is being rammed home in a much more spectacular way. Change is one of the few things that is certain in life, and change he will over the coming months, whether he thinks he wants to or not. Hopefully it won’t be too long, both for Sir Paul and for his estranged wife, before they also uncover Pluto’s hidden treasures and experience a personal rebirth.

As I write this, I’m in the midst of preparations for a very welcome two week break with friends in Spain. Next newsletter I’ll hope to be returning to my work and life refreshed, relaxed and with a lovely golden tan! I know I stand a decent chance of enjoying Spain, as it is one of the parts of the world which brings forward positive elements in my birth chart. Join me on the next new moon for more about “astro-locality”, the art of plotting your birth chart onto the world map, along with some famous examples of how a little knowledge and a judicious choice of location can go a long way!

Additional astrology workshop date – Saturday 1st July

In addition to the one-day astrology course which I’ll be running at Uppingham Summer School on Wednesday 9th August, I’ll also be giving any budding astrologers out there the chance to explore their personal birth chart during a one-day workshop on Saturday 1st July. Suitable for beginners, we’ll spend the day looking at what astrology really is and how it can be used in the context of your life. We’ll explore the what, the where and the how in the birth chart, as well as the Sun, Moon and Ascendant and their roles in your life. If you’d like further information please contact me on 01572 822226.

Star-Maps Astrology on BBC Radio Leicester!

Please note that my weekly slot on Radio Leicester, previously on Fridays, has now moved to Thursdays at 3.15pm. Anyone living in the Leicester area can tune in to 104.9FM and hear me walking the astro-talk on the John Florance show (please note I’ll be off air from 25th May and back on air on 8th June because of my hols!) Listeners who’d like me to give them a taster of the main features of their birth chart live on air are invited to write in to John with their date, time and place of birth and their telephone number. John can be contacted at john.florance@bbc.co.uk

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