Sources:
Brau, Jean-Louis, Helen Weaver, and Allan Edmands. Larousse Encyclopedia of Astrology.New
York: Plume, 1980.
“In Memoriam: Michel Gauquelin—November 13, 1928–May 20, 1991.” Astroflash(Summer
1991): 9–10.GEMINI
Gemini, the third sign of the zodiac, is a mutable air sign. It is a positive, masculine sign
ruled by the planet Mercury. Its symbol is the twins, its glyph is said to represent twins,
and it takes its name from the Latin word for twins. Gemini is associated with the
shoulders, arms, hands, and lungs. Individuals with a Gemini sun sign are prone to lung
problems and to accidents involving the arms. The key phrase for Gemini is “I think.”
While Gemini has been associated with different pairs of people, the primary
association is with Castor and Pollux (the Roman version of the Greek Castor and
Polydeuces). Castor and Pollux were the sons of Leda, who coupled with the god Zeus
and then, in some accounts, lay with her husband, King Tyndareus. The resulting off-
spring were Pollux, the son of Zeus, and Castor, the son of Tyndareus. They were war-
riors and members of the Argonauts’ crew (the band of mythological adventurers who
sailed with Jason in quest of the Golden Fleece) and came to be regarded as patron
deities of sailors and navigators. During a cattle-stealing adventure, Castor was slain.
Pollux, the immortal brother, asked Zeus that either he might die also or his dead
brother might share his immortality. In deference to his son’s wish, Zeus allowed the
brothers to alternate so that one spent a day in the underworld while the other was
among the gods; on successive days they traded places.
The primary Gemini trait reflected in this tale is the sign’s well-known dual
nature. People who do not understand Geminis frequently regard them as “two-faced,”
but people born under this sign are, more often than not, sincerely schizophrenic—they
sincerely identify with both their personalities. Positively, this dual nature manifests as an
ability to see both sides of every disagreement; a typical Gemini remark is, “There are two
sides to everything.” Like Castor and Pollux, Geminis are highly social beings with great-
ly developed communication skills. Also like the twins of mythology, they are associated
with travel and trade (and sometimes “cattle rustling”) and enjoy travel. Like all air signs,
they are at home in the mental realm; many academics and teachers are Geminis.
The sign that the Sun was in at birth is usually the single most important influ-
ence on a native’s personality. Thus, when people say they are a certain sign, they are
almost always referring to their sun sign. There is a wealth of information available on
the characteristics of the zodiacal signs—so much that one book would not be able to
contain it all. Sun-sign astrology, which is the kind of astrology found in newspaper
columns and popular magazines, has the advantage of simplicity. But this simplicity is
purchased at the price of ignoring other astrological influences, such as one’s Moon
sign, rising sign, etc. These other influences can substantially modify a person’s basic
sun sign traits. As a consequence, it is the rare individual who is completely typical of
her or his sign. The reader should bear this caveat in mind when perusing the follow-
ing series of sun-sign interpretations.Gemini
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