New Moon in Gemini II, Exploring Light and Shadow
June 6's New Moon in Gemini plants a seed for us to expand our understanding of what it means to be human, to embrace and accept the shadowy unconscious part of our natures. Gemini is an air sign ruled by Mercury, the god of communication. Symbolically, its constellation is associated with the Twins, in ancient Greek mythology, Castor and Pollux, two brothers, one the son of a god, the other the son of a mortal. A walk through the sign of Gemini finds us confronted with our dual nature as human beings; we are spirit and embodied soul—we are the light of consciousness and the shadows of unconscious knowing that we carry as embodied souls.
The dualities of the sign are at their zenith in the second decan (10 degrees) of Gemini (“Gemini II”), which is ruled by Mars, the god of war, and Venus, the god of love and harmony. The tarot card associated with this decan captures the tense conflict we can experience as planets move through this part of the chart; we see a figure experiencing what St. John of the Cross called the “Dark Night of the Soul,” swirling, warring thoughts have taken them over, they are in anguish. Yet they are covered with a blanket of Venusian roses, suggesting the capacity to repair and reconcile those thoughts, to find balance amid the chaos.
What does it mean to live as beings capable of both acts of great kindness and acts of war and destruction? How do we live with the truth of the light and dark sides of human nature? Are we capable of a mature, forgiving stance toward the hidden, unintegrated parts of our being who sometimes make themselves known by harming others?
These are the questions seeded by the New Moon. On a positive note, the New Moon energy on June 6 is amplified by the conjunction of Venus. As a co-ruler of this decan of Gemini, Venus brings added strength and assists the Sun and Moon in harmonizing the conflicting energies inherent in Gemini II. This alignment invites us to acknowledge our inherent limitations as human beings, fostering a sense of peace and understanding and guiding us toward balance and harmony.
However, the New Moon's energy is not without its challenges. Saturn, positioned in Pisces, the sign of compassion and unity with the universe, forms a square aspect with the New Moon. This aspect, a 90-degree angle, carries a tense, restrictive energy. Yet, when Saturn, the god of limits and responsibility, forms a square with another planet, it presents an opportunity for personal growth, much like the growth that happens when we are teenagers, the time of life when we must grapple with the conflict between our desire for independence and the fear of the responsibilities that come with personal autonomy.
Given Gemini's dual nature and the square aspect, as we integrate the energy of the New Moon, we may vacillate between feeling as if we are falling short and finding the spiritual maturity to love and accept our human failings. The Saturnine energy could manifest as the stern, God-like father figure who leaves us feeling like we are never “good enough.” However, if we can hold the tension of this aspect and call on the loving power of Venus, we may find we can relate to Saturn as the teacher who challenges us to commit to the slow path of spiritual growth rather than the harsh inner critic; we may see the truth underneath Saturn’s call: that he is asking us to recognize our capacity to do the hard work of living with our humanity—to take on the slow, arduous task of integrating the dark bits of who we are. This process is not about perfection but about self-acceptance and spiritual growth.
The energy of June 6’s New Moon will affect us differently depending on where it falls in our birth chart. Feel free to reach out for a reading if you’d like to know more about how it may play out in your own life.