The horoscopes of Decan I of any sign are free to everyone, but Decans II and III are available to supporters of my Patreon account at the $3 or greater tiers: this month, Scott R.’s contribution to my Ko-Fi account or PayPal made Gemini II free for all. His generosity opened this column to any potential readers. You can also schedule an appointment with me using Accuity Scheduling, for a natal or solar return consultation. My Almanac is also available! It’s for sale through my Etsy website as a PDF.

About 1:36 am EDT, the Sun enters Gemini II on 30 May 2021. Austin Coppock called this decan The Hermaphrodite, the half-male, half-female entity or deity that arose in Greek mythology from the union of Ares and Aphrodite — or came out of the alchemist’s athanor in the middle ages. The Greeks of 1st century Alexandria may have celebrated Magna Mater at this time of year, though: the somewhat alien and weird worship of Kubele or Cybele the Great Mother, whose priests were mostly famous in the Roman Empire for being castrated men or eunuchs.  Deprived of natural desire and divorced from bodily lust, Kubele’s dedicants paraded though the streets singing strange songs and terrifying Roman citizens — and yet Rome’s ancient oracles insisted that Magna Mater’s presence was necessary to the health of the city. The strange goddess and her devotees were allowed to remain in Roman cities and territories.

Kubele is a stark reminder that the past is a foreign place.  Eunuchs are not a common phenomenon in modern life today, and yet there was genuine worry in Greek and Roman households about their children running off to Cybele’s temples to accept the initiation as a member of her priesthood.  There was something powerful and meaningful in the worship of the Great Mother that caused the very foundations of Greco-Roman civilization to tremble — and the civil powers thought often and deeply about suppressing her cultus and destroying her shrines.  Yet the consuls and the Senate, on consulting the oracles, determined that there was nothing to be done.  They placed a formal ban on Cybele’s priesthood from accepting eldest sons or Roman citizens to their ranks, and otherwise let them continue their rites and rituals without abatement.  

Kubele/Cybele’s intrusion into our lives represents a foreign incursion into our mental space — a collision with alien and unfamiliar identities and expressions of culture that are outlandish and peculiar to us. To the ancient Greeks and Romans, the worship of Cybele and its expression was genuinely disturbing, initially as strange and upsetting to them as seeing a UFO landing on the lawn of the White House or in New York’s Central Park. Continued exposure led to greater familiarity but carried ongoing uneasiness. Even as ordinary Romans tried to incorporate the worship of Magna Mater, the Great Mother, into their regular religious observances, they couldn’t help but consider how unusual her role was in Roman life: a goddess sanctioned by the state that all were expected to worship, yet whose priesthood was entirely non-Roman and composed of people who were normally excluded from ritual spaces on pain of death.

Kubele speaks to one of the weird truths about religion in general, and magic in particular, which is that there are in any society, spiritual techniques and technologies that are open to the ruling class and the elites; and fundamentally similar techniques and technologies that are closed to the ruling class and open only to a broader swath of the people. This is to say, some magical and spiritual techniques belong to the oppressors, and some belong to the oppressed. At some level, Kubele/Cybele straddles this divide; her worship was commended to all, even as there were simultaneous efforts to prevent high-class Romans from seeking leadership positions in that worship.

The United States and the western world is perhaps in a similar place around LGBTQ+ identities.  To people of a certain class or upbringing, non-heterosexual identities feel like a threat to the established order — a dangerous and outrageous bending of the obvious rules of Nature and of Nature’s gods. Any extension of rights or privileges to such individuals risks collapsing the whole edifice of human society, with disastrous consequences to everyone.  Increasingly in the west, these people find a way to accept these identities in others… while still regarding them as a threat to the moral, social, and cosmic order — and praying to God or the gods that it won’t happen to any of their own children or nieces or nephews. The degree of alienation they experience is real and upsetting. Yet some ancient Greeks and Romans saw the processions of Kubele’s priests and priestesses, and believed that joining them was the most natural and obvious thing in the world; for modern people, joining the LGBTQ+ community is similarly the most natural and obvious thing in the world.

In between these two groups — the alienated and the joiners — is the vast majority that is trying to figure out which way to go and which way to flow. They see something that’s alien and foreign to their own experience, something unsettling and weird. Yet they also recognize in the experience of the Kubele/LGBTQ+ participants something human, something humane, something holy, something ecstatic and necessary. An individual and relatively ordinary person may not know what to think yet, and is looking for guidance about whether to move toward the posture that “those folks are weird” or “those folks are acceptable.” They’re having a reaction every bit as primal and potent as a Roman encountering Cybele for the first time — and nothing will be quite the same for them any more. There’s an empowerment from encountering this kind of Otherness — and it plants the seeds for broad societal change. That’s why it’s feared by elite leadership. At the same time, it’s real and necessary… and it also cannot be denied without even deeper upheaval and change. Therefore it must be accepted.

The administrator of this decan is Mars, indicating the first time that we’ve cycled through all seven planets since the start of Aries I. Mars in Gemini is the arguer or debater, the person who can be both devil’s and angel’s advocate, who sees both sides in any situation, and can ague for the hybrid position most forcefully. A conqueror through words and persuasion, this Mars is the aggressive diplomat, the fierce negotiator, or the formidable academician who will brook no argument with their theories. However, this is also a place where Mars makes cutters-and-pasters, who will synthesize and reassemble, but create no new material for themselves. The negotiator can only work within chosen parameters, the diplomat can find no new common ground for compromise without consulting their betters, and the professor stands upon the shoulders of neglected giants in order to see farther than they do. This sort of work requires the cutting away of elements that don’t fit, and the burning of pieces that don’t merge nicely — Another way of saying this is that here, Mars is well-suited to the collage technique, the cutting-up and assemblage of existing bits… but not to the origination of new materials.

The dodecatemoria speak to this realization. Each of the four 2.5°-slices of Gemini II is cognate with the signs beginning with Libra, and progressing through Scorpio, Sagittarius and Capricorn — the intelligent rebalancing of diverse opinions is forced through a tight and focused emotional process to the achievement of wisdom that manifests as practical real-world activity. Yet there’s no creation here: this is the synthesis of what’s come before, not the manifestation of new forms.

Planetary Positions

The Ascendant is in Pisces II The Net, the glittering trap separating Jupiter in the first decan The Labyrinth, and Neptune in the third decan The Cup of Blood. Despite the stellium in Gemini, Pisces is the only sign with all three decans activated at the start of this season — and angular besides. The all-encompassing nature of Pisces, with its ruling lord present here above the horizon, presents us with an expansive and forgiving worldview, and helps us all adopt a more generous and kind attitude. However, Neptune promises a deep misunderstanding of medical and social issues on all levels, and indicates ongoing delusions on an unconscious level about relationships one to another. We are trapped in a glittering net from which there is no escape — but escape may not be the best option to seek in any case.

In the third house, Uranus brings upheaval to relationships among family and neighbors in Taurus III The Lingam Yoni. Square to Saturn who puts restrictions in place that restrict and limit friendships, but trine to the Others and sextile to Self — Uranus indicates sudden and poorly planned reconnection to friends, family, and intimate communities that may not be for the best.

The stellium in the fourth house in Gemini consists of The Sun, The North Node, the Imum Coeli, Mercury and Venus — square to Neptune and Jupiter and trine to Saturn and the Moon, it’s a bit of a mess to unpack. Yet our focus and attention on our homes and the family beneath our roof is likely to increase in the next ten days, as we make sense of the mix of messaging about who can and cannot come in; who belongs, and who should stay out for the moment. Communication, creativity, and our common dreams are still very much in play — but the eclipse of five days ago, and the one ten days in our future (just a few hours before this decan ends!) both promise significant operational challenges to house and home in the days ahead.

In the fifth house, the Lot of Fortune and Mars activate the decans of Cancer called The Mother and Child, and The Overflowing Cup. Opposing Pluto but trine to Jupiter and Neptune and sextile to Uranus, the issues of children and personal happiness receive a little too much in the way of authoritarian impositions from outside groups, contrasted with a boost to personalized anger from an indulgent and overly selfish or privileged attitude, and a willingness to revolt against local norms. Expect to see ongoing clashes over the rights and needs children, and increasing coercion of others in pursuit of personal pleasures.

The South Node in Sagittarius puts career matters in the toilet, promising a mismatch of goals and expectations between home on the one hand, and job prospects on the other. You can strap yourself into the harness and keep pulling the corporate sled forward — but this is spring, and those iron runners are not as useful as wheels, as C.S. Lewis’s White Witch might have observed. One of my teachers in Druidry in fond of saying “collapse now and avoid the rush”, and the Midheaven’s location in Sagittarius III The Horse’s Skull suggests there’s not much benefit in trying to urge this particular beast forward these next ten days.

Pluto in the eleventh house sits retrograde on Capricorn III’s Throne, coercing and commanding friends and allies into a series of small steps that bring on big changes. Retrograde planets act more slowly than usual, but deliver longer-lasting effects. This placement is no exception — as more and more people get vaccinated, expect your attendance at social events to involve more hugs, more kisses, and closer contact without being able to plan such contacts judiciously or on your own terms.

Saturn and the Moon are in Aquarius in the 12th house, occupying the middle decan Heaven and Earth. The twelfth house suggests a favorable and useful, long-lasting solitude, and a communion or communication with a garden or food-forest. The Moon is in the 25th Mansion, a placement long associated with the planting of trees and the benefits of long-term thinking, while Saturn draws favorable connections from the Sun, Mercury and Venus — again, inviting us to self-contained thinking that draws on the experiences of the wider world but does not give in to them.

Horoscopes by Rising Sign

Pisces: Ruling Jupiter is present in the sign’s first decan. You’ll find that your options for self-aggrandizement expand in the next ten days, but also your capacity for self delusion. An essential focus on home and family issues will require review and communication of key protocols as regards both adult visitors and children’s play partners. Trying to force a career move to happen? Give it a rest — and do the dishes in the sink insteadand other housework, so a partner or spouse can engage in a new hobby for a bit.

Aries: Ruling Mars is in fall, and square from Cancer, promising financial difficulties arising from irresponsible partying or your children’s overweening desires. A low-grade financial upheaval likely continues to trouble your activities. Adjust your fashion and self-presentation to match your work, but get input from close allies in private. Your neighborhood is going through some reorganization, and the pollen counts are probably fierce — expect delays when it comes to intimate news. Your pleasure-seeking or hobbies may bring in a bit of income, but could lead to argument.

Taurus: Ruling Venus is in Gemini where she’s peregrine and in aversion, leaving you to manage challenges and upheavals on your own. These especially affect extended family; if you’re in any polyamorous relationships, rearrangements of arrangements are likely to arise in the sensual realms. Your siblings may also make choices you find bewildering.

Gemini: Ruling Mercury is present here in Gemini, where they’re angular and night loving but keeping company with the Sun. Good communication and creative acts take place at home and bring benefits to self but not necessarily to the household. A partner is focused on personal problems and could use your help and advice. You may experience a new and generous boss or supervisor at work, but there will be an initial lack of clarity about what is expected of you. Some learning is required of you — but don’t bother with classes for now; take on the study for yourself and get it done.

Cancer: Ruling Moon is in Aquarius conjunct Saturn where she’s inconjunct and peregrine, facilitating both opportunity and difficulty, and inclined to place restrictions on either your hobbies or your children. Your ambition is likely to overpowered this week, particularly when it comes to over scheduling entertainments — but your best successes come from some time on retreat, planning for your business endeavors or for improving the quality of home. Travel options come your way, but schedule constraints and responsibility may prevent you from doing anything but going it alone.

Leo: Ruling Sun is in Gemini where he’s sextile to his own sign in the fourth house, creating favorable circumstances. Your health regimens benefit from acting in concert with friends and family members, but be willing to go it alone if you must. Your partner or spouse or significant ally faces a monetary challenge that you can solve; the favor owed is significant, but may not be paid back — consider using generosity rather than a more transactional loan arrangement. Your home life feels both too public and diminished, but your job is pushing all of your dreamy career buttons. Be wary of social rivals, but know that a friend may be a source of new financial gains.

Virgo: Ruling Mercury is in Gemini, a sign they rule, but square to their other sign, creating conflict. This conflict manifests as a challenge between you and your spouse or significant other, between their family and your efforts to make your life run the way you want it to. Your house and home may take a hit or you may feel less confident about its ability to shelter you safely. Health issues may come into sharp focus; manage health with more water and less warmth. Travel or learning opportunities arise but carry sexual overtones that may be more transactional or quid pro quo than you regard as appropriate. A friend becomes a burden, but also a potential source of financial gain.

Libra: Ruling Venus is in Gemini where she’s peregrine but trine, bringing favorable synchronicities between your responsibilities and your home life. Duty and obligation are a major theme for you, thee next ten days, and you may encounter news from extended family or neighbors about career changes or public blows to reputation. Your friends ask you to take a leadership role among them on a practical matter that you can work on from home. A boss may engage in an abusive shouting match, but the payoff for a project gives you a chance to see your ‘kids’ thrive. Not a lot of time off this season, but you have a chance to preside over your workplace’s new image

Scorpio: Ruling Mars is in Cancer where he’s in fall but trine, promising a cautious but optimistic outlook on learning experiences and personal entertainment or travel. There’s less in your bank account or wallet than usual; harness what you’ve got for the appropriate mix of duty and survival, and be open about what you can and can’t do with friends; you may be able to lead the group to free entertainments a while, or get by with a little help from your friends. Is the conversation at home a little stale? Freshen up by attending to the garden — the results will be long-lasting, even if all you can do is a kitchen-window herb garden. Home-based obligations are likely to be particularly heavy and two-sided (inside and outside). Read any directions or class plan or travel itinerary with more attention than usual, or you’re likely to miss the plane, the assignment, or your easiest exit.

Sagittarius: Ruling Jupiter is in Pisces, a sign he rules but square, creating widening friction between personal needs and career goals. There’s a narrowing window for you to take up a public exercise course. Your financial capacities are strong and growing for now, but be aware that familial matters may be more expensive and unsettled than you’d like, and make you feel more lonely than before. You’re in command in some ways, uneasy in others, when it comes to the state of play at home… are you the lord of your castle, or one voice in a parliament? Your partner, if any, is engaged in some substantive problem solving and creative labors that require their whole attention — but your good fortunes as well as your chief source of difficulty is likely in their company. Hold on to the good in the next ten days. Remember to recognize key allies as beautiful solvers of problems and artists of analysis, and all shall be well.

Capricorn: Ruling Saturn is in Aquarius, a sign he rules, but in aversion so that you are left to manage boundaries and navigate limits unassisted. Intentionally or no, you have a leadership role among friends and they will do what you do — divergence between your public and private opinions maybe far more widely known than you think or want; be cautious for a while about separating them. Restrict expenditures for the next two weeks unless they feed into a long-term plan for surviving and thriving. Do you have siblings, or super close friends? The big-shot is probably eager to talk with you about their promotion or sideways transfer; the dreamer is deep in some internal journey that carries special insight — make a point of reaching out and basking in those revelations. Your own daily life appears to involve a good deal of work-from-home challenges and worries about health, but your position is not likely to be improved by fighting with your spouse when they poke at these issues. Acknowledge their worries and act on them where you can.

Aquarius: Ruling Saturn is present in your sign, establishing a scaffold on which to build your program, but also making you more harsh than usual. The Moon’s presence invites you to engage in some long-range thinking: about your garden, your skills, your business plan. Financial options are expanding but be cautious about investing in medical tech or non-productive wealth-generation systems in the next ten days; you may self-identify with these options, but your head isn’t in the right place in the game right now. A more careful analysis of your overall business-oriented trajectory is required, especially if your household or sex life feels upset or unsettled at the moment. Take more care than usual with risky physical labors or while running errands for your parents. Are you complaining about your career more often than usual? Stop talking about your complaints, and start making (silently) an exit plan that takes you to the right place.

Colophon

I have a Patreon account for those who want to support this column as it continues its third year. We’re currently doing a decan walk through some Tarot, astrology, mythology, and magic. I hope you’l join us. I use Patreon funds (as well as my own funds) to support artists and artisans and thinkers that I regard as contributing to the well-being of the world. if you don’t want to become a regular patron, you can also buy me a Ko-fi in $3 increments, and any column I write after receiving a Ko-Fi donation will be open to the public.  You can also schedule an appointment with me using Accuity Scheduling, for a natal or solar return consultation.

I use iPhemeris for my charting software, and screenshot it to make charts. I want to thank the team that develops iPhemeris for the addition of Terms and Decans to their charts, appearing here for the first time! I use Hugh Tran‘s Physis typeface to craft logos for this blog, as well.

I use Christopher Warnock‘s The Mansions of the Moon as the basis of my Moon placement delineations, and Austin Coppock‘s 36 Faces as the basis of much of my planetary delineations. Neither gentleman endorses me. My own book, A Full Volume of Splendour and Starlight, is now available as PDF download from my Etsy website, as is my Almanac for 2021. Any errors in these columns are my own.

If you’d like to schedule a consultation with me, you can find additional information on the Services and Classes page.

If you want to read some of my other astrologically-oriented poetry, To the Mansions of the Moon is a collection of hymns to the angels of the Mansions mentioned in these columns. For the Behenian Stars is a collection of hymns to the first/brightest sixteen stars. The Sun’s Paces are hymns to the thirty-six Hellenistic-era deities and ascended souls of the Greco-Egyptian Decans-calendar. While not astrological, Festae contains hymns to some of the older Roman gods and spirits from the calendar created by Numa Pompilius, the second ancient King of Rome.