The Dark Moon Path continues its inward journey into Gemini, an air sign. The breath of air from Aquarius is now a wind in Gemini and will become a storm in Libra. As we move deeper into the Dark, we greet the Mother Goddess.
The picture of Gemini is that of twins. According to Greek myth, the twins of the Zodiac were Castor and Pollux, two people who looked so much alike that they became twins and they loved each other so much that they were twins in their hearts. Pollux was the immortal son of Zeus while Castor was mortal. When Castor was killed, Pollux cound not accompany him to the land of the dead. Pollux mourned so greatly that Zeus allowed them to alternate every six months, spending six months in the ladn of the dead and six months in heaven. Unfortunately, Castor was in heaven, and Pollux was in the land of the dead. They were not together but both were allowed to experience spiritual heaven and mortal death. Castor and Pollux were twinned in partnership and in love.
In Roman myth, the twins Romulous and Remus were twins divided by fire. They were the sons of Rhea Silvia, a vestal virgin seduced by Mars, the God of War. Her father's rival, King Amulius, fearing the boys would take his throne, had the boys placed in a basket and thrown into the Tiber River. The boys were washed ashore and discovered by a she-wolf who nursed them. Later a shepherd found them and raised the boys with his own children. When they became adults, the twins discovered their true identity. They overthrew Amulius and restored their grandfather to the throne. They then set out to found their own city.
As they travelled, Romulous and Remus quarreled over where they should found their own city. They decided that whoever saw the largest number of vultures in flight would decide where the city should be started. Romulous saw twelve vultures in flight, and declared that was a sign that the gods wanted him to decide where the new city should be. Remus saw only six vultures and accused his brother of cheating. In the ensuing argument, Remus was killed and Romulous founded and ruled the city of Rome. Romulous and Remus were twinned in conflict and in hate.
Twins have facinated people from the beginning. In the days when successful pregnancies and live children were not always taken for granted, a successful twin birth was a double miracle. Today, both science and psychology do special studies of twins, of their biology, of their psychology and their socialization. Frequently reported in the media are stories about twins, separated at birth, who have made similar choices in spouses, careers, and lifestyles.
Do we long for that kind of sympathy and connection with another soul? Are we perplexed by it, fascinated by it, or repulsed by it? There is also the legend of the evil twin, where one twin is pure and good and the other twin is purely evil.
In astrology, Gemini is portrayed as bright, intelligent, studious, and rational. The inward spiral of Gemini is someone who is flightly, gossipy, shallow, and superficial. Geminis are often seen as people with a double personality, a dark side and a light side. We often see the Mother as a dual personality as well. Gemini brings us our first experience of the Goddess as the Mother. As Gemini, she is the Air Mother. Air is the element that can be a gentle breeze that cools us or the fierce wind that blows everything away.
The Air Mother is rational and intellectual. She can use her strong mind and tongue to praise and to scold. She uses words to cut away the crap and get to the heart of the matter. With a sharp mind and tongue, she tells us what is what and takes not prisoners. She also uses that mind and tongue to solve problems and to praise us for our strengths. The altruism of the Air Maiden becomes and Air Mother who tells truths, regardless of the feelings those truths might wound. Anyone who has been sliced and diced by the Air Mother's keen insights may not see the loving intent behind the words. Conversely, the Air Mother in her relentless quest for truth may not see the wounds inflicted with her words. Like the Air Maiden, the Air Mother needs the awareness of others to temper her words and deliver her messages in ways that can be heard by those who then become willing to listen.
One avenue to compassion is knowledge, the province of Gemini. The life of the mind is an exciting life. Learning, studying, researching, and writing are all part of the life of the mind. Living the life of the mind means that you use all your critical faculties to analyze and evaluate information.
Flip the coin of strength and you see a weakness. Someone living the life of the mind can become overly intellectual, arrogant, and unemotional, forgetting that experience and emotions are important teachers.
The Air Mother is a teacher, holding us to a high standard and relentlessly challenging us to be our best. She brings a brilliant intellect to our aid. Combined with heart and soul, the Air Mother sings with joy.
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