SATURN

[Linda]

Hi Rad and group,


Okay, Saturn in Gemini plus it's ruler
(Mercury in our choice of sign)
is fine with me.


Thanks,

Linda

[Kristin]

Hi All,

I also feel it would be beneficial for the development of this thread if we all picked different Mercury positions...

I would like to utilize Mercury in Libra/7th.

Peace,
Kristin

[Linda]

Hi Rad/all,


I will choose Saturn in Gemini with
ruler Mercury in Pisces.


Thanks,

Linda

[Skywalker]

Hi Group,

I can do Saturn in the Third/Gemini and Mercury in Scorpio as Rad suggested since it´s my natal placement.

All the best

[Rad]

Hi Linda, Kristin, Skywalker, and Gypsie

Ok then, let's do this segment this way then. So Kristin and Gypsie go ahead and choose what sign you want to put Mercury in given that Skywalker and Linda have made theirs.

Let's make our due date March 10th which will give you two weeks.

God Bless, Rad

[Kristin]

Hi Rad,
I had requested in my post above that I would like to do Saturn in Gemini/3rd with the ruler Mercury, in Libra..
Peace,
Kristin

[Taurus Moon]

OK with me!
Gypsie

[Linda]

Hi Rad and group,


The last two weeks have been incredibly busy for me,
and I have not been able to find the time to do the
current practice chart for Saturn in Gemini, ruled by
Mercury in a sign.

I will, however, join in again for the next assignment: 
Saturn in Cancer, ruled by Moon in a sign.


Thanks so much for your understanding,

Linda

[Kristin]

Hi Rad & Group...

I am about 3/4 done with my post, but need some more time to work on a few sections and edit what I have. I was hoping to have it finished by today, but the only day I can effectively work on these posts are Sundays..so ideally I would like to turn this in Monday morning. However if you want it sooner, I will do what I can to try and make that happen.

Thanks...Kristin

[Rad]

Hi Kristin,

Turn it in when you are done.

God Bless, Rad

[Skywalker]

Hi Rad and Group,

I´m also a little behind as now I´m starting to be busy with a new home I will be moving into in the coming weeks and it needs a lot of work. I have done quite a bit of the assignment but would like to improve on it, so since Kristin will still take some time I hope it´s ok if I do the same. I really prefer to give in something I´m happy with then to rush things.

Thank you

All the best

[Taurus Moon]

Hi Rad,
I am in the same place so it would be good to have a bit of extra time.
Gypsie.

[Kristin]

Hi Rad & Group,
Thank you for this opportunity and exercise to explore Saturn more deeply.
Peace,
Kristin

Saturn in GEMINI/3rd House
ruler Mercury in Libra

Earth Follows Fire, Fixed Follows Cardinal, and Air follows Earth. The new experiences born out of the Aries being and the feelings gained from these adventures where value, meaning and purpose was established in the withdrawal of the Taurean nature, have not been given a name, until now. Saturn in Gemini, in the 3rd house, gives us a language for our experiences, it gives it a name. The words make it real, and for the Saturn in Gemini Soul, the words give it sustenance and life.

Souls with Saturn in Gemini or the 3rd House are built to project themselves out into the physical environment, to collect information and facts, so they can maker larger and broader connections, in order to understand themselves and how they fit in the world. These individuals have gained new experiences which have expanded their ideas about how they are made and put together in relation to their physical environment. They have been developing a mental discipline and an intellectual ability to logically order their experiential existence. They find security by giving a name and classification to the objects and forms in their physical environment, in order to understand it cerebrally. They are giving names or classifications to things, in order to feel secure in the world. Well known Gemini, journalist Bill Moyer has a stellium of Gemini planets in the 4th house and says , "I collect information every day, reading several newspapers, magazines, and articles on the internet. The more information I take in, the more at HOME I feel in the world." This process can create a feeling of inner balance and calm for Souls with this signature.

Saturn in Gemini Souls have an inherent restless nature, with a natural need for diversity due to their natural intellectual curiosity. This sustained curious nature will be with them for the long haul and as a result, they will be creating a storehouse of facts and information over time in order to build a larger framework or superstructure of ideas that rationally and empirically explain their relationship to their environment. Because of this curious approach and a desire for diversity, generating likes and dislikes, they can tend to scratch the surface of many ideas and interests, whereby they ultimately gain a reputation for being a "Jack of All Trades, Master of None.' The goal however with Saturn in Gemini is to become a Master of One, if not many. Even more important, is to become a Master of their own mind, a Mastermind.

The ongoing pressure to take in new information creates an intense restlessness where they can feel that they are always jumping from one thing to the next. This can also create the phenomena of experiencing boredom, if they do not have something right in front of them to do or to learn. Many Souls with Saturn in Gemini, 3rd house, must keep their hands active at all times, to calm some of this restless energy. I recently learned that the local hi school allows students to knit during lectures, as studies have shown that some students think better when they are doing something with their hands, as it helps those that struggle with too much mental minutia to relax and better take in the information. This would especially be true with Souls carrying this specific Saturn in Gemini signature.

This Soul will forever feel as if they are not smart enough, and there is great fear surrounding not being recognized as intellectually wise. They will speak with authority, at times, attempting to control the conversation. They can be very articulate yet do not dare speak of something they do not know for fear of being wrong. They may appear to feel confident with what they know, but many do not perceive themselves as smart. They judge themselves harshly as lacking intellectually, remembering that wherever Saturn sits in the chart, is an area of perceived lack or feeling limited in some way. So they will continue to return to written resources to build upon what they already know, in order create a secure base of knowledge in areas that interest them and feed their curiosity. The mind can also prove to be their greatest enemy, as Mercury is also the natural ruler for Virgo, and they must learn to understand that they do hold the key of control over what enters the mind, what stays there, and what leaves. Because the mind is working on overdrive at all times, creating a deep inner groove of content, it will be essential that they build a working base of thoughts that are productive, thoughts that also induce reflection, so they can sift through what is worth taking space in their process and what needs to go. Saturn in Gemini/ 3rd house Soul's have a measured mind, they work hard mentally and have a hard time leaving the confines of the brain space. The mind may be a place they return to where they feel safe, yet it can also be their greatest trap, especially if that mental reel involves thoughts of fears or doubt regarding their limited intellectual capacity or inability to come to conclusions on their own.

The story they tell themselves will become what is real and they will hold onto facts that make them feel secure. How they feed their thoughts directly dictates their inner emotional reality. Staying rooted in the mind creates a suspended emotional reality and yet it is their thoughts that will then set up the entire structure of their emotional world. They can use their thoughts to support and to strengthen their base or the thoughts can deplete and diminish their sense of self esteem. When they are trapped by their thoughts, this prevents them from accessing emotion as emotion, or  feeling through life's snags emotionally, they will work to think things through to the bitter end without recruiting their emotions or doing a 9th house gut check, which is the evolving intention of this signature, to lose control of the mind, to remember that there is a limit to what the mind can access, and to trust the deeper beat called the drum of the intuition.  

The information gained over time, has led to establishing a certain point of view, yet, this view of understanding is limited, so in order for them to evolve, new information that will be gleaned at some point will undermine the accumulated base of information, what they thought they knew to be true, and everything will blow up. As a result, so does their sense of emotional security, yet due to being a mutable sign, they are able to adapt and to again collect more information to support their new story. They are simultaneously attracted to and repelled by new information. They are attracted to it in order to expand and to grow and yet they may feel threatened by it if is contradicts what they have created in order to feel secure. As a result, they will control what comes in and what goes out. Because nothing is static in life, and change is inevitable, this foundation will be rocked, so the Soul can grow, fears will be faced and metamorphoses can occur. The degree of cataclysm will be directly linked with how much the Soul has identified with the information. If the Soul had completely identified with the information, the cataclysm will be total, and the concrete base crumbles. However, if an idea or a body of information has been taken in to a far lesser extent, then the degree of the impact will not be as intense. When a limit is reached, in terms of the information that this Soul has taken in, meaning that something that presents itself cannot be answered with whatever is in within them, a tremendous build up of pressure occurs, which creates cracks in the casing of the mind, so that more light and truth can filter in, seen in the polarity, 9th house, Sag. The degree of intensity at key turns for any Soul in their evolution, is directly linked with how much resistance the Soul has to its own need for necessary growth.

The reasons WHY a Soul with Saturn in Gemini or the 3rd house feels limited in the knowing realm, and therefore fearful of speaking up and out is due to the fear of being judged for what they know or don't know, this also stems from feeling as if something 'bad' will happen if they put their thoughts, ideas or words out there. Perceived authority figures have wounded them with words, or punished them for something they said or wrote in the past. Their own personal perception of themselves will come to equal the same negative messages pounded into them by a patriarchal voice, regarding what a disgrace and grave disappointment they may have been. Everything they had come to learn to be true for themselves or what they learned from their environment, was false, or worse yet, resulted in being subjected to intense persecution, alienation, incarceration and perhaps death.  Whatever they had come to know, seen in the opposition to Sag/9th house, was not in alignment with societies standards of what was right and wrong. As a result, the Saturn in Gemini Soul would find a way to distance themselves from the truth of their own nature, in extreme cases, running as far from the truth as possible, as a form of protection and self preservation. They must learn to own the truth and accept where that leads, for the truth is the only way forward, and any form of running, or hiding seen in the square to Pisces, would only result in running from themselves. Evolution for the Saturn in Gemini or the 3rd house born is to speak the fear out loud, to own whatever it is that they are afraid of, and the mere verbal release will serve to diffuse what has gripped them for lifetimes.

A Soul with Saturn in Gemini, ruler Mercury in Libra, will experience an ease of integration of the new information presented to them, especially if the information was offered by someone they knew, where there was documented evidence that the information was working well in their lives. It could be too with Saturn in Gemini forming a 1st quarter trine to Mercury in Libra, that they find this new information opens their heart in a new way, increasing their connection to the material, energizing a reality where their heart is all the way 'in it'. The 1st quarter trine can generate harmonization between something that mentally sounds good and something that feels good, in heart and body. This aspect would also allow the Soul to more naturally be able to bridge the gap between the heart and the mind, which can be a true tripping point for most Saturn in Gemini Souls, who often find themselves locked up in their thoughts.

One of the challenges with the Libra archetype, is being gripped with indecision, which is why the phrase has been coined, fence sitter, but with Saturn in Gemini trining its ruler in Libra, this can also connect to a Soul who knows exactly what it likes and dislikes, one who feels to know what is right and not right, knowing what creates harmony in their lives and what doesn't. However, this Soul will aim to please and be non confrontational in nature. This dynamic could also create scenarios where the Soul will simply tell you what you want to hear, linked with the need to keep the peace. They will not want to speak outside the lines in any way, or say things that are not in alignment with what society views as PC (politically correct) and they may also come to judge others if they hear something that is not in check with what they have come to determine is right and wrong, all linked with the fear of being judged for the very same thing.  There will be fear in hurting another which can prevent them from being totally honest and yet what this Soul will be learning is that in order to evolve, they must remember that the truth always creates the right reality, even when it hurts.  This Soul must come to accept the consequences of the truth, and learn to relate to others from this bottom line approach, seen with the full phase quinqunx between Gemini/3rd and Saturn/10th versus dodging or dancing around the truth, in an effort to avoid causing pain to another.

With Gemini, 3rd House forming a Full Phase inconjunct to Saturn, 10th house, this creates a limitation relative to what they can do in the world. Souls do not necessarily feel as if they can be whoever they want. There are rules and judgments by society that do not make this desire possible, thus limitations. connecting to a Scorpio vibration, reflected in experiencing social limitations. All Souls are inherently free, yet if the Soul is dropped into the human form, or what Yogananda calls the cage of the body, and placed into a time space universe called Earth, then one is bound by these limits. This is hard for the Soul to accept as they may feel forced to edit their desires for personal expression. Until the lesson is learned in this aspect, Scorpio confrontations, inner as well as outer, will continue to come their way. The waning quincunx will induce social humility and purification. It can also expose the super structure that they have built to define or protect themselves, if it is wrapped with layers of conditioning and not a true reflection of their Soul's intended design.

Saturn in Gemini, 3rd House Souls, especially those with the ruler Mercury being in Libra, will need relationships with others in order to process all that has been taken in. Connecting with others in this way will serve to release the intellectual/emotional build up of mental energy. In some cases, the need can be so great, these Soul can become compulsive talkers, much of which is content that is superfluous run off of whatever they have collected. They will need these relationships to not only process themselves, but also to bring in yet more information, which will create the need to continually adjust their ideas, which then means more facts are needed to explain in ever more detail the total picture of themselves and their reality. Even with all they have taken in, they will forever feel as if they do not know enough, and so they can become maxed out with information, on the brink of breakdown. This maxing out can cause all of what they do know to disintegrate, as there will be so many logical facts that connect, but no real holistic way to combine all the data into one big picture. They will find themselves walking down so many different roads at the same time, in hopes that they can find the one fact or tip, the one route that leads to the ultimate desired destination. With Mercury being in Libra, they can experience the 'grass is greener' phenomena as well within these travels, as it won't take much for them to switch tracks whenever they see something bright and shiny calling them in another direction. It can become the land of revolving doors of thoughts and ideas, where they end up not knowing who's coming or going, what facts are sticking and staying and where all this accumulation will lead. My teenage daughter with Saturn in Gemini, ruler Mercury in Libra was recently sharing with me about various ideas for experiential wellness projects at her school and one of the options involved not speaking one word all day. The entire day would be about listening, watching and reflecting. Remembering that these Souls not only need to speak to release the run off of content, they thrive on connection with others. Her response to this project was, "If I couldn't speak, I would lose my mind."

Another large lesson for the Saturn in Gemini/3rd house Soul is in learning the lesson of response versus reaction, which starts with learning how to listen. Gemini, Mercury and the 3rd house connects to the anatomy of hearing. Libra, Venus, 7th house connects to the psychology of hearing, therefore learning to listen. There can be so much information and content that this Soul needs to process that they can end up controlling the conversation and disregarding the voice of another. The art of responding translates into learning when to talk and when to pause, what to say versus rambling in a reactionary way in order to prove a point. They are also learning to communicate in a co-equal way, where listening to the needs and thoughts of others are just as important as what is coming out of their own mouth. They wrestle with the ability to be 'present', for their mind half the time is elsewhere. They are learning to listen to other people's ideas and learning what to take in and what to discard. The same is true for seeking out information when buying books. The Gemini Soul is classic for buying loads of books, in some cases simply because they liked the title or the picture on the cover, or because one person suggested it. Many of these books end up being half read, or not read at all, which continues to create a splintering effect of the mind. They are learning to buy one book at a time that they feel intuitively drawn to so they can inwardly decipher between people's opinions and that which is true.

The evolution for Saturn in Gemini, 3rd House is to develop their intuition, the part of themselves that knows what they know without knowing why they know it. The part of their being that simply knows something without needing to fact check it, it is simply true because the body feels it to be true without the need to access the mind for verification. Evolution for this Soul comes when they can understand the deeper meaning of the facts and information that they are taking in, to understand the significance of the metaphysical laws that are the basis for the physical laws themselves. They will come to a place where they can synthesize all the data, clearly understanding how the individual puzzle pieces fit to complete the total picture, how the individual parts fit into the working engine to make it run, so it can be understood as one working system. The key will be in learning how to quiet and calm their busy minds. The way to accomplish this is to open up and tune into their intuition, that space where the truth lives. This will lead them to be attracted to a philosophical or metaphysical system that they feel most intuitively aligned with, one that feels naturally true. This will allow these free floating thoughts to be grounded with a bottom line. The thoughts can then be integrated through this foundational philosophy and approach to life. By sticking to this bottom line base, it can allow for a correct interpretation of the facts and of the world around them. Depending on the stage of evolution, and past evolutionary conditions, some Souls will create their own bottom line philosophical approach on which they base their arguments for what they deem to be "right" in their opinion and facts. Others may align with two, three or more systems outside themselves and will select the principles in each that they harmonize with, and often times hold onto some pre-existing principles that they refuse to relinquish. This allows them to synthesize into their own brand of understanding and truth. Others will commit to one philosophical system outside themselves that they resonate with most in order to necessarily generate a bottom line to integrate through. These Souls are learning the limitations of the empirical  mind and intellect, and the power of lifting the roof of the mind and expanding their reach of understanding by effortlessly accessing the intuition, that space that is always plugged into the highway of truth.

The four evolutionary conditions will determine the kinds of ideas and philosophies that these Souls gravitate toward. Those in the herd state will listen to consensus opinions and ideas, for it is where they will feel the most safe, and will come to claim these ideas as their own. Accepted mainstream religions would apply here.  Those in the individuated state would choose to think for themselves. They would explore subjects outside the box and work to establish a more alternative understanding of the world. They would reject old formal texts that are not in alignment with their own developing philosophies, and would synthesize concepts from various places that would combine to equal the composite whole of their understanding. In advanced individuated state, Souls will rely on a pre-existing system outside themselves, one that feels most organically aligned with their roots, which reflects swift movement into the spiritual state, for they are learning the limits of leaning on a system of their own egocentric making for truth must be realized and not self created. In the spiritual state, these Souls will be attracted to metaphysical and philosophical systems that they feel most intuitively drawn to, systems that are based on intrinsic cosmic truths, that are the basis of Creation itself.

Family/Society

A Soul born with a Saturn in Gemini/3rd house placement reflects a Soul who needs a diversity of landscapes and options within their environment in which to explore and travel. They will be born into cultures that offer them an array of ways to access information and experiences that provide them with a plethora of options for self discovery and self understanding within their culture and society.
Saturn in Gemini may reflect a Soul with two fathers, one who is their genetic match and one who acts more like the actual father and raises them. It can also connect to having two fathers through a divorce situation or a death of one and another father at some point who steps in to take over in that role. It could be a situation where there are two men in this Souls life where they feel a fatherly connection to and look to for guidance and support. This too could equal an older sibling who takes on that role as father when there is an absence of parents. The upbringing for Souls with this signature, in some cases would involve father's who demand a proper, formal etiquette in conversation, where the words spoken reflect a respect for one's elders and where there would be strict guidelines for when to speak and when not to, and what can be spoken and shared and just what can't. The Soul may have also had past lives where fathers were verbally abusive or punished them for what they said, or what may have been written, in a diary, a journal or in some act that humiliated the family, for Mercury also rules Virgo. This can also be the classic signature for parents with a "Do as I say, not as I do" attitude. The Soul may have parents who are writers or who have authored books, parents who essentially write or speak for a living or do a diversity of work in their professions, allowing this Soul to also be exposed to the same diversity of interests. A Soul with Saturn in Gemini, ruler, Mercury in Libra would have chosen a life where two main male role models were in place as to enable them to compare experiences, to understand what they need in terms of parenting and by having two experiences, this would allow them to gain more information about who they are.

I have a son with Saturn in Gemini, and just as I was working on this assignment, he asked me how to open a bag of clementines. I told him to just cut through the netting and set them free. He then proceeds to ask his father in the other room the very same question. I stopped him before he could get an answer from his dad and said, " I just told you how to open the bag, why do you feel a need to then ask your father." My son replied,"I just like getting double approval." He has fears linked with past lives of getting into trouble with parents, and there were harsh repercussions for not asking if he could do something first by BOTH parents, before going ahead and doing it. What happens then in his situation if those two answers or opinions ended up being different or even opposite? This creates conflict and confusion, seen with the natural square to Pisces. He is learning to listen to his own intuition, to trust this without fear and to become his own inner authority.

Another example of Saturn in Gemini or the 3rd would be a Soul who does not want to be told what to do. Being given orders or direction would not go over well, as they do not react well to being told, they need to be asked and there will need to be an art in the asking. They also want to be able to figure things out for themselves and think for themselves in terms of the best way to go about something. The tone of the voice is also going to be important. For example, if you ask a Soul to do something with Saturn in Gemini, in a barking manner, you will only experience resistance and revolt. If you ask that same Soul with Mercury in Libra, it will be critical to speak in a kind tone, perhaps, starting with, "Hey, I need your help with something?" Those words will work magic and in most cases, the Soul willingly complies. "You can catch more bees with honey than with vinegar",   because this Soul is built to give and to help, and feels validated when they can do so.


Career - The Messenger

One of the greatest fears for all humans, second to to the fear of death, is the fear of public speaking. Souls with Saturn in the 3rd house would be top on this list, depending on their sage of evolution. However, with discipline of the mind and an evolved ability to listen and integrate all the information taken in, through a single bottom line intention they can become master communicators. These Souls feed off information, not only in consuming it, but in sharing what they have come to learn with others. There is a desire to become an authority in their chosen field of knowledge and they can have a natural magnetism that will attract others that are interested in what they have to say or share, because of the energy that they emanate. The chosen careers for these Souls will involve using their voice or their hands to communicate, to reach and to help others in some way. Some occupations that would apply here would be sales people of all kinds, due to their needs for a changing scenery throughout the day as well as their innate ability to relate to all people. Any type of music teacher where the hands and the voice are involved such as a guitar, piano, or voice teacher. Also a writer, teacher, speaker, journalist, and with the ruler being Mercury in Libra, there would be a natural draw to nursing or in any area where they are in control of helping another feel better, such as occupational therapy, Reiki, massage. This signature could also reflect a career in helping the deaf or teaching the deaf to speak through sign language.  A dancer or an artist would also apply here with the Librans love for beauty of expression and if there is a fear of speaking, they can find a natural way to release and to reach others through movement or color.

Guilt

Saturn in Gemini/3rd House Soul can experience guilt for the thoughts they have, especially if they go against what the mainstream judges as appropriate or clean, which would reflect a scenario of learned guilt. A natural guilt would occur when the Soul is having thoughts that reflect a double agenda, divided interests leading to actions of duplicity. Because of Saturn in Gemini's need for diversity, this can create situations where they have their hands in so many pies, they can never fully be committed to one. The need for diversity can lead to choices that generate acts of duplicity and the Soul's inability to be honest, for fear that they may lose or hurt another. They can end up talking out of both sides of their mouth in attempt to support both stories in place and their narcissistic need for these competing desires to be fed. Guilt will not always occur in Souls with a duplicitous nature as they will always have a story to justify their actions. At some point in the Soul's evolution, the tendency will be exposed, cataclysms occur so they can see themselves with lidless eyes and make the necessary adjustments involving total self honesty and honesty with others.

Gender

Gemini connects to the twins, or two. It can also equal both sides of the same coin, and with its trine to Libra, can reflect an androgynous nature, where the Soul needs to express both sides of gender, as the ultimate intention for all Souls is to become equally male and female. This Soul will work to integrate the whole of themselves versus just the male or just the female. Not in all cases, but in some, this can also be a signature as a bi-sexual being, and with the natural air trine to Aquarius as well, a Soul who is open to exploring all expressions of what is possible, in order to gain more information about themselves and how they are wired.

Saturn Retrograde in Gemini - Recover Your Voice.

A Saturn Retrograde mirrors the same Mercury retrograde intention, which is to recover the voice. But also to establish their own inner authority as it relates to their own wisdom base, and to become an authority with their message and their words. This Soul is a individuation process of the mind, where they are attempting to kick out old models of all the judgmental messages that have kept them locked up in themselves. They will reject any piece of information that goes against their own grain and does not feel to be in sync with who they are and what they think is right and true.  This can be a Soul who will devote and commit their time to becoming a master of their work, as a result of covering all the bases they can, combing through every last detail, so there will be no cracks in their story.  It can been seen in the writer who is never finished with the book, refining and revising it over and over, in an attempt to make it more "right" to the point of never feeling done. This life may very well serve as a life where the Soul will need to get back in touch with the truths within themselves that caused them to create the protective cover of the mind, in order to recover whatever may have been destroyed. They will naturally rebel against the mainstream mind, challenging consensus thought streams and limiting paradigms. They have collected so much information over time, that they will be busting at the seams, so the Soul will only be able to take in what is relevant for their life, for the cup will already be more than full. They can at times, totally tune out in conversation, when either the content becomes too much, or due to their mind pulling them in different directions, for they are always in the process of trying to finish a thought, or concerned they may forget something. It will be helpful for these Souls to write things down at times, especially the poignant messages of the truth, so they can return to these thoughts and more deeply integrate the meaning and the teachings. These Souls may not be able to take in information in the usual or typical way. For example, A Soul with Saturn Retrograde in Gemini, ruler Mercury in Libra, instead of reading a book, they will  benefit more by listening to books on tape, for the act of reading requires more concentration, energy and effort while listening to a soothing voice with just the right intonation will help the material filter in with greater ease.

In the case of the trine from Saturn in Gemini, to its ruler Mercury in Libra, this Soul will attract many admirers along the way, others of all ages, due to this Soul's ability to naturally relate to all people, yet keeping others also quite intrigued by their individuated edge of originality. This Soul could prove to help others evolve and work as an instrumental bridge between the mainstream world and the land of individuality. There will be a need to connect to people in a unique way, and to develop an approach to reach, teach and help others in a way no one else has thought of before.

A Poem written by my daughter with Saturn Rx in Gemini, Mercury in Libra, when she was in Middle School.

TURN UP THE MUSIC

I cannot write a poem today
because my hand won't give me the words
to express the thoughts
that hide in the cracks of my mind

I cannot write a poem on paper,
I express my thoughts through dance
where I perform poems that inspire
people to write them.

The poems come from within
And the emotions inside are showered on people
to put lovely smiles on their faces.

I cannot write a poem today because I make poems out of my words all day,
but I never seem to run out of that kind,
because that kind is easy,
helping people and making their days a little brighter.

Creating poems is simple,
But when you ask me to write one,
I will respond with,
"I cannot write a poem,
But turn up the music!"

Spiritual State - Souls with this signature will feel they have a responsibility to disseminate teachings linked to what they have come to know. They may feel it is their role to become an authority on what they have taken in and assimilated as truth,  they can be designed to communicate key information that will lead others to these truth teachings, or to lead others into their emotions and heart, seen not only with 4th house Cancer archetype following Gemini, but if the ruler Mercury is in Libra, forming a 1st quarter trine, these Souls will clearly know the way in. JWG refers to this being the 'usher with the flashlight." the polarity of Gemini being Sag, the light symbolizing the truth. Words are not needed to be spoken, as communication can happen on many realms. Imagine a dancer, an artist or a musician, who expresses the heart of a song, expressing a world of emotion, without saying a word. For these types of Souls who have something to say, words limit or even paralyze them, and their art offers a boundless realm of expression.

ADVANCED STAGE SPIRITUAL

Sri Yuteswar - A timeley messenger, a father of words, sending a paradigm of truth to help others understand the evolutionary journey of the Soul. Geodedically, Saturn in Gemini connects to India, where this great Soul spent many lives.

He was a man of few words, but when he spoke, he spoke in reverberating truths that echoed for lifetimes, he is also the father of this great work we call Evolutionary Astrology, sharing these teachings with the world, reflected in his Saturn in Gemini in the 11th, ruler Mercury in the 10th.Yuktewar does not have Mercury in Libra, he has it in Taurus, which is also ruled by Venus, but he has Saturn in Gemini, conjunct Venus. Yuk's Saturn in Gemini, ruler Mercury, makes a balsalmic conjunction to Uranus(astrology) in Taurus in the 11th house. Yukteswar's Pluto was in Taurus, ruler Venus in Gemini trine Jupiter in Aquarius, ruler Uranus conjunct Mercury, ruler of Saturn in Gemini - the circle is complete.

Also his Mercury in Taurus is balsalmic to Saturn in Gemini/conjunct Venus in Gemini in the 11th house. Mercury, the ruler of Saturn in Gemini, sextiles Neptune, reflecting the evolutionary impact of his message, and ultimately serving as a messenger, disseminator of the EA paradigm, he did not share these teachings while here on earth, he downloaded this body of work through the ethers and into JWG's dream state. Yukteswar's Neptune in Pisces is exactly conjunct JWG's Moon. Yukteswars' Saturn in Gemini is also conjunct JWG's North Node is the 7th.

In reference to Yukteswar's evolved expression of the Libra/Venus archetype as it relates to expectations, is shared beautifully by Yogananda in Autobiography of a Yogi in Chapter 14, An Experience in Cosmic Consciousness,

Yogananda says, "Master, I must have disappointed you by my abrupt departure from my duties here; I thought you might be angry with me.

"No, of course not,! Wrath springs only from thwarted desires. I do not expect anything from others, so their actions cannot be not in opposition to wishes of mine. I would not use you for my own ends; I am happy only in your own true happiness."


Yukteswar's teaching here is one for us all to aspire to emulate, as we are human in the end, and unmet expectations are the root of great disillusionment and pain in relationships.

***

Finding a way to quiet the mind will be a front line necessity for the Saturn in Gemini, 3rd House Soul in order to experience greater calm, allowing the intuitive voice of truth to override thought. Meditation is a natural way to accomplish a more balanced state and yet it can be quite a challenge for these Souls due to their inability to turn off the mind, unless one has evolved more deeply into the Spiritual State of evolution.

Yogananda also offers another favorite Venus teaching of mine when understanding the Saturn in Gemini placement with Mercury in Libra,  as it relates to removing expectations in meditation, with his Pluto in Gemini conjunct Neptune in Gemini in the 10th, ruler Mercury in Sagittarius, conjunct Venus. He says, "When you expect, you don't get. If you expect, you will be waiting a looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong time." The expectations themselves will limit not only all relationships but it will make it impossible to connect with the Source in the way that the Soul ultimately desires.

[Taurus Moon]

Hi Rad and Group,
Here is my assignment. In the second part of it, my short-story turned into a long story...oops...
As always it was a great learning experience.
Gypsie.

SATURN IN GEMINI/3H/MERCURY
Ruler Sagittarius


The structure of consciousness

A diversity of experiences and stimuli
Gemini is yang, air, and mutable, and follows Taurus. The frog has jumped out of the well and away from subjective isolation and internalization. The journey is now about "experiencing, investigating, articulating, and circulating the complex circuitry of the physical world via the mind. Myriads of experience will take place in Saturn in Gemini's reality as it will gradually open itself to a diversity of relations as well as all kinds of short trips, whether real (travels) or symbolic (new ideas, mind speculations)(M. Manning). This projection onto its immediate physical world will be for Saturn in Gemini the ground to collect new information, facts and data and logically know and explain in ever greater detail the picture of the reality it lives in (JWG).

Every stimulus encountered in the external world via the senses i.e. sight, hearing, touch, smell, etc. will be named and classified so as to intellectually make logical and rational connections between them. The more access to words and ideas, the more Saturn in Gemini will maximize its ability to communicate and have control over its reality via its mind. From a conversation with another person (trine Libra), it will expand its communication to larger and larger circles of people (trine Aquarius) so that ultimately it will come to a broader understanding of itself and where it fits in the grand scheme of things.

Because of the curious nature of Gemini/Mercury function and its perpetual need for more knowledge, Saturn in Gemini's intellectual framework of reality and structure of consciousness will be constantly re-structured as new logical connections are being made. Moving from one exciting escapade to the next one, and from one provocative conversation to the next one, Saturn in Gemini will keep its entourage intellectually involved and informed through its exhilarating experiences. Via a diversity of experiences Saturn in Gemini will chase many ideas within the boundaries of its reality, constantly skim the surface of everyone and everything. It will be able to cleverly find those difficult answers, and doing it brilliantly without draining people's patience, such is the case of Barbara Walters, famous TV interviewer with a Moon in Gemini and Saturn in 3H, and lots of Libra.

A linear, left-brain, deductive approach
Saturn in Gemini came in this lifetime with the need to understand and explain its reality logically, piece by piece, fact upon fact. In its purest form, Saturn in Gemini will look at each piece of information as a single fact; verifiable through the senses and neither true or false. It will be constantly busy noticing everything around and collecting information. As new stimuli are encountered, it will give rise to one thought or idea in consciousness, which will in turn give rise to another thought or idea. This chain of logically and sequentially related thoughts and ideas and the connection made between them will be the way Saturn in Gemini will perceive, construct, apprehend and understand the social structure it lives in.

Too many facts, too many connections
The need to gather new information in order to keep expanding the mind will create a feeling of restlessness in Saturn in Gemini. However "there comes a point when too much information is being taken in with "too many inter-related ways and no common principle to tie everything together" (Deva). When one can't make sense of the too many pieces, confusion sets in (square to Pisces).

When Saturn in Gemini' s intellectual structure becomes limited by the nature of the information collected, or when the interpretation of the information collected is not in alignment with society's reality or the individual' reality, the Mutable Grand Cross as in Gemini, Sagittarius, Virgo and Pisces will be activated, and create stress and tension. This activation of the cross will have a specific effect on Saturn in Gemini relative to its evolutionary stage.

Because of the mutable energy of Gemini, Saturn in Gemini will need to be flexible, lives moment to moment. However it can at times bend too much and be in a permanent state of flux, not knowing which direction to go, being aimless and vacillating therefore procrastinating or avoiding altogether the efforts it has to produce. If it doesn't have enough knowledge it can become nervous and restless, lose perspective with an overload of knowledge, or become rigid with its pre-existing notions of what is true and false.

All mutable sign are involved with ideas and the gathering of knowledge or ideals in some way. When the way Saturn in Gemini is seeing, perceiving, defining and logically explaining its reality prevents further evolutionary growth the Mutable Grand Cross will create pressure on the individual to activate the process of sifting through (Virgo) facts, data and information collected by Gemini in order to discriminate which information to take in or not, based on the philosophical or cosmological system that Saturn in Gemini feels intuitively drawn to (Sagittarius). As a result a deeper meaning of the collected facts will be attained allowing for a more holistic synthesis (Pisces) of the facts, behind and beneath the factual outer reality.

Pre-existing notions and opinions
As Saturn in Gemini continues to expand its database and make new logical connections and interpretation between different facts, data or information, it will develop a set of pre-existing notions. These logical connections eventually will become the basis for opinions. An opinion is a specific idea ("¦) that reflects an interpretation of any given phenomena (Rad).

Both Gemini and Sagittarius will be confronted with issues relative to "what perception, thought or belief is right or wrong (JWG), or true or false. Both Gemini and Sagittarius will discard either "the" fact or "the" intuition that is undermining their pre-existing frame of reference, and therefore both may lie to secure their respective positions. The resistance to change one's point of view or belief will therefore depend on the degree Saturn in Gemini is attached to its pre-existing notions of what is true and false.

For evolutionary purpose, Saturn in Gemini will need to regularly learn to challenge its own pre-existing notions, and validate other intellectual systems and points of view that do not agree with its pre-existing intellectual system in order to realize that, at the end of the evolutionary journey, all paths eventually lead to the Truth and Unity (Pisces)(JWG)

When the intellectual structure is being challenged
A readjustment will be needed when the logical interpretation of reality (Gemini/Capricorn) doesn't fit how the social structure in place is mentally organized, or doesn't reflect the individual's reality and authority. Eventually Saturn in Gemini will realize that its understanding of the social reality it lives in (i.e. its county of birth and residence) and the way it interacts with, is not necessarily wrong but limited, and therefore must be adjusted.

When there is a resistance to adjust one's mental construct, the individual will be confronted by others whose intellectual knowledge of the social structure is more powerful (Scorpio) than theirs. Those people will expose the weakest link in Saturn in Gemini's intellectual arguments and organization of knowledge. As Saturn in Gemini experiences the power and legitimacy of the others' intellectual knowledge, it will absorb the new information into its psyche, which in turn will expand its data bank. As a result, an intellectual expansion will take place and a metamorphosis of the logical understanding of reality will occur.

In the Yod from Gemini to Capricorn/Scorpio, the confrontation of the mental construct must take place for evolution to proceed. The degree of necessary confrontations to challenge the crystallized intellectual structure will be to the degree Saturn in Gemini resists expanding its mind, and adjusting to the demands of the society of reference. Under the pressure of both quincunxes and via inner/outer crisis and inner/outer criticism, Saturn in Gemini will have to adjust the nature of the information it collects, its intellectual understanding of reality and/or the way it mentally navigates and interacts within the system, prior to being integrated by society.

In this confrontation and as new information is added, some facts will inevitably invalidate other facts in Saturn in Gemini database, therefore threatened its previous interpretation of reality and/or how it navigates in the social structure. Insecurity will rise, triggered by the paradox between its desire to collect more and more information which leads to an expansion of the mind, and its desire to solidify the mental construct of the ordering of its social reality and keep it as it for security purpose (Capricorn, Cancer). This paradox will cause an emotional crisis in Saturn in Gemini's structure of consciousness, with the need to go inwards, revise one's self-image (polarity Cancer) based on the new data, and create a new and solid foundation upon which Saturn in Gemini can understand, interpret and interact with its reality in a more expanded way.

Karmic and evolutionary lessons

Evolutionary purpose. The Saturnian lessons in Gemini

Why would a Soul choose to incarnate with a structure of consciousness in Gemini? The reasons are numerous and many different scenarios and circumstances can lead to it. In the past, Saturn in Gemini may have learned that the best way to become more effective in its environment was to be more versatile in its thinking; a very practical reason, however it may have become so versatile that it ended up scattered and lost within all the infinite possibilities. Saturn in Gemini may have chosen to come back in this life to learn to discriminate and master what information or point of view to take in or not. Maybe Saturn in Gemini held such a very rigid view on a subject matter in the past that nobody wanted to hear what it had to say, and when new facts invalidated its pre-existing notions of what was true or false, it led to its mental construct crumbling down; unable to restructure its view, it ended up depressed and demotivated for the rest of its life.

Saturn by sign, house, ruler and aspects represents in total the social and cultural conditioning factors within which an individual is born and through which one must do its "work" relative to its soul's karmic evolutionary needs and requirements. The nature of that structural conditioning contains the challenges or weaknesses one has to overcome in a particular area of life, as well as the discipline required to overcome those challenges as indicated by Saturn placement.

Saturn also contains the reward to be looking for when the obstacles have been removed and the mastery has taken place. When efforts have been made status, authority and success can be expected. On the contrary negative marks, sanctions, restrictions and judgments will be inflicted when one has failed to show strength of character and endurance in overcoming the fears prevented one from mastering the particular area of life one came back to master.

Since we pick up where we left off, Saturn in Gemini will have to physically face that particular area of life that was not mastered previously. Maybe Saturn in Gemini was too gossipy or opinionated in the past and this cost Saturn in Gemini its reputation, having to learn when to speak and when not to speak. Saturn in Gemini may have been very harsh and uncompromising as a parent when its child was unable to read properly due to a handicap, and decided to re-incarnate in this life with dyslexia. Or maybe Saturn in Gemini had the responsibility of delivering an important message in a time of great danger, but failed its mission, carrying a irreparable sense of great failure and guilt inside. So in this life time it has signed up to overcome its sense of failure as a messenger.

Overall, when Gemini conditions Saturn, the soul has chosen to come back to physical reality with the intention to continue developing the mind and the intellect through the experience of its immediate environment. Within that, the saturnian lessons are going to be around adapting to time/space and a diversity of environments, communicating in a clear and concise way so that everyone can understand what is being transmitted, and learning the difference between facts and opinions. Ultimately the lesson for Saturn in Gemini will be to learn that the mind by itself can't understand or explain life or Creation, that the mind is meant to be a instrument that gathers, organizes and communicate facts in such a way as to reflect Truth.

The saturnian circumstances around the mercurial theme may be experienced positively or negatively and everything in between. In either case those environmental conditions will be ground to master a specific aspect of the intellect and the mind. Whether Saturn in Gemini is or not equipped or up for the task, it will feel compelled to work hard in the area of life governed by Saturn placement, as the discomfort of not being able to master it properly will feel at times unbearable. There lies the power behind cosmic Saturn, to put the pressure on the individual as Saturn in Gemini must become an authority by doing its time and patiently and responsibly achieve the highest possible level of mastery.

With Saturn there will be no excuse-making, no slacking, as Saturn will accept none of that. The "karmic pledge" that the soul made prior to incarnating with regard to whatever in the past has kept Saturn in Gemini from achieving its goal, status and authority will need to be addressed. The depression or the feeling of inadequacy that Saturn in Gemini may experience when not making the necessary efforts to produce the expected results is meant to trigger the need to withdraw and reflect on the reasons as to why the individual is prevented from accomplishing its great work.

Saturn in Gemini- Social role and work function
In order to continue maturing the aspect of the mind or intellectual structure that has not been mastered yet, the soul must or will be led to choose a specific social role and work function/career of a Gemini nature. Climbing the ladder in the work function or social role, or working on its goals and ambitions, will be obtained by using Gemini skills i.e. finding the logic of the system, knowing whom to make a connection with, how to think appropriately, how to express itself to fit in, adapt to ever changing circumstances at work, navigate successfully the work arena, etc.

Saturn in Gemini's social role and work function will be to connect information and people to each other through those "stimulating channels of communication, education, commerce and transportation". All the particular Gemini skills we mentioned above, ability to gather all kinds of information and make all kinds of logical connections between them, communication, language, cool and rational attitude, logic, adaptability, mutability, quick mind, reasoning ability, versatility and sophistication will help Saturn in Gemini establish its own authority in society.

Saturn in Gemini may have a good head for business, a talent for cutting through to the hard facts, at home in changeable environments. Among others Saturn in Gemini could be an interpreter, facts researcher, curiosity seeker, journalism, storytelling or education, sciences, fashion magazines, theater, designer, web-zine editor/writer, political commentator, news anchor, educator, administrator, tour guide, librarian, professor, speech therapist, and massage therapist because of the use of the hands. It will also occupy function that require to connect geographical points such as pilot or bus/taxi driver.

"Once the necessary evolutionary lessons of Saturn in Gemini are developed, Saturn in Gemini's natural intellectual and communicative abilities "can inspire, motivate, enthrall, hypnotize, and metamorphose other people's intellectual patterns and opinions by sheer contact with them Saturn in Gemini's gift to understand the connection between the macrocosm and the microcosm, between truth and facts will also be unsurpassed. This ability can translate into taking any number of facts of a diverse nature and relating them to one central principle from which the facts emanate. The penetrating intellect can identify the essence of any question, problem, or issue that is posed by, or to, the individual. Once the core of the problem, question or issue is exposed, the solution can soon follow." (JWG).

Saturn in Gemini and Evolutionary stages

In each evolutionary stage, Saturn in Gemini will be asked to master a certain mercurial aspect of life, whether through the function of gathering information, of connecting information, people or places, of logically understanding or explaining a phenomenon, or of communicating it clearly and concisely to an audience. The evolutionary stage will determine the nature of the information collected and the ideas and philosophies it will gravitate toward.

Saturn's ruler  by house, sign and aspects will indicate how an individual's intellect is oriented toward the phenomenal existence, the type of information or fact it will gather from the external environment, the nature of the thoughts and ideas it will entertain, the way in which it will intellectually organize them, and the way in which it will communicate its understanding of the world to others.

In Consensus stage, Saturn in Gemini will absorb consensus ideas and opinions and make them its own. The father and parental environment will be the first place where this conditioning will take place, followed by other institutions including the work arena. In that evolutionary stage all form of consensus religions or philosophical explanations of life will be taken in wholesale, and necessary so, as the soul is learning to conform to the establishment and operate within its social, geographical and cultural boundaries for security purpose.

In individuated stage. Saturn in Gemini will reject and rebel against consensus ideas and opinions, starting with the family of origin and the father figure (if this one is in consensus state). Saturn in Gemini will explore the kinds of thoughts, ideas and subject matters that it is personally attracted to. It will attempt to create its own system of knowing and its own type of sub-language, often by synthetizing many different intellectual systems. As Saturn in Gemini realizes that "truth is not an egocentric creation, it will rapidly move into the spiritual stage" (JWG).

In spirituated stage. Here Saturn in Gemini's structure of consciousness will gravitate around spiritual matters and the timeless truths behind the physical laws. It will use "facts to illustrate a spiritual point or principle" and often will use metaphors and parables type of language to teach those truths and natural laws (JWG). The ultimate objective for Saturn in Gemini will be to realize, communicate and teach that the mind and the intellect must be at the service of Creation and that "the essential unity of all paths leads to the realization of the truth" (JWG).

Saturn in Gemini/Mercury in Sagittarius
Let's now see a non-exhaustive practical application of Saturn in Gemini, with its ruler Mercury in Sagittarius, in relation to the natural mutable cross and yod. Here are some common Sagittarius characteristics that will affect Saturn in Gemini: feeling of alienation, intuitive knowing, conceptual thinking, can be fixed in beliefs, need to convert, value honesty, can be natural loners, philosophical, ability to laugh at oneself, can make others laugh, natural storytellers, tendency to exaggerate, concerned with truth not opinion, natural people vs. sophisticated or cosmopolitan (JWG).

Sonia's Book of Life

Sonia's greatest joy in life is to learn and study. All you can see in her home is books, tapes, videos. On her coffee table she has plenty of magazines, National Geographic, National Wild Life, and Natural dogs, which she gets from the public library. She occasionally borrows some trendy magazines just to keep in touch with what's new out there.

Sonia is not quite sure what she wants to do in life. There are so many possibilities out there, but none that really strikes a cord in her. She has been trying many things in college, writing, journalism, literature, public speaking, linguistics, volunteering as a mediator, teaching English as a second language to new arrived immigrants"¦She did take some philosophy classes at her community college despite her parents telling her that it was a waste of time and will not land her a job, but she enjoyed the experience and would like to expand on it.

Sonia comes from a born-again Christian family with no academic background. She is literally bored around her family. All they talk about is the ordinary reality of life, the latest gossips with the neighbors, and the Lord Jesus. Within that, there is nothing that stimulates her mind, no room for asking questions that will lead to other exciting questions. She feels like she was born in the wrong family as no one has any clue about whom and what she really is. At times she provokes her family by exaggerating a story, or speaking and cussing in a way that her parents condemn, just to see their reactions, but that's how far the fun goes for her with them.

When she was young, Sonia could get very frustrated when she couldn't express something or didn't understand something. She would judge herself harshly, not trusting that everything would eventually fall into place. Her parents immigrated to the USA when she was 8 years old. The move was quite sudden and traumatic, due to the instability of their country of origin. When they arrived in the land of opportunities, her parents didn't speak English, and neither did she.

At such a young age Sonia had to very quickly learn all the basics in order to get by in her host country. Her brothers and sisters were younger so she was left on her own to figure out how everything worked in her new physical environment. She had to memorize the city geography which was quite different that the one she used to live in previously. Because the landmarks were different as well as the way people gave directions, she got lost many times.

She also had to learn the local currency, and how to buy food, how to take the bus, or how to navigate in a city where all the signs were written in a language that was foreign to her. At first her mind was overloaded with all the stimuli around, and she had no way to make sense of them. Often she found herself scolded or yelled at by others when, out of ignorance, she would do or say something that was not in compliance with the social rules and customs of her new country of residence.

When she started school she was often ostracized by either a teacher or the students, and made to feel ashamed and guilty when she couldn't understand an assignment or couldn't clearly express her ideas. She became very nervous about the risk of being wrong when speaking up, so she did work extra hard at night to improve her English skills. But still, she was being laughed at because of her accent, called names, and made to feel stupid by her classmates. This was such a shame as in her own native language Sonia was quite articulate, clever, and humorous. She had an agile mind and a highly developed learning capacity. She loved so much to learn and study. But without the necessary mastery of the English language and the knowledge of the new social rules and regulations, norms, taboos and customs, she felt handicapped and afraid to participate in certain activities at school.

Sonia had a deep need to be recognized for her knowledge and intellectual abilities. For that reason she always prepared her speeches in advance and spent long hours writing very carefully what she wanted to say later on. Translating her thoughts into English words was challenging to begin with. In addition, her wit was of no use without the right words and the ability to quickly tell a joke. So after trying, and being ridiculed many times she began to feel like an "intellectual outsider in her own family, classroom, and neighborhood", split apart from everybody, split between two cultures that didn't understand her. Being somewhat isolated, she was in need for a network of people to acquire the communications skills that could put her out of her misery and solitude. At times she felt depressed, and a feeling of futility would invade her. Why bother?

To deal with this she tried to develop an acute way of knowing and understanding her physical environment so as to have some control over her external environment. She developed certain strategies to deal with her deficiencies, by building a wall around her, adopting the very serious look of her father, or holding in her thoughts unless she was absolutely sure she could express them in a way that would not attract negative attention.

Since she left her natal country, she had a recurring nightmare where she was being speechless in front of a crowd yelling at her and threatening to ban her; she had no voice and couldn't explain herself. Each time, she would always wake up in a sweat, feeling lonely and afraid to face the harsh world out there. Once in a while though she would have a very peaceful dream of an old wise man handing her a book with many pictures in it. It was titled The Book of Life. That dream was comforting to her, although she didn't know what the book was about. The dream always came when she was just about to give up.

"¦Many moons have passed since Sonia's family came to America. Today her father owns a new/used car company. He had somewhat learned the language, has a good reputation and is doing well in business. He has worked hard to give his family a normal and stable life. Although Sonia's father is a decent man she can't quite relate to him. He mainly read literature from his church and is getting quite huffy when, at social events, someone challenges his strong beliefs on ethics or its old ways of doing things. And although he can be quite a talker when it comes to cars or religion, and can think on its feet, he is the serious type with no interest in discussing cultural or social topics with Sonia, less touchy-feely subjects. He uses the internet for two reasons, to get the latest news on cars, and to find some tips on how to become a better salesman.

During the little time Sonia spends with him and the family, they eat together and play games. If it is Sunday they go to Church and she has to go with them, which she really dislikes. She tried to be lighthearted and funny, so that the visit could be somewhat bearable, but there are worlds apart. Her parents belonged to an old tradition and culture which she has almost forgotten everything about. She is part of the modern world and happy about it. The mentality gap between them is big, and getting bigger as she matures in age.

Between the time she arrived in the USA and now, Sonia has been catching up with her ability to skillfully interact with others and express her thoughts or opinions. She had mastered the English language as well as the "American way". She is very personable and for sure can make people laugh. But although she is very articulate and refined in her way of thinking and carrying on interesting philosophical conversations, she still has some residual fears around chatting, small talk and interchange of ideas with others in public places. When this comes up, she calls her close friends, and just talks to discharge her mental and nervous build-up. Once in a while she also meets with a professor she has come to trust, and over a cup of coffee they talk about the world situation, the different factions in her country, and the beliefs that holds people in bondage there.

Sonia had overcome so much since she was young, from being an immigrant and having to develop the skills of a "street smart kid", to later on understanding the social structure of the country that has welcomed her. But her fear of public shame relative to her parent's social and cultural background is not totally gone. At times she hides or denies where she comes from for fear of being embarrassed and not considered "sophisticated enough or in line with the current trends" by her peers. At times there is also a slight inclination for her toward negative thoughts around feeling less intelligent than her college classmates. To compensate for it, she had worked very hard to get her college degree as a way to certify her academic abilities; she wants her knowledge and intellectual skills to be approved by an authority so that she can really say that she made it. And she did. Now she had established herself through her own efforts and self-determination. She has been acknowledged by society through earning her Master degree in Education, and is looking for a teacher position to positively contribute to her society.  

Although Sonia has overcome all sorts of life obstacles and have a nice diploma on her wall, deep inside, she still feels restless. She senses that there is a special destiny out there for her to fulfill in the world, but she can't figure out what it is. So for the time being she is thinking about traveling and exploring parts of the world she doesn't know yet. Maybe that way she could discover something about it, before making a decision about her career.

Some time has passed since she's returned from her trip. One day her best girl-friend Rita stopped by for a visit. She had just bought a Tarot deck at a garage sale. She didn't know much about it but said that she liked the pictures, found them to be very colorful and intriguing. They both looked at the cards for a while, pondered and conjectured on them, chatted a little bit more, and then Rita left.

Once Rita gone, Sonia started thinking about that deck of cards. She revisited in her mind some of the cards"¦there was one with a very strange and scary picture of a man laying down on his belly, many swords stuck in his back from his neck down. "Wow"¦how weird" she thought"¦Then another card came to mind, titled "Judgment" with the picture of a man, woman and child, naked standing in a coffin, arms up  looking to an angel in the sky playing the trumpet. The word Judgment resonated in her. Right away she thought of the Bible. She used to hear her father talking about the Last Judgment. She never paid too much attention to him as all his religious talk was a turn off. She tended to stick to verifiable facts over some kinds of old beliefs about a God out there in the sky, and more so a male one, with a white beard that nobody knew where he came from.

Another card came back to her. It had a roman number on it and was titled The Devil. It depicted a human body with goat' feet, and the head of a beast, with two big horns. The Devil was sitting up high on a box. In front of it, stood a naked man and woman chained to the box. Sonia was a little spooked at first. She had no clue where those pictures were coming from, and even less what this Tarot deck was about.
-"Is it connected to the Bible?" she wondered. "Is it Christian?" "I have never heard anybody referring to a Tarot deck when we went to church". Sonia went straight online to find more about that strange deck of cards hoping to find some information on it.

Lo and behold she found a lot of information. She discovered that some people were using this deck to read the future. Now she remembered reading somewhere that the Gypsy's where also using cards like that to look into the future. She now was wondering about all those Christian symbols on the cards, and whether the cards related to the Christian tradition or the Gypsy's. As she continued digging into the matter, she found the ad of a metaphysical bookstore in town that was selling Tarot decks. Her mind was now spinning. "I got to go there". And off she went, hoping on the first bus going downtown.

"The East West Bookstore" was just a few steps from the bus stop. The storefront was filled with books on Celtic and Egyptian traditions, fragrance oils, spells kit, crosses and pentacles, smudging supplies, herbs, amulets, etc. Before entering into the bookstore she looked left and right to see if anybody she knew was watching her, then quickly went in. To her greatest astonishment, she found a brand new world"¦crystals hanging everywhere, jewelries with all kinds of religious symbols. She noticed a nice but strange smell when she came inside the bookstore, and some soothing flute music was playing. The whole place was filled with books and all kinds of Hindu and Buddhist statuettes.

She began asking questions to the gal over the counter who was dressed in a very unusual outfit and was wearing some yin-yang shaped earrings. "What is it called?" she asked pointing toward a pendulum. -"What is it made of? What is it for?" As the gal was talking to her, Sonia listened to everything she said while her eyes were gleaning over the counter and cataloging everything she saw.
-"I would like to buy a Tarot cards deck" she said "but not sure where to start". The gal showed her an entire section with all the Tarot decks available. -"Wow! How many Tarot decks are there? Are there a lot of people buying those? Do you use it yourself?" The gal briefly mentioned that there was a Tarot class starting next month and showed Sonia a section of Tarot books, then went back to her counter.

Sonia was puzzled. She looked at all the tarot decks. There were probably 40 of them. Sonia spent more than four hours looking at all them, and also at Tarot books. Overwhelmed by the choices she thought -"I wanted to buy only one deck, but I like this one, and this one, and this one too. Which one do I take? Will there be a difference in all those decks?" Meanwhile she noticed a little back room and on the door a sign-up sheet for "Psychic readings". -"I wondered who does psychic readings here, and what those people look like?".

She finally decided to buy the Rider Waite deck as this was the same as her girl-friend's. She hesitated for a while between buying a book on the history of Tarot which she was interested in learning more about, and a manual on how to interpret the cards in 31 days. She picked the latter, feeling a bit out of her comfort zone buying a book on how to read the future.This was really in contradiction with her upbringing and her beliefs, but she couldn't resist the temptation.

She quickly left, making sure to keep the book and the Tarot deck inside the bag, as she felt a little bit uncomfortable being seen with such materials. At home she started to look at all the cards, and read the accompanying booklet which was giving an interpretation for each card. In the booklet it was recommended to look at the various structures used in the Tarot, such as the major arcana and the minor arcana.

That night Sonia called Rita to talk about everything she saw and learned at the metaphysical bookstore. She described in details the book she bought and all that which she has already discovered about the Tarot. Then she told Rita that in less than 31 days she will test the system and see for herself if it can indeed tell the future.

-"What do you think?" Sonia asked". -"I don't know if I really believe in fate" Rita said, shrugging her shoulders.

Sonia remembered that the booklet did mention the fact that the tarot was not just about reading the future but also about the past and the present, and could get information about a situation to get a better understanding of it.  -"Ha!" said Rita, " in that case, you may be able to help me understand my boy-friend and what to do about him". -"Could be" said Sonia. "just give me 31 days."

That same night Sonia started to voraciously study all the different aspects of the 78 Tarot cards, including 22 minor "arcana" and 58 major "arcana". She found out that the word arcana meant "a secret, a mystery". There was a lot of information to assimilate in addition to the basic structure of the Tarot itself, such as the traditional meanings of each card, the name of each card, the key words for each card, the air, earth, fire and water elemental associations , the numerological associations, the symbolic associations, and the astrological associations.

-"I will have memorized this in no time" said Sonia with confidence. "Once I get a solid foundation in the theory and structures that sit behind the Tarot, I will be able to test if this works or not".

After memorizing the whole deck, Sonya started studying the layouts of cards. She first studied three different layouts, then added two more. Each layout was designed as a whole to address a particular issue such as relationships or work. Within the layout each position reflectes a particular aspect of a relationship or work situation. A card was then interpreted within its position in the layout relative to the subject matter investigated. The booklet said that, in the tradition of Tarot reading, the user picks cards, which are then laid down on the table forming a specific shape and sequence in which the cards have to be read and interpreted.

Sonia noticed that she could easily remember the placement and meaning of each position, so she felt confident that she could do a Tarot reading if she followed all the steps. In the meantime, she bought more books on the Tarot. As she read them she discovered additional meanings for each card which she added onto her already long list. Three weeks into her studies, Sonia's Tarot database was beginning to expand quite a lot. She began to realize that each of the 78 cards have an infinite number of possibilities, many more than she thought. But she felt she could still handle it.

-"It just a matter of being well organized and having all the meanings and interpretations in place" she thought. -"Once I have all of them", I will read each card based on their position in the layout, then connect the cards together by identify themes and patterns and create a logical interpretation of the whole. The final card will then give me the outcome of the situation and will confirm the message of each other card".

As Sonia was learning the basic meaning of the cards, she found a forum on the Tarot. She was excited to share a common knowledge with other Tarot readers and was hoping that it would help her figure out faster how to successfully read the cards. Each night she spent time discussing the cards and the pictures with her forum mates, and how to connect them together.

That evening someone mentioned that she also had to learn how to connect each symbol on the pictures such as a mountain, a bird, a house to the meanings she already has of all the cards. Another one talked about connecting the meaning of the different colors and shapes. Sonia felt suddenly overwhelmed. "I need a book on this" she thought. So she went back to the bookstore and got one more book on the symbols, shapes and colors in the Tarot and was convinced that this was the last piece she needed to finally put it all together.

After much studying, the thirty one days were up. It was time to test the system. Sonia felt she had a good grip on the meaning of each card and how to relate them to each other relative to the layout. She was excited and called Rita to invite her for the reading. As Rita arrived, everything was already in place. Rita drew 11 cards from the deck as instructed. Sonia laid the first 9 cards face up on the table, one by one, in a circle, then placed the 10th in the middle of the circle and the 11th crossing the one in the middle. She then proceeded to read them methodically, in a linear and sequential way, one card at a time as she had just learned to do.

The reading began. She started interpreting each card in its respective position in the layout. Then proceeded to relate each card to all the other cards. As she was building up the interpretation of each card individually and then connect them to the rest of the cards, she realized that there were many possibilities of interpretation in Rita's situation, some contradicting each other. The problem was that she had no way of knowing which one was accurate or false. All she could do is take a guess. And how could she take a guess? She had one chance out of two to be wrong. Sonia was puzzled. She suddenly realized the limits of the Tarot structure.

"Look Rita" says nervously Sonia"¦"on one hand the cards say it will work out and you should spend a little time apart, on the other hand it seems to say that you must run away as fast as you can from him. Which one is true?
-"I don't know" Rita says. "You are the reader."
-"I am sorry, I am not very helpful. Actually I am dam confused"¦I need to sit on this a little bit longer. Maybe I am going too fast". Maybe I am missing something here. Maybe I need to study more. I have been studying these cards for weeks and I know all the meanings of the cards, but I still can't tell you much about your boy-friend and the situation. I can't even verify if the system works or not. Although after second thoughts, this may be my proof. The system doesn't work!"

The more Sonia read books and tried to interpret the cards in a logical way, the more confused and discouraged she became. She had to admit to herself that she was stuck in trying to get one straight answer from these cards. Each card had in itself so many possibilities which combined with the 11 positions of the layout made the possibilities of interpretation infinite.

One more time, Sonia went back to the bookstore and talked to the gal over the counter. "Oh, I know what you are going through" said the gal. -"I experienced the same thing! You must learn to read the cards intuitively".
-"What? Sonia said. "What do you mean?" -"Trust what comes to you" said the gal, "that's all", "and you will get the answer". -"Sure"¦thought Sonia, "you couldn't have been more helpful!"

Even more confused Sonia went back home, trying a more simple layout this time with only 3 cards. But the same thing would happen over and over. She would get multi-possibilities of interpretation and bu no way to know which way to go with it.

She went back to the bookstore. -"Do you have a book on intuition?" said Sonia, talking like she was now an old customer. -"Yes here is one. Start reading the last page", said the gal behind the counter. -"That's not how I usually read a book" said Sonia. -"Be my guest then", says the gal. "do as you please, but you will come around. There are some laws that you can't ignore".

-"Some laws"¦you can't ignore???" Unsure about what the gal was talking about and not in a good mood, Sonia left. This time on the bus, she took the book out of the bag to check the title as she bought it without even looking at it. And then, her jaw dropped"¦The Book of Life she mumbled...that's the book in my dream! How possible is that?

It took her several minutes to recover her senses. Then went straight to the last page of the book. It read":

"Intuitive learning makes the Tarot your own and helps the cards come alive for you on a personal level. It is also what connects you to the Universal or collective knowledge that exists." It continued:
"Intuitive learning is about learning to trust your intuition and being dynamic in your interpretations of the cards. It is one thing to be able to recite all keywords of the 78 Tarot cards, but to deliver accurate readings, you will need to be able to go with your gut feeling and align the card meanings to fit the situation. While the intuitive approach is more fluid and unstructured, there are activities you can do to increase your intuitive understanding of the cards. For example, you will learn to look at the imagery of the card and gauge your initial reactions to the card, and you will learn how to align your personal experiences with the cards" (Biddie).

And so the story of Sonia goes. As she learned to listen to and trust her own intuition, the cards began to reveal themselves to her. Understanding the structure of the tarot, the images and the organization of the cards was very helpful as it helped her to have a structure in place, but her intuition and knowledge of life is what helped her connect to the relevant information in the cards.

Sonia read The Book of Life again and again, each time deepening her understanding of the wisdom and the timeless truths underneath each of the 22 major arcana. It was not just some random cards, but some higher knowledge she was tapping into intuitively and expressed via a structured and pictural language, the Tarot. She understood that the cards represented the complexity of life and there was no end to the wisdom that could come through the Tarot as each archetype in the cards was opening up a field of multi-possibilities relative to a person's history. All the relevant facts as expressed in the cards relative to their position in the layout had therefore to be grasped on an intuitive level to make sense of them, as there was no logical way to decide what piece of information or connection between the different pieces of information was applicable to the readee or not, therefore there was no way to decide what was true or false.  

From that moment of truth on, the cards became a spiritual tool for Sonia, a book of knowledge and a book of life through which she could intuitively understand the world and herself. As Sonia continued to build up her intuitive reading skills, she began working in Psychic Fairs and met many interesting people. Later on, she developed a method to teach people how to read cards on both an intuitive and rational level, making the archetypes come alive by weaving them with the lives of her clients.

Sonia doesn't read books as much anymore, but spends time meditating and writing about the truth she has found in the Tarot. She also write about how it has transformed her life, and how the Tarot has taught her a new language that she is very comfortable with and can openly share with others.

Her family however is not open to it and feels very uncomfortable with her being a Tarot reader, especially since the Church saw it as the work of the devil. What a waste they tell her, having done all the academic studies she has done to end up being a psychic...For a while Sonia tried to convince them to let her do a reading for them. She had even offered to teach them how to read the cards so they could see for themselves, but they turned her down. Sonia felt very rejected and since then has become very self-righteous, putting her family's Christian beliefs down. In reaction of her family shutting her out of their lives she became ever more adamant about "their false beliefs", calling them "ignorant church-goers" in front of their noses.

Even though Sonia claimed to have found the truth, her girl-friend Rita saw her changing, and not for the better. So one day she kindly approached her and said -"Sonia, drew one card about your situation with your parents and what you need to know and do about it. Whatever card it is, if you agree to truly follow through and apply the wisdom of that card, I will myself learn the Tarot too, as I want to understand the wisdom and the truth you see in it".

Sonia was touched by her girl-friend's concern and friendship, and she agreed.

Out of the 78 cards, Sonia pulled The Tower card. It was quite a shock at first for her to see that card, as the Tower called for immediate change. Strongly-held beliefs, perceptions, attitudes and behaviors were in need to be shaken down. The Tower was an awakening to the truth, and like the bold of lightning that strikes the top of the Tower as seen on the picture of the card itself, it was here to destroy the illusion of considering oneself as superior.

The Tower card completely threatened the foundation of Sonia' sense of security relative to how she had mentally organized her reality around her belief system. Rita saw how Sonia was struggling with this. So she gave her the time to assimilate what was just happening. But Sonia had her feet on the ground and knew the meaning of that card very well. She knew that when the Tower shows up, it is time to break down the rigid structure one has surrounded itself with.

Bravely, Sonia continued reading an excert of the Tower card meaning to Rita: "When the Tower of ego, of perception and of illusion is destroyed, you are free to face the truth and reality without the trappings of false attachments". In a split of a second Sonia got her proof. She knew right there that the Tarot was working, but not in the way she expected and not in a way she could explain it logically either.

As the Tower archetype continued to operate through Sonia, her expectations of everybody looking into the Tarot for truth and guidance dissolved. Sonia had let go of her opinion that only her way was the right way. A beautiful wise smile appeared on her face when she realized that her own authority and faith couldn't be threatened by anybody else if she really walks her talk.

With her new transformed self-image she is now much calmer. She doesn't react as quickly to her parents' religious beliefs and doesn't judge them anymore on that basis. Because of her internal change of perception, her parents has progressively began to open up to her again, but in a new way. They are still not yet ready for a Tarot reading but they have accepted to look at the cards and listen to what she sees in them. In exchange Sonia has agreed to come to Church with them and behave! She truly feels a new sense of connection with her family and is wanting to see the best in them as she knows deep down that she didn't land accidentally in this family and she may still have something to learn with them or from them.

Sonia has now truly mastered the Tarot, and through it, she has actualized her special destiny. Her book has been published and she is very much respected among like-minded friends and clients who want to shift from a left-brain approach to a more balanced and truthful way of life. She could have been a special Ed teacher or a journalist, but now she wants to live in a more rural area, be around nature and teach the wisdom of the Tarot to children who are facing ADD symptoms and other learning disabilities. She has the inner calling of using the symbolic language of the Tarot, and via telling stories want to transmit its wisdom to the children and their parents. She can envision the children playing with the cards in a natural and fun way, balancing their mind and intuition as they color the cards or dramatize the characters on the cards. She wants them to be naturally touched like her by the profound timeless truths that had transformed her life, and this, without even have to know what the cards mean.

With each passing moon, Sonia continues to let the Tarot naturally reveal itself to her. Through it, she has learned that Truth is infinite and expands as she expands her mind. The old wise man in her dream never came back, and neither the recurring nightmare. As she sits now by a tree watching the children running around, playing, laughing and learning about life and themselves in a very natural way, she feels like she had reached the promised land, and that her voice has finally been heard.

-Gypsie

[Rad]

Hi Gypsie and Kristin,

I will wait for Skywalker to post before I comment on the tremendous effort you have both made.

God Bless, Rad