Surrendering to chaos, landing in clarity.

Three decans of Gemini

As the mutable air sign, Gemini brings the gift of transmutation, we mark the completion of the astrological year's first season. After the initiatory spark of Aries and the grounding foundations of Taurus, the Twins usher in a phase defined by duality, change, and the interplay of potential - lost and realized.

Gemini's Archetypal Symbolism

The Major Arcana card associated with the sign of Gemini is the Lovers, symbolizing polarity, a sacred couple, and the essence of duality itself. On the kabbalistic Tree of Life, Gemini is represented by the sephirah whose Hebrew letter is zayin, translated as ‘sword’ – the very tool of division, separation, and the cutting of chords that bind us to limited perspectives. 

Gemini's Three Decans

Decan I: Paralysis of Possibilities (May 21 - May 31)

Ruled by expansive Jupiter, this first decan’s Major card is represented by The Wheel of Fortune's ever-turning cycles.

The decan’s minor is 8 of Swords, with the imagery of a woman standing blinded and bound, with her feet in the river and eight swords beside her dug into the sand. Paralyzed by the wealth of possibilities, we may find ourselves unable to choose a single direction, and so we release willful determination to

allow the currents of larger processes to move us along. Do we take action, seek stillness, accept the moment, or surrender to the greater flow? This phase extends the grace of an outstretched palm as an invitation to surrender.

Decan II: Wretched Change (June 1 - June 10)

As the Wheel turns, we enter the second decan where the Lovers encounter the card of wretched change: The Tower. Mars ruled, this middle phase of transformation manifests in the reflection of angst and stress - the 9 of Swords. 

Ugh, this card is just the worst. But we cannot cast it aside undignified, so what is the gem to uncover with the 9 of Swords? Well, it may just be the most relatable card in the whole tarot deck. Who hasn’t held their head in their hands sitting up in bed questioning life? 

Eventually, the wheel lands, determining our fortune, and alternative possibilities crumble. Recently I experienced this acutely in my mundane, when agonizing over a missed opportunity to change apartments. I spiraled into doubt about whether that single choice would forever alter my life's trajectory. The paths not taken linger as haunting specters of regret. Yet as the dust settles, we confront the loss of what could have been and find clarity in accepting the present reality as it is. 

Decan III: Mutability, inevitable Death and Rebirth (June 11 - June 20)

From June 10th-20th we close out the Gemini phase with the 10 of swords. The card that commences the new, completing the transmutability of the season. In this final decan, the Lovers are embraced by the Major Arcana - the Sun. 

We are forever dying and being reborn, just as the sun blazes away the dew drops from the cold night before. 

Yet clarity bears a cruel truth. We cannot change the past, and the past informs the path ahead. 

While we may have the urge to hold the dreamlike realm of infinite possibilities, this is not the purpose of Gemini season. We cannot always be in the harmony of wholeness. (By the year's end, we will have an opportunity to reconcile all perspectives in the better-suited Piscean consciousness.)

For now, polarity serves a purpose. Our lessons and learning happen in the crux of tension. Duality exists - winners and losers, decisions and choices, taking action or the inaction of complacency…and we make mistakes that cannot be immediately mended. The knowledge of this vs. that is important in the journey of self-awareness, often revealing our truest responses as a mirror reflecting clarity free of illusion. This is where Gemini season will land, paving the path for the year to continue. 

Looking ahead, the sun will transgress into a new cycle with the cardinal waters of Cancer. June’s full moon washes us in Venusian care, followed by the fortification of our strength in the fixed fire sign Leo, with the summer season ending in transmutable earth - and Virgo’s dissection of the first half of the year - for another cycle to complete.

The celestial bodies carry on relentlessly. 

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Tracking the Decan Journey

To fully engage with the astrological and esoteric themes explored in this decan walk, it's helpful to understand a few core concepts:

Degrees: Each astrological sign spans 30 degrees of the zodiac wheel. These are further divided into three 10-degree segments called decans (0°-10°, 10°-20°, 20°-30°). As the Sun moves approximately 1 degree per day, it takes roughly 10 days to transition through each decan.

Zodiac Signs and Major Arcana: Every zodiac sign corresponds to a specific Major Arcana tarot card that embodies its archetypal energies. For Gemini, the sign's ruler is The Lovers card.

Decan Rulers: Within each 10-degree decan, additional Major Arcana cards take prominence as "decan rulers," providing an archetypical reflection of that phase's astrological influences.

Decan Cards: By combining the core zodiac sign's Major Arcana with the decan ruler's Arcana, a unique Minor Arcana card materializes to symbolize the decan's expression.

Sabian Symbols: Symbolic phrases and images to further illuminate the qualitative meanings imbued within each singular degree along the zodiac wheel.

Sephirotic Correspondences: The kabbalistic Tree of Life maps the cosmic emanations and pathways traced by each astrological sign. These sephirot represent the core spiritual pathways available within the journey through a particular sign's energies.

I understand that these posts don't come at consistent intervals, which is simply due to having limited time and the intense energy required to fully engage with this symbolic journey. This first quarter of the year allowed me to establish a process and framework for exploring these astrological themes. Going forward into the next quarter, my goal is to refine the format of each essay so that I can convey as much relevant wisdom and insight as possible in the moments when I sit down to write.

I appreciate you taking the time to follow along and engage with this Decan walk exploration. Thank you for witnessing and participating in this journey with me. I look forward to continuing to unpack the profound lessons each astrological transition offers for our personal growth and self-awareness.

This post has been edited in tandem with an AI companion.