Gemini 2016: Maitreya Festival. Blue Moons. USA & Gemini. US Politics.

Glad Visitors. (Nicholas Roerich 1914.)

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Keynote
“I recognise my other self and in the waning of that self I grow and glow.”
World Invocation Day
(Full Moon: May 21, 2016. 10.14 pm. GMT.)

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Gemini Blue Moons of 2016
Annual Festival of Maitreya: World Invocation Day
USA’s Gemini Personality Maturation
Hillary Clinton: Gemini Rising
US Elections: Bernie Sanders & Elizabeth Warren
Addendum: Gemini New Moon Grand Cross & Mars in Scorpio

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Gemini Blue Moons of 2016
A blue moon occurs when there are two full moon periods around the first and last degrees of any zodiac sign. It’s not a very common occurrence, hence the saying, “once in a blue moon”. This year a blue moon occurs in Gemini on May 21 and again on June 20 in the last degree of Gemini.

Gemini is the third of the new year’s three major festivals – Aries, Taurus, Gemini. The new impulse generated in Aries takes root in earthy Taurus at the Wesak Festival and is subsequently distributed in the sign of Gemini.

Full moon periods are monthly cycles of high spiritual opportunity – to commune with the guiding forces of the planet and participate in the great celebration of souls who seek to guide Humanity into the light. Hence, this year will be an unique opportunity befitting Gemini’s twins theme – a “double distribution” by the blue moons – of the forces generated during the first two signs of Aries and Taurus, plus a potent Love-Wisdom blast of the Second Ray through Gemini!

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The Annual Festival of Lord Maitreya
The festival of Gemini is also called the Festival of Humanity or Goodwill – unique to the One who holds the Office of the Christ, known in the East as Maitreya. Each year at this festival, The Christ preaches the Last Sermon of the Buddha before all those assembled – creating,

“… a festival of deep invocation and appeal, of a basic aspiration towards fellowship, of human and spiritual unity, and will represent the effect in the human consciousness of the work of the Buddha and of the Christ.” [The unification of East and West.]1

Gemini rules communications and The Great Invocation is a potent, globally transforming mantram that can be used by individuals and groups at this time. The annual World Invocation Day is always at the date of the Gemini full moon, meaning that this year there will be an unprecedented two World Invocation Days. Each full moon period during the year spans about five days, before and after the exact full moon time:

“The result of this solemn three days of invocation will be followed by a climaxing day wherein the Hierarchy will unitedly, and led by the Christ, pronounce the entire Invocation, prefacing each stanza with its appropriate keynote, again sounded in unison. These notes you cannot know, but if, for instance, a very large number of the New Group of World Servers were brought together, their united OM might approximate the appropriate keynote.”2

The influence of the two Gemini full moons will considerably reinforce the expression of goodwill and love-wisdom through the generous Gemini personality of the USA. (See later section on USA-Gemini.) Likewise, through the Gemini soul of Great Britain. The second ray is the only ray to pass through Gemini. The double Gemini full moons will also create a high point of tension for USA’s second ray soul to shine brightly through its Gemini personality.

“Gemini is, therefore, one of the most important of the twelve signs and its influence lies behind everyone of them – a fact but little realised as yet by astrologers … Because the Ray of Love-Wisdom, the second ray, pours through Gemini it becomes apparent how true is the occult teaching that love underlies the entire universe …

This underlying love of Deity reaches our solar system primarily through Gemini, which forms, with the constellation of the Great Bear and the Pleiades, a cosmic triangle. This is the triangle of the cosmic Christ and is the esoteric symbol lying behind the cosmic Cross.”3

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USA’s Gemini Personality Maturation
The seven year cycles of growth in an individual have their correspondence in nations, albeit on different time scales. The table below illustrates the individual human cycles:

Age	Body	Accomplishment
7	Etheric-Physical	Co-ordinated and anchored.
14	Astral-Emotional	Stabilising emotions and puberty.
21	Mental	“Coming of Age” – Mental expansion and integration, relative maturity. Higher education.
28	Personality	Integration of physical, astral and mental. The Saturn Return. A greater maturity.
35	Soul	The soul more fully takes control of the integrated personality.

Table 1: The Individual Seven Year Cycles of Development.

As a young nation, compared to Europe, the USA is still in the stages of maturing since its founding in 1776. The following was written around 1947 and in many ways still applies to the USA today:

“Like all young people, symbolically speaking, the people of the United States show all the characteristics of adolescence. Again, symbolically speaking, the people of the United States are of the ages seventeen to twenty four.

They shout freedom and still are not free; they refuse to be told what to do because it infringes upon their rights, nevertheless they allow themselves to be guided frequently by the inept, the partisan politician and by the inadequate; they are broadly tolerant and yet most intolerant of other nations; they are ready to tell other nations how to handle their problems but as yet evidence no ability to handle their own …”4 (Written 1946-9)

At the time of this quoted passage (1947), the USA was about “17 to 24” years old. From 1776, in the space of 171 years, the USA had matured to the equivalent of an average age of “21” – that’s about 8 years of the nation’s history for every year of development to the “adolescent” stage. Hence, averaging this ongoing development from 1947 to 2016, 69 more years have elapsed – divided by 8, gives approximately another 9 years in the microcosm to add to the 17-24 age – giving a current “age” of 26-33 years.

Date	Event	Years Elapsed since 1776	Years in Microcosm
1776	Birth of the USA	0 (about 200 yrs “in the womb”)	0 Baby
1860	Civil War	84	10 Child
1912	Pre WWI	136	17 Adolescent
1944	WWII	168	21 Adolescent
1947	Post WWII	171	24 Adolescent
2016	Now	240 “Saturn return.”	30 (26 to 33) Maturing.
2040	Future	264 End of “Saturn return”.	33 Matured adult.
2056	Future	280	35 Soul expression

Table 2: USA’s National Ages of Development.

The occult axiom “as above, so below” applies to any entity – a nation or a human. Some European nations by comparison to the USA, are up to 2,000 years old or beyond – in their immediate Western historical roots. Although the USA is very young, it has in the past 300 years formed the sixth branchrace of the fifth subrace of the Fifth Rootrace (5.5.6). USA’s role is to bridge the old civilisation of the Fifth Rootrace to the coming Sixth Rootrace.5

The seven year cycles of life (See Table 1) are very important, governed by Saturn the Lord of Karma, determining the phases of personality development and integration. During World Wars I & II the USA was a young adolescent and now in 2016, the nation as a whole is still completing its symbolic Saturn return – at the “age” of 27 to 33. (Not t0 be confused with USA’s 1776 chart and the actual Saturn return that occurs.) The USA is still going through a maturing process, particularly of the mental body – that began in 1912 at “17” years:

“A similar crisis between the twenty-first and twenty-fifth years, wherein the mind vehicle is appropriated. The person should then begin to respond to egoic [soul] influences, and in the case of the advanced person, frequently does.”6

Even though the years (21 to 25) for the “mind vehicle to be appropriated” have passed, USA’s “Saturn return” is still occurring theoretically until 2040 when the process will be more or less finished. Using the same analogy, the USA should turn “35” in about another 40 years.

The Saturn return is particularly important for personality integration because the mental body is the most powerful vehicle of the personality – and Saturn rules the throat chakra, the anchoring point for the mental body. Yet, the Saturn return brings about the integration of the personality as a whole – and the USA personality is ruled by Gemini:

“… the United States of America … the influences working at this time [1947] which are in process of bringing to an end the adolescent stage in that country and enabling it to come forth in full maturity. This vast land is ruled by Gemini … This combination of a sixth ray personality, ruled by Gemini, and a second ray soul ruled by Aquarius, is potent for future power and usefulness.”7

Gemini’s great gift is being able to connect with anyone from any walk of life, by finding something that they have in common – Gemini is an arm of the mutable or common cross. This is why Americans are so outgoing and generally have an endearing friendliness – and why it has been able to synthesise many racial diversities.

Gemini is the communicator and the USA is a world leader in communications, internet, media, TV and radio. Tune into any US television news and there is a panel of individuals debating an issue such as politics – often talking loudly over the top of each other as each ego seeks to dominate. Gemini is not a good listener – best that they take a page from the book of Pisces on listening skills! True dialogue and debate have a long way to develop and the process is further compromised by propaganda “plants” on various news outlets.

Many ideologies and opinions swirl around in the mental body of the USA and this is a typical expression of Gemini, a sign related to thought processes and ideas; it is a good example of how the USA is maturing and balancing the pairs of opposites upon the mental plane. Yet the shadow side of Gemini is the endless monkey-mind chatter, a short attention span, lack of focus – duplicity, distraction and dissipation of thought!

Hence, the USA is in some ways utterly childish – naive, uninformed, superficial, judgemental and fanatical – a combination of qualities from its sixth ray/Gemini personality; bi-polar too perhaps.

Donald Trump (“we’re gonna win bigly folks”), is also a Gemini personality and has captured (or conned) a large proportion of the US vote thus far, indicating for the masses who follow him (almost half of the US population), the lack of discrimination of an undeveloped Gemini – “allowing themselves to be guided frequently by the inept, the partisan politician and by the inadequate …”.8 (See also the author’s recent in-depth analysis of Donald Trump’s horoscope here.) Perhaps this is why Trump is so popular, because he expresses much of the nation’s personality through his Gemini personality.

(The Queen would certainly be not amused with “bigly” and other Americanisms discussed in this amusing missive – part of which includes, “You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers, or therapists.”)

Writing in the 1940’s, The Tibetan comments on USA’s position upon the spiritual path:

“When Gemini, Scorpio and Mercury are correctly related we shall see the United States moving also on to the Path of Discipleship through a release from its present self-centred policy, its well-meaning evasion of responsibility and its innate fears and distrust.”9

It seems thus far that this “correct relation” with Gemini and Mercury part of the equation has not yet occurred because of some serious integration problems with the USA personality – an arrested development perhaps?

“In the UK Mental Health Act of 1983, the term “arrested development” was considered a form of mental disorder consisting of severe mental impairment, resulting in a lack of intelligence.”10

An unstable and immature nation with so much power, concentrated in the hands of an oligarchy, is a great concern for the rest of the world. Hence, the election year of 2016 will determine just how mature and discerning this nation is – which Gemini twin will triumph. Gemini is not known for its discernment or discrimination, but is good on intuition.

Castor and Pollux are two stars in the constellation of Gemini – the warring brothers of ancient myth, symbolising the battle between the higher and lower selves: Pollux (the soul) whose light is increasing – and Castor (the personality) whose light is fading:

“[The individual] … in Gemini becomes increasingly aware of the intuition and increasingly under the influence of “the Brothers who live in the Light,” as the Twins are sometimes called. The light of the personality dims and the light of the soul waxes.”11

“The legend of Castor and Pollux is concerned with the mortal half of man, the personality, and the immortal part, the ego or spiritual individual. The personality has nothing in itself to survive – and the other half, which becomes immortal in its individuality by reason of its fifth principle [mind] being called to life by the Informing Gods, thus connecting the Monad [spirit] with this Earth. This is Pollux, while Castor represents the personal, mortal man, an animal of not even a superior kind, when unlinked from the divine Individuality.”12

It seems that the USA is possessed by the World Dweller – the shadow of the Western world has anchored itself in this nation, just as it did in Germany and the Axis Powers following the Uranus-Pluto squares of the early 1930’s. These same squares patterns have repeated themselves in the past few years, bringing similar effects of fascist tendencies in Western culture and governments.

It was during the WWII period that the Italian psychologist Roberto Assagioli developed his technique of Psychosynthesis, based upon the seven ray archetypes from Esoteric Astrology. Psychosynthesis works toward the integration of separated elements of the psyche or personality. This is a practice from which the USA and other nations would greatly benefit – but who or what would be the therapist – the soul of the nation?

Gemini can tend to encourage dissipation and fragmentation, whilst its polar opposite Sagittarius brings unity and focus – yet also fanaticism. (The first full moon of Gemini this year (May 21) has an exact Moon-Mars conjunction in Sagittarius, indicating some volatile fanatical influences.)

Whilst transiting Saturn (the unifying personality factor at the Saturn return), transits over USA’s Sagittarian ascendant (1776 chart) – with perfect timing, right up until the November elections, there is an opportunity for a “wake-up call”, to bring about a degree of unification and break the stranglehold of subterranean forces within this nation.

Saturn might bring some very tough lessons to this nation, not unlike the last long term transit over USA’s ascendant by Pluto on 9/11. Saturn is the Lord of Karma and the USA has created much karma for itself through its interference and meddling in foreign affairs. (Interference is a basic glamour of its sixth ray personality.) Saturn’s effect might also be fiscal, as past transits through Sagittarius have paralleled major economic downturns in the past, particularly leading up to the 1930’s Depression.

As alluded to earlier, the global battle between the forces of materialism and the forces of light appears to be centered in the USA. The principles enunciated by the candidates for the US Presidency span these two poles of greater light and much lesser light – the choices have never been clearer.

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Hillary Clinton: Gemini Rising
For many progressive thinkers around the world, Trump stands for the recalcitrant and retrogressive policies of the past Piscean era, whilst Sanders for progressive, humanistic and compassionate attitudes of the approaching Aquarian cycle. (See an in-depth analysis of Sanders here.)

Clinton stands between these “warring twins”, tainted by her political history, a Democrat with policies that do the Republicans proud; she carries many of the negative characteristics mentioned earlier about Gemini made doubly duplicitous by her Pisces moon square her Gemini ascendant. She certainly has a dearth of planets in tough, fighting Scorpio.

She has successfully achieved her soul brief of developing communications skills in this life, but like some Gemini rising people is distrusted because of their tendency for duplicity and lying. DK makes a commentary on Britain (a Gemini soul) in this regard:

“It is the Gemini influence which has produced – viewing the work of the nation from the personality or lower angle – the secret and oft devious diplomacy and subtlety which has in the past distinguished Great Britain’s political activity. Gemini people are often distrusted, and the Gemini effect along this line makes of Great Britain no exception.”13

When this tendency is combined with Clinton’s secretive Scorpio stellium, it can make the tendency (or is it a penchant?) for cover-ups (Benghazi, emails etc.) and bald-faced lies. The second blue moon of Gemini (June 20) will conjoin Clinton’s ascendant exactly, setting off the square to her Pisces moon, giving her added tension for the Democratic convention a month later, July 25-8. (The American Democrats is also Gemini rising!)

Clinton has some very good transits on November 8 election day, but whether they will be stronger than the equally good transits of Sanders and Trump, has not been thoroughly analysed by this author. Here is a listing of her most significant transits and progressions:

1. Transiting Sun conjunct Venus in Scorpio, esoteric ruler of her Gemini ascendant. These two points are also opposite her progressed midheaven (public, career) – hence this aspect is strongly in her favour.

2. Similary, Clinton’s solar-arc directed Venus in Capricorn is conjoined for the week previous to the elections by transiting Mars in Capricorn, the sign of that planet’s exaltation – reaching the peak of its power on the rocky summit of Capricorn. Mars in the last degree of Capricorn is highly symbolic of whoever the victor is on that day – ambition realised and triumphant upon the mountain top. (For many, hopefully not Trumphant!)

3. Transiting Mercury conjunct Mercury (her Mercury return) conjunct/opposite the south/north nodes of the moon – in Scorpio-Taurus. Mercury is the personality ruler of her Gemini ascendant, so this aspect is also strong, bringing a certain fated quality.

4. Transiting Saturn trine to Mars-Pluto in Leo. A very good aspect to the two rulers of her Scorpio planets (including her Sun). Both Saturn and Pluto are related to political power.

5. Transiting Pluto conjunct progressed Sun in Capricorn. Although this conjunction is separating by a few degrees and somewhat diluted, it is still strong. Capricorn is a sign of achievement and both the progressed Sun and Pluto make a quincunx aspect to natal Mars-Pluto, already activated powerfully by transiting Saturn.

6. Transiting Jupiter in Libra square to progressed Sun in Capricorn bringing in a “lucky” component, even though it is a difficult square pattern, it may bring an element of surprise.

7. Likewise, Clinton’s progressed Moon in Libra almost exactly opposite Uranus in Aries – may bring the element of surprise. The progressed Moon is in the fifth houses of chances, luck and gambling. For those Sanders voters vehemently opposed to Trump, Clinton may be the lesser of two evils.

8. Transiting Moon in Aquarius conjunct Pallas-Athena. This s a curious transit as Pallas-Athena is the warrior goddess archetype and it is placed on Clinton’s midheaven of career. Election day is also the USA’s monthly lunar return, hence the moon goes over the USA moon position just after the polling booths open – and then over Clinton’s Pallas-Athena during the day. Pallas-Athena was the patron of Athens – will Clinton be the patron of the “new Athens”, i.e. Washington?

US Elections 2016: Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren
It is also most ironic that Clinton’s Pisces moon is at the same degree as the Pisces moon in the chart of the Republican Party! If ever there was a chance to bring up the past (moon), then this second Gemini full moon squaring these Pisces moons may create even more problems for both these entities.

The Democratic Party currently has its progressed Sun at the degree of Sanders’ natal Sun in Virgo. At the Democratic National Convention, Sanders has fighting Mars conjunct his Scorpio ascendant and progressed Sun in Scorpio, promising an intense battle.

It’s ironic that Sanders has to fight the many forces allied against him within his own party, just to contest the Republicans – as witnessed in the recent circus of the Nevada Democratic convention. The greatest pro-Clinton opponent for Sanders is the chair of the Democratic National Convention, Debbie Wasserman Schultz to whom Sanders has written, expressing his outrage at her bias – “… stacking the convention’s standing committees with supporters of Hillary Clinton”. The issue of super-delegates is bound to be the main showdown-smackdown at the convention’s wrestling match, for which Clinton currently has far and away the most delegates in her favour. Yet, even CNN reports,

“…“Democratic super-delegates might have to rethink” their support of Hillary Clinton given how dramatically better Sanders fares in head-to-head match-ups against Donald Trump.

After Clinton’s Indiana loss, John King had told CNN viewers that “if Sanders were to win nine out of ten of the remaining contests, there’s no doubt that some of the super-delegates would panic. There’s no doubt some of them would switch to Sanders. What he has to do is win the bulk of the remaining contests. Would that send jitters, if not panic, through the Democratic Party? Yes. Yes it would.””14

Further to Sanders’ advantage would be the choice of Elizabeth Warren as vice-president, creating a huge surge in Democratic voter enthusiasm – a “dream team” to tackle the problems that both have championed throughout their lives; whether that occurs before or after the Democratic National Convention remains to be seen, but their astrological synastry bodes well.

Warren has a radical Sun-Uranus in Cancer with a practical and persevering Taurus moon that is trine to Sanders’ Virgo sun. Her Libran ascendant (the law, fairness) falls close to Sanders’ Venus in Libra; they would get on well and have had similar, consistent policies for many years. What an extraordinary combination this pair would be, they could “sweep the nation” and bring real reform.

Likewise, the Republican Party has been turned on its head by Trump who, although it would not like to admit, stands for all the party members’ anachronistic15 attitudes. Hence, this election has highlighted for both parties how out of date and out of touch they are, as representatives of the America people – and how some ruthless house-cleaning is needed.

Let us all then prepare ourselves for this extraordinary blast of the second ray of love wisdom over the next two Gemini full blue moon periods; it promises to be a great opportunity for restoration, balance and the establishing of right human relations – particularly in the USA.

Addendum: Gemini New Moon Grand Cross & Mars in Scorpio: An opportunity of epic proportions.

Between the two blue moons of Gemini this year, falls the new moon in Gemini on June 4 (3:59 am GMT). It is an extraordinarily potent and challenging configuration for the world as a whole; it has in it the seeds of great conflict but also resolution and transformation.

Outcomes will all depend upon choices that are made to utilise these energies or be used by them. The point of least resistance for unawakened humanity is the latter option; for those more conscious, the former – though they will be nowhere near immune to the latter! The new moon horoscope is a tight grand cross in mutable signs:

Truth (Saturn in Sagittarius) and discrimination (Jupiter in Virgo); communication (Sun, Moon, Venus in Gemini) and the mystic vision (Neptune in Pisces).

This configuration promises to severely challenge fundamentalist attitudes in all areas of human thought; it will certainly have its point of least resistance in magnifying extremist thinking and fanaticism in mainstream religion.

That theme is fueled by retrograde Mars in Scorpio for the next eight weeks before it heads back into Sagittarius. It’s a perfect time to explore Scorpio’s keynote on the “ordinary wheel”: “Let maya flourish and deception rule”. And, to invoke Scorpio’s keynote upon the “reversed wheel”: “Warrior am I and from the battle I emerge triumphant.”

(See also this piece from when Mars was in Scorpio two years ago: “Mars in Scorpio: Applying the Blowtorch” https://esotericastrologer.org/…/leo-2014-jupiter-in-leo-l…/…)

Mars is opposite Mercury in Taurus, highlighting fixed attitudes, vindictive and critical communications – particularly for instance, in the US presidential race. Mercury is the ruler of the Gemini new moon, hence its position opposite Mars is very important.

At a higher level, Mercury in Taurus opens the eye of the bull, conferring illumination, whilst Mars is devoted to destroying the old ways and forging new paths.

For the masses, Mars in Scorpio will magnify humanity’s desire nature – for sexual satiation, material living, revenge and aggressive tendencies. Spitefulness and nastiness may prevail!

Even for, or perhaps *especially* for followers of some of the most exalted and in-depth spiritual wisdom available today, Mars promises to bring a purge to one and all without exception. For those who are adherents to various paths by whatever name – the Ageless Wisdom, Universal Spirituality, Tibetan Buddhism, Sufism or Hinduism – Mars in Scorpio may take a blowtorch to the feeling nature.

Mars rules the solar plexus, the seat of the astral body. As the god of war Mars applies the trials of initiation in the emotional body – in one’s desire nature, from the very obvious to the most subtle.

Mars, with the help of Scorpio’s co-ruler Pluto, reveals where the dragon lurks in everyone’s lair (your inner Smaug!); what seethes and hisses in the shadows, that which is ancient and untamed, begging to be brought into the light.

Jealousy, possessivness, resentment, hatred, control, material values – all these factors may be particularly pronounced as Scorpio The Exorcist applies its healing and transformative powers. Pluto as ruler of Scorpio also contributes by dragging to the surface all that hinders.

As mentioned earlier, this Mercury-Mars opposition is the power that sub-stands this mutable grand cross new moon, one of the most dynamic patterns for change that has emerged in recent times.

However, it will not be without pain, individually and collectively! There are many places where we are all stuck and this new moon grand cross will create those conditions that will make everyone confront what needs to be eradicated.

May light and liberation come to Humanity!

1. The Externalisation of the Hierarchy, Alice A. Bailey. p.421. [↩]
2. The Externalisation of the Hierarchy, Alice A. Bailey. p.556. [↩]
3. Esoteric Astrology, Alice A. Bailey. p.348. [↩]
4. Problems of Humanity, Alice A. Bailey. p.26. [↩]
5. https://esotericastrologer.org/?articles=time-history-re-establishing-esoteric-chronology-in-world-history [↩]
6. Esoteric Psychology II, Alice A. Bailey .p.53. [↩]
7. The Destiny of the Nations, Alice A. Bailey. p.88. [↩]
8. Problems of Humanity, Alice A. Bailey. p.26. [↩]
9. Esoteric Astrology, Alice A. Bailey. p.361. [↩]
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrested_development [↩]
11. Esoteric Astrology, Alice A. Bailey. p.120. [↩]
12. The Secret Doctrine II, H.P. Blavatsky. p.130. [↩]
13. Destiny of the Nations, Alice A. Bailey. p.81. [↩]
14. http://www.commondreams.org/views/2016/05/11/bernie-sanders-could-still-win-democratic-nomination-no-seriously [↩]
15. One that is out of its proper or chronological order, especially a person or practice that belongs to an earlier time. [↩]