This month’s special guest Colin Bedell joins Vanessa Montgomery to chat about all things Gemini, classic Geminis Laverne Cox and Little Nell, PLUS the new and full Moon, Mars in Aries, and this month’s main cosmic movements so you can plan your month ahead in alignment with the energies unfolding.
Our featured non-profit this month is The Malala Fund at Malala.org. Malala Fund invests in education advocates and activists who are challenging the policies and practices that prevent girls from going to school in their communities. This is more than school for many, it’s a lifeline. Please join us in contributing to their great work this month.
Time stamps for the topics covered in this podcast:
00:00 – 09:25 Gemini Overview
09:26 – 20:57 Gemini Pitfalls
20:58 – 26:19 Classic Gemini & Gemini Celebrities
26:20 – 31:20 New Moon in Gemini & Full Moon in Sagittarius
31:21 – 36:26 Mercury Retrograde in Taurus
36:45 – 43:16 Mars enters Aries
43:17 – 49:48 Ingresses & Stations (Mercury, Venus, Sun)
49:49 – 51:56 Gemini Season Mantras
51:57 – 55:44 What Are Colin and Vanessa Reading?
55:45 – 58:23 Connecting with Colin’s Work
58:24 – 1:00:17 Upcoming Events with Astrology University
1:00:18 – 1:02:43 Connecting with Vanessa’s Work
1:02:44 – 1:04:37 Featured Charity – malala.org
Transcript for The Cosmic Eye – Gemini Season Episode
Tony Howard: This is the Astrology University podcast helping you find inspiration, insight and connection through the study of astrology. And I’m your host, Tony Howard
Vanessa Montgomery: Hi and welcome back to another episode of the Cosmic Eye monthly forecast. This time it’s Gemini season and we have our favorite Gemini twin astrologer Colin Bedell, uber Gemini. Hi, Colin, welcome. Thank you so much for bringing the twins.
Colin Bedell: Oh, thank you so much for the very warm introduction. I’m honored to be among the favorite Geminis I’m so thankful.
Vanessa: An absolute classic. I probably should have just done my classic Gemini Colin Bedell, of Queer Cosmos of course, and I’m your host Vanessa Montgomery from Astro AllStarz for the Astrology University podcast. So let’s get rolling into all about Gemini. So personal, mutable, so mutable air sign, so air sign, oh my gosh. So of course the end of spring in the northern you guys, the only way is up, and we’re heading down to the last phase of autumn, staring winter in the cold, dark eye. The witty wordsmith and that is you, Colin. Oh, my gosh, rapid fire. I think you’re getting even more rapid and fast.
Colin: I’ve got to jog faster to keep up with you too.
Vanessa: Coffee starting to kick in. I’ve had to have one to keep up with Colin. So the quick winged messenger, the messenger Hermes wings on the ankles and feet, the quick mind sometimes a little all over the place, and erratic, I will say. Colin, do you sometimes feel like you’re delivering a message? Do you really relate to that idea, that concept of the winged messenger?
Colin: Yes. You know what, since you’ve asked me in such a structured way, and I don’t know if anyone’s ever asked me that, I believe that. I do. And I believe that I try my best to see my role as the messenger, so that I can really take myself, not so seriously. Because I’m not the message, I’m the messenger. So that’s why, in all of my work, I think a really concerted effort to cite my sources and attribute where appropriate and make sure that people know, I’m not the generator of this information. I’m just summarizing some concepts. So yes, I can see myself very much in that role. And yeah, way to go on a first-time question. I’ve never been asked that before.
Vanessa: I feel a sense of pride.
Colin: Off to a good start.
Vanessa: That’s really interesting. That’s a great way to put it, actually reciting messages, citing sources and things like that. And I can certainly hear your Capricorn Moon in there, as well. The respect, you know, that’s very respectful. Also leading into authority and things like that.
Colin: Because I think we ought to take ourselves, especially in our community, and really anybody who’s on social media or generating information content creation, we don’t have to invent reinvent the wheel, nothing is new under the sun. So if we’re referencing and citing and reconnecting and you know, having a multidisciplinary lens, I think we can, I think we can communicate a little bit more effectively, personally, because I feel like people feel like there’s such a pressure, like I have to say something new, I have to say something original, you actually don’t. You can just reference somebody.
Vanessa: That’s true. Yeah, really good points. And this, that people are calling a lot of information content as well. So yeah, just give respect to it. Maybe point out where you’ve put your own ideas together too. And you know, it’s a spectrum. And there’s definitely different shades to that, and leaning into the messenger and away from the ego. So that’s a good way of stepping away from the ego and the pressure that puts on you when it’s like I have to, I have to do this. So more of a creative form.
Colin: Yeah. And when you see yourself as the messenger, not the message, again, you just have that Gemini levity, a certain level of adaptability, curiosity, and reverence for preexisting information, scholars and sources.
Vanessa: I like that a lot. Thank you. Who are they? What else about Gemini? I love the curiosity, obviously, you know, that’s a headline, and ever curious. Do you have nine lives? You know, does your curiosity really bag you some trouble sometimes?
Colin: You know what? Probably in early childhood, it did. Because I didn’t know that I couldn’t ask these questions. And so it certainly would get me into some hot water. But as I as I’ve gotten older, Vanessa, I think, and again, I think this is a cultural distinction because as we were laughing earlier, you know, I’m a native New Yorker and I spend most of my time here. It’s actually really impressive how when I ask New Yorkers pointed questions, they’ll disclose in point five seconds, they’ll tell me anything I need to know.
Vanessa: It makes sense. So Gemini and also of course, you’re a twin.
Colin: Yes.
Vanessa: Of course. And my other favorite Astro twins are the Astro Twins. Opposite of you, Sagittarius and Gemini. So interesting polarity right there. So your twin sister, does she do astrology at all? Are you on the same path?
Colin: Well, funny you should mention that, Vanessa. I think that she would identify as a little bit of a skeptic. She’s just a bit more curious about how it works. You know, she has her wheelhouse. She’s actually a school psychologist, in providing young learners in the US, particular academic social support that they may need. So she evaluates, she tests, she examines, she provides really hands-on direct services. But I have noticed, ever since she became a mother, she’s been really curious about it. And I have a feeling and she’s softening into this idea that her and I might actually go into the astrology of children and children’s psychology, we care so deeply about the youth. And she has really grounded evidence-based, research-backed support. And I can look at a natal chart and cross reference it with my sister. And we’ve been doing that with my niece, her daughter, Evelyn. So she’s certainly open to it. And I think one day we might actually join forces.
Vanessa: That would be amazing. I see your work and you do cite your references, you seem very widely read and going into a lot of psychology and a lot of different levels. So that’s definitely where you two come together. That would be a great dynamic duo.
Colin: Twin set. And, you know, she specializes in children, and I’m really trying to specialize in couples and relationships. So wouldn’t that be great? You know, we can work out significant, even personal relational milestones together, early childhood, and partner preselection or marital commitment, we can play, we can join forces. I’d love it.
Vanessa: Yeah, that would be so cool. So what else you want to highlight as a real headline for Gemini generally?
Colin: Well, I think what I really want to remind folks is it’s really an expression that Ludwig Wittgenstein had said the Austrian philosopher, that if you expand your language, you expand your world. And so I think that’s the Gemini headline. And what I’ve noticed within my work is, especially because of my astrology, if I’m not providing vocabulary for my clients, my readers, and my viewers, for in real time application, I do not believe that I’m offering what I need to be offering. And I think that’s the Gemini way is like use your words very granularly. In real time, you’re not going to get an invitation in the mail that says, hey, Vanessa, by the way, tomorrow at 2:37, you’re going to have an ultimately life defining conversation. We don’t get those advance previews. And so I would like to believe that the highest expression of Gemini is just a conversation about conversations, and thinking about thinking, and talking about talking, and remembering how to listen and negotiate and communicate. If we can offer people those tools in real time, we can open them up to extraordinary possibilities, second chances, forgiveness, apology, courage, creativity, intimacy. And so that’s what I would like the highest octave of Gemini to be.
Vanessa: That’s interesting. I just think of those twins, that one that’s more celestial. And that one that’s really grounded, like really channeling that as a service.
Colin: That’s me and my twin. Like she is into this but not sure. I’m literally living this story with Courtney.
Vanessa: That’s amazing. So Courtney’s your sister, yes? Well, let’s go into the pitfalls of Gemini / Gemini season if you have them.
Colin: What pitfalls? What are you talking about?
Vanessa: Right, it was so hard to come up with anything. Well, Gemini and Scorpio seem to be the most maligned with Virgo coming in pretty hot there too. Gemini gets a lot of grief, right? I think Gemini gets grief for being for the dualistic side, particularly without that being embraced, and that’s why I love astrology. When you know it a bit better you can understand it’s meant to be a dualistic sign. Look at what’s really going on here.
Colin: I love it. No, I absolutely agree. And don’t have a bone to pick about this, but it’s true. I also think it’s a cheap shot. It’s just become popular.
Vanessa: It’s an ignorant shot as well, I think.
Colin: Totally. And I think that Gemini confronts people with those hard truths around, like, use your words, because none of us were on boarded to skillfully speak. So learn how do it, please. Hello. And then I think that quality of well, it’s not this, it’s not that. It might be what I don’t know that I don’t even know I don’t know yet. And we’ll really struggle in uncertainty. And I think Gemini – I’ll tell you what, that’s one thing I know we’re asking about like what we don’t do well, and I thrive in uncertainty, you know, but I do. I have no issues with it. I really don’t. I have allegiance to knowledge and information. I’m not in allegiance to any status quo, to any community, any kind of a political party. I just want to know the truth with a capital T. And I think that thirst makes people nervous. But I do believe that where Gemini gets into issues is that maybe they over promise and under deliver. You know, they say yes to many things, and they spread themselves really wide. And so I don’t think it’s done maliciously. I just think it’s done out of this passion, this curiosity for what could be. I want to say yes, I don’t want to miss out on anything. There was this kind of youthfulness I find with Gemini energy. I feel like I’m still 16, you know?
Vanessa: Yeah, this is a real headline. I think it’s that mutability. And, you know, I’m highly mutable too, so I totally get it. And I see that opportunity quite often in change, and I find it exciting. I feel suffocated if I know what’s happening, and I would hate to have a schedule that was completely scheduled, I would just not be able to breathe. I need so much freedom, well, Sag. But yeah, the space. You need that space to move and create change and often present more questions than you answer. People just want things answered, what do I do? And it’s like, well, you can do a lot of different things. It’s fine, which feels best to see, you have to explore to find that.
Colin: Yeah, I think relationally people get uncomfortable with the fact that like, Geminis also sort of be like, hey, look, I might be in a relationship with you. But at best, I’m on loan to you with an option to renew. Don’t get it twisted. Don’t get it twisted, Vanessa. Okay, I think makes people really nervous too, you know.
Vanessa: Oh in relationships – very.
Colin: And it’s not that we can’t do a commitment. I have seen Geminis who are like, okay, I’ve chosen you. Do choose me? But I just I feel like with Gemini relationships, there’s always this energy of don’t think you have me because you don’t. And you shouldn’t. So let’s keep dating each other. Let’s keep getting to know each other.
Vanessa: Yeah, explore…
Colin: Not rest on our laurels here. I think that’s what makes mutable signs highly confronting.
Vanessa: Yeah, so I think that if you understand, we’ll talk about the Gemini for mutable particularly, but I totally get it. If you understand it, you know how to work the Gemini and get the best out of the Gemini because you understand what they’re doing. And if they are under stimulated or bored, and they start dancing circles around you like the cheeky little trickster, you know what’s happening so you can be like, Oh, you’re bored, okay, let’s go do something. Or you can throw them something and watch them try to work it out. And you can be in control and have fun with that and they’re having fun and I mean, that’s a real element of play for Gemini as well, isn’t it? And not always needing to be practical. The air signs concept is being able to have a conversation and look around it. And what do you think of this like also one of my best friends is a mega Gemini, she’s got a massive stellium in Gemini, just responds so well to new ideas and what do you think of this and just so you can keep throwing things to her and she’ll catch it and she’ll always come back with something great and throw it back. I love it.
Colin: I love the Gemini-Sag polarity energy and look, I know this is your show but I’m going to pull a Gemini here. Okay, what do you wish the world knew a little bit more about this zodiac sign? Because yeah, we can speak for ourselves. But if anybody can speak for us, it’s our polar opposite sign. So what do you wish that others knew about the Gemini archetype in preparation for this month?
Vanessa: I think it’s really that. I think it’s the you know, I’ve got Saturn in Gemini opposite my Sun and Neptune actually, so it’s there in the first I just think it’s that. It’s like there’s no real truth, like you’ll never know the truth. So you’ve got to explore it, you’ve got to stay curious. And you’ve got to have an operating system that is always ready to be updated. Are you going to stick with that same old OS X, whatever it is operating system? Because it’s gonna be outdated so fast, especially these days with, we’ve got so much information coming through. It’s been such a learning curve, we’ve got access to so many diverse people’s experiences, which I’ve really loved. And I’ve loved the confrontation sometimes that that brings you up against where your wall or your edge is and that’s exciting, I love that personally. So I just wish people would know that. Don’t hold on to your belief, because you know what, it’s probably wrong. So just update it like what’s right for you, but you could grow, drawing that curiosity, dance around it, dance around it, get around it, have the conversation.
Colin: Yes, have the conversation.
Vanessa: Have the conversation this month. And always.
Colin: I loved what you said about that. That is true. I think we don’t always know the truth. And I think Geminis receive value from learning cultures and just learning. I don’t think Gemini derives any value from the knowing cultures of like, I know. And therefore… No, the minute we hear that, we’re like, do you really know? And let’s see your works cited page. And if I brought some experts in here, would they agree with everything that you said? Right, and we love that drama, we love that debate. That’s a really beautiful point. You’re right, we will never know the truth.
Vanessa: And everyone’s truth is different. So you can’t just put it on someone else that this is the way it’s meant to be. Because there’s is different. Why is yours like yours is? Why don’t you question where all that comes from? Because it’s probably just been handed down to you. Who would they like to know the truth? You know, it’s for you to develop it.
Colin: Yes, Sagittarius. And I think I believe that would make folks really uncomfortable, which is probably why Gemini is so maligned. And hey, if any zodiac sign can get close, that’s probably Scorpio. Right? So maybe that’s another reason. And then I think with Virgo, they’re just not inclined to believe anything anybody says, they’re immediately leading with skepticism. And I love that construct. So maybe we’re the researchers, we’re trying to get to the bottom of things. And I think maybe that can make a lot of zodiac signs really uncomfortable. But I think if we can all work together, who knows what kind of truths we can discover?
Vanessa: Exactly, exactly. You need all those different ways.
Colin: 100%.
Vanessa: And you need Gemini to throw that spanner in just when you thought you had it.
Colin: We love drama, we do, we love it. We love a little bit of it.
Vanessa: The stimulation, yes. Don’t let the Gemini get bored, or you’re gonna get trouble with a capital T. And it’s just remembering the role that the signs have isn’t it? Gemini has its role so let it do its thing and appreciate it.
Colin: And you know what, I think another role that it does is ask questions, I think, honestly Vanessa our entire lives can change if we structured about 50% of our dialogue with other people as an open ended question.
Vanessa: Yeah, yeah. But a lot of people don’t like questions, do they?
Colin: That’s where I’m unsure. I believe people do like questions. I believe people don’t like asking them. So it’s this rub, right? It’s the vulnerability paradox. It’s the first thing I want to see Vanessa. It’s the last thing I want to do. It’s the last thing I want to initiate.
Vanessa: Yeah, right.
Colin: They don’t want people want to get value from the knowing, right? They want to feel like they’re the experts out there. Asking, that’s a vulnerable place to be. But what I’ve noticed is that me and my Geminis, we can just keep the conversation flowing. Because we’ll ask, we’ll follow up, we’ll provoke, we’ll kind of facilitate and ask well, that’s interesting because Vanessa said this. What do you have to say for yourself, John? You know, we’ll just pull people in. And I would love if I could ask anybody to do anything during Gemini season, it would be to just ask open ended questions to people. To show people that you care and show that you see them. Before I am catching up with a friend and before I have to do anything, the first thing I do is scroll on the text messages and go, oh, they had a job interview or they just went on this trip. Oh, they were reading this book so that when I see them, you know, I could be like, how’s that going? Did you finish it? Did you hear back from the job? Just to let other people know that I know them, that I see them, that I understand.
Vanessa: That’s really linking things, isn’t it? It’s making links because you’ve sort of circled back, you’ve made this link and you’re bringing it into now.
Colin: And that means so much to people. It means so much. And I think that we don’t necessarily highlight that and again, back to who said what – John Gottman, one of the pioneers of relational research, argues that if we don’t have what he calls a love map, where we store cognitively the key details of our partner’s lives through asking open ended questions, we don’t have a sound relationship. You can learn a lot by the questions that are being asked.
Vanessa: That’s a great directive for Gemini season. So I think we’ve got our takeaway already. So now we’re gonna go into classic signs. Who’s your classic sign, Colin?
Colin: Gemini. So for me, it’s a no brainer. It is the one and only Miss Laverne Cox, who is a Gemini and a twin. I believe that she’s really galvanized the conversation since she started performing in Orange is the New Black on really complicated intersectional issues within the United States about what it means to be trans, what it means to be Black, what it means to be from the American South. And I believe that she has a way around dialoguing in these concerns that has created a tipping point. And I believe that she speaks without combativeness, which wow, what a skill today. I haven’t learned how to do it yet. And so there is I think that Gemini quality of let’s just get to know one another. And even though we are so different, let me share a little bit about myself. And I’d love for you to share a little bit more about yourself. I actually met her, speaking of Gemini stories. So I graduated from Parsons New School for Design in 2016. And Laverne was an honorary degree recipient. So we were on the graduation stage together. And we walked out together, which was amazing. We walked out of the Javits Center, and she was right next to me, and I was joking with her and I was like, so what are you going to do after graduation? You think you’re gonna use your degree? She was like, I don’t know, we’ll see. You know, I have a lot of options. So we were just laughing and I told her like, Laverne you are such a card carrying Gemini. And she was like, Honey, who are you tellin’? I’m like, good point. But she was lovely and kind and sweet and just fantastic. And I just love the way that she generates change through conversation because that’s what her career represents. If you know how to change a conversation, you know how to change the world, and that’s what Laverne has done. This is a strange thing to say, but I like really just couldn’t be more proud of her. I’m very proud of her. Like, I feel like she is just doing significant work. I think the world of her. I really do.
Vanessa: My classic sign I’m going to talk about is because I fan girled so hard with this – Nell Campbell from the Rocky Horror Picture Show, has a stellium in Gemini. And she’s just so Gemini. She’s really quick witted. She’s so funny. She is so cheeky. It’s ridiculous. She was a tap dancer. That’s how she got her gig. You know, it’s quick, like quick movements. She like moves quickly, like just the quality of her movements hilarious. She’s always throwing in these extremely cheeky little things. I was listening to an interview and she doesn’t just say of course she’s like, of course it and you know plays with words. She’s extremely playful. And she still is, she’s still got that quality which I love. You know some signs like Aries as well. The younger signs can stay so youthful, no matter what age they are. Gemini is certainly one of those so much fun. She’s possibly writing a book soon and memoir because getting on to Instagram over lockdowns, she’s based in Sydney now but was in New York for a very long time. She said that it’s just kind of she’s found her voice through writing Instagram posts. I mean, how Gemini is that? And so she’s inspired to write a memoir and pull it put her history together because she’s got so many she’s got like generations worth now fangirling her. Her both her parents were journalists. I mean how Gemini. She’s done her time at being a journalist and she currently is what she’s working for Cameo where you can get well-known people to record a message that’s sent to a friend. I mean, is that Gemini or what?
Colin: Quick message – pay me to talk.
Vanessa: In an interview she said she records messages for Cameo, creating bespoke messages for a fee. She says people can contact me and they’ll say the most amazing things like for example, I’ve just come out to my wife and children as trans. They’ve been really great. Or I’m going to tell my parents I’m gay this week. Can you give me some tips? So it’s like a Dear Abby as well.
Colin: That’s so Gemini.
Vanessa: So Gemini and of her book yeah, this is where she says writing Instagram posts during lockdown has helped her find her voice and she says this is the quote, the curious mind can be locked up. But there are millions of things to do. Like write a book
Colin: Through Instagram – I love that. Like it was that media, that modality, because social media can be such a hellscape that this is Gemini found her voice I absolutely love it.
Vanessa: She found her voice, always a positive. Let’s go to the monthly Moon segments. And we have got the New Moon is at nine degrees Gemini. It is May 30the, eastern 7:30am. It is rogue. I don’t think it’s making any aspects at all. So I looked at the ruler, which is Mercury it’s retrograde. And by that point, it’s at 26 Taurus. And so what’s Mercury doing in that case?
Colin: Probably close to Saturn.
Vanessa: Yes, it’s squaring Saturn’s at 25 Aquarius and it’s in a nice flowing trine to Pluto, which is retrograde and it’s conjunct the North Node which is positive think the real positive with that Pluto for transformation and having the difficult conversations. Yeah, the main thing is that square to Saturn. The new moon it’s rogue so that’s interesting. Maybe there’s like a purity of Gemini there. Do you do anything for new moons, Colin like set intentions or do a little ritual?
Colin: I think when it’s in my top three if it’s in Gemini, Capricorn or Leo I probably will. And yeah, I actually have an amazing career project beginning on May 29.
Vanessa: Did you set it for that date? Or?
Colin: No, it happened completely randomly. Yeah, it’s a media project completely out of my control. I’m just told when to show up. And it starts on May 29.
Vanessa: Ah, that sounds like that’s going to be very interesting. And this New Moon at nine degrees conjunct your Gemini planets?
Colin: Sort of wide, my Sun Mercury’s three two so I have that energy going on. I have a Sun at three, Mercury at two although my Mercury is retrograde at two Gemini and then my Venus Jupiter conjunction’s at 14 Gemini so close-ish.
Vanessa: Yeah, they’re in. They’re in.
Colin: That’s activating almost everything at this point and the North Node over Gemini has just been easily probably the most transformative 18 months of my entire life. So I almost feel like maybe the end, the New Moon is almost probably the moment where I can see. It’s funny as I’m workshopping this real time with you. But I can sort of see this really beautiful threshold capstone experience since May of 2020 to now in a way that I never did over the last year and a half.
Vanessa: Oh, wow. Yeah, it’s gone fast right? Gemini’s just wings on his feet.
Colin: It really did and of course here I was thinking I should make plans now. You know, when the north node is over your Sun it has a different plan doesn’t it? It really sort of blew my circuits. But now that I’m coming up for air and I’m looking around at what’s happening I’m like, well, this is I would have never been able to dream this dream but clearly the universe dreams one through me. Possibly.
Vanessa: And you’re ready to dance with it.
Colin: That’s right baby! Gemini – light on our feet, light on our feet. Especially Britney’s playing. Forget it.
Vanessa: Britney, love for Britney. All right. Well, congratulations on that. And I’m sure we’ll hear more about it. Just on that new moon. That’s amazing Gemini. There’s actually hardly any aspects on that new moon like looking at the aspect grid there’s it’s a weird looking grid because it’s next to nothing going on. Interestingly, let’s look at the full moon is on June 14. 23 degrees Sagittarius. So let’s go to the chart.
Colin: I believe I’m feeling a square to Neptune, right?
Vanessa: It’s exactly square Neptune. Zero degrees and it’s got flowing aspects to Saturn actually, a sextile Saturn sextile Saturn the Moon and the Sun is a nice flowing trine to Saturn. So yeah, the old Neptune that’s been coming up a lot through the search, obviously new and full moon. So again, my interpretation is that Sagittarius wants to know, Neptune in Pisces is direct experience. You can’t know, you can’t have words, you have to just speak in whale sounds. What’s your thoughts on that?
Colin: Love how you said you had to speak in whale sounds. It’s so true for my Neptunian Pisces ruled friends. I love them for that. You know, I’ve been actually really thinking about the Mercury retrograde in Taurus. And because of what you were talking about the New Moon in Gemini , Mercury being the ruler of the chart, squaring Saturn and like Saturn being in contact with both of these lunations it’s really the emphasis around deciding not sliding, which is a kind of really helpful frame of mind that I heard Dr. Scott Stanley speak on ease, relational researcher in the US as well. And what he discusses is that a lot of times we slide into commitment, and we don’t decide.
Vanessa: That it. That’s true.
Colin: And because we’re afraid to ask the uncomfortable questions early on, we think that we’re going to accelerate rejection criticism, we’re like safer in ambiguity and prolonged uncertainty. What I really love about Saturnian energy, and definitely Taurean energy, any earth sign is like, what am I agreeing to?
Vanessa: And how much is it gonna cost me?
Colin: I just had that conversation tonight, me and my Capricorn stellium. So maybe what we can think about is like, reviewing some of the decisions we’ve made, and really ask, did I slide into this? Or did I decide this?
Vanessa: I like that thing over the last few years, the situation-ship. So you sounds like you’re talking about the situation-ship that people just find themselves in because they’re in it.
Colin: That’s from marital researcher Terrence Real. H calls the modern state of relationships right now ‘stable ambiguity,’ where we don’t want to actually engage in effortful intimacy building, but we don’t want to be alone. So we’re going to stay in a holding pattern. So we’re not lonely, but we’re not experiencing the secure attachment of relational commitment.
Vanessa: Yeah. So the slide. Don’t slide, decide.
Colin: Exactly. And I think I would love to see people feel like they’re allowed to do that. And they’re allowed to ask others, you know, I think that for whatever reason, we just are playing the chill card playing it cool. And it’s like, no, I’m not playing my time and energy cool. Like, are we agreeing to this or not? And what do you want? Because maybe you want pizza? And I don’t. Never. But you know, maybe you want something else? So we need to talk about that. So I would love to see maybe that could be something literally like did I slide into this, or did I decide this?
Vanessa: That’s true. And that’s a big deal. Because everyone’s security patterns. You know, as soon as you start talking about something, people might think, oh, my god, the security, the attachment, just gets all fired up and triggered, which is, why it can be good to have a mediator like a counselor just to sit in the middle, hold the space, close off the conversation, once it’s done, so you can feel secure again, or learn that for oneself. And I’m just thinking about having the talking stick, opening the session, even if it’s just between you and your situation partner. And closing it off again too, we just have to be formal about it. Use all the words, be formal about it, this is what we’re doing. Are you ready to have the conversation? The reasons why, not just a sudden attack.
Colin: Absolutely. And I love again, just like people feeling, to be honest with you, I think and this is the work of Gottman again. He says when we experience pain in our heart, it takes about two minutes for us to call a medical professional, we’ll call 911. When there’s a problem in a relationship, Vanessa, people wait up to seven years, because I think they don’t realize that there are resources out there. And so maybe that’s what we can do in this podcast is let others know, there are sentences, communication sequences, methods for relational ambivalence and pre-commitment selection. There are structured approaches for this, and they could get support they need to decide commitment not slide into commitment.
Vanessa: Yeah. Well, with Mercury retrograde is certainly a great time to scoot back and look at how you can go forward with communication, where it might have been missing, what it triggers in you that you’re avoiding, you know, vulnerability. It’s all about the vulnerability, isn’t it? The benefits, I love the hidden benefits side of things, the benefit, hidden benefits of not being clear with someone or yourself, what are you afraid of? What are you getting out of not being clear?
Colin: Right. You’re avoiding self-disclosure. So there’s a there’s a small benefit, right? But I think the cost is much higher than that. And I would love to see us turn towards and approach what makes us uncomfortable and stay standing in it. Because it’s like, hey, this is what I said, for the lunar eclipse in Scorpio to people you want to play, you got to pay the cost of admission. It’s so true, though.
Vanessa: Absolutely. And you’ve got to use your words.
Colin: Use your words. Right.
Vanessa: Well, come right with me to the headlines for Gemini season. So the key signatures, did you have a look through the key signatures? Or shall I go through them? Because I have them all here.
Colin: I, in true Gemini fashion, did not look at the key signatures. I’m showing I’m not prepared. The first one I’m thinking of though, is Mars entering Aries. I don’t know if that’s one of them.
Vanessa: You’re right. On the 24th of May, Mars does enter Aries and things certainly will spice up a bit then because we’re going to have that group in Aries at that time, aren’t we? 24th of May. I’m just going to go to the chart on that actually. Because that’s something I was thinking about too, in terms of getting a little pile up happening in Aries. So for a minute there we’ve got when the Moon goes through Aries around the 27th ish of May we’ll have Mars conjunct Jupiter in Aries. Around one, two. So then we’ve got Chiron at 15, the Moon and then Venus at 28. So 1, 2, 3, 5 planets, so it’s going to be a real vibe. I’m wondering, I was wondering about the Mars and Jupiter conjunct in Aries with you know, Jupiter just expands you know, it doesn’t decide it’s good or bad. It’s just going to make more of it, I think. So the US, I feel for you guys with this one is also when Jupiter conjuncts Chiron. I’m a little concerned about that. But yeah, Mars-Jupiter. On a personal note, energy. Just freakin do it. What are you going to do? Where are you going to direct that flame thrower?
Colin: And also like, how, because it’s funny, I would actually say, what’s the planet that has now really animated my work probably the most over the last two years, Vanessa? It’s Mars, all about desire and autonomy and freedom and independence and wanting. So I would really love for folks to really consider like, do they own their wanting? You know, do they let themselves want? Because wanting is one thing, loving is different. Needing is something else. Where are we when we’re just wanting? Who are we? What are we wanting? Who are we with? When I think of wanting, I think of Aries and I think of yearning, reaching, longing. And I would love for folks to let themselves want again, especially after being surrounded by such collective trauma and a pandemic, and economic and racial upheavals. We’ve experienced so much. And so we need life force again.
Vanessa: So it could be a real engine starter. Could really turn the engine over. Like, we have all had to stop plans and just stop. And you might have had this mobility, but you’ve got to remind yourself, you can’t go anywhere or you’ve got to watch your actions, what you do, and Mars is just like, I’m going to do this in Aries with Jupiter.
Colin: Come on now right? And let’s just feel that. You know, because I think people do have complicated, tricky relationships with desire. So let’s see what we can do around that time to really heal that I think and regulate any objection that we have towards owning our wanting.
Vanessa: Yeah, I like that. And then, you know, open up. I guess that’s having that curiosity to your own action as well. Well, you’ve got to know where you’re heading. What is it that you want to do?
Colin: Yeah, right. What do you want to do? Who do you want to be? Who do you want to do it with? What does wanting feel like in a person’s body? Get conscious, get dramatic, get embodied. What does it mean for you to be in yearning, longing, reaching, anticipating, wanting? Like my whole body just like raised 10 degrees talking about it. I have a progressed Moon in Aries. It’s gotten me into heaps of trouble. So that’s why just all things Aries and Mars. I’m like, I love to sit my clients down before they have a Mars return. And I’m like, are you doing everything you want to do for the next 40 days? I would love to talk about it. During Gemini season, you know, a lot of us are really clear what we don’t want. We know what we don’t like. Well, then what do you want? Name it.
Vanessa: Rather than just responding or like something I always say is things that frustrate me or really annoy me, rather than sit around whinging about it, I’ve realized, finally, take action, do something about it. Like let that drive you then. You make the change. You put it out there don’t be like whinging because no one else is doing it. Why don’t you go do it? And it really drives me, I get so much energy by letting that be my fuel to be quite honest.
Colin: Well, I love it. And you’re an Aries Moon.
Vanessa: Aries Moon naturally, and yeah, it’s the Aries fuels me. I’ve got Mars in Pisces, but then I lean into the fire. And that really creates the drive to action because the Mars in Pisces might not act. It’ll just be feeling and receptive. And I can tell when that Moon kicks in. So I really yeah, I let that turn the key over basically, on the ignition and then I’m off.
Colin: Happy Mars return, by the way. Happy Mars return.
Vanessa: Thank you. It’s been great actually. Sextile from Uranus has been fantastic. God love that sextile. All right, so yeah, May Gemini season is quite fueled by Aries. Mars in Aries. Just do it. What are you going to do though? Just do it. Do what?
Colin: I’m going to get into trouble internationally. That’s the goal, right? Go back to Italy say hi to my amici there and eat a lot of food.
Vanessa: Well, I’ll be getting into trouble in the UK and Greece and Sydney. I’m traveling too so that’s awesome. If you’re going to be around Greece, I’ll be there.
Colin: Yeah. Is this your first time in Greece?
Vanessa: Yes, which is why I’m like why haven’t I been? Go there.
Colin: Love it, so Sag. Yeah, I’m so happy to see my Sagittarians just traveling and living and experiencing. And you deserve that so much.
Vanessa: I do. It’s been too long. Let’s have a look at what else we have. I’m going to go through the ingresses so Mercury retrograde enters Taurus May 22, backing it up. Mars enters Aries May 24. Venus enters Taurus May 28 Venus is very happy in Taurus and there’s desire as well. Like it’s very you know, it’s physical. It’s food. It’s sensual. The senses, relate like how are you going to relate? Taurus vibes. How are you going to love yourself? Massage, good foods, smells, roll around in it all. And nice slow, slow relating as well. Like let’s take our time – Taurus. Slow. New Moon in Gemini May 30. Mercury direct June 3, that’s a good one to write down Mercury direct June 3. All systems go so look back at what that window revealed. I find with Mercury retrograde if it’s a strong one for me. So obviously, these are stronger if they’re on a point or a planet. The personal planet or cardinal like the cross, the earth cross. Oh, how I’ll start to reminisce I’ll be thinking about conversations from decades ago, someone will pop up in my mind and I’ll take that as the messenger, the Mercury messenger. What was the topic of that conversation? And I’ll think about what that message might be from my subconscious coming up. Look at the dreams, what’s coming back? Okay, well, why is this coming up now? Rather than just get lost in it, especially while driving.
Colin: Don’t you get really good messages when you’re driving?
Vanessa: Really great. I love it. Yeah, I’m looking forward to my trip actually not. It’s a hell flight. It’s so far from Australia to get anywhere. But I’m really looking forward to that just relaxing, sitting there for ages. Like I like sitting on buses for that reason too. Someone else is driving. And I can just see what comes up, see what my mind mulls over. That can really be great container. And traveling. So then we’ve got after Mercury direct on the 3rd, June 4 is Saturn retrograde. June 7 first quarter Moon. June 13 Mercury is back in Gemini, so things speed up. What is it? Become very conscious. I think while in Taurus, listen to your body messages really can come through there as well. And Gemini, it’s almost time to say it, time to share your work. Full Moon in Sag June 14, and the season finishes June 21 when the Sun enters Cancer. So and I’ll just say this is just into Cancer season, but Venus will move into Gemini June 22. Seems relevant, Gemini. In terms of the aspects, always lots and lots of aspects. There’s heaps of sextiles and trines. We’ve got a few squares. Let’s look at this. It’s all the personal planets and outer planets. It’s no massive outer planet to outer planet, which is always the biggest headline, let’s face it. So we’ll go I’ll just go to a few of those and you can give me your rundown. What do you do use? Would you look at the Sun in aspect of things? Mercury, Venus Mars, which would be the ones you would give preference to?
Colin: Oh, I am ruled by the Sun so I probably do all of it.
Vanessa: Yeah, that’s a good point, actually. And I’m wondering about our listeners. Do you look at your Sun’s ruling planet, your ascendant’s ruling planet and keep a close eye on that?
Colin: I do. I I’m a big fan of ruling planet pattern finding. 100% Yeah, because I feel the Sun enter a new sign immediately. And when I really try to incorporate it, and think about its wisdom, I’m completely transformed by it. Like I was deliberate about taking off when the Sun was in Cancer, the ruler of my 12th. And I’m still living with the positive effects of that to this day almost a whole year later, so yeah, I’m a big fan of ruling planet energy. I’m like, what the hell is going on there?
Vanessa: Oh, that’s interesting. Nice. June 15 is that Mars in Aries conjunct Chiron. I just want people to be forewarned, you know, is forearmed. If something pops up, reactivity. Let’s talk about reactions and reactivity with Mars.
Colin: Yeah, maybe if we talk about it, we’ll be responsible with it. Well, it’s that Viktor Frankl quote that says ‘between stimulus and response there is a space and in that space is your ability to choose your behavior. And in that choosing is your freedom and your power.’ And that’s where I think actually America could stand some significant skill building. Just because you’re feeling a particular thing, doesn’t give you license to react. We love the feeling. Let’s talk about emotion. But let’s be very clear, you don’t have license to move through your emotions irresponsibly.
Vanessa: That’s the shadow side of the Cancer Sun in the US that I was referring to.
Colin: And I knew that in my bones, did I know that? Yeah, so I’m not suffering from what Gore Vidal calls the United States of Amnesia. We just have no clue about our history and our problems. Do I see it loud and clear? Yeah.
Vanessa: So that was the headlines, key takeaways and monthly mantras. We’ve definitely done a few good takeaways. So we’re going to go to – do you have a mantra? I’ll give the example. So I just go with the obvious thing, which is I easily express myself in a way others can hear. Or another way – there’s talking and there’s speaking for your audience so that you actually connect and get your message accepted.
Colin: Oh, my God, there’s so much, wow. You know actually feeling drawn to actually, is that relationships are a feedback loop. And so what I’m always trying to think about is, what is my space? What am I doing? What am I thinking? Or how am I saying it that creates a boomerang effect that I am not thrilled with?
Vanessa: Yes. What was your part in that situation?
Colin: Oh, yeah and I think that’s what I’m always thinking about. If relationships are a feedback loop, what am I saying, or how am I saying it that creates the outcome that I’m not thrilled with? And I think people need to remember that because in our community, I think we have a lot of permission and time and space, monitoring and surveilling and diagnosing and pathologizing everybody else. And my Moon in Capricorn question, it’s like, well, I don’t have the luxury of talking to them. What have you done? You know, so that’s relationships are feedback.
Vanessa: Yeah, absolutely. I like that. So true, especially when we get into that Venus in Gemini, as well. Like, bring that in. Read the situation.
Colin: See what you’re doing. See what they’re doing. The system, it’s a dynamic, there’s mechanics here. So it’s not just them. And it’s not just you.
Vanessa: And there’s two people involved.
Colin: Hello, I’m on the same team and the space between, so then what? Play with it. Dance with it.
Vanessa: Bring in the Gemini, the fun. Have fun with it.
Colin: People need to lighten up anyway.
Vanessa: In many ways. What’s on your coffee table, Colin? You’ve already shared a book with us. What have you got prepared?
Colin: I just got this book by Day Schildkret. It’s called Hello, Goodbye: 75 Rituals for Times of Loss, Celebration & Change. I fell in love with it because I heard Astaire Perel quote him. And the quote was, ‘rituals are the zones and traditions that give us a sense of stability in the face of uncertainty. By reminding us there’s always something we can do, say or make that can conjure awe, contentment, and gratitude. They give us a way to acknowledge through our actions that as life changes, we too must change.’
Vanessa: Nice. Especially with in the Venus in Taurus period this month, anchoring down into ritual. It’s so Earth isn’t it? It’s so earthy.
Colin: Yeah. And you know, thinking about COVID in really just demolishing birthdays, graduations, weddings, funerals…
Vanessa: Oh my gosh, yes, rituals.
Colin: Those are all rituals. And we’ve lost them. And so no wonder we’re experiencing what Pauline Boss would call ambiguous loss. It’s confusing, you know. And so maybe it’s my Moon in the sixth, my Virgo South Node, my Taurus midheaven. I’m all about the ritual, to provide the container to remind us that there’s always something we can do. And that’s how we delineate, that’s how we punctuate, that’s how we move this to that here and there everywhere, nowhere. If we don’t have rituals, I don’t know where we’re going. So this is what’s on my coffee, my coffee book table side situation.
Vanessa: My bedside table, I like it. I got this in the mail. Demetra George, Ancient Astrology. I’m just such a fangirl of Demetra’s. Such a legend, that’s the word legend. So I have both now, not that I’ve read much of the first one but they are massive. So both together is thousands of pages.
Colin: Long flight, you’ve got.
Vanessa: Me over the luggage weight, so that’s not coming with me. I was going to go through it with a friend we’re going to meet up every week on Zoom, speaking of structure and go through together as a mega Sag friend, of course. It’s called Ancient Astrology in Theory and Practice: A Manual of Traditional Techniques, Volume Two by Demetra George. And so you must also get volume one in that case, if you go with it, and I think you know, I’m a modern astrologer, and we did cover a lot of traditional in my education and going to conferences. We had Benjamin Dikes coming over to Australia talking about all sorts of Arabic parts, lots and things. So it’s not new. But I think it’s time to get more grounded so that I can be part of that conversation more clearly. Because it’s huge, isn’t it? The traditional astrology really coming through from that hindsight translation project is really coming to fruition. 20 years, 30 years later, long time. I think it’s having its Saturn return or something.
Colin: Oh, there that makes sense.
Vanessa: To me this is the this is the ultimate fruition. Demetra George with these two enormous books. So that’s mine. Colin, what have you got coming up coming up that you’d like to share with people. You do readings?
Colin: Yeah, I still have natal chart readings. I have a new service I’m actually really happy about because again, I think people are so anti social media. And I respect that. It’s a texting subscription. So I’ll text people, you pay for a monthly subscription. And so I’ll text them when certain transits are happening. And that’s been really fun. So they get long form multimedia content, and then just quick little SMS text messages. That way we can stay in touch, like off the apps where you know, sometimes that can be really psychologically disturbing. And I will have a fun media project coming out next fall, but I can’t say anything more about it.
Vanessa: First I’ll say you’re texting. If that’s not the ultimate Gemini, I don’t know what is.
Colin: Yeah, that’s what all the astrologers, hey, girl, here’s what’s happening today.
Vanessa: I like it and I certainly understand why people might want to just avoid social media at the moment completely, totally get it mental health. Let’s face it. So find Colin at queercosmos.com.
Colin: I’m redesigning my website so it’s almost done. It will be done soon and on Instagram, @queercosmos and they can email me at colin at queercosmos.com. I’d be happy to talk to them.
Vanessa: Excellent and you have a book too. So put that on your nightstand, everybody. What’s your book called?
Colin: So I actually have one about Gemini and then I have one about queer cosmos, the astrology of queer identities and relationships, and then a little bit of astrology. So I have three books out. And because I went to school in America, I’ve got student loans to pay. So if anybody wants to buy some books, help me pay my student tab, that would be nice. Worth every penny. And I had such a blast writing those books. And it really art imitated life. I was getting into a lot of trouble writing Gemini. The second book was I was going through really amazing relational transitions. And then I finished my first book, at UAC 2018.
Vanessa: Well, I have to say, when you tune into these archetypal energies, it really comes to the fore. It really does.
Colin: I know that could be a whole book in and of itself. Like what happens when you kind of make those commitments to give birth to a book baby, and then the next thing you know, you’re right in front of it. It’s wild.
Vanessa: Yeah, it’s pretty wild. I love it. It’s so exciting when it all comes together. And let’s go to Astrology University. So go to their events page on astrologyuniversity.com Events Calendar, May 21 kicks off with Goddesses on the Landscape with Arielle Goodman and she is all over the Venus situation, the Venus cycle. So that would be amazing. Working with Your 8th House Planets is the 28th of May with Melanie Reinhart. And I do find the water houses seem to be the least understood so always worth getting into those. High Times and Addiction in the Chart with Jessica Lanyadoo. June 4th. Wonderful. In this talk, Jessica applies her experience as a counseling astrologer to unpack the topics of drugs and addiction in the birth chart. This is interesting for the Pluto squares too, because this is a lot of people obviously aren’t going to talk about this stuff because reputation, etc. So this would be really interesting. And Jessica’s great at talking about all the things she’s great at it in a way that makes you feel empowered, and not bad. She’s very contemporary. Relationship Astrology 101 June 8 to July 3. So this is a course with my old teacher Brian Clark is a legend, been around forever. So that would be great. So we’ve got really, as always amazing teachers.
Colin: Amazing programs.
Vanessa: Yeah, 101 synastry and Brian has a massive stellium in Libra. So I just love it when he talks about relational things and synastry He’s all over it and he’s so passionate. I have readings of course, come get a reading or sign up for a monthly, yearly commitment. You can do subscriptions through me now or quarterly as well so that we can look back, look ahead. I’m with Colin on continuity. Really a lot of people it’s all about looking forward and no one’s looking back, well how did that go? What came up? You have to loop back or it’s never going to make sense and that’s the best way to learn. So I’ve put that offer up for that reason. The commitment of that as well so we have a container that we know we can plan for, I can plan for with the charts as well. And one off readings. I’ll be traveling but I’m still open to doing readings. I’m certainly open to doing live ones in London, Edinburgh, Athens. I’m there if you’re there, I’m there. I’d love to meet up with you want to do it in person. Greek people come to me Athenians. Athenians. Lesbians on Lesbos, come to me. That’s officially their title. Londoners, Glaswegians, and of course my books as well Star Power and Cosmic Power with number three on the way but you’re going to have to wait a bit longer. I’m going to miss Christmas unfortunately, so that’s looking at being out in I think January 17. But that could change you know, things are changeable.
Colin: Oh, yes, they are.
Vanessa: So I’ll keep everyone updated on that. And have a wonderful Gemini season. Get cheeky. Get flirtatious. Have fun. Try not to get into too much trouble and have the conversations. Is that what we’re doing, Colin?
Colin: That’s what we’re doing. We’re gonna get into trouble. Then we’re gonna get ourselves out of it with smooth talk because Hermes is the God with the persuasive tongue. And then we’re gonna ask a lot of questions, and then we’re gonna dance.
Vanessa: Yeah, we’re gonna dance. Thank you so much for joining us Colin.
Colin: Thank you so much Vanessa. This was so much fun.
Vanessa: Thank you everyone also for tuning in. And we’ll see you next season have a great and cheeky season of the twins. Bye for now! This month’s featured nonprofit is the Malala Fund, you can find it at malala.org. So the Malala Fund invests in education activists and advocates who are driving solutions to barriers to girls education in their communities. At this moment, nearly 130 million girls are out of school, even more are in school, but not learning. And according to UNESCO, 11 million girls may not return to education this year alone due to the COVID crisis. So current rates of progress indicate that we’re still 100 years away from education for all girls. And that’s why the Malala Fund is focused on accelerating progress, challenging systems, policies and practices. So all girls can access 12 years of free safe quality education. There’s also a focus on leadership, which obviously is really important. The fund works in regions where the most girls miss out on secondary education, which in many cases is also a lifeline. So head over to malala.org. And check that out. Or find a grassroots nonprofit in your local area so that you can make an impact and perhaps see that impact and progress as well, especially if you live in an area where that could be particularly useful.
Tony: Thanks for tuning in to the Astrology University podcast. Study astrology online with some of the great astrologers of our time at www.astrologyuniversity.com where we offer webinars, online classes and virtual summits to bring you inspiration, connection and insight through the study of astrology. Take good care, and we’ll see you next time.
