Jack of all trades, master of none.
This is a tagline that can easily apply to Gemini in general, and Mercury in Gemini more specifically.
Gemini is the sign of the twins. Its nature is to pursue two paths.
In addition, Gemini is a mutable sign. Mutable signs are of two natures. They belong to the season that is ending and the new one on the horizon.
Mutable signs see all the possibilities, the connection between all things.
Gemini is a sign of curiosity and learning, and Mercury in Gemini carries a signature of exploring lots of ideas but not quite settling on one path. People with Mercury in Gemini might be prone to starting many books and getting halfway through before leaving them for the next book.
This often gets labeled as uncommitted, flighty, or distracted.
As Mercury form a conjunction with Jupiter on June 4, this signature gets magnified.
In our culture of specialization, it might be easy to write this off as a bad thing. But there’s another side to this story that shows us the value of the generalist.
Your half-read books and abandoned courses need not be a source of shame.
You don’t need to be a master in everything.
It’s ok to learn just enough to do something well.
In fact, in today’s world, it’s not only ok; it’s necessary.
Expanding Language Fluency
Gemini is a sign of conversations, and Mercury, its ruler, is the messenger. This is a placement of languages.
According to astrologer Chris Brennan, one of the things that Jupiter does is it removes restrictions. It sometimes can liberate you from things that were holding you back.
For some people, language — or the ability to communicate or talk to somebody else due to a barrier of language — is an obstacle both to connecting and to moving forward with greater ease.
Mercury conjunct Jupiter in Gemini helps us expand our vocabulary. It gives us access to the words we are seeking. It helps us communicate with greater ease and flow.
Everything is a Language
Language can be both a literal language like English or French, or metaphorical.
In its broadest sense, “language” can refer to areas of knowledge or domains of experience.
Astrology is a language.
CrossFit is a language.
Yoga is a language.
Weightlifting is a language.
Baseball is a language.
Marketing is a language.
Golf is a language.
Social media is a language.
Flying trapeze is a language.
Gardening is a language.
Productivity is a language.
Wellness is a language.
Cooking is a language.
Any area of study, any hobby, any discipline, is a language. Listen to a group of people talk about a topic that you know nothing about, and you will realize that it is its own language.
Language is the card for entry for various life experiences. When you speak the language of a country you can travel there. The better you speak it, the better your experience will be because you don’t have to rely on others to tell you what to do and where to go.
If you know how to read the maps and the road signs, you can take yourself to your destination.
That’s empowerment.
The more languages you speak,the better and more meaningful experiences you’ll have in life.
In addition, it’s the generalists who see the connections between seemingly disparate ideas, helping to create coherent systems and spearheading innovation.
Most innovation isn’t really new; it’s simply the result of taking something from one area and applying it in a different context. This is the work of generalists: people who know enough about a lot of things to see the connections and bridge the gap.
The Bridge to Deeper Connections and Relationships
Shortly after the Mercury/Jupiter conjunction, Venus will form its annual conjunction with the Sun, known as a Cazimi. During a Cazimi, a planet disappears into the heart of the Sun to be refreshed and renewed.
On the surface, this might look like a completely separate event. But the fact that it’s happening so close to the Mercury/Jupiter conjunction, in Mercury’s sign, tells us that it’s related. It’s another piece of the story of why we must learn multiple languages.
In the case of a Venus cazimi, we experience a renewal in Venus-related areas, such as relationships.
The fundamental precursor to relationships is the ability to communicate — to speak the same language.
Consider what happens when you travel
When you speak the native language of the country, you can create connections. You can also travel with more ease because you can read the road signs and the maps.
When you have facility with the language, you will know what people are talking about. Obviously the more fluency you have, the deeper connections you can form with people you meet.
You don’t need to be a master in that language. You just need to know enough to get around. You just need to know enough to understand the weather reports and to know how to navigate the basics.
So too with other forms of “language.” Gemini is a social sign. It wants to be a part of the conversation. The more areas of knowledge we have, the better we can connect and communicate with others.
Fostering Inclusion and Belonging
In addition, when we can speak to others in their “languages” — both literal and metaphorical — it fosters inclusion and belonging.
Just as it feels welcoming to see a sign in a language you speak, it also feels welcoming when people speak with you about your interests.
When teaching, the ability to speak multiple languages can help us connect with students and teach concepts in a way that they will be able to absorb and understand.
For example, I’ve used metaphors drawn from football, baseball, and baking to explain the same concept to different clients — depending on their interest.
I don’t need to have a mastery of football; I only need to know enough to use it as a metaphor to explain a concept in the way the client or student will understand it.
That’s what a metaphor is: it bridges a gap. the word means to cross over.
The Linchpin of Integration and Inclusion
If we want to have integrated systems, and if we want to foster greater inclusion and belonging, we need people who speak multiple “languages” both in a literal and a metaphorical sense.
This is the role of a generalist.
A generalist can see and bridge the gaps between seemingly disparate ideas and people in order to form more cohesive and coherent systems for innovation and progress.
This is what is getting magnified as Jupiter and Mercury come together on the same day as Venus comes together with the Sun.
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