Hey Flower Folk! I’m Emily, and every month, you can find me here discussing all things astrological as it pertains to our lives here in the ROC. 

Gemini season is all about communication, curiosity, and the exchange of ideas – making it the perfect season to introduce a new column to Flower Power. This Gemini season is going to Gemini harder than it has ever Gemini’d before, so hold on to your horses as we embark on one of the most noticeable shifts in energy that 2024 has to offer.

May 20

The season kicks off right after a conjunction between Mars and the North Node* in Aries. Aries represents the new: new ideas, newfound initiative, and a drive to conquer unfamiliar territories. 

During the previous month, we’ve been luxuriating and building slowly with the Taurus energy, but Mars in Aries lights a new fire underneath all of us to get up and go, go, go. Paired with the North Node, this transit may prompt us to desire rapid transformation. 

As the sun also shifts into Gemini, we are further enlivened and may engage in conversations about what’s gotta give. Perhaps you’re dissatisfied with a work situation, or are experiencing tension in certain relationship dynamics. Whatever it may be, you could feel an increased sense of frustration and urgency to alleviate that tension right now. 

This Gemini season is super-powered as Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter are all set to station in the sign during the next couple of weeks. This gives us all a boost in making the changes and beginning the initiatives we desire. A word of caution is needed, however, as the signatures also point to the possibility for burn-out, especially as planets begin to shift into Cancer toward the end of the month. You may feel fired up, and you should use that fire, but make sure not to spend it all at once.  

We are all going to need to lean into our self-care rituals and routines so as to not become ungrounded by all of the air energy that Gemini represents. It will benefit you to set up structures to ground yourself in the beginning of the month, before the season gets into full swing. Make sure to add your weekly self-care routines to your schedule now, and your mental health will thank you for it later. 

For me personally, those routines include running sessions in the park. I can get out of my mind and into my body, and literally touch some grass. Another practice I love is attending a weekly yoga class. I’m admittedly a bit out of the habit, but when I do get to a class, I really enjoy Monday Night Yoga for Creatives at Nu Movement, taught by Monica of Magicksalt. Monica’s accessible teaching style and warm humor bring that extra grounded-ness that leaves me feeling centered after a crazy day. 

May 23

The frenetic energy continues to ramp up through the first week of Gemini season, with a Full Moon in Sagittarius. It’s joined by a conjunction* between Jupiter and Venus in Taurus on the same day. This is one of the final moments of strong Taurus energy for 2024, which promotes pleasure, sensuality, and stable, concrete growth in the material realm. A Full Moon in Sagittarius, the sign of spiritual expansion, philosophy, travel, and higher education, has the potential to expand this energy even further. 

This is a generally positive day where we can enjoy the yumminess of life and of one another. It’s a great day to indulge in some good food and good company, and to let yourself get a little carried away with it. We have to allow ourselves an indulgence once in a while! Life can be stressful and a lot of work, but it also has moments that are delicious and rich, and we have to lean into these sweet pockets when they present themselves. Such enjoyment promotes generosity of spirit which can ripple out and make a positive impact on our circles. It’s okay to enjoy without guilt, and if any sign knows how to do that best, it’s Taurus. 

Where can you gather in community for a good time? You might find me enjoying some treats and good libations with friends at the new culinary hotspot Vinalia Urbana, which opened on Monroe Ave. earlier this spring. (Fun fact, this restaurant gets its name from the Roman festival celebrating the grape harvest and general fertility… it doesn’t get much more Taurean than that!) Another great option may be to check out the inaugural Neurodive event hosted at Muck Duck Studio, which provides an inclusive and supportive container for neurodivergent folks and allies to mix, mingle, and make new friends. Venus shifts in Gemini the same day, which turns our hearts toward friendship anyway, and this will be the theme throughout the rest of the month. 

May 25

I recommend that you soak up the final sweet notes of Jupiter in Taurus as the planet termed “the greater benefic” shifts into Gemini. Jupiter rules expansion, generosity, luck, and optimism, and it increases the energy of whatever sign it visits. Jupiter has been in Taurus since this time last year, and it has influenced us to focus on Taurean themes of beauty, value, sensory pleasure, and slow (but steady) material growth. As Jupiter shifts into Gemini, these themes will fade away and we’ll start to focus more on communication, friendship, experimentation, and sharing information of all sorts. 

Jupiter expands the positive attributes of a sign, but it also brings forth its more challenging aspects. Jupiter in Taurus may have been marked by a certain degree of hesitation to initiate new projects or habits, and the planet’s entry into Gemini may produce nearly opposite effects. Gemini is the sign that represents the rapid spread of ideas, and thus it also represents confusion, misinformation, gossip and polarity. Jupiter in Gemini can increase the amount of information we take in, some of which can confuse or harm. It’s essential to exercise discernment as you consume media, entertain new ideas, and gather information. 

Hopefully you will have set up some of those aforementioned self-care routines to help support you during this time. Time spent in nature can be incredibly helpful too. Take some time to rest in Highland Park or explore the countless nature trails sprinkled throughout the Greater Rochester area.

With Gemini season in full swing, it will be the perfect time to learn something new, experiment, and invent solutions with your community. What a perfect time to be supported in innovating new ways to work and live, as the world presents us with so many examples of things that don’t work. Gather with your comrades in one of the city’s many third spaces, such as the Central Library, or a local coffee shop (you might catch me posted up at Bookeater in the South Wedge or Winter Swan in NOTA) and plot your next revolution. Gemini gives us the spark to talk about it and to each contribute our idea to a wider action plan. 

June 3

Mercury joins the Sun, Venus, and Jupiter in Gemini, adding even more power to the mixture. 

Mercury is the planetary ruler of Gemini, so it’s at its most empowered here. Our communication has already been on fire all month, and Mercury is the icing on the cake. Our minds will want to move a mile-per-minute, and one of the best things we can do is dig into learning something new. 

Now is a good time to pick up a new hobby, or try that class you’ve been eyeing. Sign up for a workshop with the Rochester Brainery, or pick up those new craft materials. As an artist and a Pisces Sun – let me enable you! Real talk though: focusing the mind on a particular task can work wonders in training your thoughts and preventing yourself from getting swept away in the deluge of information that will likely be swirling during this time. 

June 6

The New Moon in Gemini further supports you in pursuing short term and actionable projects. This is the perfect moment to polish and send off your next newsletter, as Mercury supports us in finding the right words and the most impactful ways to use them. 

June 9

Mars enters Taurus a few days later. Mars has been empowered in Aries, the sign of its rulership, since April 30. Moving into Taurus, Mars becomes more sluggish and slower to start new things, although once it gets moving it will be steadfast in its effort. You may feel your drive slow down, but don’t let it throw you off –  this shift actually provides a healthy balance to the frenzy of four planets in Gemini. 

June 17

Mercury and Venus shift the energy further as they both enter Cancer, the water sign representing emotions, safety, nurturing, and heart-centered connection. After the whirlwind that has been Gemini season, we are offered a chance to slow down and introspect before the Sun enters Cancer. It’s okay to take a few days to yourself to reflect on everything the previous month brought. Don’t shame yourself or question your productivity if you need a moment to regroup and unplug. We need balance in life, and that includes taking moments to not do anything. Astrology can help us to recognize when we are supported in straightening out the scales. Take a deep breath, you made it through the whirlwind! 

June 20

Cancer season will offer us a very different energy to connect with our closest people and reconnect with our hearts. We’ll touch base again then. Until next season! 

xx
Em