Gemini: I am curious

Your guide for finding resonance with the rhythms of Gemini season

This letter is part of Creative Contemplation—rituals and practices to help you harmonize with the ebb and flow of your internal and external landscapes and remember your connection to spirit, nature, and each other. ✨💗🌿

---

Hello. 

In a world that demands certainty, curiosity is radical. Confronting forces that would have us live measured, controlled lives with an inquisitive, open-mindedness is audacious. Connecting to our inner child and believing in ourselves and our dreams enough to let them unfold while we watch with eager anticipation, is life-changing.

 Gemini season begins May 20th- June 19th and it’s here with power and panache. Gemini is a mutable air sign, as changeable as the weather– and maybe unpredictable too. But as anyone who’s been made to feel small for their superpower knows, this flexible quality is exactly what makes Gemini shine. 

Both Jupiter (the planet of expansion, abundance, and good fortune) and Venus (the ruler of love, sensuality, pleasure, and money) move into Gemini this month, accentuating its traits. Jupiter will stay in Gemini until June 9, 2025, so it may be helpful to see where these energies coincide in your personal astrology. 

Our affirmation this month is “I am Curious.” Download your free copy of the Creative Contemplation journal and lunar calendar with all the monthly affirmations below!

Embracing curiosity requires self-compassion.

Can we let ourselves open to its possibilities when we fail? How can we soften into our mistakes with generosity (our theme during Taurus season) and wonder? When the shame spirals inevitably come, can we re-parent ourselves with kindness and care?

Gemini is represented by the twins, a symbol of duality. The challenge this season is to move beyond paradigms of division and remember our inherent wholeness. As Gemini rules our mental capabilities and how we communicate, changing our perspective and listening to the lived experiences of others will go a long way in helping us create inventive solutions for a better future. 

Archetype

Our main Archetype this month is the Alchemist. The Alchemist isn’t deterred by the basic rules of physicality. It knows it has the potential to combine different elements with just the right mixture to create something new. The Alchemist practices magic, which is really just a level of self-belief that will make others shake their heads. Don’t mind the haters.

Let their doubt fuel your creations.

It’s also worth noting how you work best. What innate knowledge, experiences, or way of operating makes you unique? This is not a time to fit in but to embrace an attitude of limitlessness.

That being said, there’s often a double standard when we work with the energy of the Alchemist, Wizard, or Magician. Revered for their skill and power, these more masculine archetypes are idealized while their female counterparts—The Witch, Healer, or Medicine Woman are shunned, demonized, and feared.

How might this dichotomy be showing up in your life? Are your Yang (active/doing energy) and Yin (passive/receiving) in balance and working together? Do you celebrate certain aspects of your magic (that’s more culturally acceptable) but not others? 

Two additional archetypes that came through to consider were the Saboteur and the Networker. This is a caution to use our power/potential in integrated ways and for the good of others. The shadow aspect of The Saboteaur warns against self-destructive behavior or the desire to harm or undermine others. The darker side of The Networker (representing the mental/Mercury-ruled side of Gemini) is spreading fear or sharing information for personal gain only.

Creative Inspiration

I’m currently re-reading “To Shake the Sleeping Self” by Jedidiah Jenkins. It’s not my favorite travel memoir, but I did resonate with this quote.

“I felt a spinning sense of loss when I realized I wouldn’t be a director, but it was the first time in my life where I learned the difference between dreams and goals. Each of us has a mash-up of talents and experiences and potential that plants something in us, and becomes a dream. A dream of being a creative, or an executive, or a father. A dream is the myriad ways we could be fulfilled in life using our talents to make beautiful things.

But then there are goals. Goals are specific guesses at what we could do or become to fulfill our dream. Dreams are like a compass that points in a general direction, and goals are the islands in the ocean along the way. Goals are just guesses at where to make a home, and when they aren’t right, we try another.”

I love this non-linear way of considering our future and potential!

Mari Andrew

is another great resource for embracing an unconventional path. Her beautifully illustrated debut “Am I There Yet?”  is humorous, poignant, and relatable.

She also shares helpful and important strategies for addressing “the other” and how we can use the values we share to find stable footing while navigating conflicting ideas.

Let's talk about The Other

And last, but not least–

 “I am a whole mood.” -Beyoncé

I highly recommend revisiting our Gemini season playlist from last year and turning up the volume on “MOOD 4 EVA.”

Tarot Reading

This month’s cards are Temperance, The King of Swords, and the 6 of Cups.

The traditional Temperance card shows an angelic figure pouring water from one glass into another. This reminds us to ask for help from Spirit when we’re manifesting or creating a new vision for our lives. There’s also the importance of remembering this work of daily re-inventing ourselves and showing up to the magic of our lives is an ongoing process. We must be willing to continuously adjust, pay attention to the results, and keep adapting to the needs of the present moment.

The King of Swords is all about perspective. It says we’ve achieved a level of mastery when it comes to our self-awareness and now we can use that knowledge to assist others. When we remember we’re connected to the whole, we create with a different mindset— one that’s more generous, accepting, and inclusive.

The Six of Cups’ message is clear—we cannot become the Magicians or Creatrixes of our lives if we’re not connected to our inner child. We have to add an element of heart into our dreams and visions. We must connect to our emotional intelligence as a key ingredient for whatever concoctions or experiments we play with moving forward.

Don’t forget, we have our monthly Tea + Tarot community gathering on June 6th for the New Moon in Gemini. Join us for an hour of tarot reading, poetry, and journaling to refill our well and connect to Spirit (this is a free/donation-based event).

If you’d like additional guidance or clarity, book a one-on-one tarot reading with me 👇💗

Notes from Nature

“The Cherokee people are still here, we’re still alive, we’re still prominent. Even if we’re in a small community, we still reach across the nation.” -Faith Long, Miss Cherokee 2017-2018

I’ve been thinking about ghosts a lot as I walk the quiet, forested trails near gurgling creeks and rivers. While appreciating their beauty, I remember I’m on stolen land. Last weekend, my husband and I traveled to Fort Payne, AL–whose name already tells you something of its military history. We hiked near Little River Canyon, took in the views of a gorgeous waterfall, and basked in the serenity of sunshine filtering through tall pine. 

Yet–I couldn’t help thinking of the Cherokee (and other tribes) forced to leave this same place under threat of life. I grew up in Missouri with small signs marking the Trail of Tears in several locations near my hometown. Somehow, I’d never connected the dots that the Cherokee now living in Oklahoma were originally from where we live now–the fertile ground of Southern Appalachia. 

One of my goals in deepening my relationship with nature is to notice the keepers of the land and listen for their stories. Noticing the gaps, saying prayers of forgiveness and healing, and learning how we can begin to be servants of justice are ways we can honor our connection to nature and each other. 

Our theme for this month’s Nature Journaling workshop is “Noticing the Elements.” Join me June 2nd at 12 pm EST to play, create, and remember our connection to the natural world.

We’ll spend an hour noticing the different elements in our home ecosystems while cultivating a sense of wonder, delight, and appreciation for the diversity of life. 🦋🌿📓

This is an ongoing series, free for paying members of Heartbeats. You can purchase each class separately or upgrade your membership for free access to each month’s workshop. A replay will be available. As a bonus, if you purchase a ticket to an upcoming Nature Journaling Class you’ll receive the recording of our Intro class as a gift!

Journal Prompts 

1. Venn Diagram your life! Take all of the bits and pieces you don’t feel fit together and create a new narrative of wholeness. Think of your gifts, talents, and creativity like a mosaic or patchwork quilt. It all belongs, it’s up to you to discover how.

2. The next time you experience conflict with someone or within a situation, try writing the story from their perspective. Play devil’s advocate and see how it might shift your outlook.

3. Start noticing the ghosts. Whose stories aren’t being told? Are there ignored insights from your inner child, secrets your family keeps, history forgotten or purposely buried for the sake of a dominant narrative? Go on a path of discovery and investigate what you find!

Gemini Season Blessing

May you walk with light-hearted steps and allow yourself time to wander off the beaten path of your life. May curiosity, more than competition, be the homing beacon you listen for. May connection, collaboration, and play orient your days, may you soar like an eagle when you need higher ground and mental clarity. May you keep your feet planted and your eyes skyward.

All my love,
Mariah

P.S. How is Gemini season treating you? What insights are coming through? Where are you finding resonance on our Creative Contemplation journey together? I’d love to hear from you!

---

Upcoming Workshops

Save the date! The lovely

Emma Campbell

and I are hosting a community open mic June 9th. Share your poetry or simply come to listen. Everyone is welcome to this free event!