from hierophant to lovers

hello, friends, and welcome to gemini season. if you haven't checked out my new etsy shop yet, i've got some brand new spread collections, plus printables that you can use to create a personalized tarot grimoire to support your ongoing studies and readings. i'll be adding more items in the coming weeks, and thanks to everyone who has already checked it out!

when we move into gemini season, which coincides with a feeling of true spring here in the northeastern united states (as opposed to fake spring when it might still frost overnight, or mud season like i grew up with in new england), it feels like electricity is in the air. the days are longer, outdoor events are starting to pick up, trees are budding, the world is green and vibrant, and it feels like anything is possible. there's a crackle of new energy in the world, a feeling of movement and expansion, of curiosity, of creation.

i know there are so many devastating things happening right now, that things feel harder than ever. and yet, gemini is a sign of possibility.

when we follow the order of the golden dawn's astrological correspondences for the major arcana, the shift from taurus to gemini season is mirrored in the movement from the hierophant (card 5) to the lovers (card 6). and this a fascinating transition: from a figure of individual discovery, learning, conflict, and shifts, to a more community-minded pair of dual energies.

with the lovers we often think about themes around choice, but the hierophant has already pushed us to move out of our comfort zones, to pay attention to where we have felt restricted, and to recognize how we can take ownership over our own journey forward. the lovers continues that movement, stabilizing and securing, helping us find solid paths to follow.

i've said it before and i'll say it again: the purpose of the hierophant, of the number five, is to seek freedom. not in a flaky, flighty, refuse-to-commit sort of way: instead, this is about craving authentic and purposeful growth, about being willing to move beyond what has always been done and known and felt, and taking a chance on something new, something that beckons irresistibly. the hierophant wants to pursue truth, wants both spiritual and physical movement to reflect what they feel deep inside. and after taking that chance, after making new rules, there's a desire to slow down, regroup, and assess.

the magic that lives between five and six is one that seeks stability, comfort, and confidence. it's moving from a place of friction to one of certainty, stepping into the unknown and making it known.

if five is friction, adventure, leaning into what we are discovering, six wants us to make a home out of wherever we have found ourselves. six is the caregiver, the comforter, the nurturer: it takes responsibility for the choices that have been made, ensures that everyone has what they need, and celebrates the progress that has been made so far.

perhaps this doesn't feel like strictly gemini energy to you. perhaps you're thinking about mutable air, rapid movement and insatiable curiosity, a desire to gather and synthesize information, a craving to understand as much as possible and share that understanding with anyone who cares to listen. and you wouldn't be wrong.

but think too about the generosity that teaching requires, the attention and care it takes to ensure that the people who are listening truly understand. gemini wants us all to have access to what can be known, wants to explore and expand alongside others, wants to define what can be clarified and acknowledge what is still uncertain. there is comfort in the definable, and gemini longs for us to pay attention to how we perceive ourselves, to recognize and own who we believe ourselves to be.

what are we curious about, and how does that curiosity fuel our choices? what spark are we following, and why does that exploration feed something important? how is the world that we are building for ourselves a reflection of who we are, what we value? where are we investing our energy and resources, and why do those things matter, both for the present and the future?

after taking chances and making changes, how are we crafting a reality that better serves our deepest, truest self? and who is by our side as we pursue these big, beautiful ambitions?

for more on gemini, the lovers, and the number six, check out my latest round of tarotscopes for autostraddle. this month i'm featuring the gorgeous new realest oracle by the brilliant and gifted writer kendra austin and talented illustrator bria benjamin, which will be available in july (but you can pre-order right here!).

wishing you a beautiful, exciting, and expansive gemini season.