Gemini Season

Ta’xet and Tia

It’s Gemini season from May 21 through June 21. When the sun passes through this lively, talkative, socially effervescent air sign, in the Northern hemisphere anyway, we’re deep in the heart of spring, moving into summer.

Flowers bloom, the patio furniture comes out, and wedding planners start to get busy. If you’re a sports fan, hockey and basketball seasons are wrapping up with tense battles towards the final playoffs, bringing fans out into the streets painted in the colors of their teams.

Gemini is ruled by the planet Mercury, the messenger of the gods in Roman mythology. Mercury is the fastest moving planet, zipping around the sun in just 88 days. Mercury’s counterpart in Greek mythology is Hermes.

The quality that Mercury, Hermes and Gemini have in common is a kind of lighthearted pan-sexuality that was rarely venerated in pre-modern times. Although categorized as masculine, Gemini is an all-purpose flirt and, since it’s often depicted as fraternal twins, the only “non-binary” character in the zodiac.

Gemini Icons

Topping the list of the most famous Geminis are Marilyn Monroe, Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie, and Morgan Freeman. They are excellent communicators, full of wit and charm, often coming across as more youthful than they are (Tom Holland is a great example).

The most famous of modern US presidents, John F. Kennedy, was a Gemini. The most famous of modern revolutionaries, Che Guevara, was also a Gemini, and both were equally famous for their boyish good looks as for their ideas and oratory skills.

Embodying that famous mercurial gender fluidity, we have trans pioneer Laverne Cox and gay icons Ian McKellen, Neil Patrick Harris, Boy George, Melissa Etheridge, and Harvey Milk. Judy Garland, although straight herself, was one of the original gay icons of the 20th century.

Geminis are often maligned as easily bored, unserious, manic or even crazy. Their minds tend to spin at a few RPMs faster than the rest of us. Whereas the other Mercury-ruled sign, Virgo, boasts more famous writers than any other sign (Stephen King, Leo Tolstoy, Agatha Christie, George R.R. Martin, Mary Shelley, H.G. Wells, etc.), Gemini is highly represented among poets and musicians, especially singer-songwriters and rappers.

The Mercurial attention span, combined with an innate ability to synch with the pulse of the zeitgeist, makes them ideally suited to penning and performing songs that capture our imagination and uplift our spirits. Prince, Stevie Nicks, Lenny Kravitz, Ann Wilson, Tupac Shakur, Biggie Smalls, Paul McCartney, Kanye West, Bob Dylan, Lauryn Hill, Kylie Minogue, and Barry Manilow are just a few musical Geminis.

Gemini F-bomb fridge magnet poetry

Ta'xet and Tia

The image at the top of this post is of Ta’xet and Tia, a wonderful mythological representation of Gemini.

Ta'xet and Tia are a death god duality, twin deities associated with the cycle of life, death and rebirth, in the mythical tradition of the Haida of the Queen Charlotte Islands in British Columbia.

They guard the portal between life and death, through which all humans must pass to reach the realm of the afterlife. The Haida people honor the twins through rituals, ceremonies, and art, recognizing their role in the intricate tapestry of existence and the transitions between realms.

Ta'xet is responsible for violent and sudden deaths, and is often linked to nighttime and the darkness associated with death. Ta’xet’s influence is felt during times of war, accidents and other calamities that result in abrupt and forceful deaths.

Tia, the twin sister of Ta'xet, represents the gentler aspect of death, like that which results from old age or natural causes. Her presence is invoked during ceremonies and rituals seeking to ensure a serene passage into the realm beyond mortal life.

Tia is sometimes depicted with a half-moon face, symbolizing her connection with the phases of the moon, life and the transformation represented by death.

The Artwork

Some of the original drawings that eventually became Ta’xet and Tia are below. They were from a Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art Class session about 10 years ago.

Thanks for reading, everyone… Now get out there an celebrate Gemini season by singing a song, writing a poem, or flirting with that hottie you’ve been admiring at the gym or coffee shop!

Art & Astrology

Check out my RedBubble shop for Ta'xet and Tia as well as many other Badass Goddesses available as prints, on coasters, clothing, notebooks, phone cases and more.

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