The Duality of June: Gemini Season, Gardening, and Boundaries

No, I will not be attacking those born under the zodiac sign Gemini

It is the early days of June and on this second day, I’m feeling reflective on my own sense of duality, as we are in the thick of Gemini season, which is all about partnerships, doubles, and how we relate to ourselves and each other.

Before I go further, I want to make sure we all understand the definition of duality. Coming from the word dual, it has two meanings (ha ha!). It can be used as an adjective - “Made up of 2 parts: double <dual carburetors>;” or a noun, when used as dualism or duality - “Having a double purpose or character.”*

For those of you who are not astrologically minded, kind of like myself, bear with me as I share a few things about the astrological sign called Gemini. Gemini is known as the twin sign - there are two of them. And among common people, those with the astrological sign of Gemini usually get a bad rap. Some of it, for example, not being trusted, is from experience. But others, such as the often said, that being an air sign and being ruled by Mercury, they speak too often and too loosely and can never tell what of them is true or not, can also be from experience, but quite honestly, who isn’t two-faced from time to time? A lot of people don’t speak the truth in order to quell conflict. Not to mention, we all engage in gossip. We all talk about each other and our relationship to each other with others. I’m going to reiterate what I think, which is that this is all based on intention. What is your intention when you speak? That should be the guiding principle for all of our behavior no matter what your astrological sign.

Now, I’ve known many individuals born in the May 21st-June 20th window. And I’ve found many of them wonderful, engaging, and fun. The interesting part of this dynamic though is that I am a Sagittarius and Sagittarius is the opposite sign of Gemini. We are six months apart, and as is coming up tomorrow, we’ll have a Sagittarius full moon in Gemini season. In December, we’ll experience the Gemini full moon.

With this said, to some extent, I enjoy a good air sign. After all, air definitely helps fires blaze! And this year, I am working with air as an element. 2022 saw me work with water, and boy was that a joy. This year, air is my focus and it makes sense that I’d sit with it, here, now, today.

Oddly enough, this story begins in earth. Over the long holiday weekend, I went to a farm in the Hudson Valley and picked up some plants to add to my community garden plot. I purchased veggies and herbs, knowing that I’d do half and half - duality! I also stopped at Lowes to grab some additional materials that I’d need - manure, fencing material to keep deer and rabbits out of the way, and hay to leave after clearing the plot.

On Memorial Day, with all materials in my car, I headed out to clear the bed. My bed is traditionally covered in mint. And I love mint so much. When I first started studying herbalism, my teacher mentioned that mint had been used as a symbol of abundance - that people in ancient Palestine used it as a form of money to pay taxes. That my bed grows an insane amount of mint helped me to recognize just how abundant I am. Even when I don’t feel it, I am abundant.

I lasted an hour before I was too tired to continue you and I left, promising to visit again the next day or the day after to complete the project. That day was Wednesday - some of the plants were looking sad and dry and so I went early in the morning and finished clearing out, mixing the manure to the bed, and pulling so many roots from the earth. At one point, I cut my hand and was worried about contracting a staph infection. I put my gloves on and then decided that I couldn’t work with the gloves, I needed my hands in the soil. My cut is cleaned and healing, btw. Everything looks good!

I then had something to do in the middle of the day and I went back at 6pm to do the actual planting. I completed all the planting by 8:30pm and as I achingly started carrying stuff to my car to pack up, I noticed my tuxedo cat friend who was sleeping in my bed when I arrived in the morning, watching me so he could sneak back into the garden, and a white heron fly above me. I knew in that moment that I had done the task I was supposed to and was filled with exhaustion, peace, and joy.

Herons are traditionally independent and single birds. They are known for their patience and ability to hone in on what they want and then quickly go after it. When standing in water, they can wait for hours until the moment comes and within second they will have their prey between their beaks. To watch a heron is to be entralled with the silence, waiting, and then the ease and speed with which it acts. To see one fly, is to be extended feelings of beauty, grace, and calm.

Cats are also independent and magical creatures. I live with one and she teaches me about both daily. I also want to acknowledge the fairly juicy, gray, and menancing looking spider that ultimately ran away as I was turning the soil and clearing out Wednesday morning. She was both terrifying and gorgeous to view. Her appearance made me remember that I’m the one weaving and crafting this story.

Animals aside, I remembered the last time I gardened in 2021. It was around the same time - in early to mid-June and I was absolutely heartbroken. I had received news and was just not in a good place. And here is where the lessons and duality really come into place. Toiling in the garden this week reminded me of toiling in June 2021. As I did much of the same work and pushed my body to a point of exhaustion, I knew I was doing healing work both then and now.

To garden is to fundamentally have hope; to believe in the possibility of life and death. Soil is a reminder not just of necessary grounding, but of all that comes from it - food, creatures, support, and abundance. We are nothing without the earth beneath our feet and hands.

In 2021, I was gardening for hope and healing. I was putting every ounce of myself into channeling renewal. And I went into it optimistically. So optimistically that I didn’t put up any protection for myself or my garden. In fact, in 2021, I gardened the weekend before Father’s Day, and once completed, I left. I was full of joy that I had done it all and excited for the bounty to come. A week later, upon a visit to check on the status of my plants, I found a terrible scene - plants were pulled out completely and leaves were eaten with abandon. The animals had also been excited for the bounty and were well fed. I was devasted, but determined. I went and puchased some fencing material and stakes and attempted to salvage what I could. I never received my broccoli or kale or lettuce. I got a handful of tomatoes and basil and maybe one green bean. By the time I put everything up, it was too late, but that Father’s Day was life giving all the same. An incredibly important decision was made that day thanks to some signs and a Taylor Swift song.

It was in 2021 that I started studying for the last time with my spiritual herbalism teacher. I was completing her level 3 course and dove in with no protection or boundaries, much like my garden. This detail is important only because in the late fall of 2022, that experience would fall apart dramatically, as can be expected when one learns the truth about a person, and themselves too - duality presents itself again.

Two years later, as I sat in dirt and cleaned, nourished, and planted both this plot of soil and myself, I was prepared. I had the fencing in my car and the stakes. I even brought bottles of water to water the ground - the water system at the garden never seems to work. Although I was too tired and considered just waiting one day after planting to go back and set up the fencing, I continued. I had learned my lesson back in 2021. One night is all it would take for the animals to feast.

When I had my ephiphany yesterday of the lesson, I was shocked. Gardening this past week, exhaustion aside, has felt different. It felt full circle. It wasn’t a hope that things would be/get better, but absolute faith that they are getting better. I also felt true to the boundaries I had created and the protection that I know is surrounding not just my little garden bed, but myself and all the things I am intentionally growing, crafting, and bringing to life.

Back to astrology for a moment…I mentioned that I am a Sagittarius. My sign is ruled by Jupiter. Jupiter of the abundant and good luck feelings. I often just move through the earth and life without hesitation. I am not inclined to ponder what might happen, I just focus on what is happening. If something happens that I don’t like, I figure out another way, or I move in a different way. There is no sense of no in my space. I will find a solution and it will work out.

So in 2021, I was committed to that idea. I would find a way. I would find a way to salvage my garden. I would find a solution to quitting my then job and surviving. I would figure out how to get my love story back on track. I would push until I figured it out. Because everything has a way. Everything. It can be through words or action or feverent belief and prayer with said words and action, but everything has a way.

It is that that got me through my herbalism program and had me step into a space I should have protected myself within. It is what got me through a new job with said teacher that I knew I needed to quit very early on, but I fought so hard to force through. And it is what eventually also broke me in 2022 through the early part of 2023.

When I sat in my garden bed Wednesday and saw the soil lacking nutrients and insects, growing weeds, I recognized myself. I understood why in 2023, the need to garden felt so urgent. I needed this tending as well. I had overgiven of myself, my optimism, faith at the expense of protection. This is part of my exhaustion. It is the duality of a nourished and whole being. It is why I needed to touch the soil with my own hands rather than gloved. I needed to feel the driness I have been complaining about for months now.

In honor of this lesson, yesterday, I went back to my garden to do some watering, to add the last two stakes to hold up the fencing, and to plant two hot pink mininature rose plants. I walked into the supermarket yesterday to find them in my direct line of vision. They had them in hot pink, lavender, white, and yellow. I thought for a minute to mix pink and white, but I opted for both in hot pink - hot pink roses are my favorite. Last night, I planted them directly in the middle between the veggies and the herbs. A softness and bit of love for the two parts of Sara. For the two parts to every story - if there aren’t more! For the two parts that we honor during Gemini season - the part of us that is, and the part of us that is becoming.

With that, I wish you a happy June and full moon in Sagittarius, tomorrow evening. May it be full of boundaries, berries, joy, fun, full and honest conversations, exciting adventures, and abundance. Two is a very nourishing number.

*Webster’s II New Riverside Dictionary.