Joan Rivers – Gemini and Scorpio together

Intense Scorpio and flippant Gemini are so antithetical that they might as well be from two different planets, if not two different dimensions altogether. They do,  however, have one thing in common. Both signs possess excellent situational awareness.

Matt Savinar ~ Watching the Watchers – The Cryptic Charts of the NSA and Edward Snowden, The Mountain Astrologer Magazine

Gemini

Scorpio

I find my Sun/ Moon combo to be elusive. I have my Sun in Scorpio with the Moon in Gemini in a biquintile aspect. The biquintile is 144 degrees and is defined as a double quintile ( 72 degrees) A quintile takes the 360 degree wheel and divides it by five so the biquintile takes up 2/5ths of the wheel. The quintile family is purported to be the aspect of gifts and talents. Perhaps it is so. The biquintile probably functions most of the time in my life like an inconjunct ( 150 degrees) which is like 2 ships passing in the night and never meeting. Or a square peg in a round hole. Just not quite there. I have made adjustments over the years to accommodate both influences.

What is it about these energies that intrigue me so? Both Mercury and Pluto are forever in motion and catalyzing change. They operate differently and at opposite speed, but are the Magicians and Alchemists of the Zodiac. Don’t be fooled by the charm, wit, or flirtatiousness, there is much more happening behind the mystique.

Yet one of my astrology teachers stressed the similarities between Gemini and Scorpio, particularly curiosity. I do see this passion to uncover mysteries mundane and esoteric to be a lifelong theme in my journey. Then The Mountain Astrologer did a fascinating piece on Edward Snowden and the  NSA. Check out his Gemini Sun and Ascendant paired with a Scorpio Moon. The NSA has a Scorpio Sun and a Gemini Moon. Don’t worry about me though, my computer skills are quite rudimentary!

Some notable Sun Scorpio, Moon Gemini individuals: Bonnie Raitt,  Goldie Hawn, Roseanne Barr, Grace Slick, Christopher Noth ( Mr. Big on Sex and the City), Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Auguste Rodin, Lamar Odom, ( we share a birthday) John Keats

Gemini Sun, Scorpio Moon: Edward Snowden, Elizabeth Hurley, Leah Remini, Alanis Morrisette, Isadora Duncan, Priscilla Presley, John Wayne, Miles Davis, Ron Wood, Mark Wahlberg, Diego Velazquez

While I continue to operate in Dark Moon Virgo, Pluto Stationing, Pre-Equinox mode, I clear out gunk from my home and mind, replay the sadness and grief when it gets triggered by the outside environment, read my dreams, and reboot my meditation practice. I also find time to re-examine aspects of myself that require a fresh perspective.

The passing of  comedy icon Joan Rivers has been a catalyst in my examination of Scorpionic and Mercurial forces. Stay with me, this may take a while! I really grieved the loss of Joan Rivers. For the entire week before her death, I kept checking the internet to get updates on her status. I was keeping vigil at my laptop, paralyzed with uncertainty.  I began watching clips of her performances on TV and online. When she finally passed I cried deeply. What is my connection to this woman?

Answering this question led me to the delicate dance between Gemini and Scorpio. Joan’s life really accentuates the relationship between The phoenix and the twins.

Personal anecdote: I remember sighting Joan and her daughter Melissa as a child. I was vacationing in Miami for Christmas, which was a family ritual. We spent time with my mom’s family who had relocated to Florida years ago. I don’t know how I knew of Joan at that young age, but she and her young daughter were hanging out in the shopping area of the Deauville Hotel ( or perhaps the Carillon) on Collins Ave. I wanted to walk up to them, but did not have the nerve. They seemed so normal. They are both from Brooklyn and so am I. My mom still speaks with a Brooklyn accent. They seemed so close and I longed for that type of bond. Yet we moved away and so did Joan and Melissa. I remained interested in them ever since.

If you are not familiar with Joan Rivers, visit her site.

Note: If you are wondering how or why I occasionally attract celebrities into my orbit ( Jerry Seinfeld walked me down the aisle), it has to be Pluto in the 7th. I do plan to blog about this placement in the near future so stay tuned.

Joan and Johnny: a tale of humor and betrayal 

One theme that repeatedly emerged after scouring hours of footage is the impact of Joan’s relationship with Johnny Carson. She repeatedly discussed their break-up after his refusal to accept that she took a job as host for a competing late night talk show on the Fox network. While she was trashing his treatment of her, in the very next breath she would praise him for giving her a start and making her a star. Very Gemini- like indeed! He apparently never forgave her and it broke her heart. While watching images of her and Johnny together, I noticed a strong connection and a symmetry. Could there have been a secret romance? Or was I just witnessing their mutual Gemini Scorpio essences at play?

Joan has the Sun, Mercury and Venus placed in Gemini in the 3rd house. Her catchphrase was ” Can we talk? ” Priceless! She was a skilled communicator who exhibited a mulit-faceted personality. Her moon in Sag in the 9th propelled her to speak the truth and do it with fierceness, vulgarity, and brutal honesty. She made us laugh and she made us think. Aries rising was quite prominent in her chart.  The chart ruler Mars was part of a Mars Jupiter Neptune stellium in the 6th house of work. health, service. She was devoted to her charity work in addition to maintaining her non-stop career. This stellium opposed Saturn in Aquarius in the 11th and squared her Sun in the 3rd. Fear of losing the crowd was a constant threat as was her fear of being different. With Uranus in the first, I think she just wanted to fit in and kept augmenting her physical appearance to be accepted by the masses. Pluto squared Uranus and it is interesting that she passes during the current Pluto square Uranus cycle. While she lacks Scorpio planets, Mars is the traditional ruler of Scorpio and it dominates her chart. Her chart Mars rules her 8th house and 8th house matters seemed to predominate her life. Death and sex and shared assets seemed to be areas of initial vulnerability and eventual mastery over the course of her 81 years.

The ever – charming yet elusive talk show legend Johnny Carson also embodies the Scorpio /Gemini dynamic. Sun and Ascendant in Scorpio with Mercury conjunct  Saturn on the Ascendant, this comedian used his dry sense of humor to both charm and disarm the masses for decades. He often played a magician in many of his late night skits. Interesting that Mercury rules his 8th house as well. Pluto opposes his Moon Jupiter in Capricorn in the 3rd house. There were several marriages and problems with alcohol, in addition to the tragic loss of his son. I suspect there was plenty of loneliness and pain behind the veil, just like with Joan.

They share a Moon ( 17 degrees) Venus ( 13 degrees) conjunction in Sagittarius. His love of spontaneity and excitement( Venus in Sag) allowed her to feel comfortable and at ease ( Moon in Sag) and as a result, her essence really shined through. This aspect often shows up in the synastry of long-term marriages and romances, so even if nothing romantic ever happened between them, they did share a deep affection for many years.

Joan the shapeshifter/ survivor : a master class in resilience

Joan rebelled against her parents’ wishes and pursued becoming an entertainer. One appearance on the Johnny Carson show changed her life. Her first marriage was annulled and she married her second husband after just knowing him a short time. Edgar Rosenberg managed her career and was a loving husband and father to their one child Melissa. He committed suicide shortly after he and Joan were let go from Joan’s late night talk show on Fox. He chose to do this in Philadelphia where Melissa was in college. Clearly his actions and the aftermath devastated Joan.  Her marriage was gone and her career was floundering. Yet she pulled herself together and reinvented herself. She continued to do so for the remainder of her life. She sold jewelry and fashion on QVC, had a daytime talk show, performed as an actress in film ( with Burt Lancaster) and in theater.  She was a best-selling author and was the subject of a well-received documentary. She eventually began interviewing celebrities on the red carpet at awards shows and this venture combined fashion and entertainment in a novel way. She was recently appearing on 2 reality shows ( tv and online) and starred on Fashion Police. She was incredibly resilient and her moon in Sag helped her appreciate the pleasures of life.

Joan the lightworker: healing through laughter, wisdom through pain

I was able to conclude that comedians are among the most unhappy and troubled individuals on the planet. But what an amazing array of gifts do they bring to the collective table. Joan Rivers sparkled and rattled the cages of safety and inertia by challenging us to defy obstacles and release sorrow through laughter. Scientific studies show again and again the healing potential of laughter and Joan was among the best healers out there. She was an incredibly intelligent woman who was a trailblazer and ” Joan Ranger”, who blazed a trail for ambitious woman everywhere. Behind the jester’s mask was a loving, determined, loyal, tenacious spirit who lived life with gusto. She utilized her profound capacity for situational awareness with such aplomb. Hermes, Mercury, Mars, and Pluto all are applauding with approval I am certain.

When all is said and done, she gave much more back to us than she received. I am making her an honorary litebeing because she devoted her time here to orchestrating the magic of joy and transforming tragedy and loss into a vibrant source of healing. She was an alchemist for our times.

If you are interested in receiving an astrological consultation, please contact me here.

zodiac art courtesy of wikimedia.org US public domain