Gemini is the sign of the Twins. On the material plane this signifies duality; on the spiritual plane, polarity. The Ancients assigned to Gemini two brilliant stars, Castor and Pollux. They taught that Mercury, ruler of Gemini, bestowed immortality upon these two stars on alternate days, thus subtly suggesting the dual nature of the sign. Under the influence of Gemini man is easily swayed one way and another: from the material to the spiritual, from the personal to the impersonal.
Gemini's keynote is versatility. Its natives are characterized by ability to do many things well. The awakened Gemini often engages in writing and speaking on spiritual subjects and sometimes becomes a spiritual healer.
Gemini is a mental sign, and mind can lead either in the direction of darkness or of light. St. Paul well understood this when he made the focal point of all his teachings the ideal that "Christ be formed in you." Until the mind is Christed, it is fraught with great dangers. To again quote St. Paul: "The carnal mind is enmity against God."
The ancient hieroglyph for Gemini was the figure of a high priest seated upon a throne. Two sphinxes, one white and one black, were kneeling at his feet — another symbol portraying the duality of the sign of the Twins.
In accordance with the nature of Gemini, those predominantly under its influence often face the need for choosing one of two things or courses; hence, it is essential for them to cultivate their powers of discrimination — powers emphasized in Virgo, also ruled by Mercury, as especially important. They must cultivate stability and fixity of purpose because they are so easily influenced. The Gemini native needs much time for concentration and meditation upon the affirmation "Be still, and know that I am God."
Mercury's angelic ambassador to earth is Raphael, the guardian and director of all healing movements in the world. Raphael also presides over the higher Temple teachings, the foremost being the healing power of the mind. This principle has found wide acceptance and practice in these modern times. A beautiful legend states that at the end of each day the Angel Sandalphon gathers up all the prayers for help and healing that have gone forth from the earth and places them before God's throne where, in tender benediction, they are transformed into a glorious array of fragrant flowers This legend was given a lovely expression by Longfellow in the following lines:
The same thought applies to Raphael, the Angel of Healing who, because of his closeness to our race, has been called "the friend of man."
Raphael, the ambassador from Mercury, typifies in his own being the Lords of Mercury who are now playing an increasingly active part in humanity's initiatory work. He presides over the Mysteries, the initiatory work of the human race for the remainder of the Earth Period. Messengers from Mercury serve all those who are aspiring to Initiation and, according to Max Heindel, they will be giving man more and more help as time goes on. Many sensitive persons are becoming aware of their presence, for the Mercurians belong to our own life wave that originally had its home in the Sun. They are, however, far in advance of early humanity and Raphael is their prototype before the throne of God.
When the Sun ascends toward its northernmost point in the sky in June it transits the sign Gemini, the constellation that sets a dual impress upon the human body-temple. It governs the dualities of the body: lungs, shoulders, arms and hands in particular. It also holds the cosmic pattern of the perfected androgyne in whom the masculine and feminine potencies are in equilibrium. Such is the attainment of Initiates of the Greater Christ Mysteries. This attainment brings immunity from disease and old age. And since consciousness remains unbroken whether such be in or out of the flesh, death as we know it is never experienced by them because their consciousness is centered in immortality without interruption.
The archangelic life wave has reached the status where it functions in perfectly polarized bodies. This is not true of the less evolved angelic and human kingdoms. It is, therefore, possible for members of these kingdoms to descend from their high estate into lower forms of expression. The fall of Angels is recorded biblically in the account of the war in heaven, when Lucifer and his followers were expelled therefrom; and the Fall of man occurred, according to the Genesis account, when Adam and Eve (infant humanity) lost the Garden of Eden. Redemption from these falls required a higher power than was available to either of these life waves. It had to come from the archangelic level. And so it did. The Lord Christ, the most highly evolved of the Archangels, became the teacher and redeemer of both the fallen Angels and humanity. This is one of the most profound truths associated with the mystery of the Christos.
The pattern of the perfect androgyne was projected by the Hierarchy of Gemini into its opposite sign, Sagittarius. The Hierarchy of Sagittarius (Lords of Mind) gives this enlightened teaching to earth's most advanced pioneers. After the coming of the Christ, further development of the human mind passed from the guidance of Scorpio to that of Sagittarius. Considering the wonders of the mind, its creative powers and its ability to encircle the globe in an instant of time and to contemplate the vastness of cosmic space — even though at present only a fraction of it is active — we get a faint glimpse of the transcendent glory of the Sagittarian Hierarchy whose lowest vehicle, corresponding to man's physical body, is composed of mental substance. It also indicates the sublime powers awaiting man when he attains like development.
For an awakened soul, the supreme purpose of cultivating the mind is that it shall become Christed. As yet this is the attainment of but few only. The majority are steeped in the materialism of the concrete mind, which is focused mainly on worldly pursuit and interests of the separative self. So long as such concerns claim man's attention, there will be a lack of spiritual perception and scant realization of the realities pertaining to the inner world and universal mind. Nor will there be any continuity of consciousness and but little if any, intimation of the experiences encountered in the spiritual world during intervals between earthly lives. The result of consciousness so veiled from spiritual realities is the materialism that conditions the world today. This, however, is but a temporary phase of mankind's evolution. As added light falls on the path of those who strive for holiness, realization of spiritual realities that lie back of all physical and temporal manifestation will become clearer and stronger. The insistent impulse of such aspirants to make themselves worthy to walk in the Way of Holiness will bring more and more light.
While the Sun is transiting the sign Gemini the Christ Light suffuses a wider auric sphere of this earth, which enables Initiates on the Path of Holiness to come into the presence of mighty Beings known as Seraphim, whose grandeur and power surpass all description. Under their sublime ministry teachings are given concerning the mysteries of polarity, wherein it is learned that the harmonious interaction of the masculine and feminine forces — the positive and negative elements in nature — constitute the motive power in everything from atom to planet. Medieval alchemists referred to this perfect union, this polarity, as the blending of fire and water. It is vividly symbolized in Jachin and Boaz, the two columns of every Masonic Temple, and it is the theme of the glorious initiatory Song of Solomon. It is of polarity that Solomon sings in the words "My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies."
As an illuminated one follows the Path of Holiness which leads to this exalted spiritual sphere, he is permitted to study the marvels of the androgynous body, the form the human body will take in a future stage of development. As already stated, this glorious cosmic pattern is held above earth by the Hierarchy of Gemini, the Seraphim. Their forces will be brought down to man by the Hierarchy of Sagittarius when humanity is ready to receive them. As man learns of the marvels of this cosmic pattern and the wonders of the Sagittarian body built entirely of mental substance, he begins to comprehend something of the exalted destiny awaiting him. With profound reverence and deep humility, he intones within himself the biblical keynote of Gemini: "Be still, and know that I Am God."
It has been said that Gemini, the Twins, is the sign of opposites: positive and negative, high and low, black and white. Under this Hierarchy mankind comes to know the path of light and the path of shadow, even as did Lazarus and the rich man in the biblical parable.
The rich man possessed vast worldly goods while Lazarus was a beggar living in penury. These two symbolize the contrasting states of wealth and poverty, the "haves and the have-nots" — a cleavage that has been the cause of countless wars down through history. The rich man of the parable was robed in fine linen and royal purple. Every day he made merry with feasting and entertainment while Lazarus, in his dire need, came each day to beg crumbs from the other's table.
Similar conditions exist in the world today. Such inequities cannot always be, for we live in a world governed by moral law. The balancing of accounts, however, requires more time than the brief segment of a single earthly incarnation. This fact is brought out in the parable, which reveals the operation of spiritual law in both the inner and outer worlds.
Lazarus and the rich man died. The former was caught up into heaven whereas the latter found himself in purgatory, there to suffer for his idle, useless, misspent years. Such retributive justice is not retaliatory in nature. Man reaps as he sows. Though Lazarus had lived in poverty, the seeds he sowed bore a rich harvest in comparison to those of the man who failed to rightly use his possessions or to take advantage of an opportunity for rendering service to one less fortunate than himself. The operation of law is purely corrective. By reaping the harvest of his own sowing man acquires understanding and compassion, and comes to realize his unity with all mankind.
The parable also teaches that the nature of man's experiences after death is determined by his life on earth. When the rich man, suffering from thirst, saw the felicity of Lazarus' state in the bosom of Father Abraham, he pleaded with Abraham to let Lazarus bring him a drink of water to assuage his terrible longing. To this plea Abraham replied, "Between us and you there is a great gulf fixed." This barrier is one of vibration. If a person in purgatory could lift his consciousness to the heaven realm he would no longer be confined to the lower level of the astral plane.
The parable brings out still another truth. The gamut of human experience is made up mostly of the emotions of joy and sorrow. Fiona McLeod, an exquisite English writer, states that while there are no tears in Paradise, there is in a certain garden a great gray pool-a pool whose waters are constantly replenished by tears of sorrow, pain and remorse shed on earth. If one will but kneel and bathe his eyes in these waters he will be healed. Thereafter his songs will be the sweetest to be heard in Paradise.
When rightly accepted, sorrow builds a shining rung upon the ladder of attainment. It deepens compassion, broadens sympathy, increases humility and beauty in one's character, all of which are the soul signatures of him who is upon the truth Path of Discipleship.
— Corinne Heline
