The Astrology of Spring - The Vernal Zodiac Signs: Aries, Taurus, & Gemini
“We are born at a given moment, in a given place and, like vintage years of wine, we have the qualities of the year and of the season of which we are born. Astrology does not lay claim to anything more.”
Of all the mystic arts and philosophies, astrology is by and far the most popular in our modern day. Developed over centuries by star-gazers and astronomers, farmers and navigators, alchemists and oracles, astrology has become the most ubiquitous form of modern mysticism.
Most everyone knows “their sign”.
Whether one puts any stock into astrology and horoscopes, it is hard to deny that astrology has captivated the modern mind and has only grown in popularity over the millennia since its inception.
What many don’t know about astrology, however, is that a person isn’t just one zodiac sign.
Natal Astrology is best described as a snapshot of the cosmos at the moment of one’s birth. This snapshot contains a configuration of the zodiac signs and planetary bodies as unique to a person as their very own fingerprint.
What one refers to as ‘their sign’ is actually just the position of the Sun at the moment of their birth.
The Sun changes zodiac signs about every 30 days, but one’s astrology is about so much more than just the Sun sign. In fact, every single person has each one of the zodiac signs within their natal astrology chart.
The Moon changes zodiac signs every 2-3 days, the planet Mercury, every 15-30, Mars and Venus, about every two months, and the outer planets can take from a year to an entire generation to change signs.
Therefore, we not only have a Sun sign but also a Moon sign, a Mercury sign, a Mars sign, a Jupiter sign, a Uranus sign, etc.
Thus, understanding each of the zodiac signs is fundamental to understanding astrology itself, as they are the foundational building blocks of one’s own individual horoscope.
The Zodiac as the Cycle of Seasons
So what is the Zodiac?
The zodiac contains twelve constellations which different cultures throughout history have projected diverse meanings, personality traits, and mythologies onto.
Western astrology was predominantly developed by the ancient cultures of the northern hemisphere to track the cycles of nature and of the cosmos. Ancient agrarian-based peoples looked to the stars as a time-keeping device to mark the changing of seasons and nature’s phases of growth for millennia.
Beginning their respective seasons, the cardinal signs of astrology, Aries, Libra, Cancer, and Capricorn, mark the equinoxes and solstices.
The fixed signs, Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius, stand firm in the middle of their respective season, representing their peak.
Meanwhile, the mutable signs, Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces, usher the transition from one season to the next.
Slowly, over thousands of years, the framework of astrology we use was constructed and iterated upon by numerous cultures across Europe and Asia. Each recognized the Zodiac is a map of the cycle of life itself, of the changing of the seasons, of the birth, growth, maturity, and death of nature, reflected in cyclical experience of humankind.
By viewing the signs of the zodiac as expressions unique to a certain part of the larger cycle, one better understands not only themselves and their purpose through learning which of these expressions are emphasized in their own lives, but one also comes to understand the cyclical patterns of nature that govern life itself.
The Spring Triplicity
A Dream of Spring , William Adolphe Bouguereau
As we begin to feel the end of Spring and welcome the beginning of Summer, what better way to remember the essence of the spring season than through the three distinct energies Spring consists of: The Three Vernal Zodiac Signs, Aries, Taurus, and Gemini
The modern zodiac begins with Aries, marking the vernal equinox, the beginning of spring, and the rebirth of nature. Taurus comes next, marking mid-spring, and nature at its most fertile. Transitioning us from spring to summer is Gemini, bringing with it warm sunlit breeze that invites our eager bodies back into the outdoors.
The following are poetic explorations of each of the three spring zodiac signs based on three considerations:
1.) The time of the season the sign represents.
2.) Which of the four elements the sign is attributed with.
3.) The planetary body that rules the sign.
In understanding the zodiac as a cycle of nature, my hope is to get away from the overused pop-culture tropes so commonly associated with each sign, and instead, remember the archetypal essence at the heart these twelve unique expressions of nature.
“The sign of the Ram is the sign of the beginning and the desire to press forwards. In nature, this outgoing impulse is visible in seed germination, which marks the start of
Spring in the Northern Hemisphere... Most of [Aries’] energies are devoted to the idea of emancipation, just as the seedling breaks out of the seed and strikes a path through the soil to the upper air to find a place of its own.”
Aries is initiation of Spring… the first rays of warm Sun after several months of frost that reach into even the deepest corners of earth and stirs life awake from its wintery slumber; the impulsive, fiery force of life-energy that initiates, germinates, and breaths life back into the world.
Aries is fire of friction and impulse, like the striking of a match which creates that quick burst of essential flame, Aries is the essential burst of energy, activated by desire and instinct, that quickly transforms into action, readying itself for any obstacle to come.
Aries is impulsive, courageous, and determined, ruled by the planet Mars, the God of War; fueled with an unstoppable energy, going to any and all lengths to achieve what has been envisioned, Aries is the principle of willpower, urging action, determination, bringing with it new a boldness only known by the most brave and courageous souls.
“In the Taurus development phase a direction is imparted to the scattered impulses of Aries... it is prudence, keeping to the known, and passivity that are most in evidence. The result is that after the Ram has long since left the stage, the Bull is still there working out the implications of the Aries initiatives, giving them form and putting the practical value of Aries to the test... that is why the Taurean is in his element in practical callings.”
Taurus is Earthen… Practical, grounded and reliable; mighty, robust and strong. Rooted in the realm of the tangible and material; steadfast; moving ever forwards making progress towards their goals with patience and persistence, unbothered by external forces.
Taurus is the Heart of Spring… April showers and May flowers; Nature at its most fertile; the principles of life, form, and structure; the revivification of nature; fecundity, abundance, and generative power.
Taurus is deeply sensual… ruled by Venus, the goddess of love; holding utmost appreciation for the invigorating, activating, exciting power of the five senses; the creators and maintainers of harmony, beauty, luxury, and form.
“[In Gemini there is] a compelling need to connect objects with one another to form links... which can be as varied as men and things, and as facts and ideas. In this phase, man steps for the first time outside the world of his individual possibilities and certitudes... [ he finds ] mutual relationships between things, and then brings them into some sort of order...an individual of the Gemini type can see all sides and so is the inventor of systems and techniques... The outer world arouses his curiosity and captures his attention...”
Gemini is the wind that carries our words, our songs, and our stories. Talkative, curious and witty; Social butterflies that flit from conversation to conversation with gleeful exuberance, always searching for excitement and fun, filling life to the brim with variety and spontaneity.
Gemini is the changing from Spring into Summer; the arrival of sunlight and warmth that invites us to back into the out of doors of play, to bask in the sun, to go forth into the unknown in search of adventure, friendship, and unexpected novelty; to taste every flavor and enjoy every splendor life has to offer.
Gemini is mercurial, capricious, and mischievous; Taking enjoyment in the whimsical, the farcical, and the preposterous with a playful innocence, reminding us that life is not all that serious after all; that life is our playground, and that there are so many experiences out there, just waiting to be had.
