Mythic Monday: Gemini the Twins

Gemini stems from a Latin root word meaning twins or twinning. The myth surrounding the zodiacal constellation Gemini centers on twin brothers Castor and Pollux. Two men impregnated their mother Leda, the human king of Sparta and Zeus, the king of the gods. This bestowed immortality on Zeus’ son Pollux, while his brother Castor retained a mortal identity. Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra were their sisters, and both brothers fought in the Trojan War to rescue Helen. They also sailed alongside Jason and the other Argonauts in search of the Golden Fleece and gained fame for their strength and valor. Castor and Pollux provided protection and magical solace for sailors and horsemen. When Castor died, as humans do, Pollux pleaded with Zeus to grant the gift of immortality to his beloved brother. The twins shine eternally as bright stars in the constellation Gemini.

Leda and the Swan
Cesare da Sesto [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Zeus’ conquest and impregnation of Leda retains its infamous savagery down through time. A notorious womanizer, Zeus often used his shape shifting ability to subdue whatever woman struck his fancy. He appeared to Leda in the form of a swan and mated with her. A startling and lovely poem by William Butler Yeats is entitled Leda and the Swan. An excerpt reads: “The great wings beating still above the staggering girl, her thighs caressed by the dark webs, her nape caught in his bill.”

Of Castor and Pollux, Shelley penned: “Ye wild-eyed Muses, sing the Twins of Jove, whom the fair-ankled Leda, mixed in love with mighty Saturn’s Heaven-obscuring child.”

The glyph for Gemini, two parallel lines, represents the valiant twins Castor and Pollux.

Typically, those born with sun in Gemini are facile thinkers and speakers. They enjoy discourse and intellectual pursuits. They are flexible, adaptable, eternally curious, sometimes moody, but never boring. One word that describes them very well is quick—quick footed as their patron god Mercury, quick tempered, and quick witted. Additionally, adhering to the precepts of ruling Mercury, the word mercurial is an accurate descriptor of those graced under Gemini.

Cheers & Happy Reading!
Flossie Benton Rogers, Conjuring the Magic with Paranormal Fantasy Romances

By Flossie Benton Rogers

Paranormal romance author who loves to shake the edges of reality.

6 comments

  1. Love reading about Gemini. I wonder why! My forensic psychiatrist gets a major clue towards solving the case through a message about Castor and Pollux. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

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