What is it about Geminis that makes people so uncomfortable? Is it their versatility, the way they can move between different subcultures, blending playfully with each one? What a fixed sign might interpret as inauthenticity, is what a keen observer might recognize as adaptation and the mark of a good host. Or, is it their innate creative freedom, their service to ideas and identities—not as stagnant entities, but as critical pursuits? A Gemini is ready to get that silly tattoo with you, learn how to play a balalaika for a music project that never gets off the ground, change careers for the third time in one year without telling anyone. A Gemini can be the lead singer or the bassist in your band, but you'll usually find them on the drums—a little out of the spotlight but entirely in charge of the speed.
It seems like those of us who love Geminis never run out of reason to say, "Well, I love Geminis," to those who critique the idea of them. An idea is all it is, since, despite all the supposedly negative Gemini characteristics out there (gossip, duality, emotional distance, untrustworthiness), Geminis make up 80 percent of the world's crushes, idols, and beloved teachers. For this segment, I've called in two incredible Geminis who have, by various creative means, inspired many to embrace all their multitudinous selves. Between the two of them, they have enough talent and curiosity to start a superhero academy but, delightfully, they offer up their gifts and teaching publicly—for a world that needs every bit of what they've got.
Sarah Kay is a poet, performer, and educator from New York City. She is best known for her talk at the 2011 TED conference, which garnered two standing ovations and has been seen over 11 million times online, but she has also been a featured performer at the United Nations, Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, The Royal Danish Theater, and hundreds of other venues around the world. Her poetry can be found on Netflix TV shows, Uniqlo T-shirts, and bookstore shelves. She is the author of four books of poetry includingB, The Type, All Our Wild Wonder, and No Matter the Wreckage. Sarah is the founder and co-director of Project VOICE, an organization that uses spoken word poetry to entertain, educate, and inspire students and teachers worldwide.
Geminis really get a bad rap for ostensibly being two-faced, but what if we were to re-imagine this quality as multitudinous rather than dual? What if Geminis were re-cast as having an adaptable nature and versatile social intellect? Would Geminis finally be seen for the shape-shifting empaths that they are?
I think it's a question of intention (and consequence). I imagine there are Geminis (or folks of any sign, for that matter) who are talented at reading people and use that talent to intentionally manipulate a situation for personal gain or satisfaction. But my intention is to be mindful of the person or persons I'm interacting with, and perhaps make small modifications to my behavior to best match them, so I can make folks feel seen and included and comfortable. I observe the space I'm in and the folks I'm with and see what is needed or helpful. Is everyone quiet and tense? Would be helpful if someone was willing to break that tension and unite the room with an anecdote? Then I'm happy to be the story-telling social butterfly. Is everyone loud and competing for the spotlight? Then I'm happy to be quiet and focus my attention on whomever is being talked over or ignored. I am sure different folks have different impressions of me, depending on what room they've met me in, and I'm sure that ability to change might make me seem inauthentic to some, but it comes from a genuine desire to be present for whomever I'm sitting across from.
Because Geminis are a sign ruled by Mercury, the god of information and messages, technology, and deals, they tend to get drawn into projects and creative ventures often, one could even say, compulsively. In fact, many Geminis are a fount of passion projects and distractions. Are there tips and tricks you've gathered for funneling that fount of creative energy into steady sustainable results? Do results matter to you or is process where art lives?
Oh man, if you solve this puzzle, please tell me. I am constantlyrunning myself ragged saying yes to multiple projects and distractions. I think the only trick I have found is to have someone who I am genuinely intimidated by and/or whose approval I am eager for, as the keeper of the deadline. If I have to deliver something to someone I admire or am scared of, it holds me accountable and forces me to get the work done for real. Recently I've been fixated on how short life is and how we only get so much time on this earth, which means we only get to make a limited amount of things at all. So, I'm trying to only spend time on the things I desperately want to make before my time is up. Morbid but surprisingly effective!
Do you think there's something particularly Gemini about your morning or night rituals? What is it and why?
Okay, this is a little bit of a winding answer, but Geminis love being stimulated, right? They avoid boredom. They are curious and like the experience of being fascinated. Something that is true about me is that I can be a good critic and have a discerning eye or offer helpful feedback, and I can be a totally jaded New Yorker, but I'm also happy to turn down those parts of my brain and just be delighted by things. When I watch movies, I gasp a lot more than the average person. Even when something seems like an obvious plot-twist, I gasp. I am overtaken by emotion very quickly, and I like allowing myself to be impressed. I am impressed by kindness, I am impressed by courage, I am impressed by vulnerability. And I think being easily impressed and delighted leads to gratitude. I am grateful for how much I get to see and do and learn. I am grateful when I wake up to discover I get another day on this delightful, terrible, impressive earth. I am grateful when I notice I have made it back to my bed safely at the end of the day. Even on bad days. As far as rituals go, the very first thing I do when I wake up is say, "Thank you." And it's also the last thing I say each night. I really do that. Out loud. It is a practice of gratitude that helps ground me.
Gemini is represented by the Lovers card in the Tarot. According to Biddy Tarot, "At its heart, the Lovers is about choice. The choice about who you want to be in this lifetime, how you connect with others and on what level, and about what you will and won't stand for. To make good choices, you need to be clear about your personal beliefs and values—and stay true to them. Not all decisions will be easy either. The Lovers card is often a sign that you are facing a moral dilemma and must consider all consequences before acting. Your values system is being challenged, and you are being called to take the higher path, even if it is difficult. Do not carry out a decision based on fear or worry or guilt or shame. Now, more than ever, you must choose love—love for yourself, love for others and love for the Universe. Choose the best version of yourself." Are there ways that this particular energy, this challenge and mission, has appeared in your daily life? Or, cyclically, in your life's journey so far?
I spend a lot of time trying to figure out how I feel about everything. Nothing is ever black or white for me, everything is always in between. I weigh every possible advantage and disadvantage. I look at all the possible consequences. I try to measure every force imaginable, every layer that is visible and invisible. It takes me two hours to pick out a shower curtain. It's a nightmare. And as a result, on the rare occasion that I suddenly know, fully, deeply, how I feel about something, I believe that I have an obligation to at least try and see it through. Even if it ends up being a disaster, if I know I love someone or something, (or if I suddenly know I don't,) I've got to follow that instinct. I spend so much of my time in the unknown, and it's so rare to have a moment of clarity. So, when it actually arrives, the clarity has to be honored. It has overcome all the din of my uncertainty and is still ringing out like a bell. So I have to listen to it. It is often forcing me to accept brutal truths and tough circumstances and it is usually impossibly inconvenient. But ignoring it would be so much worse.
What do you consider an ultimate Gemini text?
The Griffin & Sabine trilogy. Oh god. It's about love, it's about distance, it's about soul mates, it's about letter-writing, it's a mystery to solve, and the art is so beautiful. Plus, it's tactile! Physical letters and envelopes that you have to open and move around. I love it so much.
Finally, what are you working on now? Have you created a Gemini text or delight? Let the people know how to find it!
I am currently working on a podcast called "Sincerely, X" for TED and Luminary Media. Folks who are familiar with TED might know that TED's overall mission is "Ideas Worth Spreading." The premise of "Sincerely, X" is that there are many people with ideas that are vital, but the only way for them to share their ideas is if they are able to stay anonymous. Each episode features an interview between myself and a person who is anonymous, who has a fascinating story or experience to share. Each episode also features pieces of a second interview, between myself and an expert in a field that is relevant to the episode (who can offer a little more perspective or context, and help us unpack the big ideas). If you listen to the different episodes, I think you can hear exactly what I was talking about in my first answer: I react to the personality of the person I'm interviewing. I think you'll be able to hear the way I shift tone or behavior depending on who I'm speaking to. And then you can decide for yourself if you think it's two-faced or because I'm a "shape-shifting empath"!
Marlee Grace is a dancer and writer whose work focuses on the self, distraction, and art-making. Her practice is rooted in improvisation as a compositional form that takes shape in movement videos, books, and running an artist residency! You can find her zines, things she makes, artists she hosts, and more at her website.
Geminis really get a bad rap for ostensibly being two-faced, but what if we were to re-imagine this quality as multitudinous rather than dual? What if Geminis were re-cast as having an adaptable nature and versatile social intellect? Would Geminis finally be seen for the shape-shifting empaths that they are?
I'd like to start out by saying I absolutely love being a Gemini; it is my favorite thing about myself, because it is myself, and I think I'm great. Which, is new for me. This idea feels very post Saturn return, very "in my 30s," very 2019. I love being adaptable and a quick shape-shifter. I move quickly through the world, and this intimidates and annoys people. And, those are not my people. So, I think when folks see Geminis as magical free flowing beings, instead of two-faced flakey airheads, we will see a lot of Geminis step into their power even more.
Because Geminis are a sign ruled by Mercury, they tend to get drawn into projects and creative ventures often. Are there tips and tricks you've gathered for funneling the fount of creative energy into steady sustainable results? Do results matter to you or is process where art lives?
I am always beginning, rarely finishing. My Sun, Mercury, AND Venus are all in Gemini, so I like to identify as a SUPER GEM. I think I begin so often because I really do love the rush, the start of something. Whether it's a writing project, a quilt, a relationship, a cup of tea, starting it is my favorite thing. When people ask how I can commit to all my tattoos "forever," I pause because I forget they are forever, they always feel "right now, right here." I don't worry too much about longevity or sustainability of projects. Which I suppose, from a "business strategy perspective" or "how to make a partnership last," would be terrible advice. But what even is "ADVICE," YA KNOW?! It's worked great for me to just, one day at a time, look around and see what I want to pay attention to, and go with that. Which may sound selfish (classic Gemini stereotype), but when I am not tending to my divine fabulous self, how the fuck will I show up for everyone else?!
Do you think there's something particularly Gemini about your morning or night rituals? What is it and why?
Yes and no. My morning rituals feel extremely in line with my Virgo rising and Capricorn moon. But my consistency with them is very Gemini :) I wake up, stretch, do my morning pages while I drink Dandy Blend, do some prayers, read my 12-step books, and don't look at my phone. But then every few weeks I'll string, like, three days together where I just lay in bed on my phone for two hours when I wake up and forget I am a person. Alas, then I hop back on the ritual train with a deep commitment to not hate myself for falling off. I think that's an important part of being a Gemini: The faster you cannot hate yourself for how you just ARE, the easier it is to like yourself or return to healthy habits.
Gemini is represented by the Lovers card in the Tarot. According to Biddy Tarot, "At its heart, the Lovers is about choice. The choice about who you want to be in this lifetime, how you connect with others and on what level, and about what you will and won't stand for. To make good choices, you need to be clear about your personal beliefs and values—and stay true to them. Not all decisions will be easy either. The Lovers card is often a sign that you are facing a moral dilemma and must consider all consequences before acting. Your values system is being challenged, and you are being called to take the higher path, even if it is difficult. Do not carry out a decision based on fear or worry or guilt or shame. Now, more than ever, you must choose love—love for yourself, love for others and love for the Universe. Choose the best version of yourself." Are there ways that this particular energy, this challenge and mission, has appeared in your daily life? Or, cyclically, in your life's journey so far?
Wow, yes, I love this. I mean, as I said in the beginning, this has really been my journey over the last two years. To love myself so fully that it radiates out into everything I do and everyone I love and everyone that I may lift up with my words, wealth, wisdom, and willingness. And I love thinking about it as a choice, that I can CHOOSE the best version of myself. I think this mission appears in my life a lot within my chosen family of queers and freaks. We have to really carve out the world we want to see with the art we make, the resources we share and redistribute, the unconditional love we show each other that the world at large doesn't believe in or see. I think being queer guides so much of my life's journey in how I love people; myself, I have extremely romantic friendships, and that feeds me and lets me love the universe more.
What do you consider an ultimate Gemini text?
Two favorite albums by Geminis: Love Is Overtaking Me, Arthur Russell; DAMN., Kendrick Lamar; and Practical Magic as a movie feels like a Gemini text to me, starring Gemini Nicole Kidman.
What are you working on now?
Right now, I run an artist residency in my house in Michigan for the next two months and am writing a new book! A follow-up to How to Not Always Be Working that is a little more memoir, a little more channeled, and a lot more about bringing yourself back to YOURSELF! And I am working on continuing this new phase of really liking and believing in myself; I write a weekly newsletter where I write about this process, things I do, am reading, and am excited about!
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