Full Moon in Gemini: “Insist on creation”
The full moon today is happening in the sign of Gemini. This is the first of two eclipses during Sagittarius season, giving this moment a strong influence through the next six to twelve months. It’s also a moment in time that we circle back to every year when the Moon opposes the Sun in Sagittarius.
I asked the Runes — what does this Gemini full moon bring us the opportunity to heal? How can we move through this transit in a healing way? Their answer centers around the two trees of the Rune series, The Yew and The Birch, the two sides of creation.
The Yew or “Eihwaz” symbolizes the tree of life, her roots and branches tapped into water sources above and below, her central axis creating a link. She reminds us that all living beings are directly connected to their source and rooted in the mysterious depths of our souls. The Yew represents the unseen, non-physical place where all life originates and where it all returns.
On the other hand, The Birch tree or “Berkana” symbolizes the process of reality taking shape. The first tree to grow new leaves in the spring, Birch initiates a new cycle of life and facilitates the process of growth. She provides all the protection and nourishment needed to develop into form, a representation of the Earth Mother herself. This is the process of becoming - bringing the unseen into physical existence, the unknown into visible expression.
Together these two trees are a portal of creation. Conception and Birth. The Yew opens the gate to the spirit realm and The Birch brings forth into the earthly plane. Together they usher in manifestations coming straight from the source. This combination reminds us to access our highest sources directly. We are creators.
On either side of this portal, we see Ice or “Isa” (on the left) and Kindling or “Nauthiz” (on the right). These are harsh conditions for creating life - isolation, limitations and the pressure of meeting our most basic needs. Isa shows movements being restricted, literally the process of liquid water cooling down to become solid ice. Nauthiz shows our need to survive the cold, the basic requirements for food, water and shelter that we all have to meet.
These two Runes are often seen as symbols of doom and gloom (which they can be) but they are also key building blocks in the process of creation. Just a simple straight line, Ice is contained in all other Runes. It is solidness itself, a surface to push off. And Kindling is that push - the friction of rubbing together two sticks that creates a spark. It’s the push of a cold winter that forced humans to first figure out how to make a fire.
These two Runes reframe obstacles as a container that can benefit the process of creation — harsh conditions can actually accelerate growth. Where we are limited, we get innovative. When we meet resistance, we build muscle. Pressure is a catalyst for growth.
At the top of the reading, Daybreak or “Dagaz” crowns the other Runes - a reminder that we are in transition, passing through a liminal space. We are not in the same place we were six months ago and we will certainly not be in the same place six months from now. In a time of upheaval and deep transformation, the ground is shifting beneath our feet. The upcoming cycle promises another wave of upheaval and Daybreak here reminds us to remain flexible, allowing our eyes to adjust as dark shifts into light. And light into dark.
I combined The Tree of Life and The Birch Mother, Ice and Kindling into a bindrune - a sigil that contains their composite message.
The image that emerged feels both ferocious and playful. It reminds me of the tenacious Dandelions who burst through cracks in concrete, soft stems and leaves pushing up through sidewalks - that unstoppable force that insists on generating life, undaunted in the face of seemingly impossible conditions. This symbol contains the flow of creation, pure and fully intact, amid heavy constraints.
This cycle marks a period of critical creation. Healing looks like ushering in new generations, new family structures, new ways of being, new economies and methods of production. We are being asked to take responsibility for our creations and insist on making space for new life. There will be push back, bet on that. Create anyway.
Watch me cast this reading live on my YouTube channel.