According to Edith Hamilton’s book on Mythology Castor and Pollux were inseparable twin brothers and were often represented riding splendid snow white horses. The twins were the guardians of sailors and joined Jason’s quest for the golden fleece (a symbol of plenty) in the tale of Jason and the Argonauts. They were said to live half their time on Earth and half their time in the golden homes of heaven.
Castor and Pollux were often invoked by sailors for favorable winds suggesting we can still do that as planets pass by these stars invoking the favorable winds of change – especially around the mysteries of healthy, happy, home and family.
Mars passes Castor and Pollux end of April 2023.
Venus passes these stars end of May 2023
Mercury passes these stars early July 2023.
Pollux is the brighter of the two stars as described in this article http://earthsky.org/brightest-stars/pollux-not-castor-is-geminis-brightest-star
The book Stars of the First People by Dorcas S. Miller describes how the Klamath tribe saw this constellation as boy/girl twins. The Chumash saw them as the Sun’s female cousins, the Jicarilla Apache saw them as the “Two-Fighting Stars” and the Tewa saw them as the “Place of Decision.”
The two main stars of the Twins, Castor and Pollux, mark the outer rim of the Sacred Hoop and draw our attention to the mysteries of duality and polarity and the mythic stories regarding twins around the world. In some cultures twins were revered and in other cultures twins were feared.
The Twin Aspects of Duality
The Twins as a symbol usually represents duality, often referred to as the good twin/bad twin that is played out as a duel or battle between them. Symbolically these stories speak to the twin nature of every individual, either divided or united within the self.
We all have this twin energy or duality within us. It is what makes us human.
Contemplating the Good Twin/Bad Twin via Star Trek
There is an original Star Trek episode that first aired in October of 1966 called The Enemy Within.
The story begins with a transporter malfunction splitting Captain Kirk into two captains, the Good Captain and the Bad or evil Captain.
It is a brilliant example of why we must integrate our shadow side.
Spock notices the Good Captain is losing his power to make decisions and concludes it is an opportunity to examine the roles of good and evil. The so-called dark side, or evil side, of Captain Kirk displays extreme decisive hostility, lust, brutality and violence.
Kirk’s positive side expresses compassion, love and tenderness but lacks the decisive power necessary for in-the-moment decisions. Spock observes that Captain Kirk needs his dark side to make the necessary decisions a good leader must make. It is Kirk’s so-called evil side when properly disciplined and integrated that is vital to his strength and ability to be a star ship captain.
Eventually the Good Captain Kirk realizes he does need to be reunited with his “evil” side and yet he is greatly repulsed by the idea. At this point, Dr. McCoy assures him,
“We all have our darker side – we need it – it’s half of what we are. It’s not really ugly – it’s human.”
McCoy goes onto say that Kirk’s dark side is what makes Captain Kirk who he is because his strength and ability to command exists in his dark side. Without his dark side Kirk is confused, forgetful and unable to make decisions.
Kirk’s good side was able to recognize that he needed to reintegrate with his dark side. However, his dark side remained stubbornly convinced that he did not need the good side and tried to kill it off.
We all have this twin energy or duality within us. It is what makes us human. Whenever planets are passing through the Twins constellation we are reminded that it is good time to contemplate how well we are doing with the integration of our good and so-called evil side. Integration of these two sides empowers us with strength and the ability to command the direction of our lives and to have compassion, caring and love in the process.
Every year from June 22 to July 20 as the Sun passes through the constellation of the Twins it is a good time for contemplating the path to wholeness through the further integration of our so-called “good and evil” sides.
Integration of these two sides empowers us with strength and the ability to command the direction of our lives and to have compassion, caring and love in the process.
Duality and Unity
This constellation of the Twins is a powerful symbol of duality including the dual nature of form and spirit. These seeming opposites are intended to work together – manifesting wholeness. The interplay between any duality, including light and dark, form and spirit, wholeness and separation, giving and receiving helps us to synthesize and reconcile the paradox that allows us to again experience Unity within all the opposites.
As planets pass through the Twins it creates an opportunity to gain deeper wisdom that transcends the dual nature of this reality – helping to manifest the realization of the Divine Plan for us all.
The image to the right here shows the Unity within Duality by Sohel Mehboob who wrote this about Unity and Duality:
Only in love are unity and duality, not in conflict
Night turns to day; day to night:
the sun gives way to the moon &
the moon to the sun.
Darkness turns to light as light
give way to Dark. The Yin and Yan
are but one, part of a whole.
Creation happens when opposites meet.
The male and the female come together as
one, making life possible..
So only in love can Duality exist
making Unity possible.
~sohel mehboob
Working with Pollux and Castor whenever the Moon or a planet passes by these stars, can help a person receive more varied thoughts and to receive energies that help complete thoughts that might otherwise be left incomplete, increasing creativity, new ideas and the ability to integrate information in new forms, thus making that information more available.
Pollux also enhances the ability to tune into the past, and future for the purpose of strengthening the concrete logical thought processes in ways that are “magnificent” and inspiring. Castor influences the “interconnectivity” in the brain speeding up certain logical functions. This suggests these two fixed stars represent the resonant polarity of the communication and cooperation between the left and right hemispheres of the brain.
Remember Signs (or seasons) and Constellations (Stars) are two entirely different things and that is why the Constellation of the Twins is no longer overlaid by the Season of Gemini (where the Sun is the 30 days prior to the June Solstice) but rather the Sun currently travels through the Twins when the Sun is in the Season of Cancer after the June Solstice.
The Sun travels through the constellation of Twins each year from Jun 22 to Jul 20.
The Sun travels through the sign or season of Gemini each year from May 21 to June 21 (starting 60 days after the Spring Equinox until the Sun reaches the June Solstice point of Zero Cancer currently on the Galactic Cross at the Galactic Edge).
Significant Annual Dates
Each year on July 2 the Sun is with Alhena left foot of the Twin Pollux
The Sun passes the stars Castor and Pollux as it exits the Sacred Hoop around July 17
…Creation requires a gathering together and focusing of your power within a circle of commitment – like a seed, an egg, a womb or a marriage. If you would create and not destroy, you must remember always the Sacred Hoop. Consider wisely the ways you use your power and then around those ways draw the sacred circle of commitment. In the warm atmosphere of that circle, the power of love builds and builds like a storm above the wet summer prairie until suddenly the circle can hold no more and explodes in the conception of the new…