Pinay Zodiac: Gemini/Anitun Tabu
Pinay Zodiac // Created in collaboration with Jodinand Aguillon and shot on location in Manila, PH. Bridging Philippine mythology and Western Astrology, this series re-envisions ancient Filipina goddesses for the modern diaspora.
Anitun Tabu, the fickle-minded goddess of wind and rain in Tagalog mythology, is known for her expression of happiness, which is called Ambon - a combination of sun and rain. When Anitun Tabu is angry, it manifests as a storm. Pre-colonial tradition saw the sunny shower as a fortunate time for marriage and in later iterations, was seen as Anitun Tabu successfully mediating between warring Gods and supernatural beings.
Just like Anitun Tabu, the zodiac sign Gemini is associated with the dance of polarities. Mercury, Gemini’s ruler, is commonly associated with the ‘hermaphrodite’ (or in more appropriate 2019 language, non-binary). Mercury as the expression of the mind is an in-between space, neither male nor female; in a constant state of flux, subjectivity and change. The quality of our thoughts and mindset completely defines our experience of reality. The mind and perception are the domain of Mercury/Gemini. Here is where we encounter the fickle, confusing nature of the Gemini archetype; because within the incredible agility of the mind, one can always find infinite ways to perceive experience. This is what keeps one young: curiosity and the harmony of polarity.
As Anitun Tabu’s emblem of happiness, the sunny rain Ambon in many ways represents the acceptance of the mind’s subjectivity. The Sun’s passage through Gemini is always a time to dance with ideas and to play with how we are perceiving what is true.
Horoscopes May 21 - June 21
On Tuesday, May 21, the Sun pays its yearly visit to the sign of Gemini, illuminating the qualities of curiosity, busyness and all activities related to commerce. Within 3 hours of the Sun’s ingress, Mercury joins the sun and enters into its home sign of Gemini as well. The start of Gemini season this year marks a felt shift into the play and curiosity of the late Spring. Expect strong mental clarity, especially on May 21. As Mercury is the facilitator of the mind and all of its coordinations - including oration, writing, learning and the exchange of ideas - its entry into Gemini will enhance all aspects of communication through June 4.
Gemini season will start off with a clarity that has been missing as Mercury’s movement through Taurus was slower and less extroverted. Enjoy the buzzing stimulation through the first few weeks as the New and Full Moons will be milestones in the process of your own growth and development. The New Moon in Gemini on June 3 offers fertile ground to try something new and devote curiosity to your learning process.
The end of of the Sun’s journey through Gemini tapers off with a Full Moon in Sagittarius, always a time for dreaming big and taking steps to cultivate personal philosophy. This Full Moon on June 17 will highlight and also challenge our personal beliefs through confrontation and limitation. This final week of Gemini season, June 14-21, will have a more argumentative, heavy and delayed tone - a departure from the explorative start of the season. Utilize the versatility and power of the mind’s subjectivity to recognize the value in the changing weather - find your sunny rainy misty in-between space - the cherished Ambon. Ease can be viewed as uneventful, finding the deep blessing in hardship completely changes the narrative of experience.
Aries + Aries Rising
Are you seeing the fruits of your new explorations making money in the way that you are wanting? This season starts off with unexpected surprises to your cash flow. You will see your hard work paying off, and money should be good and stable from May 31 through June 3. You have already been setting your sights on new horizons this year; use the New Moon on June 3 to set intentions to take solid steps in building upon what you have been wanting to cultivate, whether learning or your direction of growth. You will see how this process unfolds through the month.
As busy as you may be, any emotional processing that you have been neglecting will come to the surface at this time, especially from June 14-20. Pay close attention to your home environment, as it will be requiring more attention from you.
Taurus + Taurus Rising
Even though Taurus season was last month, you will still feel a lot of focus on your own cultivation and growth this month. Start to imagine new ways to ground into the lifestyle you want. What does that look and feel like? Lately there’s been a lot of movement in how you are seeing yourself and your perspectives. Use the New Moon on June 3 to call in creative ways of growing your cash flow, as well as upgrades to your livelihood. On June 10 you may see developments in business deals. Dreaming big when you think of your finances can take you far this month, especially on the Full Moon on June 17. Of course, it takes a combination of grounded genius to pull it off.
Soak up all the self-care and pleasure-seeking you can to build inner peace and tolerance now until June 9. This month is busy for you, both in schedule and within the mind, and has a feeling of being stretched thin, especially from June 14-20.
Gemini + Gemini Rising
Booty pop! It’s your season, twin bae.
There’s a lot of reason to celebrate, as you’ve been doing so much of your own inner work this year. The New Moon on June 3 will be a great time to dedicate to yourself, your growth and how to define your story with new levels of personal freedom and honesty. Feel pretty, vibrant and stimulated on June 9-10 as social opportunities will present themselves to you, but of course you have to be out in the world to take advantage. The Full Moon on June 17 will be an illuminating time for relationships, which have been heavily on your mind all year. Be mindful of your idealism of yourself and others, as June 14-20 will be a time where your values can be challenged. The inner work continues, and with this period you’ll be able to define your worth - stay present and in a space of loving yourself.
Cancer + Cancer Rising
If you didn’t already love to process your feelings, this Gemini season pulls you into your inner world.
The New Moon on June 3 is a great time to draw upon your imagination, to meditate and connect with your inner workings. There can be much value in finding ways to integrate myth into your tangible reality, as this month has you assessing yourself and how you present and relate to others. Enjoy inspired opportunities to reimagine yourself on June 9-10. The Full Moon on June 17 will bring this introverted and dreamy revisioning to a climax, though it will be a time to try putting it all into tangible practice. Relationship dynamics will heat up from June 14-20. Speaking your truth will be a vibe, as repressed feelings are likely to surface. You are likely to be a lot more sensitive this month. Being kind of perturbed and annoyed may be harder to ignore, but recognize this as feelings that need to be processed. Find healthy ways to get what you need and to say what is genuine. Use the fertility of the New Moon at the beginning of the month to look deep into your mental patterns and conditioning.
Leo + Leo rising
Take a lot of time to be social and connect with new friends and the community you value this month.
You have been experiencing a lot of changes to your work and making necessary revisions for more authentic expression. Enjoy the flow of opportunities for visibility that continue from last month. The New Moon on June 3 is a perfect time to write down, call in and define who exactly you want to work with. The community is reflected by the changes you have made to your work. The time is now. From June 9-10, opportunities to connect with social groups that make sense for you are likely. Dreaming and feeling are a very important process in manifestation. Oftentimes you have to feel it to know it, and imagination is the first step to actualizing. Gemini season (and the Full Moon on June 17) for you has an energy of bringing out the opportunities from your creative pursuits this year. Continue to push!
Work and balance can be quite challenging this month, especially from June 14-20. Stay grounded and take time to process your feelings and remember to carve out mandatory time for deep rejuvenation.
Virgo + Virgo rising
Get ready for a busy and social month, Virgo.
Work will get your attention and time as you’ll receive more visibility for the next 4 weeks. The New Moon on June 3 will be a time to set the seeds for your career this year. Envision in which direction you are growing and what skill you want to integrate to keep yourself motivated and feeling inspired. Opportunities for work or even travel may present themselves on June 10. The Full Moon on June 17 will illuminate your need to align your work with your personal story. Take some time to think about your personal and home life to see what needs balance.
Have you been active in trying to achieve your goals? This month has the potential to bring goals into action. From June 14-20 you may feel a sense of pushback, challenges and frustration, but this is a culmination in the process of trying to find the alignment in your creative process. Use challenge as a catalyst to create change!
Libra + Libra rising
This month calls you to stray away from the mundane. You may be feeling enlivened for adventure and travel. Use the New Moon on June 3 to define what makes you feel alive. Think about what you can learn, or where you can have experiences that provoke new pathways in your mind’s eye. Opportunities to take a trip may present themselves on June 10. The Full Moon on June 17 will highlight your urges to cultivate new skills and education. Be open to where any new adventures can take you.
Your ambition takes the hot seat throughout the month. June 14-20 will be a time that your authority and domain over your work can be challenged. Be mindful of your home/family balance as well, as it will be calling for more attention.
Scorpio + Scorpio rising
This month highlights the ways in which you can feel powerful.
Power dynamics are something that are a part of the air you breathe, and the New Moon on June 3 will be a time to sow new seeds of ways you can step more fully into empowerment. How you share of yourself with others is something to look at. Is your way of moving through the world based on withholding or is it based on giving it all away? The Full Moon on June 17 will highlight ways to find the balance that will allow us to feel comfortable sharing ourselves, our resources (energetic and physical) and maintaining our own autonomy.
The test this month will be your ability to express your needs with clarity. Find new ways to integrate your emotions and personal philosophy. If something feels stagnant, it probably is; be proactive in adding new ways of seeing your life. June 14-20 will be a time when you may feel the pressure to make some of those changes. Remain compassionately dedicated to finding and speaking your truth.
Sagittarius + Sagittarius Rising
The question of your values is ripe to assess this month, and you’ll have plenty of experiences that both challenge and bring in fresh perspectives.
The New Moon on June 3 will be for you to call in the relationships and partnerships that are reflective of the major growth spurt you’ve had this year. Hold this statement in your mind this month: Your relationships must match your growth. June 9-10 brings opportunities to connect with people. Although it’s a buoyant, free flowing and social time, try not to idealize anyone that you meet on these two days - as it may be too good to be true. The Full Moon on June 17 will be a beautiful reminder of how to see yourself clearly against the backdrop of relationships. Remember your mantra for the month.
June 14-20 will be a time that you may be confronted with issues of intimacy, boundaries and your own self-confidence. Any looming issues with finances can come to light at this time. Establish good practices of restraint and preservation throughout the month to prepare for this week.
Capricorn + Capricorn rising
This month you are going to have more space to create the time for yourself that you have been saying that you are going to do, but haven’t really integrated just quite yet. Working on your fitness, self-care, and allotting yourself more time in the morning will be much easier this month. The New Moon on June 3 will be a time to truly set those intentions for the health and schedule you have been trying to achieve. June 10 will bring opportunities to see and move through any blockages in that process. The Full Moon on June 17 will be a great time to reassess your goals and realign yourself with the productive practices that best serve you, holistically.
Any relationship challenges that present themselves June 14-20 should be a reminder of your dedication to yourself. Be gentle with yourself and others as you are being called to integrate your emotions, obligations and mental health at this time.
Aquarius + Aquarius rising
How’s your work life balance been?
Life tends to be a blending of pleasure and responsibility, and this month striking the harmony will especially be your dance. Use the New Moon on June 3 to find new ways of having fun, redefining your passion or give birth to a creative project. June 9-10 will bring out some of those desires into tangible experience. The Full Moon on June 17 will be illuminating to think about your gifts in terms of where they are being expressed. Think about your personal creative process, not just as your own but as to how it can serve others.
All the while, much of your energy this month will be focused on your work. Feeling the dichotomy between wanting to show up in the world vs. needing to disconnect and retreat may be a strong impulse for you from June 14-20. Be kind to yourself and make strong effort to feel your feelings and listen carefully in order to strike appropriate balance within.
Pisces + Pisces Rising
What you have been creating is starting to take form this month.
There’s a lot of growth happening in your career, and this month there’s a calling to look at your home and personal life. The New Moon on June 3 will bring you inward to establish new roots in your personal story. What are the ways that you want to define yourself now as your career grows and inspired thinking is taking you to new places? Opportunities for work, travel, or both will present themselves on June 9-10. The Full Moon on June 17 will highlight many of these beautiful changes from the month.
There may be challenges in feeling aligned with your creative process. Is it feeling limited or that it’s not the full expression of what you are trying to show? June 14- 20 will bring a lot of that into perspective. Be dedicated to the process of authentic expression and it will drive you to the right people to receive you.
Photography: Dar San Agustin
Art Direction & Styling: Jodinand Aguillon
Illustration: Anissa Aguila
Hair/Makeup/Model: MissJoe Abuda
Chase Chualong
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Chase Chualong is a professional astrologer based in New York City and the founder of the Bay Area Healers Market.
Chase is certified by the NCGR-Professional Astrologers Alliance and his mentor, Adam Sommer. Chase teaches classes in New York, San Francisco and online.
Chase’s work with astrology is influenced by the healing arts, modern psychology, herbalism and magic.