One of Gemini’s strongest suits is the need for change. Well, lucky for us, change is a part of life, whether we like it or not. Astrology speaks of cycles of two to two and a half years that we call progressed moon cycles. Every cycle gives a different emphasis to our lives.

I am just about to emerge from my Scorpio progressed moon cycle. These have been the most intense, transformative, and healing years of my life. All the wounds that still haven’t healed showed up in all their glory and required my full attention. I had to face my fears and shadows; there was no way out. While I have experienced immense personal growth, this influence has strengthened my seriousness and heaviness.

As my Sagittarius cycle approaches, new questions and thoughts occupy my mind. How often do I laugh or smile? How do my son and husband, who spend the most time with me, perceive me? Do they see me as a serious, solemn person? Or do they also see my joy and happiness? I realized that even when I am happy, I am rarely jolly or playful.

My heart started craving some lightness—the lightness of Gemini.

“Lighten up” was the title of a clothing brand newsletter I got today. It’s part of the natural transformation we undergo every June when the temperatures rise, and we move from our coats to our shorts. But there is something deeper that happens inside of us, too. We shed the layers of heaviness that we accumulated in the months before that.

Gemini is here to tell us, “Lighten up.” But how? How do we lighten up in a world washed with hatred, lies, wars, evil forces, global warming, and the guilt of being a part of a species that ruins the world?

I don’t want to be light by repressing the pain of the human condition. I want to remain authentic to myself and you.

About two months ago, I found that a dear former yoga student was in town, and I invited her over. When she came to my house, she brought me a gift, a beautiful necklace with a wooden pendant that said, “I am playful like a dolphin.”

“This is exactly what I need,” I told her as I hugged her. But at the end of the day, I left the necklace somewhere at my house and forgot about it.

Geminis are playful, childlike, and mischievous. They see the world as a giant amusement park.

Twenty years ago, I thought the world was a giant amusement park, and it was up to us to enjoy it. It was before I got depressed and embarked on a healing journey of years through which I realized that repression does not work.

Playfulness does not require suppression. We do not need to cover the hardships, challenges, and difficulties to be playful. We don’t need to push away our pain to entertain our inner child. I can hold on to my pain and acknowledge everything wrong in the world; I should fight and try to change whatever I can, but being grumpy and grim won’t help anyone. Life has taught me that it is not an amusement park, but it does include one if we like. On top of being serious and responsible about the important things we do, we can play and enjoy our time.

Playfulness alleviates the soul. It soothes our nervous system, and it empowers us with sweetness and innocence.

But how to be playful? I love to walk barefoot in rushing streams and do funny yoga poses, like eka pada koundinyasana. I love to do gymnastic cartwheels in my backyard, jump on the trampoline, and do hula hoops.

During Gemini season, and especially now that we have four planets in Gemini (Sun, Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter), it’s a time to ask ourselves what makes us laugh or smile, what brings us joy. It is a time to step away from seriousness and into playfulness and lightness. One way to do it is to care less about what others think, the results of our work, or how many likes we get for our content.

I say that I want to be happy, but most of the day, I care about helping others, changing the world, saying the right thing, doing the right thing, and being successful or acknowledged. What if I cared more about being joyful? How would it shape my life? This is the question to ask ourselves these days.

I want to laugh, I want to smile, I want to be joyful and lighter. I want to be playful like a dolphin. I am so happy that I found the necklace my wise friend gave me. And even if I am not there yet, it is a good thing that I know what I want and where I am heading.

What about you? Do you find it easy to be childlike, playful, and joyful? If not, what do you think that stands in your way? How can you integrate more playfulness and lightness into your life? If you already do, please share your wisdom.

Have a wonderful, joyful, and playful week,

With love,

Yael