With my Sun and Mercury in Gemini, I have intense, unending curiosity, and a unquenchable desire to learn. You’d think this would make me a great student. But school was not easy for me. Uranus sits high in my chart, conjoining my Leo Midheaven. My need for attention was as great as my need for individualism, and oh, yes I had problems with authority figures. When the rules were laid out, I set out to break them. My teachers were as miserable in my presence as I was in theirs.

Cancer ruling my ninth house made emotional mush of all this nonsense, of course, and down the hall, in my third house, Aquarius ruled over my Moon and Saturn conjunction. While Aquarius said, yes, classrooms full of people is the way to go, Saturn put on restrictions that neither my Moon nor Uranus up the hall could tolerate. Teachers pushed, and I shoved right back. Education was lost on me.

But my Gemini Sun reached out to Uranus through a sextile, feeding it the energy of curiosity, and Uranus returned with intense interest in computers and technology. Meanwhile, Mercury in Gemini cried out for communication, trining with Saturn and the Moon in the third house of communication. Aquarius ruling the third was all too happy to comply, loving technology and innovation as well.

In spite of barely graduating high school, I set out to satisfy my curiosity and teach myself the things I needed to know: science, writing, and programming. A quindecile from Jupiter to my Midheaven and Uranus fueled a passion that bordered on obsession to publish what I wrote, get other people in the public eye through web development, and eventually to climb into technical writing. Now the quindecile seems to have reawakened my passion in astrology in a big way, almost obsessive. All right, absolutely obsessive.

I’ve done well teaching myself over the years, but the time has come to heal old hostilities, and to acquiesce to greater minds, to be taught by those who know more. I can read only so many astrology books each week, and organizing the mountain of information from the dozens I’ve read is overwhelming.

Saturn can be restrictive, and was very much so in my school days. But Saturn can also add structure and help one build a solid foundation. Saturn is said to be the great teacher. My Aquarian Moon need not feel confined, but instead be guided and coached. Uranus need not rebel, but instead be led farther into the future. Mercury can continue happily communicating new ideas and concepts learned. But can Uranus be taught that it’s all right to be taught? Must it always rebel in the name of individualism?

I recently started Noel Tyl’s Master Certification course to “be the best astrologer that I can be.” This course teaches the psychological approach to astrology to help clients reach their greatest potential. It’s been fascinating so far, both in the analytical techniques and in psychological indications from various planetary placements.

In his DVD, 15 Indispensable Keys to Analysis, Noel directly addresses my issue. He says, “You say, ‘But I have problems with authority.’” Noel makes a face, “Well, you see how stupid that sounds.” I had to laugh. He was right. It does sound stupid. So, how do I quiet that rebellion to a small squeak? Gemini in Mercury comes to the rescue with an intense need to know. My Aquarian moon iterates, yes, yes, we need to know!

I don’t expect to have teacher/student head-butting, but if I decide to pitch in a rock now and then, I suspect this Capricorn Sun (ruled by Saturn)/Leo Moon teacher is up for the challenge. He has years of experience with thousands of charts, and I’m eager to soak up as much of his knowledge as I can and put it to good use to help others. I don’t doubt his abilities, nor do I doubt mine.

It’s freeing actually to unburden myself of the pressure and load of having to figure out what I need to research, and having to dig for the information. Instead, the details are sifted out to me in manageable doses and organized. All I have to do is learn and integrate to build the foundation I need to be a great astrologer.

Saturn is providing much needed structure and organization, and Uranus seems happy with the astrological atmosphere and the streams of bits and data that come down the wires. Mercury is jumping for joy at all the information. So far no rebelling. So far . . .

It’s going to be a fascinating journey through the solar system and the human psyche. And this is a classroom where I can indulge in my intense Gemini curiosity, and even get away with my Mercurial need to chatter.

~Dana Nourie