In addition to learning a common language like lingua franca (Latin was lingua franca of educated people in Europe for many years), crossroads experiences stimulate a desire to learn a foreign language. Did you know that learning a foreign language increases your intelligence? One reason is that it builds bridges of communication between right and left side of brain, increasing flexibility. A person who can come at a problem with right and left brain flexibility has double resources of someone relying on just one or other. In addition, on Gemini side, you learn to speak another language but on Sagittarian side, you develop telepathic ability to understand someone else's language. This ability often transcends words being spoken and heard as many people with language ability will tell you.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION IS EXCHANGED AT CROSSROADS

Here is an example of some of kinds of important information that are exchanged at a crossroad.

Be careful, it is no longer safe to drink water at xx Be careful king of xx is dying and country is run by renegades who no longer honor our trade agreements Warning, there was a spring flood which washed away trail at xx Good news! The mountain pass is clear now. Good news! The king of xx wants trade in his country and has cleared bandits out of gulch at xx. The price of amber has dropped. Don't be fooled into paying high prices. The market for silk has shifted further west … be careful not to buy more than you can sell. Xx's supply of xx is terrible this year. Best go in another direction with what you have to sell. People who stay at home in town and village don't need this kind of information. But if they are wise, they listen to news from travelers because it can portend things in future. For example a traveler returns and says, "I have been to xx and they will pay fabulous sums of money for this stuff that washes up on shore around here [amber]". Or he might say, "There are restless tribes marauding close to here. We need to be careful or they will wipe us out." There is no way for a connection to be made between towns and villages if someone doesn't travel.

THE INTERNET IS RULED BY MERCURY: IT IS MERCURIAL

Today of course internet is very Mercurial. It brings information back and forth between people who find each other through common interests. They are traveling air waves, so to speak.

A characteristic of staying at home in village is that things change very slowly in village. Along trade routes there is constant change. The energy is "mercurial", fast changing along trade routes. It is like quicksilver where cultures collide. People learn to borrow good things from one another to improve their own. There is an open mindedness among traders and among people who live along all borders of world. Such places are ruled by Mercury. What can we learn from all of this?

The planet Mercury rules sign Gemini. There are 12 signs but there are really only 6 "polarities". Gemini and its opposite sign Sagittarius make up one of these polarities and it is best to understand these two signs as complimentary opposites. They are different degrees of same qualities. Therefore, when we speak about Mercury, which rules Gemini, there is always a Sagittarian flavor in stew.

PETER THE GREAT WAS A QUINTESSENTIAL GEMINI/SAGITTARIUS PERSON

An example of a quintessential Gemini/Sagittarius individual is Russian Tsar, Peter Great. Peter Great (1672-1725) had his Sun and Mercury in Gemini in 3rd house opposite his Moon in Sagittarius. Peter was a genius and master of many trades. He was an innovator and facilitator. He traveled to and borrowed from various countries in Europe, bringing back best of England, France, Netherlands and Italy. He consolidated Russian territory, created Russian Navy, dredged city of St. Petersburg from swamps and introduced new styles of dress and customs to his people. He was "ahead of his times".

The flexibility and open mindedness of someone like Peter Great are characteristic of "crossroads" energy ruled by Mercury. In a manner of speaking, Peter Great visited everywhere and took best of everything. His open mindedness and flexibility were winning qualities and they are "crossroads" qualities.

Peter had both Gemini and Sagittarius qualities. A typical Gemini trait was his interest in "curiosities". At a time when many rulers created museums to preserve freaks and oddities of nature, Peter was no exception. You can still visit his museum in St. Petersburg today. Peter was a Sagittarius in his love of everything "foreign" and in his mastery of many different talents.

SPREAD OF IDEAS, INFORMATION AND DISEASE ALONG THE TRADE ROUTES

For a graphic idea of spread of ideas and information, consider spread of black plague contagion which began in 14th century Europe by following caravan routes. From lower Volga River basin in 1345, it spread to Caucasus and Crimea by 1346, Constantinople by 1347, Alexandria in autumn of 1347, Cyprus and Sicily in that year, Italy by winter 1347, Marseilles by January of 1348, Paris in spring 1348, followed by Germany and Low Countries in that year, Norway in May 1349, eastern Europe by 1350, and finally Russia in 1351.

Epidemics have been tracked historically and illustrate prinpciple of exchange or cross pollination that takes place at crossroads.

MERCURY IS THE GOD OF BORDERS

Mercury is also god of borders. Living in Southern California, our population is a mix of Caucasian, Arab, Mexican, African-American, Oriental and Island people. I can't say that we get along easily all time, but we do get along. Hopefully Southern California gets best of all these cultures and wins. When I leave California I miss stimulation of border/crossroads energy. If I go someplace homogenous like a town in midwest, I find it fascinating by contrast. The upheaval and change that occurs when 7 different cultures "collide" has its special challenges and gifts and a homogenous culture has its stability.

MERCURY REMINDS US: WHEN YOU STAND AT THE CROSSROADS OF LIFE, KEEP AN OPEN MIND

Mercury is also god of symbolic crossroads. This reminds us how important it is to be open minded when we stand at a crossroads in life. Mercury reminds us that keeping our minds open to as many choices as possible is best way to face unknown.

The Gauquelins Influential in other ways were two French psychologists Michel (1928-1991) and Francoise Gauquelin. The Gauquelins set out in 50s to prove whether or not astrology was accurate. Although their results were not amazing, they did establish some correlations in favor of astrological predictability and perhaps more importantly, produced great amounts of statistical data which are still used by astrologers today to develop their theories of prediction.

Linda Goodman Linda Goodman Although often downplayed within professional astrological community Linda Goodman (1925-1995) was a tremendous popular force in revival of interest in astrology in second half of 20th century. Unsteady in her writing, Goodman’s first books, “Sun Signs” and “Love Signs” were stupendous. Later books wandered far afield. Like many professional astrologers, my first exposure to field was with these two books. I kept “Love Signs” by my bedside for many years, looking for perfect Capricorn lover.

Sydney Omarr Sydney Omarr (1926-2003) is mentioned because he is perhaps best known of his genre, astrologer to stars! Omarr was an outstanding nationally syndicated columnist during much of 20th century. He wrote “My World of Astrology”. His annual Sun Sign prediction books are popular sellers every year among his faithful followers.

Lois Rodden Lois Rodden (1928-2003) made a major contribution when she developed a system of rating sources for birth data which revolutionized our field. Believe it or not, prior to this astrologers never cited source of their birth information! Rodden began a practice of citing sources such as birth certificate, family Bible, hearsay, biography or autobiography, for example, giving a rating to each source as to its accuracy. Because of Rodden, many astrologers now routinely cite source of their birth date when writing about famous people or historical figures and undoubtedly our field has more credibility because of this.

Two major astrologers working in 21st century are Rob Hand and Liz Greene. Both are available at www.astro.com.

Rob Hand Rob Hand is an astrologer in Reston, Virginia specializing in a philosophical and classic approach to astrology. Hand has written a number of encyclopedic texts which are a must for your reference library, such as Planets in Transit, Planets in Youth (one of my favorites), Planets in Composite and others. Hand is spearheading a project to translate ancient astrological texts from Latin, Green, Sanskrit and other languages in order to present information about astrology by translators who are sympathetic to its nature. Visit www.projecthindsight.com for more information.

Rob Hand was one of two prominent astrologers (Michael Lutin is another) who predicted 911. I believe that Hand’s ability to do this particular thing is based on 9th house influence in his astrology chart, his knowledge of history and his development as a philosophical thinker. There is nothing like knowing history (one’s own, another’s or collective) to enhance one’s abilities to see patterns and make connections for future.

Liz Greene Liz Greene is a British Jungian analyst/astrologer currently based in Switzerland. Greene brings in-depth Jungian psychological insights to field of astrology, is a superb and prolific writer and has produced unsurpassed volumes on nature of outer planets Saturn, Neptune and Pluto as well as many other books of interest in interpretating astrology. Anything Liz Greene writes is well worth reading.

Martin Schulman Martin Schulman, a contemporary astrologer about whom I have found little biographical information, introduced concept of karma into astrological interpretation with a series of books on Moon’s Nodes including “Karmic Astrology: The Moon’s Nodes and Reincarnation” and “Ascendant: Your Karmic Doorway”. Schulman is in a class of his own.

Astrologers are an independent, eclectic, futuristic and dynamic group of people. We welcome all who are interested into our field. Most astrologers are self taught (it is our nature) but you will find small classes available wherever you live if you look carefully! In addition Kepler College of Arts and Sciences was founded in 2000 in Lynwood, Washington. Kepler College is only college in western hemisphere authorized to issue BA degrees in Astrological Studies. The entire curriculum is based on astrology. If this is an approach you would like to take, try www.kepler.edu.

If you would like some excellent books about classical astrology and its development through ages, visit http://www.astroamerica.com/index.html .