The Dichotomy of the Gemini

I’m a Gemini. And I’ve always been fascinated by astrology. Does my star sign really reflect who I am? Who I’m likely to get on with? What jobs I’ll be good at? My boyfriend, Gary, is the typical sceptic: “Right, because there are only twelve different personalities in the world.” And, in some ways, I tend to agree with him. It does seem a little ridiculous when you put it like that and, in truth, although I read my horoscopes, I don’t set much store by them. I won’t change my day because of a prediction by Mystic Meg (although I do like to read horoscopes after the fact to see if anything they said did happen – but that’s a whole other article!).

But the personality traits thing? I think there might be more to that than really, logically, there should be. Gary makes a good point. Surely they can’t be just twelve types of people in the world? But it does remind me of the theory that there are only 7 different stories in the world – just dressed up in different guises. If you look into this, it is a compelling argument. Yet there are millions, probably billions, of different published books. There are probably thousands of stories on this very site. So, with that in mind, could there really be more to the idea that there are, in fact, only twelve different personalities – tweaked, of course, by life experience and our surrounding influences?

I’ve spent some time researching the classic personality traits associated with a Gemini and – for me at least – the overwhelming majority are scarily accurate. I’m going to break down the five most common traits for you today, and how much I think I match them. I’ll try to be as objective as possible.

1. TALKATIVE: I definitely fit this one (I don’t know if it counts in writing, but you may be able to tell simply from reading this article!). At the moment, I work as a salesperson and an actress, and this trait is a positive boon for both these things. I spend most of my days on the phone, talking for about 8-9 hours straight. And, believe me, I never run out of things to say. I struggle with long silences and need a constant flow of chat when I’m with others. Conversely, I’m something of an introvert so, in my down time, I very much like to be alone, and need to recharge without having to interact with others – which is very much NOT a traditional Gemini trait (we are supposed to hate being alone and need constant companionship). One thing that does ring true for me, however, is the need for clear and honest communication when in a relationship. It’s literally the most basic thing for me, and if it doesn’t happen, the relationship is doomed from the start. So I think we can mostly say this one is a YES (with some slight introvert tendencies thrown in to balance it!).

2. UNRELIABLE: We’ve been described as flighty, impulsive and variable. This is a tricky one. Usually, I’m quite reliable – if I say I’ll do something, I do it. I tend to submit things on time, and I can’t remember the last time I missed a day of work. However, the way in which I fit this trait revolves around my acting career. Bizarrely, it’s because I’m so committed to it that I sometimes end up being unreliable. If a role or an audition comes up, I drop everything to do it. My closest friends get this completely, and understand it isn’t born of inherent flightiness. But I can see how it would come across to people who either don’t know me very well, or simply don’t understand how much my career matters to me. So I would say this one is a NO with caveats – I’m generally extremely reliable, but my career comes first, as I’m completely committed to it. See below!

3. INDECISIVE/BAD AT COMMITMENT: This relates to the previous one quite strongly. With regard to relationships, Geminis are usually considered bad at commitment – but the flip side of this is we are extremely faithful once we have made up our minds to commit. And this is why we are indecisive. We know that once we’ve made up our minds to commit to something, we’re in it 100% – so we’re very reluctant to make that level of commitment, because we take it extremely seriously. I never, NEVER say the words ‘I promise’ unless I know I can keep that promise. And, as a result, I don’t promise very much, because I know how unpredictable the world is. This can lead some people to think I’m bad at commitment. But it’s only because if I’m going to commit, I commit with everything I have. And that’s a pretty big thing to ask of anyone! So I think this is definitely a YES for me – but I hope this explains it a bit more clearly!

4. NEEDS VARIETY/INCONSISTENT: Geminis are generally considered to have a very short attention span. We are said to need constant variety (how’s that for an oxymoron?), and we flit from one thing to another, without being able to commit for very long (there’s that C word again). And I think that this is true. I have a short attention span. I don’t understand how people can binge an entire TV series in a day (I watch about three episodes and then desperately need to do something else). I struggle with jobs that are intrinsically repetitive in nature (it’s one of the things I love about acting – sure, it’s insecure and unpredictable, but you’re never sure what you’re going to be doing next!). I meditate to improve my concentration, and I’m getting better, but I need to have lots of things on the go at once (I’m GREAT at multitasking!). I have A LOT of hobbies. Where I think I fall away from this is my need to complete something once I’ve started. This is a common thing with humans – to quote Mastermind, ‘I’ve started so I’ll finish’ – we don’t like leaving things incomplete; but it’s not usually a trait associated with Geminis. But I like to get to the end of things I’ve started – I can count the books I’ve put down without finishing them on one hand, and I would probably still have room for the TV shows I never finished. As long as I don’t have to do it all at once and can do other things in between! So I think this one is definitely a YES – but it shouldn’t be taken to mean we never finish things; we just don’t like to do it all in one go.

5. INTELLIGENT/CREATIVE: This is really two in one, but I supposed that’s appropriate for the twins. Geminis are generally considered highly intelligent and creative thinkers. We’re supposed to be able to generate good ideas and love to learn new things. I can definitely relate to that last one: I adore learning new things. I usually have several online courses on the go at once (variety, anyone…?), and quizzing is one of my favourite hobbies: I like to test my knowledge as well as increase it. And I’m usually pretty good at it, too. I was academic at school and I think people generally regard me as intelligent (unless they see me arguing with my computer or phone – technology never wants to do what I ask!). I’m a voracious reader, and I have a decent vocabulary. So I’d like to think that this one is a YES.

So, that’s four YESes and a NO (with caveats!).

I’d also like to briefly address the subject of Gemini relationships, and who we are (and aren’t) supposed to get along with. This one I find most interesting, because of my own experiences with it. As a Gemini, I am supposed to get along with people who are Libra, Aries, or Aquarius. I’m supposed to clash with people who are Pisces, Virgo and Scorpio.

When I was at school, two of my three best friends were Librans – one of them was my boyfriend for quite some time. We all got on incredibly well. I’ve also noticed over the years that I get on extremely well with other Geminis – I can think of at least two of my closest friends who are Geminis, one male, one female, and I’m never surprised when I discover that a new person that I get along with instantly is a Gemini as well.

What really fascinates me is the people I’m not supposed to get along with, and that is because of my boyfriend (whom I adore and get on with better than almost anyone else) and one of my current best female friends (whose wedding I was Maid of Honour at, and can talk for hours with, and trust with my life). Both of these super-important people in my life… are Scorpios. We’re supposed to HATE each other. But they’re two of my favourite people. Furthermore, that female friend is MARRIED to a Gemini. I love this whole quadrangle, because it flies in the face of everything we’re supposed to feel about each other.

Honestly, I could write reams on this subject – there are so many other personality traits I haven’t covered – but the deadline for this submission is looming, so I have to be brief. But, so far, a pattern is certainly emerging. I fit the general Gemini stereotype of personality traits, although (since meeting my two Scorpios) I’m a lot less sure about the relationships side of things. Is there anything in astrology? Does the alignment of the planets really affect who you are and how you behave? I guess we’ll never really know, without doing A LOT of research. But it’s always going to be fun to explore!