Accomplished Geminis

Persons with the visible constellation of Gemini (in the sidereal zodiac) rising over the eastern horizon at time of birth can make substantial contributions in their chosen field. Below are four notable case histories, including astrological analysis.

The Indian Astrologer and Author, K Rajesh Chaudhary and his late father, Vinod Kumar Choudhry, describe Gemini in the ascendant thus:

"Gemini is an airy sign ruled by MERCURY, the significator of communication and confidence. These factors with fairly strong SUN render the people born in Gemini ascendant with good power of speech and communication. They have an energetic nature and are always looking for change, interchange, motion and invention. If the mind is turned inwards, the native has the ability to progress far in the spiritual field.....Depending on the influences on the ascendant, the sign Gemini usually renders their natives with a sharp intellect and conscious mind, spontaneous, adaptable, analytical, educated, learned, helpful, with teaching abilities, intense sense of humor, wit and imagination....The people born in Gemini ascendant are persuasive, communicative and show diplomacy and tactfulness in their approach....There are less hurdles and setbacks in life, as Rahu and Ketu are the only functional malefic planets. The Moon, the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and Mars are functional benefic planets for the people born in Gemini ascendant. The Moon and Saturn act as Sun-like planets...A powerful, unafflicted and properly placed MOON blesses the people born in Gemini ascendant with good status, reputation, healthy living and happy family life," 

When the planets are strong and well placed, they promise good progress for their indications, especially when their periods operate and they are involved in benefic transits.

In an earlier article, the difference between those with Virgo and Libra in the ascendant was explored.

Albert Einstein 

Dr. Albert Einstein

Perhaps the most famous Gemini ascendant of all is Dr. Albert Einstein. He was a German-Swiss-American scientist, a physicist who developed the theory of relativity in 1905, and the general theory in 1916, laying the groundwork for 20th century physics and providing the essential structure of the cosmos. On 9 November 1922, he was awarded the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physisc, notably for his contributions to theoretical physics, especially for his discovery of the photo-electric effect law [1].  His name has been synonymous with genius, and the scientific definitions of the modern age--ranging from the Bomb to space travel, electronics and quantum physics - all bear the stamp of his conceptualizations. He died at about 1:15 AM on 18 April 1955 in Princeton, NJ. Just before New Year of 2000, Einstein's picture appeared on the cover of Time magazine as Person of the Century.

Einstein's horoscope

According to his birth certificate, Albert Einstein was born at 11:30 AM (local mean time: m10e0) on 14 March 1879 in Ulm, Germany (48n24, 10e0), giving 15° 16' Gemini rising. 

Einstein had a stellium of 4 planets in the 10th house, giving an inordinate emphasis on his public career. However, a lot depends on the nature of the planets and their interactions in the chart. In his case, all the planets there were functional benefics. meaning that their influence is positive in the life. 

- With 3rd lord Sun there, communication and vitality became important. However, as the Sun is weakened being in infancy, the vitality was not a defining characteristic. 

- Mercury as 4th lord of communication and deep interests is in the most effective point (MEP) of the 10th house. It gave him a profound interest in public expression. 

- As 9th lord Saturn ruling luck and preferment is also in the MEP, there is much preferment that guides his career. Finally, 

- With 5th lord Venus, ruling intelligence and creativity, exalted there, a fabulously successful career ensued. 

We should pay special attention to the close conjunction of a debilitated 4th lord Mercury, ruling analysis, and 9th lord Saturn. One one hand there is a lot of luck in the career. On the other hand, this conjunction suggests a mathematical bent. Einstein learned mathematics and spent his life in its application to the field of theoretical physics. Moreover, as both planets are in the most effective point (MEP) of the 10th house, they have a strong influence on the career and inner satisfaction deriving from the same. 

Of special interest is the debilitation of Mercury in Pisces. It suggests the analytical nature had to find expression through mystical insights. Indeed, most see Einstein's mind as having transcended normal logic, through his vast ability to comprehend with his mind the unseen nature of reality. The contribution of Saturn as 9th lord likely made a critical contribution to this ability. Moreover, the insights were expressed with unusual mathematical acuity and comprehensiveness, as Mercury's indications were helped by the lord of luck and structure, Saturn. As a result, Einstein's insights were considered mystical in their depth but also amazingly well structured, as his most famous equation suggests.

At the time of Einstein being awarded the Nobel prize, his Moon major period had just commenced. The 2nd lord of status, the Moon, is placed in the mystical Scorpio and 6th house of competition. It was transiting his 1st house MEP of self and fame on the day the award was announced.

John Nash

Dr. John Nash

Another successful Gemini is Dr. John Forbes Nash Jr., who was an American mathematician who made fundamental contributions to game theory, real algebraic geometry, differential geometry, and partial differential equations. Nash and fellow game theorists John Harsanyi and Reinhard Selten were awarded the 1994 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, popularly known as the Nobel Prize in Economics.As a graduate student in the Mathematics Department at Princeton University, Nash introduced a number of concepts, including Nash equilibrium and the Nash bargaining solution. which are now considered central to game theory and its applications in various sciences. 

In 1959, Nash began showing clear signs of mental illness, and spent several years at psychiatric hospitals being treated for schizophrenia. After 1970, his condition slowly improved, allowing him to return to academic work by the mid-1980s. His struggles with his illness and his recovery became the basis for Sylvia Nasar's biographical book A Beautiful Mind in 1998, as well as a film of the same name directed by Ron Howard, in which Nash was portrayed by New Zealand Australian actor Russell Crowe. John Nash passed away on May 23, 2015.

Nash's horoscope

According to his birth certificate John Nash was born at  07:00 AM (EST h5w) on 13 June 1928  in Bluefield, West Virginia (37n16, 81w13), giving 24° 16' Gemini rising.

With 4th lord Mercury in 1st house and on the edge of the MEP, there is wit and charm, but more so in the 5th decade of the life. Mars as 11th lord of goals and affiliations, and Moon as 2nd lord are conjunct in the MEP of the 10th house, giving plenty of status. With 7th lord Jupiter in 11th house, close partners and spouse become friends that sustain him. 

However, with 5th lord Venus and 3rd lord Sun in the 12th house, the mind can become troubled and vitality was less. Rahu is also there, suggesting confusion can add to the problems. As 9th lord Saturn is in the MEP of the 6th house, in aspect to 5th lord Venus, there is also an ability to solve complex mathematical problems. 

Likely, the placement of his 5th lord Venus, ruling mind, in the 12th house of losses, with Rahu there, adding confusion, contributed to his mental illness. However, the aspect of 9th lord Saturn in the house of illness, to 5th lord Venus, likely helped him manage the illness and return to a productive life. With 3rd lord of Sun in old age in 12th house, likely made his communication more challenging, when ill. His Sun major period ran from 1957 through 1962, followed by the more helpful Moon major period.

On 11 October 1994, it was announced John Nash had been awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics. The Rahu-Sun period was operating with transit 3rd lord Sun in the MEP of the 4th house from where it aspected the Moon - Mars combination. Moreover, transit 5th lord Venus was conjunct 7th lord Jupiter in the 5th house, suggesting the joy that accompanied the award.

Arnold Schwarzenegger 

Arnold Schwarzenegger

A Gemini who mastered three different fields is Arnold Schwarzenegger. He is known as an Austrian and American actor, film producer, businessman, retired professional bodybuilder and politician who served as the 38th governor of California between 2003 and 2011. Time magazine named Schwarzenegger one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2004 and 2007.

Schwarzenegger won the amateur Mr. Universe title at age 20 and subsequently won the professional Mr. Olympia title at age 23, winning the title an astounding seven times. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time, and has written many books and articles about bodybuilding. 

He then went on to gain worldwide fame as a Hollywood action star, with numerous box-office hits including Conan the Barbarian (1982), The Terminator (1984) and Predator (1987).

On 26 April 1986, he married Maria Shriver, a niece of President John F. Kennedy, in 1986, having four children together. 

On October 7, 2003, Schwarzenegger was first elected Governor of California. In 2011, at the age of 64, he reached his term limit as governor and returned to acting. However, he does not have seen the same box office appeal as before, even if his popularity seems undiminished. 

In May of 2011, after he admitted to having fathered a fifth child with their housemaid in 1997, Maria Shriver announced their separation. Their divorce was finalized in 2021. 

Rise to fame

A defining moment in Arnold Schwarzenegger's body building career was the Mr. Olympia 1970 competition on 3 October 1970 at New York city's Town Hall. It was titled as The Arnold & Sergio Rematch. Arnold had challenged the reigning champion, Sergio Oliva, the year before and lost.

At the event, Arnold is described as having come out "strong as ever," but having improved his physique and posing technique. Meanwhile, "a less than ideal Sergio lost the spotlight." 

"The epic posedown showcased Sergio’s shortcomings and saw the 23 year old Arnold crowned the new King of Bodybuilding."

Schwarzenegger's horoscope

Based on his own account, Arnold Schwarzenegger was born at 04:10 AM (MEDT h2e, daylight saving time) on 30 July 1947 in Graz, Austria (47n05, 15e27), giving 25 58' Gemini rising.

With 4th lord Mercury in the MEP of its own non-Moolatrikona sign of Gemini, Schwarzenegger is famous for his quick wit, charming personality and handsome physique.  The placement explains his deep interest in sculpting his own physique. The strength of Mercury in the ascending degree, under aspect from 7th lord Jupiter in the 5th house MEP gave him great optimism and intelligence as an actor. With 11th lord Mars in Taurus and 12th house, there was interest in living abroad to realise goals but also the loss of his only and older brother.

At the 1970 competition, where Arnold became the leading body builder in the world, transit Mercury had entered its exaltation sign and 4th house, along with 3rd lord Sun. Transit 2nd lord of status, Moon was conjunct transit 5th lord Venus in the MEP of the 5th house, in opposition to 9th lord of luck, Saturn, in the MEP of the 11th house of goals. Meanwhile, transit 11th lord Mars was in the MEP of the 3rd house. It was a defining moment for his goals in life.

Not surprisingly, armed with his wit and winning charm, Arnold Schwarzenegger went on to become a major global movie star, despite his heavy German accent. In fact, his German accent turned the phrase "I'll be back" into a well loved trademark.

As Mercury aspects the 7th house, his 2nd lord Moon is placed there and 7th lord Jupiter is well placed in the MEP of the 5th house of creativity and romance, he made a home in a foreign country, the USA, and became famous there. He married a beautiful and accomplished lady who was already a nationally-known as a journalist. 

Vinod Kumar Choudhry 

V. K. Choudhry

A less well known Gemini, but important none-the-less, is Vinod Kumar Choudhry. As propounder of the Systems' Approach to Vedic Astrology, Mr Choudhry became famous in the world of horoscopic astrology, by infusing it will much needed clarity and efficacy.

Mr. Choudhry was born and raised in Gurugram, India. He obtained the Bachelor’s degree in arts from Punjab University and the MBA from Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi. His son, Krishan Rajesh Chaudhary, similarly educated, has contributed meaningfully to this body of work over the years. 

Mr. Choudhry joined a spiritual organization in childhood with his father at the age of 10, whose aim was to spread the teachings of Ramayana for peace, spiritual attainment and universal brotherhood.  

In the mid 1980s, when Mr. Choudhry began exploring the world of astrology, while holding a managerial position in the export sector, he found that because of the confusions, contradictions and inconsistencies in numerous classical principles many scholars were exploring various techniques, with mixed results. His motivation to enter the field astrology was to eradicate the existence of such confusions and contradictions, and to create a systematic approach for interpreting horoscopes and present the findings to all lovers of astrology. His findings with the initial Systems' Approach predictive techniques were published in the form of a book, Systems' Approach for Interpretation of Horoscopes in October, 1991.

For his valuable contributions to the field of astrology, a degree and several titles were conferred upon Mr. Choudhry. In 1995, he was awarded the degree of Doctor of Alternative Medical Sciences by the Board of Directors of International Council of Alternative Medicines and the title of Dharam Yogi by the International Foundation of Peace, Fraternity and Humanistics in Mumbai. In 1996, the title of Vastu Shastra Samrat was bestowed on him by the International Council of Astrological Sciences in Mumbai, as well as the title of Sthapatya Ratna and Vastu Shastra by the Bhartiya Ved Jyotish Vigyan Sansthan in Modinagar. 

During his three decade teaching career, Mr. Choudhry attracted clients and students from all over the world before his passing on 11 August 2017.

It may be said that the contribution of Vinod Kumar Choudhry to Horoscopic Astrology is comparable to the contribution of Albert Einstein to Theoretical Physics.

Mr. Choudhry's horoscope

According to Mr. Choudhry himself, he was born at 12:30 A.M. (E05:30 STD) on 13 September 1951 in Delhi, India (77e18; 28n40), giving 13° 08' Gemini rising.

A stellium of four planets in the third house ruling communication. It explains how Mr. Choudhry,  along with his son, K. Rajesh Chaudhary, wrote 16 books that revolutionised the field of vedic horoscopic astrology. They have also developed and maintained a major educational resource, the website yournetastrologer.com.

Venus as 5th lord of intelligence is conjunct 4th lord Mercury in the MEP of the 3rd house. Ketu is at the edge of the MEP, suggesting the field of communication is an unusual one or with a spiritual emphasis. Finally, 3rd lord Sun is also there, adding authority to this area of activity.

With 7th lord Jupiter in the 10th house, Mr. Choudhry's professional reach became truly global. Importantly, both Mercury and Jupiter represent astrology, and they are very prominent in the chart of Mr. Choudhry.

Mars as 11th lord of goals and friendships is placed in the 2nd house of status in mutual aspect with 2nd lord Moon in the 8th house of transformation. Mr. Choudhry was a realised master, offering transformational insights through his teaching and guidance.

When his major book was published in October 1991, he was running the Jupiter - Moon period. Aside from transit 9th lord Saturn, which was in the 8th house, all the planets were in good houses, notably the third and fifth houses.

Summary

Above, we have seen four examples of interesting lives of very accomplished persons with Gemini rising in their charts, with important roles played by the placements of Mercury, Sun and Moon, as well as Venus and Saturn, in how their lives manifest and progressed.