8 Ways To Supercharge The New Moon In Gemini

Ready for a new set of wheels, like that hybrid car or lightweight cruiser bike? Gemini also rules transportation, making this a great time to shop around and go for a few test spins.

New moons are initiation points, days for planting seeds that we'll harvest six months later. This particular one will pack a punch, since it falls at a close degree to feisty, energizing Mars. That's a lot of rocket fuel to launch with! But we have to be careful not to overshoot the mark since Mars can make us rather aggressive. Motivate now and reap the rewards later at the corresponding Gemini full moon on November 25.

Here are eight ways to turn this new moon into pure gold:

1. Be the connector.

Affable, outgoing Gemini understands the power of social networking. Surely it must have been a Gem who coined the term, “It’s all about who you know.” Pay it forward this week and play matchmaker. Link the awesome people that you know to each other and let them take it from there. Write a glowing testimonial on Yelp for someone who gave you great service. Instead of chronicling your own life, give other people a shoutout on your blog or Facebook; Tweet about their skills.

Being the person with the juiciest contact database or the one with a finger on the pulse of the zeitgeist is nothing to sneeze at. In his bestselling book The Tipping Point, author Malcolm Gladwell refers to these peeps as Connectors. If you’re not naturally a Connector, cozy up to one this week and observe the master in action. While being a Connector is an art unto itself, it’s also a skill that can be learned; it simply requires untamed generosity and the courage to stick your neck out and give props to people you believe in.

2. Call it like you see it (tactfully, please).

Where are you being “two-faced” in your life? You know, those subtle “lies of omission,” the things you don’t say that build up and put a wedge between you and the people you love? Make a list of things you’re holding back from saying, and to whom. Things you’re too scared or shy to say aloud (like “I love you” or “you’re important to me” or “you hurt my feelings”). Then, go on and have those conversations. You’ll feel like a new person once you do.

Warning: With Mars in the mix, this isn't permission to play the blame game! Telling it like it is doesn't mean tearing people down or bludgeoning their egos with a truth hammer. Best to speak in "I language" instead of the accusatory "you." For example, "I've been missing you a lot" is likely to engender a more favorable response than, "You never call, you never text."

3. Find your "second city."

As the zodiac’s sign of the twins, Gemini loves everything in pairs. Given that commuting and short trips also fall under Gemini’s domain, let this new moon lead you to a second city that speaks to your soul. It’s a wide world out there, and you can’t always find everything you need within biking distance of your own front door. What aspects of yourself would you like to develop? Spin the globe and find a city that is known for nurturing that activity or mindset. The cultural atmosphere of a city can lure forth a slumbering side of your personality.

Anyone who’s traveled can attest to feeling differently when in, say, New York City than in a sleepy seaside town in the South of France. Gemini’s “split personality” reputation would love nothing more than for us to develop a bit of an alter ego this week. If you can’t actually travel, start planning the trip that you’ll embark upon before the Gemini full moon in the coming six months. For some people, this will be the week where bicoastal or bi-city living becomes an exciting reality.

4. Go locavore.

Supporting local businesses is a perfect way to honor the community-minded Gemini new moon. Extend the trend to your palate this month and give the locavore food movement a try. Food that is grown by area farmers is more likely to be fresh and thus, packed with live enzymes. Plus, you’re supporting the farmers and growers in your region, which helps the local economy.

Some nutritionists believe that our systems benefit more from eating seasonal ingredients, which follow the same natural rhythms as our bodies. Look into fresh off the farm produce delivery services and CSAs (community-supported agriculture). Each week throughout the summer, a newly harvested box of fruits and vegetables will arrive on your doorstep. Some weeks it will be anyone’s guess what the box will contain, which is an exciting opportunity to grow your epicurean skills. Farm-to-table dinner party, anyone?

5. Dance, dance revolution!

Kick it up a notch this week, and head to a dance studio with your partner in tow. Whether you’re the reincarnation of Ginger Rogers or cursed with two left feet matters not. From salsa to tango to ballroom dancing, learning to groove together requires an incredibly powerful level of unspoken communication. Who will lead? Who will follow?

Dancing can reveal the areas of your relationship that need strengthening (Pop and Lock or, uh, Pop and Just Stop?). Although there can be a few frustrating spinouts, stick with it and you’ll get in step with each other like never before.

6. Find your "zone of genius."

We’re fans of Gay Hendricks’ book The Big Leap, which talks about finding your zone of genius — that thing you do effortlessly and magically. Gemini rules books and brilliant ideas, so treat yourself to this awesome read (bonus tech-savvy Gemini option: put it on your Kindle, smartphone or iPad). If you already know your zone of genius, commit to doing one thing that expresses it.

7. Upgrade your technology (in an earth-friendly way).

Gemini rules gadgets and new media — all forms of communication devices. In this world, having a crappy, behind-the-times model can actually hold you back. Are you still lugging around what feels like a 50-pound laptop? Are you eligible for a phone upgrade? Is your printer so ancient it’s practically fossilizing with each page it ekes out? Just be mindful of your carbon footprint: you can donate old cell phones in dropoff bins and take outworn computers, printers and appliances to special recycling areas that will dispose of them without wreaking further havoc on the planet.

Here are the EPA's suggestions for electronics donations and recycling if you live in the U.S., and some must-know guidelines for responsible electronics disposal. Tip your hat at Gemini's communal spirit, too: your "ancient" two-year-old desktop PC could actually make an amazing donation to an after-school center or a women's shelter.

8. Go on a tech diet.