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A couple interesting notes on Gemini. While modern interpretations of the zodiac can sometimes be divorced from the historical tradition the idea of Gemini as changeable can certainly be found in the sources

For example Gemini is described as excelling in philosophy and science
Biruni notes Gemini has an excellent memory and can memorize the Quran

But the sign is also described as delighting in both male and female servants, or in other words sexually fluid and changeable in love
The mention of servants is also an indicator of who the clients of astrologers were

While we have references to street and popular astrologers, successful ones plied their craft to the elite
In other words, Gemini was the original bisexual icon
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Ali A Olomi
@aaolomi
This @PBS video by @ZarkaEmily is a good intro into jinn but a few quibbles:

1. I wish they had consulted actual texts on jinn or people from the culture and spent less time on European translations—half the video is about Europeans popularizing jinn
2. It seems @ZarkaEmily conflates two concepts: the kahin and human-jinn offspring. While human-jinn offspring are said to have abilities, the figure who casts and removes curses and divines the future is the kahin, the pre-Islamic soothsayer.

They are different
The importance of the kahin in pre Islamic culture forms the backdrop of Muhammad’s prophethood, so it’s important to get the figure right

The over focus on European writers is partly the reason for my scholarship and Twitter threads—an attempt to put jinn back in their context
Read 5 tweets
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Ali A Olomi
@aaolomi
In light of the going ons in the US, some famous invocations and duas against oppressors and tyrants that have been used throughout Islamic history-

From Imam Ghazali: “O God, verily we place you as a safeguard at their front and we take refuge with you from their evil”
From Surah Najm 50-54: “And that He who destroyed Ad of old, And Thamud! He did not spare them, and the people of Noah before them, who were even more unjust and oppressing; And the overturned towns He hurled down and covered them by which He covered”
Another from Imam Ghazali: “O God you are my supporter and my protector. By virtue of you I will fight”
Read 5 tweets
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Ali A Olomi
@aaolomi
From the 8th-13th century, Muslim astrologers synthesized and expanded on Hellenic, Babylonian, Persian, and Indian astrology giving us many of our modern conceptions of the zodiac or dairat al buruj

A thread on Gemini in astrology from the Islamic world-
Gemini or Al Jawza is described as spring, hot, moist, airy, sanguine, and masculine.

Those born under its sign are said to excel in games, are loud of voice and eloquent, many faced (even the jinn of Gemini is said to have multiple heads), good in appearance, and shapely.
They usually have few to no children, or are barren.

Gemini are suited to teaching and dancing
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