Mercury
Key Words: information, perception, intercommunication, curiosity, learning, swiftness, speed, delivery, wit, sharp humour, messenger, scribe, words, numbers, symbols, writing/reading, short journeys, short attention span, bullet points, commute, the literal information, trade, buying/selling
Meaning
In your natal chart, Mercury the messenger of the Gods, with wings on his helmet, shows us where your mental powers shine! Mercury reveals your curiosity, your preferred method of learning and how you like to share this information with your nearest and dearest. Mercury travels in short quick journeys, and that’s in terms of physical location, but also in terms of the mind and wit! People with a strong Mercury have a sharp wit, and an ability to use their words to great effect, though they may speak so quickly they later forget what they said, or possibly even want to yank the words out of the air as they leave their mouths! A preference for the facts, for detail, quickly delivered, Mercury rules over communications, writing and reading, so is often associated with early schooling.
Mercury is aligned with buying/selling: the sales patter, the ability to perceive a good deal, and the swift closing of a trade! Mercury itself is not a “good” or “bad” planet, and can show how you would “get away” with something, whether through swift manoeuvres or talking yourself out of a tricky situation. A more negative manifestation of Mercury would be a tendency to be pedantic, split hairs or squabble. The weaponisation of words can lead to exaggeration, lies and over-promising. Mercury is associated with theft, petty crime and slander. A misused Mercury can make rather hurtful comments with alarming speed. Mercury can also manifest as nerves, anxiety, paranoia and the sensation of needing to be always on the move, including fidgeting.
As the ruler of two zodiac signs: Gemini and Virgo, and the planet with perhaps the most infamous retrograde, Mercury demonstrates different approaches to the information it gathers. In flirty, fun Gemini, information is taken in quickly and used just as rapidly, facts might not be checked, because they have been accepted as fact. Equally, presenting new information to a Mercurial Gemini and they might accept the new information almost as rapidly and then change lane. Gemini Mercury is about cross-pollination and intercommunication. In thoughtful, witty Virgo, the same information is also taken in quickly, but analysed, sorted and delivered to a more specific use, with irrelevant facts discarded with efficiency. A Virgo will also be detail orientated, but less quick to allow any new information to replace the existing database. Virgo Mercury is about analysis, filtration and rendering service. In retrograde, it’s a great time to re-read, edit, bring out old projects. The information best dealt with during a retrograde is that which has been seen before, but can be done over to mine and check for new exciting tidbits of treasure. Of course, during a retrograde speed is hampered, as are short journeys, so expect changes to transport timetables, or to occasionally have broadband outages.
Mercury does not indicate your level of intelligence. It gives an indication of how you like to process the world around you; how you interact with your immediate peers and situation; what kind of mental processes suit you. The planet’s action in transit is unpredictable, swift, exciting and nervous. A well aspected Mercury can produce astonishing mental focus and the ability to “consume/expel” words whether through trading, literature, broadcast media or writing/schooling.
