The Planets: The Role of Mercury in Astrology

Mercury, the most eccentric planet in the solar system

With its particular orbit, it was used by Albert Einstein to test the predictions of his theory of General Relativity, at the centre of the scientific debate at the beginning of the century.

Mercury is the planet closest to the Sun and almost always remains in its wake. From Earth, Mercury can be seen with the naked eye, obviously not during the day when the solar brightness makes it impossible to distinguish, but after sunset when the planet appears on the western horizon or at sunrise when it is in the east.

One of Mercury's peculiarities is undoubtedly its speed; it is the fastest-moving planet in the entire solar system: 48 km/s. Its revolution is also shorter, taking just 88 days, and it is only observable from Earth for a few consecutive days. All this makes this planet particularly unstable, fleeting, and ambiguous: characteristics that astrologers have attributed to it since ancient times.

Mercury has always been linked to intelligence, mental perception of the external world, reason, logic, calculation, criticism, expressiveness, communication, and adaptation.

The symbolism of Mercury

Since ancient times, as we've already mentioned, despite the difficulties of observation, Mercury was a well-known planet, and several theories and numerous myths have been built around it. In classical mythology, Mercury, known in Greece as Hermes, was the god of shepherds and travelers and was associated with inventiveness, cunning, surprising genius, and cunning. Considered the messenger of the gods, given his speed, he also displayed a rather disrespectful nature, which led him to play pranks on the other Olympian deities.

According to tradition, he was the son of Zeus and the nymph Maia, and demonstrated his cunning from a very young age, stealing heifers from his brother Ares, the trident from Neptune, the tongs from Vulcan, and the sword from Mars. Wearing his winged golden sandals, he became the messenger of the gods, through whom Zeus communicated his decisions to mankind. Mercury is undoubtedly the god closest to mankind, as he frequently interacted with them: it should not be forgotten that Hermes also had the task of accompanying the spirits of the deceased to the kingdom of Hades. Therefore, after death, mankind was accompanied by Mercury into the afterlife.

Roman culture may have given the planet its current astronomical name: the word "Mercury" derives from the root "merx," which also gives rise to other terms such as "merchant." In fact, this deity is also the god of commerce, profits, trade, communications and transportation, study, travel, and speech.

The importance of Mercury in the birth chart

Mercury is so deeply connected to the Sun that it constantly follows it: it never strays more than 28° from it. As for its domiciles, its diurnal domicile is in Gemini, its nocturnal domicile in Virgo. Its detriment in Sagittarius is in Pisces, its exaltation in Scorpio, and its fall in Taurus.

From a functional standpoint, Mercury plays a very important role in astrology: it connects the internal world with the external world. This means this planet is crucial in the communication between ourselves and our environment. In practice, Mercury helps us build a sense of our reality; it is the compass that allows us to orient ourselves in life, allowing us to express what is within us. It is also the reference point for all cognitive functions; in essence, it is the absolute ruler of the left side of our brain. It therefore receives all the information from our senses, organizes it, and allows us to understand the world around us. The somewhat childish trait we saw in Mercury's mythology is also found in astrology: it is a reference to childhood, the mind's curiosity, exploration, and the childlike discovery of the world.

This planet can be used primarily to represent the nature and expression of the person's mentality, their ability to be aware and conscious. It essentially represents their mind. Obviously, the meanings associated with Mercury also include manual dexterity and the ability to use tools and equipment. Anything technically proficient refers to Mercury. But this swift planet is also a symbol of the desire for research, curiosity, thirst for knowledge, and that restlessness that drives people ever further.

Its position and aspects also reveal a person's slow learning rate, interest in study, and academic ability. In the birth chart, Mercury symbolically represents siblings, peers, children, adolescence, studies, literary talent, journalism, travel, and more. In fact, a person with a damaged Mercury, for example, will have difficulty communicating with others or expressing their opinions, feelings, and emotions.

Note that, just like the Sun, Mercury also passes through an entire zodiac sign in about a month. Consequently, its influence is primarily felt in the sign it is in and on the signs involved. For this reason, it's important to know Mercury's position in the monthly and weekly horoscope, thus gaining an idea of ​​which signs the planet's influence will be felt and whether it will be positive or negative.

In the horoscope, Mercury represents the state of mind, the arrival of news, travel, relationships with loved ones, business, trade... And it should be noted that this planet can also speak to us of returns from the past, an increase in social life, the outcome of a job interview, an exam, or simply news that can concern both the work sphere and the sentimental or emotional one.

When Mercury is in a favorable aspect, you will receive clarity, extroversion, business acumen, communication skills, wit, intelligence, and good news. However, if this planet is in a negative aspect, you will experience a certain amount of confusion, misunderstanding, disagreements, and misinterpretations. In this case, Mercury can also bring about travel difficulties, extra expenses, work-related issues, and business difficulties.

See also the meaning of other Planets in Astrology