New Moon on Monday Astrology

7 December 2011

Mercury is the messenger.  That’s a role that can take lots of forms:  journalists, postmen, bike messengers, anyone with information is a Mercury figure.  

Mercury is asexual, it is not completely feminine or masculine.  The astrological glyph for Mercury is just like Venus, with a hat: 

Mercury rules the 3rd House of Communication.  The 3rd House is also where you find your most familiar environment: your siblings and neighbors and the borough where you live.  That also includes elementary education and short-distance travel, calculators, computers and cars - things we use every day.  Mercury talks, it learns, it’s curious. 

Mercury spends anywhere from a few weeks to two months in a sign.  Mercury travels very close to the Sun at all times.  It speeds up and gets ahead from time to time, and slows way down and gets behind at least three times a year, but it’s never more than one sign away from the Sun.  The conjunction is the only aspect Mercury can ever make to the Sun. In a birth chart, you either have Sun conjunct Mercury, or you don’t. 

Mercury in your chart shows how you communicate.  

Here are some absolutely oversimplified ways Mercury might manifest through the signs: 

Mercury in Aries speaks before it thinks. 

Mercury in Taurus is slow to speak. 

Mercury in Gemini talks with its hands. 

Mercury in Cancer is gentle and introverted. 

Mercury in Leo is dramatic, every communication can be a display. 

Mercury in Virgo is grammatically correct. 

Mercury in Libra is social.  It’s a charmer, but somewhat superficial. 

Mercury in Scorpio (or in close aspect to Pluto) is investigative, it digs deep. 

Mercury in Sagittarius (or in close aspect to Jupiter) is loud and candid. It tells the Truth. 

Mercury in Capricorn (or in close aspect to Saturn) is reserved, it spends its words wisely. 

Mercury in Aquarius is smart and strange. 

Mercury in Pisces sees beneath the surface of things.  

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Mercury is in the middle of a Retrograde at the moment.  Mercury slows down three-four times a year just before moving in apparent reverse motion for three weeks at at time.  Remember, Mercury has to do with our most immediate environment. Mercury Retrogrades are times to slow down, go back and retrace our steps so that we can firm up details.  They actually work to our benefit once we get past the frustration. Mercury will return to forward motion on December 13.