In continuation of our planetary series, this article will be taking a deep dive into the significance of Mercury in astrology.
Here we will be discussing:
A brief overview of Mercury’s mythology.
The archetypal relationships to Mercury.
An introduction to how Mercury appears in the context of Natal Astrology.
The Mythology of Mercury
Mercury, otherwise known as Hermes in the Greek tradition, was the son of Jupiter. Born to a mother with whom Jupiter had an adulterous relationship, Mercury was hidden away from Jupiter’s wife, Juno, for he feared that she might kill the young child in a moment of rage.
Tucked away in the mountains with his mother, Mercury grew to be quite the precocious baby. One day, while his mother slept, Mercury snuck out in the night searching for mischief. Mercury made his way to the pasture of the gods where Apollo, the god of the Sun, light, and the arts, stored his cattle.
Impulsively, Mercury decided to steal 50 of Apollo’s cattle. In an attempt to avoid persecution, the clever child tied leaves to each of the cow’s tails so that they would sweep away their tracks as they walked. On top of this, cunning Mercury led the cows out of the pasture backward to further disguise their path.
Eventually, Apollo caught Mercury and swiftly brought him to their father, Jupiter, for judgment. Mercury revealed where he had hidden the cows from his older brother, professing to Jupiter that he promised never to lie or steal again if his father appointed him as the messenger of the Gods. Reluctantly Jupiter agreed, granting Mercury a place among the gods. Along with his duties as the messenger, he was given the task of bringing the souls of the dead to the gates of the underworld. Further titles of his included God of Merchants, Travellers, Thieves, and Magic.
Mercury’s Archetypal Meanings
Words like precocious, clever, and cunning best describe Mercury’s quick-witted nature. Mercury relates to all dealings on an intellectual or linguistic level. Mercury rules over language and one’s ability to dominate it. It rules over our ability to navigate our immediate surroundings, as we take in stimulus and filter it through the thinking mind.
Mercury represents the left side of the brain. Logic, reason, our ability to think in words, and sequence recognition are all the domains of Mercury. Actions such as reading, writing, analyzing, and relaying fall under Mercury’s archetypal umbrella.
Mercury determines our ability to navigate through our external environment practically and intelligently. It gives us the gift of communication, information, and persuasion.
Mercury in Natal Astrology
In someone’s natal chart, Mercury represents their communication style, the nature of their mind and thought process, and their approach towards moving within the world around them. Mercury is how they manage their daily to-dos, as well as their approach towards learning.
Someone with a strong Mercury in their chart is a person who can easily assimilate into any social circle, as their wide body of knowledge makes it easy for them to socialize with just about anyone.
This is someone who is driven by new information, as they will constantly seek out the next, most exciting thing. The flip side to this, however, is that they may spread themselves too thin, not taking the time to focus and specialize themselves on one subject. They are a jack of all trades.
Communication will likely come easy to them, and they are likely to enjoy reading, writing, and superficial studies. They may possess a broad social network, as they are the type of person to strike up a conversation with anyone.
When someone has a challenging relationship with Mercury, we can see instances of speech impediments, learning disabilities, dyslexia, and a cluttered mind. The general hallmark of these individuals is that they struggle to effectively receive and synthesize information. Be it that they suffer from a legitimate disability or simply that they suffer from clouded thinking, they struggle to keep up with the daily demands of life as they have to try twice as hard to make sense of it all.
Summary
Mercury is the planet that represents communication, learning, reading, writing, short-distance travel, and socialization.
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