The transits of the planets

Mercury - Introduction

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Mercury is both highly important and quite peculiar in traditional astrology. Mercury’s energies describe how anything that transmits or receives information communicates, including all living beings. But that is not the peculiar part. Mercury is also the only one of the traditional planets that can be either masculine or feminine, diurnal or nocturnal, or malefic or benefic. The last two terms require some explanation. Strictly speaking, there are no factors that are inherently malefic or benefic. What makes any factor in astrology seem “benefic” or “malefic” is the way, and the extent to which, we learn to handle the energies involved, especially those of the planets. It is our consciousness, or lack thereof, that determines whether any astrological factor works well or poorly for us. However, Mercury is peculiar in that it has no inherent tendency one way or the other.

The reason for this is that Mercury represents the energy of transmitting information. Mercury’s energies function properly when the information it governs is transmitted as close to perfectly as possible, with little or no loss of signal. Mercury’s energies are not working well when they are distorted in the process of transmission. This can happen in several ways, all of which are external to Mercury’s energies themselves. In themselves, these energies have nothing to do with whether the information is good news or bad news. The same is true of Mercury’s gender, masculine or feminine, and Mercury’s sect, diurnal or nocturnal. All these are determined by Mercury’s environment in the heavens or in a chart. They are not naturally intrinsic to Mercury.

So, what can make Mercury’s energies work poorly? First, if an energy becomes attached to Mercury that tends to introduce distortions into the message, Mercury will transmit the information exactly in the distorted form first entrusted to it. Energies from other planets can affect Mercury by making the information confused, diffuse, and incoherent. There are also energies that, when attached to Mercury, inhibit the flow of information so that the signal is so faint it is not received, or it is misunderstood. Nevertheless, Mercury’s energies have one of the highest functions of all the planets. They are the transmitters of logos, conveying the nature of forms, qualities, and ways of being from one place in the universe to another, or from one time to another.

Qualities of Mercury

As far as Mercury’s qualities are concerned, it has hardly any qualities of its own. It can be described as somewhat moist because it connects, and all forms of connection come from the Wet. But when the transmission gets too “wet,” the signal becomes confused and unintelligible. So, Mercury’s energies can only be a little Wet. It has a little of the quality of the Hot because, if it had no energy of its own, it could not transmit. Think of a telephone when either the lines or cell towers are down, or the battery is dead. Because Mercury has a little of the Wet and a little of the Hot, it is somewhat of the nature of the element Air, which is the element to which Mercury is often assigned. However, its airy nature is not particularly strong.

Sect

As already indicated, Mercury by itself is neither intensely diurnal nor nocturnal. Mercury’s sect is determined by two factors. First, which planets aspect Mercury closely, especially if the aspect is forming or applying. In that case, the sect of the planet to which Mercury makes an aspect determines Mercury’s sect as well. Second, does it rise before the Sun in the morning (diurnal) or set after it at night (nocturnal)? However, for the most part, however Mercury’s sect is determined, its sect nature is not very important.

Ease or Difficulty of Dealing with Mercury

Also, as already indicated, Mercury by itself is neither easy nor difficult, except insofar as it forms combinations with other planets.

Function in the Natal Chart

Inward Manifestations

Mercury is not itself the planet that rules Mind, but it has a great deal to do with how Mind functions. Its function is what is known philosophically as “discursive intellect.” This is the ability to reason clearly, logically, and precisely. It is also the ability to examine information and observe facts, and then reason from them to a conclusion that is not immediately apparent in the original information and facts. Similarly, Mercury does not itself rule perception and consciousness; rather, it has to do with the ability to use these. There are people who see things very clearly but who do not have the ability to draw conclusions from what they see. That is a dysfunction of Mercury’s energies.

Mercury does not directly govern memory, that is, the storage of information. But it has a great deal to do with the ability to recall and use previously stored information. From this it follows that Mercury has a great deal to do with the ability to speak, write, and otherwise communicate. There are configurations in which Mercury is disturbed in such a way that, no matter how brilliant an individual may be, no matter how great the depth of understanding, such individuals cannot communicate their brilliance or the depth of their thinking. This is often incorrectly confused with stupidity, but it is something else altogether.

Outward Manifestations

On the external level, Mercury has as much to do with being out and about in the world and involved in its affairs. Therefore, Mercury’s energies have to do with meetings, conferences, writing letters and emails, or working with any other form of communication. They also have to do with your daily movement. Short trips or journeys, for example, that require going from one place to another within a relatively small area, such as shopping, commuting, and the like, are signified by Mercury.

The ancient god Mercury was, among other things, a god of commerce. One can see this connection in that the first syllable of Mercury is found in the last syllable of ‘commerce.’ The word ‘market’ is also derived from Mercury, as well as the word ‘merchant.’ Thus, Mercury has a great deal to do with commerce and trade as well as routine buying and selling.

Something needs to be said here on the topic of Mercury retrograde. This is an apparent backward motion in the zodiac that occurs once in every eighty-eight-day cycle of Mercury around the Sun, when Mercury comes between the Earth and the Sun. This causes Mercury to look as if it were going backward, just as when you pass another car on a highway, the other car looks as if it were going backward. Retrograde motion also occurs with all the planets except the Sun and Moon. However, “Mercury retrograde” has entered popular culture and is rapidly becoming an astrological superstition. It is often described as a time when nothing works, everything one does is unlucky or unfortunate, and a time when one should not begin any new project. This is wildly overblown!

“Mercury retrograde” does have some effects. Here are a few. Negotiations are trickier, as there is a greater tendency to misunderstand. However, this can be compensated for by making a special effort to be clear in all communications. It is not true that any project begun under Mercury retrograde will fail. Mercury was retrograde for the entire period of late June through mid-July in 1776 when the Declaration of Independence was signed. The most obvious effect of that retrograde was that it took some seven years for the revolution to succeed. Some say that you should not travel while Mercury is retrograde. If everyone acted according to this belief whenever Mercury was retrograde (which happens approximately three times a year), there would be three periods of twenty-two days each in which absolutely nothing should or could happen.

The correct thing to do is to be more careful when traveling while Mercury is retrograde. If you fly, it is better to have only carry-on luggage. Do not expect schedules to be kept as accurately. But the worst thing that can happen, a plane crash, is no more likely under Mercury retrograde than at any other time.

Anything that involves extremely accurate and honest communications may be somewhat impeded (please notice the word ‘somewhat’) during Mercury retrograde. Very important negotiations, agreements, or contract signing may be best postponed until after Mercury has gone direct, that is, it is moving forward in the zodiac again. However, negotiating under Mercury retrograde can be useful, so long as no conclusion is reached, because the energies of Mercury when retrograde often support, and may indeed require, going over a process several times before getting it right.

When Mercury is retrograde, many people are afraid to hold conferences and meetings. However, when Mercury is retrograde it can be helpful for such events because it indicates that people will go over information again and again until they achieve accurate understanding. It might be better, however, if hotel negotiations are required, to have them completed before Mercury goes retrograde.