Mercury Archetype: The Basics
Mercury, the planet, symbol, deity, and legend carries with it an archetype created from stories passed down and developed. These stories will hold a theme found in our psychological make-up or certain parts of ourselves. The communicator part of ourselves is represented by Mercury. Mercury was the messenger and mediator for the Gods and mortals. They (often depicted as androgynous) were able to easily flit between barriers of the other worlds. Mercury is quick-witted and looking for amusement.
Mercury is also known for being the God of merchants, siblings, agriculture, and travelers. Mercury beholds the trickster archetype in a number of ways; starting at birth with the stealing of their twin’s cows. On another note, Mercury and Hermes have their stories so intertwined that distinguishing them apart from each other is difficult and forever being debated by scholars. Hermes also is affiliated with communication as the creation of civilization through poetry, philosophy, music, laws, arts, math, and so forth.
Ultimately, Mercury can represent the communication within ourselves by bringing together the rational, the subconscious, and the unconscious and thus can be considered transformational. “Mercurial” means changeable, both curious-minded and adaptable as well as alchemy. Hermes is shown as a magician with a magic wand and known as the God of Wisdom.
In astrology, Mercury rules both Gemini and Virgo. These two mutable signs each show a different side of the Mercury archetype. For instance, Virgo (to analyze) is the detailed and researched communicator and Gemini (to communicate) is the gregarious and creative conversationalist. Your Mercury might show through the lens of math, music, or art; and a shadow tendency of Mercury would show up as being sarcastic, lying, arguing, or criticism.
