An Astrology Guide
How Mercury Influences and Affects Our Lives
And what happens when it appears to be going backward
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Mercury, the messenger planet, rules how we express ourselves, convey our thoughts, and get our point across. It is our style of communication. It is how we approach, relate, and exchange information with others.
It rules whether we are fluent and concise in our speech and written words.
These days we experience people’s Mercury aspects before meeting them — through reading their articles, through emails and phone calls. And then we meet them in person and see them for who they really are — their Sun.
Mercury in Our Chart
Sometimes we wonder how someone so gentle speaks with so much command. Or how another so powerful speaks so softly.
Chances are when it comes to communication, they are totally different people. Different planets affect us differently. The Moon influences how we feel, Mercury influences how differently we speak and we have our Rising signs: who the world thinks we are.
Here is an example:
I am a Pisces/Aquarius Sun Cusp born Feb 19th (This just means I’m Pisces with Aquarius tendencies) with a Capricorn Rising and a Sagittarius Moon. My Mercury is in Aquarius, so my style of communication is not quite as soft as you would expect from a Pisces, and it isn’t as authoritative as a Capricorn or as preachy as a Sagittarius.
My communication style tends to be rather unconventional. To know your Mercury sign, you need your birth chart.
Mercury in The Zodiac Signs
Mercury in Aries
Aries is strong. He is bold. He is ruled by Mars so he is fire. He is a natural-born leader and full of passion. He steps up right away when called to take action. He is the warrior and protector of the zodiac. He is hard-headed.
Mercury in Aries makes decisions so quickly you will lose your own train of thought. It is the fire element in them that makes them think so fast. They are quick to make a point. They have very active minds and want thoughts and words to become action.
The way Mercury in Aries communicates can come across as aggressive, especially when their ideas are opposed by others. They become attached to their ideas and tend to be very defensive over them. They take criticism and negative feedback personally.
They quickly dismiss irrelevant information and won’t get bogged down by small details. They sometimes say things without thinking them through.
When they get new ideas, they waste no time and act on it quickly with enthusiasm. They love a mental challenge. You can count on Mercury in Aries to be straightforward and direct with you.
They make great firefighters, doctors, and athletes.
Mercury in Taurus
Taurus is a rock. He is grounded on earth and therefore very stable. He is strong. He is ruled by Venus so he loves beauty. He is a natural boss who gets the job done slowly but surely. He is very stubborn. Try willing a rock to move. It moves when moved.
Mercury in Taurus will not rush and takes their time in decision-making. The earth element in them awakens contemplation and the need for evidence of findings and opinions. Once they make up their mind, they stand by their decision.
They may be slow to start new projects but once they start they will not stop until the work is complete. Mercury in Taurus is an expert in their field. They think deeply about things and have good knowledge of things that interest them.
They enjoy the learning process. They rely on all five senses when it comes to absorbing and processing information. Their ideas are organized and their mind is never scattered. Mercury in Taurus has common sense but they are very stubborn in their thinking.
Their tone of communication is pleasant and as a result, people listen and pay attention to them. When it comes to learning, they prefer hands-on experiences. They learn best when they can demonstrate, experiment, and make their own conclusions.
They make great bankers, business owners, and chefs.
Mercury in Gemini
Gemini moves with the air. She loves to play but she moves very quickly. Ruled by Mercury she makes a helpful and cheerful leader. She is full of ideas. She moves fast and so she gets bored fast. She wants to keep moving.
Mercury rules Gemini so it is king here. Decisions are made quickly and ideas come at a fast speed. They change their minds just as fast. This makes them somewhat scatterbrained because of their endless thoughts and ideas.
They are very intelligent and knowledgeable but their learning is sometimes shallow because they have too many interests to focus on just one. The air element in them is not a solid substance which is why they have trouble focusing on one thing. Air is all over the place.
Mercury in Gemini wants to discover new things and have interesting conversations with different people. But once they get bored, they want to move on. They are smooth talkers and can therefore use manipulation to get out of any situation.
They absorb information at lightning speeds so they prefer stimulating learning environments. They are open-minded and open to learning new things. They solely rely on logic and rarely rely on intuition.
They love words and are therefore great teachers, interpreters, broadcasters.
Mercury in Cancer
Cancer is like rain. Ruled by the Moon; she is gentle, strong, and intuitive. She rules emotions and therefore makes a great leader. She wants to be protected so she protects others. She is sensitive and feels so much emotion. She is quiet and soft.
Mercury in Cancer relies solely on their intuition when making decisions. They like to be alone when making important decisions. The water element makes them instinctive, emotional, and very sensitive.
Words are not as important to them as the emotions behind them. This makes them the best listeners of all the signs. They take their time to respond and this gives the impression that they are deep thinkers. They easily pick up on people’s emotions in conversations.
Mercury in Cancer is reflective, meditative, and won't talk until called to do so. They have soothing and gentle voices and the way they communicate makes you feel warm and protected. They get along well with people who have different opinions and outlook on life.
They don’t forgive and forget easily and remember things even from their childhood. They may appear defensive and take things very personally. They have a good memory, imagination, and a talent for writing.
They make great caretakers, nurses, and veterinarians.
Mercury in Leo
Leo is the fire that keeps the party going. He is royalty. Ruled by the Sun, he is powerful and vibrant. He is a strong and capable leader who loves fun, creativity, and wants to be the center of attraction. He seeks attention and he is dramatic.
Mercury in Leo makes decisions quickly and doesn’t change their mind easily. This is because of the fire element in them. They are proud of their intellect and abilities and they stand behind their thoughts and beliefs.
Mercury in Leo wins people over with their warmth and style. They are good at communicating and getting their message across. They are skilled in the art of persuasion. They speak with authority and want others to know about their presence.
Mercury in Leo is creative and artistic. They can see the bigger picture in all situations sometimes ignoring important details. They are passionate and enthusiastic and often present themselves with a fair amount of drama in their speech.
This makes them magnificent storytellers, actors, and graphic designers.
Mercury in Virgo
Virgo is the earth that carries us. She is ruled by Mercury in an earth sign so she is grounded and disciplined. She is a logical leader and gets the job done and well. She pays attention to details and likes to plan before taking action.
Mercury loves being here. Mercury in Virgo takes their time making decisions and does not ignore a single detail. The earth element makes them contemplate before deciding.
They put a lot of work into making their world orderly and can get worked up easily when things are not as orderly as they like it. They keep track of every little thing and only make a comment after learning of all the details.
They do their best work when they lay out exactly what needs to be done. They are good at organizing, planning, and doing errands. Mercury in Virgo is humble but they tend to be perfectionists and are critical of themselves and others.
They are experts in their field of study and make excellent doctors, nurses, and financial advisers.
Mercury in Libra
Libra is charming. Ruled by Venus in air he is attractive and a gentleman. This makes him a powerful diplomatic leader who makes sure peace and justice prevail. He makes the best decisions when he finally makes them.
Mercury in Libra does not enjoy decision making and the decision-making process takes longer than necessary. This is because they want to make everybody happy and sometimes that is impossible. Their decision making can be hard to watch.
They also change their minds quickly because of their air element. They go from one decision to the other and then back again. Mercury in Libra does not like to study things in the greatest detail.
The way they talk is very pleasing, warm, and diplomatic so they are good at making connections with others. They are kind and long for fairness and equality so they employ tact when getting their message across.
They handle people and situations with care and when they encounter problems, they express it gently and consciously. They avoid making people feel uncomfortable.
They make great counselors, mediators, and lawyers.
Mercury in Scorpio
Scorpio is the deep seas. Ruled by Mars and Pluto, he is strong and powerful. He is intuitive and in touch with his emotions. This makes him a fearless leader. He is impatient, stubborn, and needs to take action in a way only he understands.
Mercury in Scorpio has no problems making decisions when it comes time to make them. The water element in them gives them powerful intuitions, instincts, and imagination.
They are fearless and passionate in their speech. When there are issues especially a mental problem, they won't stop until they get to the bottom of it.
The thinking of a Mercury in Scorpio knows no boundaries. It ventures in depths that no one thinks to venture. This makes them powerful leaders and they are able to use those powerful emotions to achieve their career goals.
Mercury in Scorpio rarely talks about themselves. They seem to know things most people don't know. This makes them appear suspicious, cold, and somewhat judgemental.
They often have lots of wonderful dark ideas. As artists, they may be drawn to mystery and horror. They make great researchers, detectives, and medical examiners.
Mercury in Sagittarius
Sagitarrius is the fire that keeps burning after the party is over. Ruled by Jupiter, he is expansive. He has faith and he believes. This makes him an extraordinary leader with a big vision. He has to go and can't stay too long.
Mercury in Sagittarius makes quick decisions because of the fire element in them. Freedom means everything to them. Freedom to feel, think, act, and make their own decisions. They don’t normally enjoy the little details but they have big ideas and visions.
They often have a lot of mental activity and love connecting with other intellectuals. Conversation with Mercury in Sagittarius is always interesting. They are blunt and won’t sugarcoat anything. They get impatient when people beat around the bush.
They tend to get bored easily and so they leave many tasks uncompleted. They don’t like commitment until they decide it’s what they want. They change their minds a lot.
In speech and in writing, they are optimistic and always believe something amazing will happen. You can’t help but admire their enthusiasm.
They love reading and learning about topics like medicine, law, philosophy, religion, spirituality, and metaphysics. They make excellent travel agents, missionaries, and professors.
Mercury in Capricorn
Capricorn is the mountain that stays where it is. Ruled by Saturn, he is the most disciplined and determined. He is a very successful and respected leader. Mountains don't move. He doesn't know fun under he is older and wiser.
Mercury in Capricorn does not like to rush when it comes to decision making. They can easily get frustrated when too much information is thrown at them all at once. They break down ideas into small sections before arriving at a decision.
Mercury in Capricorn processes and relays information in a smart and practical manner. This is because of their stable earth element. They always have a plan and a goal. Their mind needs something to focus on.
They speak with command and authority. They are deliberate and choose their words carefully and they appreciate structure and order. This makes them experts in their chosen fields. They often speak and write in a slow and methodical manner.
They value time and don’t appreciate their time wasted. They appear strict in leadership roles. They are resourceful and productive and prefers projects that will yield tangible and practical results.
They make great managers, financial planners, and architects.
Mercury in Aquarius
Aquarius is quick and inventive. Ruled by Uranus in air he is the unexpected. He is a brilliant leader with genius ideas. He is eccentric and the most unique person you will ever meet. He won't follow the rules and will go his own way.
Mercury in Aquarius' mind is fast and thinks long before making decisions. They often have lots of ideas and unique perspectives and can perceive things that others find highly unlikely.
They are fun to be around and although they are not necessarily loud they often have a quiet way of stirring others up. They delight in exposing biases in other people’s way of thinking.
Their way of communication is often detached and they are unconventional in their thinking. They are quick, alert, and strong observers of their surroundings.
They have unusual habits and can come up with inventive ways of quickly learning new things. They don't like following a schedule and they enjoy breaking the rules.
They are often organized but their sense of order may be very different from others. Mercury in Aquarius is often interested in scientific predictions, metaphysical, and abstract ideas.
They make excellent scientists, professors, and humanitarians.
Mercury in Pisces
Pisces is the ocean. She is powerful and intuitive. Ruled by Neptune, she is in touch with all things in her world and other worlds. She is a creative leader who brings dreams to life. Her head is in the skies and she moves with clouds.
Mercury in Pisces dislikes making hard and time-sensitive decisions. They dislike the facts and relies on their intuition in the decision-making process. Their water element makes them emotional in their thinking
They are often dreamy, imaginative, and ideas come to them effortlessly. Their mind may often drift off to a faraway land during conversations. They have a soft, gentle, and warm touch that is pleasing. They make great listeners.
Mercury in Pisces is open-minded and takes in so much information from the world. They tend to absorb the feelings and emotions of their environment. Because of this, they are sometimes not sure if their thoughts are their own.
Some days they may talk up a storm and other days they just want to be left alone.
Mercury in Pisces like art, mysticism, and psychology. They make great psychics, artists, and caregivers.
What is Mercury Retrograde
Mercury Retrograde happens three and sometimes four times a year where the planet ‘appears’ to be moving backward in the sky for approximately 3 weeks. Mercury goes retrograde more frequently than any other planet.
Planets don't actually move backward in their orbits around the Sun. They don’t even slow. Retrogrades are an illusion that results from our point of view on Earth, simply because the Earth is orbiting the Sun at a different speed than the other planets.
Mercury’s retrograde is a convenient excuse whenever laptops and phones run slow, when flights are delayed, and communication and technology issues arise.
Mercury is associated with information so when it’s retrograde, we experience a slowdown in all of those areas.
Surviving Mercury Retrograde
Things may be breaking and falling apart around you. Think positive.
Those with strong Mercury remember to breathe and stay positive. They use meditation and introspective activities, they put technology aside, and they focus their attention inwards if they can't figure it out.
When the printer is misbehaving and the laptop is frozen, they turn it off and give it a few minutes before getting back to it. They are patient.
They avoid exaggerating how bad situations really are. They know exaggeration does nothing to help and only makes things worse.
They know and understand what's happening because they are updated, on delays and cancellations so they are not rushing to get through traffic to the airport only to find that the flight is canceled. Never. They plan.
They keep an eye on their technology especially cars. If they have to travel, they check the lights and schedule maintenance before they go. They slow down when driving and in all other things to avoid making mistakes.
They don’t rely on technology alone. If there is an important meeting coming up, they write down important facts and print out the important information. They expect and are prepared for anything.
They understand that projects barely move forward during this time so they use the time to revisit things from the past. If there is something they’ve been putting off, they use Mercury retrograde as the perfect time to tackle and resolve it once and for all.
They are extremely careful when planning big events or signing contracts. They pay close attention to every single detail to avoid misinformation and miscommunication.
Mercury Retrograde in The Birth Chart
About 25 percent of people are born during a Mercury retrograde. When you pull your natal chart and see an Rx next to a planet, it means that the planet was in retrograde at the time of your birth.
When a person has their Mercury in retrograde, they have very different mercurial make-up than other people. Their Mercury energies are turned inwards.
How they express themselves tend to be misunderstood by others. There may be a lot of thinking, double-checking, and reviewing of thoughts and ideas before communicating them.
They like to revise, revisit, return, regroup, rethink, redo, recreate, reflect, restore, reverse, retrospect, remember, reproduce, repair, remove, reserve, react, reason, and reconstruct.
Those born during Mercury retrogrades are somewhat better equipped to deal with the disruption. They experience less amounts of stress and frustrations than those born with Mercury direct.
They face and conquer miscommunications and breakdowns with ease.
Final Thoughts
Your Mercury sign is your “I think”. When you are asked, “What do you think?” your answer will embody the description of your Mercury sign.
Mercury is very important in the chart ruling our thoughts and ideas. Thoughts become things and the happiest people on earth are those who embody Mercury's strongest qualities while being open-minded to learning new things from different people every single day.
What is your Mercury sign and how does it resonate? I’d love to know your thoughts in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
