| RULERSHIP | Gemini |
| EXALTATION | Virgo |
| DETRIMENT | Sagittarius |
| FALL | Pisces |
| PLANETARY CYCLE | ~ 1 year |
| TAROT CARD | I. the Magician |
| KEY WORDS | Communication, Learning, Education, the Rational mind, Writing, Speech, Dexterity and Skill, Short trips, Siblings |
Your Drive to Communicate
Mercury is your drive to communicate, your drive to learn, and your drive to “problem-solve”. She is your rational mind – the part of you that seeks to put the puzzle pieces together, take them apart, and put them back together again. She reaches out and into life to connect – through conversation, lending a listening ear, reading, and scoping out information that you didn’t already know.
We all think and process information differently, and it’s the position of Mercury in your chart – by sign, house, and aspect – that clues you into your own mental process. By extension, speech is also ruled by Mercury – how you speak, why you speak, and when you are most comfortable speaking. In fact, anything that engages your mind to process and manipulate information is Mercury-ruled, including writing, art, anything that involves your voice, thinking, problem-solving, learning, teaching, studying, and all types of technical skill.
Take a look at your natal chart and locate your Mercury by sign and house. What does this tell you about – what holds your attention; your communication style; how you think; and under what circumstances you are most comfortable communicating with others?
Mercury in Transit
From the viewpoint of Earth, Mercury takes about a year to complete one revolution around the zodiac and is never more than 28 degrees from the Sun. That means that Mercury will always be in the sign of the Sun, in the Sign right before the sign of the Sun, or in the sign right after the sign of the Sun.
I think of transiting Mercury as the planet that shows us what areas of our life we are being called to bring our focused attention – in order to find solutions, proactively communicate, seek out information, and – above all – LEARN. You are constantly evolving, and your life is constantly evolving. As a result, you are constantly in need of new solutions.
Follow transiting Mercury as it moves from house to house, and from sign to sign, to see where and when throughout the year you might benefit most from a bit of focused attention, information-sharing, and genuine communication.
So, What’s Mercury Retrograde?
About three times a year, Mercury appears to move backwards in the sky, as seen from Earth. This is the notorious Mercury Retrograde.
Just as the name implies, retrograde motion implies that it’s time for us to “Re-everything”… Revisit, review, rethink, revise. When planets move retrograde, they often signal a time when we are presented with opportunities to sort out some unfinished business, get clear on our motivations, and “right a few wrongs” that might have accumulated along the way.
Because Mercury rules all things communication, Her retrograde motion ushers us into a time where we may need to revise some old paperwork, correct a few mistakes, revisit a past dispute, or have “that” conversation we swept under the rug. I find that the best way to deal with Mercury retrograde is to breathe, be honest, be patient, and remember to exercise compassion – because the whole collective is being called to slow down and deal.. it’s just the way it is.