Meaning in Astrology:
Mercury is the planet of mental activities, communication, and intellectual energy. It rules over your perception and reason, memory, speaking and writing. It reflects the way you see, hear, understand, and assimilate information.
Day-to-day travel, short trips, and the various means of transportation are under its domain. It also controls the functions of the nerves, arms, hands, and finger and is associated with dexterity and mechanical skills even such minor things as handwriting, pens and pencils, communication via the computer, and deliveries. Mercury also rules the voice and many people with strong Mercury influences are successful at public speaking, acting, and singing.
The negative side of Mercury’s influence produces a tendency to be critical, sarcastic, argumentative, and sly. Lies, deceit and certain types of crime, such as fraud, swindling, and forgery are examples of Mercury’s negative power.
Key words:
Communication, curious, intelligence, adaptive, indecisive technology, information, ideas, business, education, legalities, wit, dexterity, thought, language, eloquence, nervousness, ideas, humor, learning, words, cunning, movement, analysis, craftsmanship
Mercury answers the following questions about you:
How do I express myself?
What first impressions do I make?
How do I process ideas and information?
Nature: Neutral
Rulership: Gemini and Virgo
Transit time: 3 – 4 weeks in each sign
Orbit: 88 days (3-4 times a year it goes into retrograde)
What it represents in life:
The collective mental patterns, the economy, and the media.
Myth:
Mercury was the messenger of the gods. He was young, beautiful, and swift as the wind, for his feet had wings. His province was communication, commerce, everything requiring skill and dexterity. Mercury also became the god of thieves, for he was a cunning trickster.