Mercury in the 1st House

Mercury in the first house displays a need for self-expression through a questioning and inquiring attitude to life. People with this combination gain a sense of identity by knowing how their own minds work. Sometimes they want it recognized that the intellectual way in which they perceive the world has some validity. They are curious, occasionally impulsively talkative, and can express themselves fluently using logic and reasoning to good effect. If aspects to Mercury support it, there can be an interest in languages. Thinking about the world and their part in it is of great importance to them, and they are likely to spend much of their time engaged in mind-orientated activities, needing to gather knowledge and communicate it to the world around them, particularly where Mercury conjuncts the Ascendant.

The sign on the Ascendant will color the way the planet's functions are displayed. Mercury with Capricorn rising, for instance, may express itself through a steady, careful mind and cautious speech, while Mercury here with Sagittarius rising might mean an identity realized through impulsive thinking on a grand scale. Occasionally, tactless speech is an issue for these people. Close aspects to another planet will also influence the way a first house Mercury operates.

There is a myth concerning Hermes which has some bearing on the Mercury-in-first house need to actualize ideas. When the rather belligerent Herakles was on a visit to Troezen, he stopped at the wayside because he was tired. As he sat to rest, he leaned his club against a statue of Hermes which had been erected by the side of a road. The club took root, put out leaves and grew into a tree. Herakles, it seems, needs to produce, rather than destroy, on this occasion. Even a weapon of war can be made productive if a Mars-inclined person stops for a while to take stock and allows a fertile flow of ideas to develop beyond the present moment - a characteristic not often associated with Herakles. The tale is an indication that the Mercury principle and the Mars principle can be combined successfully.

Alternatively, people with this placement, especially if the planet is near the Ascendant and/ or in hard aspect to other planets, need to ensure against overemphasizing an intellectual approach to life. On first acquaintance, other people may see them as lacking at some deep level the qualities of warmth and intuitive empathy needed to balance the inquiring mind - nobody in his or her right mind would have called Herakles deeply empathic, usually. But, through their life experiences, Mercury-in-first-house people may come to an intelligent understanding of how to work on the impulse to act first and think later, though the energy for communication will always be high.

Mercury in 1st House: This location of Mercury makes a good counselor. It is an excellent position for a teacher, actor, lawyer, politician, or anyone in similar careers as it gives the power to speak well, both to groups and in conversation. If there are limiting aspects from Saturn, or if Mercury is in a Water sign, the ability to speak may be diminished, though the desire to communicate will be strong, and so may find an outlet through writing, singing, or film-making etc.. In any case, people with a first house Mercury are almost always extremely quick, apt and flexible, and retain their youthful energy and enthusiasm throughout life.

Often they feel themselves to be the spokesman for a group and will feel called upon to speak out in defense of someone or something. They are usually witty (particularly if Mercury is in Virgo, Aries or Gemini) and are able to use words to make others laugh. They are excellent teachers and, even if they don't teach as a profession, they will be useful throughout life instructing others, showing them how to do things.

They are able to put things into words much better than most people. Everything that they experience they frame in words and images, for themselves if not for others. If they can't put something into words or images it hardly exists for them. They are quick studies, able to pick up ideas rapidly from cursory reading or listening to others speak. They may become distracted by words or ideas, too caught up in them, if Mercury is in an Air or Earth sign. If it is in a Water and Fire sign, it is the thing itself they see, not the word for it, so this is a good position for an artist or poet who works more with images than with facts or concepts. Sometimes Mercury in a Water sign even causes a problem with words.

They are often athletic, or physically active, loving motion and the use of their bodies as it is the sport itself, the game and the action, that they crave, and not so much the victory as this position is not competitive of itself. They are willing to take the less glorious roles in games or other group activities if the performance of the group as a whole requires it, as being part of the group or team is what appeals to them, although if they or anyone else appears to be treated unfairly they will not hesitate to speak out.

They either love speed or are insensitive to it, and, if other factors are present, could have a car accident at some point due to their attraction to fast motion. They usually like the roller coaster and the faster, wilder rides at the amusement park. They usually love airplanes and flight, especially if Mercury is in a Fire or Air sign, and make good pilots.

If there are conjunctions or oppositions to Mercury from Saturn, Uranus or Pluto, they may stammer or have a speech impediment, or possibly even brain damage. A retrograde Mercury may turn them towards writing, photography, art, or acting ¬anything where images or ideas can be constructed in private, because they may feel that the words they need to express themselves don't come easily enough in the spontaneous give and take of conversation.

If other chart factors are present that indicate long life, this position of Mercury strengthens them, giving a sort of perpetual youth and a strong ability to rejuvenate. However, if sudden death factors are present, this position will intensify those as well. In high political office, it increases the potential for assassination. In some cases there is the possibility of an early death due in part to a distaste for aging.

Those with Mercury in the first house always relate well to young people, and will have young friends even when they are old.

Mercury in 1st House: Self-expression: Mercury in the 1st reveals that your spontaneous personality is nervous, mental, quick to perceive, and just as quick to change direction. There is a certain 'short-term' orientation; the mental focus is immediate, but your attention span is short. you love solving riddles and are fascinated by any activity that propels your mind into immediate action. As with every Mercury interpretation, this can be altered significantly by its sign position and interplanetary aspects, and even more importantly by the placement and condition of the Sun. It is also affected strongly by environmental factors like education, family, and socio-cultural background. Those considerations aside, however, the basic indication of the house placement alone suggests that you have a loquacious, verbal type of persona, one which is quick and clever.

Natural persona: Mercury indicates a mental face, with an emphasis on rationality and cognition. How talkative you are depends on other considerations, but your persona certainly indicates an interest in communication. The mask is nervous and quick, as likely to question others as to reveal anything about the self.

Your name-tag says, 'I am curious, interested in your mind, mobile in my focus, and objective in my perceptions'.

Self-awareness: Activation of the thinking, perceiving, and communicating functions of the nervous system promotes awareness of your true inner self. The more you think, the more you awaken to yourself. It's not at all necessary that your thoughts be about yourself; in fact, the more they remain objective perceptions of the world around you, the more self-awareness results. Curiosity about the world and everything in it wakes you up.

Boundaries: The bridge between inner and outer realities is associative, rational, and nervous, with mental interplay providing the connection. Expression without thought or communication without content can send the two environments spinning around one another in a meaningless whirlwind, while too much nervous energy or strictly impersonal calculation alienates them, destroying the linkage. The challenge is to analyze and communicate with both environments without falling into cold, mechanical rationality.

Vitality: Clear perceptions and logical thinking provide support for your essential vitality, but vulnerability to nervous disorders may exist. Observe yourself; learn as much as you can about the physical and mental disciplines that keep you vital.

Mercury in 1st House: You express your opinions so precisely that no-one questions your meaning, and you eagerly accept a challenge from anyone who disagrees with you. Your respect for education and your insatiable curiosity give you an advantage over less-informed competitors. When you take time to examine all the details, you solve problems quickly and accurately. You try to understand others' motivations, and you learn a great deal from them. You learn from your experiences, and you enjoy travelling to promote your ambitions. Getting away from the daily routine renews your mental and physical energy. Your great creative potential only needs to be developed so that you can establish your credentials in your field. You know what you can and cannot do, and you strive to maintain the highest ideals. You put a lot of thought into your endeavors, and you have faith that you will succeed. You may seem lucky, but actually you are inspired and imaginative in using your creative gifts. Your partner should understand how important it is that you achieve your goals. You feel that your mutual interests will be better served if each of you compromises to some extent.

You try to live each day as fully as possible, for you know that your future security and independence depend on it. You know how to put your ideas to work for your later years, when you want to be free from obligation. You take advantage of opportunities provided by your friends, and you don't forget favors you have received in the past. You realize that your future is in your own hands, and you won't really feel fulfilled until you see tangible evidence of your success.

It is important that the public consider your ideas substantial. You depend on associates and competitors to show you where your skills need refining. Although it isn't easy for you to admit you are wrong, you concede when your career goals are at stake. You are willing to learn, which will help you grow. You show good judgment in relationships, and you don't make binding commitments lightly. You learn something from everyone you contact. Your early environment taught you the importance of establishing roots. Having to stand on your own in spite of frustrating early conflicts stimulated your creative potential. Because of this conditioning, you find it painful to be confined by a daily routine that restricts your freedom. But you are willing to work to gain the professional status that will give you that freedom.

You may not realize that your greatest liability is neglecting the people on whom you depend for success. When you understand what the public expects, you will accept the responsibility of serving them. This will be your greatest contribution to your own future. You have much insight into what's wrong with people, and they look to you for understanding. This insight is useful in your career because you understand your competitors' weaknesses.

Failing to implement your creative talent and exploit your ideas would put you at a disadvantage. You must put your faculty for communication to work if you want to benefit from it. Underestimating your worth would be a tragic waste of inspired imagination. You can accomplish much if you respond to the needs of the society and let your creative talent become its asset.

Mercury in 1st House: Those with this placement become conscious of themselves and life in general by being curious and asking questions. They are meant to be spokespeople - distributors of ideas and information or channels through which one discipline is linked to another. They are usually highly analytical, both of themselves and of others.

Mercury is a mimic and will take on the qualities of the sign it is in and any planet it closely aspects. Therefore, these need to be carefully examined. For instance, Mercury in a Fire sign or conjunct Saturn is more prone to cautious assessment prior to committing the self to activity. Things have to 'sit' right within them before they can act. Mercury in a Water sign or aspected to Neptune will evaluate the perceptions through the feelings and emotions, unlike Mercury in Air or aspected to Uranus, which will speak and act from a more purely objective stance, having (often in a flash) computed the bigger picture.

Those with Mercury in the 1st imbue the world with significance on the basis of what they think about it. If they don't like what they see, rather than blaming the world 'out there', they should try changing their own attitudes and then take another look at what they find.

Those with Mercury in the 1st often maintain a youthful appearance throughout life. Sometimes there are frequent changes of environment in the early years, as if they are forced from a young age to view life from different angles.

See also: Mercury in the 1st House;

Mercury in the 1st House: Alan Arkin, G.W. Bush, Isadora Duncan, Mahatma Gandhi, U.G. Krishnamurti, Terence McKenna, Benjamin Netanyahu, Paul Newman, Nisargadatta, Arnold Palmer, Ramakrishna, Ronald Reagan, Patti Smith, Ted Turner, Mark Twain, Brian Wilson, BenT, Beth, Bobbie, Bram, Johanna, JRosh, Judin, Maitreyi, Mark, Medwick, Miriam, Olof, Pankaj, Seligma, Shiloh, Steve, Travis, VinCar, Virginia

Mercury in the 2nd House

In the second house, Mercury indicates a mind concerned with securing personal resources which may be both material and psychological. The possession of clear values and a personal sense of worth are important to people with this placement. At heart, they often feel the need for the security which comes with an intelligent recognition of a sense of values and self-esteem, though they might not always be aware of it. Often the trait takes the form of a pride of ownership.

Attachment to physical objects, people or inner desires and ways of thinking is characteristic. So people with this placement may need to learn very consciously how to appreciate their worth without being either possessive or smothering to excess. They are capable of reaching a realization of the worth of their inner system of values and the way in which they use these in their dealings with others. At the same time, it is possible for them to combine this inner awareness with a desire for material and intellectual security and resources. Coming to a satisfactory appreciation of their possessions without feeling that they themselves are owned by them, or by their own attitudes of mind, may help them considerably.

Choice-making between things of value might be a function which would benefit people with Mercury in the second house. Where there is little discrimination between values, it is often because people are afraid to let go of what they once possessed, even when it becomes redundant. Fear of the consequences of making the wrong choice is a factor involved here. But, sometimes in life, this cannot be avoided, and people with a second-house Mercury may find it a painful process. Hermes was party to this dilemma when he gave the golden apple to Paris, asking him to judge who was the most beautiful goddess, Hera, Aphrodite, or Athena. Paris attempted to wriggle out of making the choice; but Hermes, on orders from Zeus, would not let him. Possession and repossession was a constant theme in the Trojan War, whether it was of Helen herself, or the city of Troy. Holding on to redundant values for too long can mean that the psyche rigidifies and can develop no further; so keeping a constant eye on the meaning of values may be one of the tasks facing people with Mercury in the first house.

Aphrodite was skilled in drawing her many lovers to her, Hermes among them. So, too, people with Mercury placed in the second house may be skilled, or not, in drawing to themselves the resources they need, depending on the strength and type of the aspects made with other planets in the chart and how aware they are of the qualities of the placement. The sign on the second house cusp and the planet ruling it will affect Mercury's placement, too.

Mercury in 2nd House: People with Mercury in the second house usually desire to be self-supporting early in life. They are always out to make a buck, and not always honorably or legally (the strength and elevation of Jupiter and Saturn will testify to this). They may live by their wits or by writing, speaking, acting, or teaching.

This location of Mercury contributes to sensuality, and gives a strong interest in sex and a tendency to be attracted to more than one person at a time. At some time during the life, there may be a powerful attraction to a much younger person. There is also a tendency to be attracted to socially inappropriate partners; in this, their desire to know and learn from what is opposite to the self is taking a sexual form.

There is apt to be a stubbornness with this position; once the mind is made up, it is hard to change it.

This is even more likely if Mercury is in a fixed sign. There is a tendency (especially for those with the Sun in Virgo or Gemini) for ideas to crystallize, thus building a structure too rigid for a comfortable, free-flowing mental life. If this happens, events may occur at some point during the life that will be very painful, as these crystallized ideas or attitudes are forcibly dissolved and restructured.

With Mercury in the second house, the mind tends to work fairly slowly, one step at a time, and seeks to create a totally realistic, all-embracing, and dependable world view. Until this world view is complete (which is never), these people do not feel secure in venturing their opinions. They develop a philosophical nature: curious, eager to acquire facts, yet at the same time very slow to accept data that does not conform to their already crystallized ideas, and inclined to be less and less open as time goes by. They like to keep their ideas to themselves, and don't like to argue them out with others. They would sooner write a book or an article in which they can outline their entire view on a subject than discuss or argue it point by point with someone else. A free-flowing exchange of serious topics is uncomfortable for them, and they will usually shrug it off and back out rather than hash over a concept.

They tend to be quiet with strangers or in a group, though far from quiet at home or with intimates. They usually have good memories for facts, names, dates, places, and so on, which become etched in their minds, even if such details are not particularly useful.

Mercury in 2nd House: Self-worth: Mercury in the 2nd house reveals that self-judgments are based on mentality. There is a certain self-absorption in the mind, as the issues of personal 'goodness or badness' are debated within. The challenge is to make judgments about yourself from the sound and rational base of accurate and objective self-perception. Clear knowledge of yourself, however painful it may occasionally seem, can only help you.

Possession: You organize ownership rationally; and the very nature of your possessions reflects a mental orientation. Tools of communication or objects that can be used to further general relatedness are attractive possessions. As with the Moon, there is constant movement within the realm of ownership, but the reasons here are tied not to feelings, but instead to curiosity. Possessions, especially new ones, alleviate boredom. When an object has lost its mental fascination for you, when it no longer stimulates the mind, it has no further value. The challenge is to use possession to fulfill the constant demands of your nervous system for fresh stimulation.

Money: Your thoughts and communication often center around the issue of monetary resources, in terms of both acquisition and use. As with the Moon, fortunes may fluctuate, but the emphasis here is entirely mental rather than emotional. Money is appropriately used to provide mental stimulus, to further your education, or to promote communication, the sense of connectedness to a network of ideas. The challenge is to see the acquisition and use of money as an endless game, a stimulant toward developing rational faculties of clear perception and organization.

Self-exertion: The main method of exerting effort is mental rather than physical, working through the nervous system. You prefer to analyze tasks rather than use muscle power to accomplish them.

Thinking and communicating are the most natural work orientation, although physical movement is necessary to provide a sense of satisfaction. Boring repetition deadens your motivation. The challenge is to divide any job into a series of smaller tasks, turning your attention from one to the other in sequence until the job is finished, thus keeping interest high and turning work into play.

Sensuality: There is a quickening of sensation, an increased sensitivity in the nervous system to the pleasures of touch. You have much curiosity about physical sensation, a basic interest in figuring out the correlations between bodily experience and emotional reaction. This is not an inordinately sensual placement, for Mercury is essentially a neutral planet, indicating a more detached interest than any definite feelings of liking or disliking. Conversely, Mercury's placement in the 2nd shows that thinking and communicating are almost sensory experiences; physical pleasure is experienced from the stroking of mental stimulus. The challenge is to see mentality as an expression of personal enjoyment, to understand that the brain is the most sensual organ of the body.

Mercury in 2nd House: The emphasis you place on both human and material values enables you to derive much satisfaction from your endeavors. You understand the necessity of using your deductive ability to get the most from your resources, and you are never at a loss to apply your talents gainfully. Eager to demonstrate your creative talent, you attract the attention of your superiors, who will give you opportunities to establish a place for yourself in your career. You also attract favorable notice from the public, for you serve their interests well. Your concern for security leads you to improve your skills to augment your earning ability. Your goals are reasonably well-defined, and you waste little time getting your career plans under way to achieve your aims as soon as possible. You are willing to invest time and energy in getting the education you need.

Appreciative of the good influence of your parents in your early years, you try to live up to their expectations and be a credit to them. You were taught to build a solid foundation for your life in order to be independent in your later years and gain the security you feel you need. You have a wealth of ideas that you can promote in order to achieve that objective. You would find it painful to depend on others for anything. Occasionally you should break out of your job routine and cultivate an interest in activities that are totally removed from it. Focus more attention on developing your creative imagination, and indulge yourself in purely enjoyable activities. Let your hair down now and then, and learn to relax.

Competing with others stimulates you to use all your resources. You rarely come out on the short end of a challenging situation, because you use a 'nuts and bolts' logic to disarm your opponent. Thus you win people's trust and patronage, and they allow you to handle their affairs. You know how to exploit your creative abilities to win public confidence. Because you work so diligently in using your skills, you do ask that your efforts be appreciated. You want your partner's admiration for your achievements; and you hope your children will live up to your expectations for them. You want them to take advantage of the opportunities you've given them to make a life for themselves, and you would be disappointed if they let you down.

Not only do you want to achieve financial independence; you also want the public to think of you as a person with solid human values. You strive to provide services that will satisfy the most demanding individual, and you expect to be well paid for your efforts. You continue to improve your skills, knowing that this will assure you of a steady income. Though you may think twice before spending money for schooling, you realize that you must stay informed to meet the challenge of your competitors, so you continue to educate yourself at all times, regardless of your formal training. You accept the daily trials of the real world, knowing that you can solve any problems that come your way and earn a decent income at the same time.

You are unyielding in your views, and tend to turn a deaf ear to others' suggestions, especially when they criticize your activities. You should broaden your interests by taking up subjects that are totally removed from your profession or daily routine. The worst thing you can do is to remain ignorant of other people's ideas or to become detached from them by refusing to communicate.

Mercury in 2nd House: If well-aspected, Mercury in the 2nd can be a skilful manipulator of money or finance, especially adept at arbitration and making deals with others. Money can be earned through such professions as selling, writing, lecturing, teaching, secretarial work, the transport industry, etc.. They may be concerned with the movement or distribution of goods, with devising new techniques of production, or with ways of improving the quality of existing products. Innate values to be developed include inventiveness, dexterity, flexibility and a talent for using words.

On a broader level, there is a curiosity and urge to understand the nature of the physical world. A small pebble found on the beach or the intricacies of a hair follicle found on the body are endlessly fascinating for a minute or two. A sense of security is found through knowledge and learning how something works. However, unless Mercury is in a Fire sign, it may take some time before experience is fully transmuted into understanding when placed in the earthy second house.

See also: Mercury in the 2nd House;

Mercury in the 2nd House: Sri Aurobindo, Ingrid Bergman, George Clooney, Milton William Cooper, Queen Elizabeth II, Sally Field, Uri Geller, Alfred Hitchcock, Aldous Huxley, Bob Marley, Meher Baba, OmNi, Brad Pitt, Elvis Presley, Ramana Maharshi, Wilhelm Reich, Karl Renz, Frank Sinatra, Ludwig van Beethoven, Jesse Ventura, Oprah Winfrey, Joanne Woodward, Paramahansa Yogananda, BPoe, Dewitt, Dheeraj, Donny, Eva, Farmer, Gabriela, GaryCl, JJ, Leif, Lorraine, Michael, RoyO, Sky, Tom

Mercury in the 3rd House

When Mercury is in the third house, people are likely to spend much of their time involved with learning experiences of various kinds. These will not necessarily be the kinds of learning which come with a more mature consideration, but can occur where it is necessary to make an initial and energetic push at the beginning of a learning process. People with the placement may be actively involved with their environment and immediate families, particularly with siblings who stimulate their ever-questing minds.

We saw this with Hermes. His first act which involved other people, on the day he was born, was to steal his half-brother's cattle; his next was to try to avoid Apollo's anger. Whatever the results, Hermes was a good, if devious, imitator at this stage. The act also set up some interaction, even if it was of a negative kind, with his older sibling. It only later proved to be a beneficial one after Hermes had been introduced to the healing arts which Apollo and Asklepios favored. So these short-term excursions which Hermes made earlier in life laid some of the groundwork for his later development. To an extent, mistakes and deviousness are part of the early learning process; it is only where they persist as a life-long pattern which takes no account of other people's needs that there are problems.

So people with this placement tend to engage easily with short-term activities and journeys. They are at home with initiating communications and new learning situations. They are often seen as rational and curious, but restless and easily bored, unless other chart factors mitigate the effects of Mercury here. Again, Hermes' myths help. We see from the tales how versatile and inventive he was; alphabets, musical instruments, cattle-rustling, playing the merchant or the thief were all grist to his mill. He seemed to have few fears about initiating any activity which involved his mind rather than his feelings. The danger is that some third house Mercury people may occasionally feel themselves to be eternal students and forever on the move mentally; at times, it can pall.

The cusp sign of Mercury in the third house may show, for example, something of the way people with this placement initially approach their surroundings and the beginnings of relationships with others. Mercury in Pisces people have minds which can easily pick up on the moods and attitudes of the people around them; those with Mercury in Leo may have much self-confidence in their own mental abilities and be strong-willed enough to express these well. Planetary aspects, too, might help to develop or prevent certain characteristics of mind when this placement is prominent.

People with this placement are able to assimilate concepts and ideas with ease, but may find difficulty with concentration, and so need to guard against scattering their mental energies. Hermes's many talents can operate against him if he is not careful. So people with Mercury here may benefit from making sure of strong and viable connections between their many activities and areas of interest by choosing carefully the priorities they wish to develop further. Deepening their interests and staying with the process is helpful to the mercurially minded as they move on their way to self-knowledge; hopping from one area of activity to another without making connections between them may prove frustrating in the end. Even Mercury submits himself to the alchemical transformation when he can take his old skills no further.

Mercury in 3rd House: This is an excellent position for a writer or communicator of any kind: filmmaker, photographer, graphic artist, secretary, lecturer, teacher. The mind is open and flexible, and keeps a youthful and eager approach to life, or at least to those areas of life on which it has decided to concentrate. There is a great interest in animals, children, and nature. There is an ability to move easily from one idea or field to another. With Mercury in Fire or Air, they are inclined to move too rapidly or easily, picking up nothing as they go, remembering little, and leaving no trace of having been there.

They usually have great stories about people they have known and places they have been. There is a great incoming stream of information about the world; but without aspects of crystallization these will form no philosophy or concepts, and will be put to no other use than amusing conversation with whoever is around. There is a great feel for the true sound and tempo of everyday life, that is good for playwrights, novelists, comedians, etc.. It makes a person capable of being a very witty and entertaining companion. They usually have a wide circle of amusing acquaintances, although deep friendships must be shown by other factors.

They will gladly take the other side of the argument for the sheer pleasure of it and to keep up the excitement of a conversation, though they actually feel committed to no one position, which can be aggravating to those around them, who may feel that there is simply nothing there. They are better at providing a forum for others, recording others, helping others to bring forth their ideas, than they are at presenting their own, for often they have no real viewpoint, since they see so clearly all sides of a question.

They are resentful of pigeonholes and labels, love freedom, and hate to be tied down, especially mentally (by a boring job or relationship). They will struggle until they find a spot where they can use their mentality as they please.

Mercury in 3rd House: Outreach: Mercury in the 3rd revels an overriding interest in the experience of environmental stimulus. You often dart from issue to issue, fueled by a nervous system that is almost insatiable in its drive to discover and taste new levels of the environment. Activity here is both mental and physical, with the emphasis on investigation and perception. You're usually on the go, seeking new and better sources of interest. While every house placement of Mercury is active, linking it with the 3rd creates a situation where boredom is anathema and downright deadening to the spirit. The challenge is to develop the quickness and facility of your mind through a perpetually active life.

Concrete mind: Your mentality is agile, quick, and very well-suited to the manipulation of data. You can be computer like in your approach to thought, juggling huge amounts of information in a perpetually ongoing search-and-sort operation aimed at the creation of new insights. Pure rationality is emphasized, and must be maintained for clarity. The pitfall is loss of overall meaning in the endless pursuit of new data; and the challenge is to experience an ever-changing kaleidoscope of information relationships.

Curiosity: As you are an insatiably curious person, the process of mentality is more pronounced than the pursuit of any particular information. Knowing is not an end per se, but rather a continuing means of stroking your nervous system. The pitfall surrounds not focusing long enough to ever really learn anything, creating a perpetual state of nervous aggravation, an 'itch you can't scratch'. The challenge is to enjoy the desire to know rather than the knowing itself.

Basic education: The child with this placement often has a natural facility for learning. Communication skills can develop earlier than usual, although interest must be kept high through a diversity of stimuli. All the skills of understanding can be successfully emphasized. Later in life, there are likely to be wide-reaching interests ¬'jack of all trades, master of none' - for there is at least a little to be learned in everything.

Communication: Mercury here is usually presumed to indicate an individual who is very talkative, even verbose. This may or may not be the case, for with Mercury, as with all other planets, the sign position and interplanetary associations can substantially modify the symbolic patterns. What is safe to say, however, is that you are usually processing information. When it is expressed, what is most important is the information itself, not stylistic concerns such as tone of voice. In communicating with you, others should listen carefully to the words themselves. They hold the key.

Mercury in 3rd House: You are basically a person of ideas, which you express fluently and effortlessly. Life is fascinating to you, and you never tire of pursuing knowledge about every possible subject. Your friends support you in your endeavors, knowing that you will not give up. They like you because you never threaten them with your superior knowledge, allowing their egos to remain intact. You bring sparkle and wit to any gathering, though you are serious when necessary. You aren't unduly preoccupied with the future, for you never doubt that you will achieve your goals. You may accept help on occasion; and you are eager to reciprocate when someone needs assistance. You have no trouble in dealing with the public, and you always seem to have the appropriate answers to people's problems.

You will find it easy to attract a suitable mate to share your life, insisting only that you partner be as eager as you are to grow and develop. Combining your talents will benefit both of you. Your greatest assets are your insatiable thirst for knowledge and your ability to dramatize your ideas.

You usually set the stage for an encounter by first organizing your ideas. People have no difficulty following your train of thought, for you make proposals with ingenious sensitivity. Your logic almost always impresses your listeners. In your personal life, you enjoy a variety of loves; but the idea of settling down with one individual is at first discomforting. Your creative ideas may be your 'children'. If you have a real family, however, you hope that they agree with your ambitions with them; but if they don't, be prepared to concede to their desires.

It is especially important to get a formal education; the people whom you contact professionally will respect the polish that an education provides. You can't afford the embarrassment of losing to a competitor simply because you are uninformed. While it is fun to ask questions, it's the answers that count; besides, it bothers you not to know something. You might benefit by withdrawing from society now and then, to allow your imagination and inspiration to work. Seek a career that will continually make demands on you, and avoid routine endeavors that will crush your creative spirit. With persistent effort, you will realize your ambitions.

You might be distracted by indulging in sexual fantasies or dreams of a great career. When the time comes to demonstrate your skills and act out your role in the marketplace, your strong passionate nature will help you succeed. Your passion will be translated into a strong desire to win the coveted prize, whether it's a contract, a sale or a person that arouses you. Stay within safe limits on the job. Extending yourself can take a lot out of you, mentally and physically.

You know how to make the best of a situation and how to capitalize on all your resources in order to increase your earnings. You should seek advice to help you get your resources organized, or you will waste precious time in disorder. This could be a residual effect of your early conditioning when you were expected to share your parents' views and opinions. If your views are different, you may not be able to make the right decisions for yourself except by trial and error. This is why you should have help until you learn to fully understand and appreciate the value of your own ideas. Eventually you can learn to establish an orderly pattern in your thinking.

Mercury in 3rd House: Mercury is strongly placed in the 3rd, since in the natural zodiac this is one of its own houses. The sign placement and aspects to it will describe the way a person thinks, learns and digests experience. A 3rd house Mercury in Fire or Air or in aspect to Mars, Jupiter or Uranus indicates a more extroverted and speedy mind than when Mercury is placed in an Earth sign or in aspect to Saturn, which slows down and deepens the thought processes. Mercury in Water or aspected to the Moon or Neptune leans more through osmosis, absorption and aesthetic and emotional appreciation than in an analytic, step-by-step mode. A 'good mind' is normally defined as one that can think rationally and logically; but an examination of the 3rd house may reveal other kinds of minds - just as good - which operate differently from the standards of traditional educational systems. Learning difficulties may be shown by aspects of Uranus, Neptune, or Pluto to a 3rd house Mercury, and often stem from the fact that this person's mind is not the type that is favored by conventional teaching techniques.

In general, however, Mercury in the 3rd, unless adversely aspected, reveals a lively, witty, observant intellect, adept at communication and repartee, with good attention to detail. Those with this placement are unusually clever at selecting those facts which justify or support the case they wish to present. Those with Mercury in the 3rd normally have at least a little something to say about everything. If you don't think so, ask them and wait a minute.

The nature of the relationship with siblings and neighbors will be shown by the aspects to Mercury in this house. Mercury in difficult aspect to Saturn or Pluto, for instance, could indicate some deep-rooted problems stemming from sibling issues. These are worth examining, as they often illuminate patterns which may still be operating much later in life. I drew up the chart of a woman with Mercury conjunct Pluto in the 3rd house whose younger brother died when she was only six years old. At the age of twenty-eight, she was still walking around believing that something she had said or done was the cause of his death.

See also: Mercury in the 3rd House;

Mercury in the 3rd House: Lucille Ball, Helena Blavatsky, Jim Carrey, Robert De Niro, Walt Disney, Art Garfunkel, Georges Gurdjieff, Tenzin Gyatso, Bill Hicks, L.Ron Hubbard, Elton John, John Malkovich, Karl Marx, Paul McCartney, Jack Nicklaus, Paul Simon, Sting, Nikola Tesla, Carolyn, Collon, Cynthia, Dunja, Flossie, Jyothi, Keith, Raga, Ricardo, Suji (end), TonyO, Victoria, VinCal, Zoë

Mercury in the 4th House

A fourth house Mercury indicates people whose mental activities may include an awareness of their roots and the foundations on which they build their lives. In many cases, this is reflected in perhaps unconscious, predisposed emotions and attitudes to the home and family. At a day old, Hermes was very aware that he and his mother were living in a cave on Mount Kyllene, far from Hera's wrath on Olympus, but also isolated from the other Olympians. For people with this placement, sometimes what is deeply buried within needs to be brought to the surface, but it may take them years to do so, especially where Maia is more active than Hermes in the placement. Though Maia herself expressed no desire to go to 'Olympus', it was among Hermes's first thoughts. But if Mercury makes his presence felt early, then people with this placement could experience changeable home conditions while they are children. They may also project many of their intellectual faculties on to their fathers or the less dominant parent. often there is a desire to make the home a safe hive of intellectual activity or a place of work. These tendencies are likely to be enhanced where Mercury is in strong aspect to, or conjuncts, the IC; but, equally, as life progresses, there may be an increasing urge to uncover what is essential to the self, risking some of the safety that the environment provides.

Most of us like at least one place where we feel safe; but a fourth house Mercury needs intellectual stimulation there, too. If it isn't provided, then the person with Mercury here may decide to look elsewhere, as Hermes did when he left Mount Kyllene to reside with his father on Olympus - when he wasn't travelling, that is. There is more than a suggestion in the myths that Hermes, unconsciously, took the action he did over Apollo's cattle in order to obtain some of the variety and wider experience of life he needed, having to move away from home in order to do so. Mercury in the fourth house can sometimes feel closed in, even in a safe environment.

Cusp signs will affect the strength of such feelings. Mercury with Gemini here may increase the intellectual restlessness to be found in the home, but it can also give the curiosity necessary to discover if the father, for instance, is really as critical as the person seemed to experience. On the other hand, Mercury with Aries on the cusp of the fourth could give an over forceful and impatient expression in any matters which might lead to uncovering the origins of behavior.

Aspects, too, particularly where the IC is also involved, will influence this placement.

Mercury in 4th House: With this position of Mercury, there is a great love of motion and travel, a great desire to see faraway places and to know exotic people, partly as a means for acquiring perspective on their own roots and early environment.

There may be a severing of ties with roots and early environment; and they may ultimately end up far from where they started. There may be quite a bit of travelling during childhood and the school years, with the family relocating a number of times.

Later in life, they may move away from their early roots and environment in a cultural as well as geographical sense, sometimes adopting a less civilized, less highly-educated, more basic lifestyle, or at least adopting its point of view, and working toward an understanding of such a lifestyle through writing, speaking, and so forth.

This position of Mercury is a partial testimony to a strong current of inner growth and self-development throughout life that takes them far from where they started in every sense, not just physically. There is often the lifelong styling of the self after an ideal and, consequently, a lifelong development along those lines, although it takes other factors to show what sort of an ideal - not always a noble one.

These people have a very private mental life, and are highly individualistic in their way of thinking. They may have a rather lonely mental life and feel somewhat isolated, particularly in youth. The truth is that they are not afraid, as are most people, to think differently, and willingly forge ahead along new lines of thought, taking each new idea and testing it, rejecting what doesn't fit their current system, yet basically maintaining a respect for all systems of thought. There is a lifelong search for a basic reality that can unite all disparate and seemingly opposing systems of thought, a search for what is basic to all of them. Ideas are loved, not for their intellectual aptness, but for realism and practicality. There is usually an interest in history, anthropology, archeology, as evidence of what has been, upon which their own personal world view can be based. The mind here is a digger, ever working down through facts toward fundamental truths rather than flying high after dreams and beautiful but insubstantial fantasies.

Those with a fourth house Mercury have an innate feeling for 'the people', although they themselves generally remain aloof from large groups. They feel their own selfhood intensely, and it is hard for them to reach past it and touch the lives of others. It is often the sign of one who walks alone. They may become leaders if others urge leadership upon them, or they may shun it, but they will never be followers.

Mercury in 4th House: Microcosm: With Mercury in the 4th, thoughts, ideas, and all forms of communication are linked with the most personal levels of self. You spend much time thinking about yourself and those you love. What is known is often kept secret; and though it's certainly natural that you be conservative with your information, this can occasionally work to your disadvantage. The challenge is to realize that your thoughts are private rather than secret, and to learn to share these private thoughts selectively, joyfully, with those you most trust.

Personal security: Home is correctly a place of mental stimulation, a movable feast of ideas and physical change. Mobility is essential, for boredom and stultification lie in wait, ready to pounce whenever stagnation overcomes vibrancy, so you may want to think of yourself as having a 'mobile home'. Mercury is naturally subordinate to the Sun; and the actual tendency toward frequent relocation is subject to the Sun's condition, as well as that of the chart in general. However, no matter what is revealed by the rest of the chart, ties of communication are always important: conversational, by telephone, or written. These are the tools with which you build a sense of permanent security. The pitfall lies in uprooting yourself or being uprooted too often; and the challenge is to keep extending your security, moving and changing with the times as growth requires.

Emotional imprints: Your imprints were basically derived from observed behavior and mental instructions. What you saw and heard were powerful motivators of future behavior, for imitative modeling is the rule here: 'monkey see, monkey do'. Your intelligence was emphasized, either positively or negatively. In and of itself, however, Mercury is the least important of the ten planets in revealing the imprint structure.

'Inner-link' parent: Though Mercury's placement acts mainly as a modifier of the Sun's more primary impact, its placement here indicates that your mother had greater than ordinary importance as a teacher. Her imprint effect involved structuring your nervous system and mental machinery during infancy. Especially with the Sun in the 3rd or 5th houses, she may have vacillated a great deal about her maternal role, possibly preferring the cool dryness of mental contact rather than the warm wetness of the emotional.

Private intuition: Rational processes are the natural key to private intuitions. You must figure things out with this placement; and much time is spent 'in conversation' with the inner self, getting a handle on situations, problems, or choices. Answers may not be straightforward, but questions abound in an ongoing Socratic dialogue: You ask questions, and your guides respond by posing other questions. Even when they give you direct answers, it will stimulate you to further questions. They are more than willing to engage you in conversation; but be sure to keep the channels open, since they depend on your call. Reach out and touch someone, even if the being in question does not have a body.

Mercury in 4th House: Being so close to the other members of your family makes it difficult for you to think for yourself. You are inclined to pattern your habits and attitudes on your parent's line of reasoning. Because of this emotional conditioning, you tend to keep your opinions to yourself unless they concur with your parents' ideas, for you feel obligated to them. Eventually you will have to take responsibility for using your mental abilities for your own interests, even if it causes you some temporary anxiety. Your keen imagination will serve you well if you are daring enough to exploit it openly. A formal education will help you understand how capable you can be; and from this will come the self-confidence you need for success. Along with your intellectual abilities, you have great sensitivity to other people's feelings, and you try to do what is best for them.

You may often change your course of action in working toward your goals, which is all right if you keep your primary objective in focus. The need to establish security for your later years will help you maintain a plan of action and see it realized. It would be ideal if the same force would stimulate you to stand on your own. Money is very important to you; and few people can match your talent for acquiring it. You know that money is necessary to achieving your goals. You hate to depend on anyone for support, so you try to capitalize on your own ideas to make that unnecessary.

Your highest priority should be to accept the challenges of competition. There is no easy way to gain public recognition for your accomplishments except through self-discipline and determination to succeed. That will improve your self-image and assure your growth in your position. Your partner may be more helpful than you realize; and you should pay attention to any suggestions he or she offers, because you will probably benefit from them. Even your competitors can serve your purposes if you learn how they succeed. But your mate is your best source of inspiration; and you both will be rewarded by living up to each other's expectations. You need a partner who understands you and who will support you when your self-confidence sags.

Your best motivation comes from people who need your expertise to solve their problems. You owe them your continued understanding and professional skill as long as they need it, for it is through this kind of interchange that you will attain your future goals. Be wary of friends who make excessive demands unless they give you some consideration for your efforts. At the same time, you must know that only hard work will bring you the security you need and are so preoccupied with. v Take advantage of your excellent mind, and develop it into your greatest asset. You are enormously resourceful in capitalizing on your ideas; but you must avoid people who try to distract you from your plans. The knowledge you've gained will help you secure a career position. The worst trap you could fall into is to allow family considerations to inhibit your development. With a little imagination, you can accomplish a great deal by exploiting your creative potentials. You will have to sell yourself and your ideas; but don't underestimate their quality. It is unlikely that you would exaggerate your abilities, anyway.

Mercury in 4th House: Mercury in the 4th sometimes indicates an intellectual or academic home background, where the emphasis was on being sensible and rational, perhaps at the expense of feelings, warmth and physical closeness. Intelligence may be inherited through the family line. If the 4th house is taken to mean the father, then in some way he would have carried the Mercury projection: he might have been experienced as expressive, articulate, critical or possibly tricky and elusive, someone who 'comes and goes'. Mental attitudes could be mixed up with those of the father. There may even be more than one father - the actual father and a stepfather or another person who fills the role of a father-figure.

Early changes of residence may bring to the surface underlying qualities of flexibility and adaptability. Some with this placement might prefer a nomadic lifestyle. If Mercury is difficultly aspected in the 4th, there could be more than the usual amount of bickering, arguments and back-biting within the early home or later home environments. Mental and educational activities could be carried on in the home. Even well into the second half of life, the person would benefit from further learning or studying.

See also: Mercury in the 4th House;

Mercury in the 4th House: Woody Allen, Fred Astaire, William Blake, Prince Charles, Aleister Crowley, Bette Davis, Thomas Edison, Bill Gates, George Harrison, Howard Hughes, Mick Jagger, J. Krishnamurti, Joni Mitchell, Vaslav Nijinsky, Pablo Picasso, David Rockefeller, John D. Rockefeller, Evelyn Robert de Rothschild, Albert Schweitzer, Gloria Steinem, Malcolm X, ChrisC, Dipesh, JBLight, JerGar, Kay, Leigh, Lori, Marie, Marybeth, Michelle, Nirvesh, PapayaJ, Prabhuta, Ralph, Suji (cusp)

Mercury in the 5th House

In the fifth house, Mercury can lead to the development of a mind interested in open, perhaps dramatic and creative forms of expression, particularly where there is a capacity for literary pursuits or activities of skill and strategy. There is often an interest in children or in the abilities of the young for people with this placement. Recreational activities are also seen as creative, and so is the possibility of romance. These people may be fast and precise thinkers in any artistic, literary or recreational endeavors they undertake. The apollonian qualities of a bright vitality are added to the intellectual abilities of Mercury when the two gods meet in myth. The exchange between them is, by turn, angry, witty, conciliatory, creative and interesting.

Aspects to Mercury in this house may influence the ability to think flexibly and creatively. Signs on the cusp of the fifth, too, can also affect the way Mercury works here. Mercury with Taurus may slow down the mind's ability to make creative connections quickly, but could enhance the capacity to produce something worthwhile in tangible form. Mercury with Aquarius would indicate an intuitive, original mind which might need to direct its creativity towards some humanitarian goal.

People with this placement are most often driven to produce at the creative level, as Hermes was when he made the lyre from a tortoise's shell. The difficulty is that people who are as inventive may find that they are engaging in separate activities which seem to have little connection between them; perhaps there is also an overemphasis in one area to the detriment of others. The interconnectedness of fifth house activities is important for these people because it enhances their mental perceptions. They easily identify with a need for continual and enthusiastic creation and recognition.

The myth of Amphion shows something of the fifth house attributes of creativity. He had connections with both Hermes and Apollo. Hermes had given him a lyre because he was devoted to the god's worship; but Amphion was often teased for playing it by Zethus, his brother, because it distracted him from work. But after the brothers had captured Thebes and dethroned the king, Amphion built the lower city by playing his lyre. The power of the sound shifted the stones into place, one on top of the other, so that the city was built in record time. Faith in the good gift bestowed by the god meant that Amphion was in a good position to profit from his creativity, provided that the gods were continually honored.

Mercury in 5th House: This position of Mercury is a powerful testimony to creativity. These are sturdy souls. They will never be downed by circumstances alone. In fact, they are often stimulated by difficulties to rise above them in a creative fashion, so they may actually seek trouble in some way so that this faculty will find expression, to the despair of less adventurous friends and relatives.

This Mercury adds flair to the style and charisma to the personality. They rarely look to others for answers. They have a deep belief in the creative powers of the self, and are only too eager to use them. They must develop some area where this boldly innovative drive can be put to use, or they will run headlong into difficulties with more conservative types. This is a very good position for artists, writers, lecturers, entertainers, etc.. They do not work well in a career in harness with others, unless there is another area of life where there is total working freedom.

Usually attractive physically, they may have a number of romances and affairs, though this energy is often translated into artistic efforts. If Mercury is near the sixth house cusp, there is also a tremendous capacity for hard work.

These people make excellent teachers. If they do not teach as a career - and bureaucratic constraints unfortunately often cause these naturally gifted teachers to flee the profession - they will somehow manage to arrange their lives so that they can do some teaching along the way. Children and young people are very important to them. If Mercury is under pressure from Mars, Saturn, or Uranus, parenthood may be denied, which will bring grief because they will be greatly desired. In this case, they will usually settle for adoption, or helping children or young people in some other way. They are usually attractive to children and younger people all their lives.

They are inclined to take chances and risks, drive fast, and race cars or horses, or at least admire those who do. They are romantics all their lives, scorning as dull the everyday routines that most people cling to.

Mercury in 5th House: Conscious persona: Mercury in the 5th house reveals you to be a performer of the mind, someone capable of mental pyrotechnics or verbal gymnastics. You imagine every communication to be delivered to an audience, as in a speech or press conference; and you have a heightened awareness that words are the most creative part of your act. The pitfalls are mental vanity and pedantic overkill, while the challenge is to develop a charismatic and conscious sense of mind and its presentation.

Romance, giving love: Where love is concerned, you are a poet, a magician of words. Courtship exists between the minds; and what is said is of much greater importance than what is done. There is acceleration in the urgency of loving, as the nervous system galvanizes instantly to the clarion call of romance. On levels other than mental, however, love is cooled, and that is a consistent pitfall. Stimulus and imagery are the keys here; flirtation in the mind becomes an art. The challenge, of course, is to reach deeply into the thoughts of your beloved, penetrating both your thoughts about her and her thoughts about everything. To win the heart, you must fascinate the mind.

Sexual performance: The act of making love is something you think about - before, during, and after. Technique is critical; and your mind works overtime to develop scenarios for successful sexual performance. Communication is as important as touch, often more so, because for you, making love is like 'dancing in the mind'. There is usually a quicksilver attitude here, an air of slight detachment from the act itself, almost as if you were a photographer recording the experience. And like a photographer, there is a sense of rushing to the next image, capturing the perfect pose one moment, then moving on. Mercury does not savor, but rather forms a rapidly moving collection of images, so the pitfall is subtle voyeurism. The challenge is first to satisfy the hunger of your nervous system for the stimulation of beautiful images, then to convey that beauty back to your beloved.

Personal creativity: Your mind is involved in any creative endeavors. However, Mercury's placement here indicates little about the use of your full intelligence. Instead, the focus is on quickness of perception, facility with words, and wit. The sign placement and aspects are of special significance in determining your motivation and style. For example, you could be light and playful, producing enjoyment as your main creative products, or you could be serious and intense, working on creative projects that require intricate schedules and strategies. The challenge is to create new ways to communicate emotional realities.

Competition: Competition is exciting to your nervous system. You are stimulated by mental competition, enjoying the gymnastics of mental skill. You risk much more verbally than any other way, often through intricate games of logic and strategy. The pitfall lies in 'talking the talk' without really being able to 'walk the walk'; you sound like you're a confident and willing risker when you may only be playing a game of words. The challenge is not to conquer others with a show of brilliance, but to fully engage them so the games can continue.

Mercury in 5th House: Even though you are aware of your enormous creative potential, you tend to postpone doing something worthwhile with it. You are inclined to put off committing yourself, preferring to indulge in activities that serve only your own selfish interests. You tend to change the subject when someone puts you on the defensive about your lack of determination in applying yourself toward some goal. But you are sure that when the 'right time' comes you will demonstrate your talent to everyone. You know what with a little luck you will prove your point. You enjoy being free, and you realize that when you make a commitment, you are bound by it. Since you often lose interest when the novelty of a project wears off, you want time to decide on your life direction. A career that brings you into close contact with the public would give you the opportunity to put your best foot forward. You express yourself so dramatically that people are impressed, which should indicate the nature of your career interests.

You know yourself better than most people know themselves, but you will feel more guilty if you fail to live up to your considerable creative and intellectual gifts. You have special talents for direct communication and writing. You can devise many ways to exploit your creative imagination in your career and personal life. Since you need to know that other people appreciate your efforts in their behalf, you may choose a profession that brings you into close contact with the public. This would give you first-hand knowledge of how effective you are in helping people, which would be enormously gratifying. You are basically a very friendly person; and it would be surprising if you became alienated from anyone, even your competitors.

Once you grow up and realize that there is a time to play and a tie to work, you will find a way to stand on your own. Freedom is priceless, but you must earn it by being willing to work and contribute what you can do others. Your future financial independence rests solely on resigning yourself to this fact. There are few gifts that come without having to make some exchange in return. You have much creative potential, which you can use in worthwhile endeavors that will bring you security in your later years. Take your cue from well-meaning friends who have succeeded in reaching their goals. Once you start getting feedback from your efforts, you will have the necessary stimulus to persist. Accepting responsibility in this task is a major requirement.

You are afraid that you will not make a lasting impression on people; but you pretend that nothing bothers you. The truth is, you want to be in control of every situation. However, there are times when you are unwilling to sacrifice your personal pleasures as a necessary investment in your career. Your carefree attitude sometimes suggests that you don't want to pay the price of fulfilling your potential.

You think too much about problems that are imaginary rather than real.

Your domestic environment gave you certain advantages, although it probably delayed your maturing by contributing to your laissez-faire attitude. Be grateful that you were able to indulge yourself in your youth, but realize that achieving on your own terms means hard work now. You may have many excuses for not applying yourself, but there are probably few valid reasons.

Mercury in 5th House: Creative pursuits, hobbies and recreational outlets are the means of becoming more conscious of the self and the environment. Some form of artistic expression may be the medium through which this person sees, thinks, feels and communicates. For those with this placement, experience is more richly understood and better digested if it can be described in poetic words, drawn, sung about or danced. Knowledge is passed on from generation to generation in this way.

Expanding the mind through knowledge and developing the ability to communicate and convey ideas contribute to greater self-fulfillment with Mercury in this position. Mental amusements such as chess, scrabble and other games of strategy and wit might be typical 5th house Mercury pursuits. Gymnastics, track and field events, and those sports which involve precision teamwork such as basketball also come to mind.

Mercury's restlessness and need for variety can manifest itself in an active romantic life. The flame of romance is probably kept burning longer if the other person is mentally stimulating. Flattering those with Mercury in the 5th about the acuity and breadth of their knowledge or their brilliant way of putting things will get you everywhere.

Parents with this placement normally foster the intellectual abilities of their children, and both probably have a lot to learn from one another. The parent-child relationship may blossom when the child is older and increasingly able to communicate and exchange ideas. Mercury in the 5th makes a good teacher or educator of young people; and I have often seen this placement in the charts of those who work especially well with adolescents.

See also: Mercury the 5th House;

Mercury in the 5th House: Shirley Temple Black, Marlon Brando, Wilt Chamberlain, Melanie Griffith, Steve Jobs, Jack Parsons, Dolly Parton, Will Rogers, Bruce Springsteen, Elizabeth Taylor, Swami Vivekananda, Tiger Woods, Fergus, Ivy, Jamie, Jeff, JT, Leen, Maureen, PaulS, Zeno

Mercury in the 6th House

Those people with Mercury in the sixth house may be concerned with the refinement and perfection of routine skills. They may be very aware of the relationship between mind and body, particularly in the areas of day-to-day work and the people with whom they then come into contact. They are often observant and thoughtful about the details or routine work and how it may best be put into practice, conscious of the need to reduce tensions in daily life and work routines. One way for people with this placement to ensure a healthy interaction between mind and body is to pay some attention to diet and fitness régimes.

There is a deeper meaning to this placement. Often the care and concern with bodily functions reflect the mature mercurial nature of connecting all of existence through an understanding of the spiritual, psychological and physical needs of human nature. Work at the level of the physical body and immediate environment helps to prepare a vessel through which the psychological and spiritual functions can best operate. What is above then stands a better chance of integrating with what is below, so the sixth house principle of the concern with everyday needs is an important step in preparation for later alchemical transformation.

We see this step being taken in any preparation for a religious rite. The meeting place is prepared, the ritual objects and vessels are set out, ablutions may be performed, and priestly garments may be put on. The rite is set so that the minds and hearts of those taking part are purified and are at one with the rituals that are next undergone. These are the ones which, it is hoped, will effect some spiritual transformation. There is analogy here with healing rituals; the preparations for an operation have a similar significance, but at the material level. Mercury, at least in the sixth house, can be as at home with the practical as he is with the spiritual, provided that there is a continual awareness of the meanings which lie behind the practical.

But aspects with other planets will give more indications of how Mercury operates here; and sometimes these may be at odds with the underlying Virgoan meaning of preparation and purification. Signs on the cusp may broaden the scope of Mercury placed in the sixth. Mercury with Cancer on the cusp of the sixth house may indicate people who are aware of how intensely emotional their mental processes are when involved with everyday work; Mercury with Libra may objectively note that they are always trying to achieve a balance between their work and health needs.

People with this placement may develop their capabilities in a way which gives them satisfaction in daily life. Observance of the minutiae of routine work, their connections with colleagues and how their bodies and minds respond to the stresses and tensions they encounter during the working day will help them consciously plan a way of life. Some relaxation is necessary before they feel they can best serve others. They have a need to remain fit and emotionally at ease with their own work. This way they can best purify themselves before they offer themselves for service.

Mercury in 6th House: With Mercury in the sixth house, there is a great need for meaningful employment. These individuals love to solve problems, and will need a sphere in which problem-solving abilities are necessary. They will dive into work with tremendous intensity and enthusiasm, ignoring time and physical needs, which will catch up with them later in symptoms of nerve strain and exhaustion.

If the ruler of the sign in which Mercury is located (its dispositor) is near an angle and is square or opposite the sixth house cusp, there may be some severe health problem at some time in their life, especially if a mutable sign is rising. In this case, they will struggle hard against the setback, either to overcome it, or to live with it and function in spite of it.

They are inclined to take themselves very seriously, and to be secretly afraid that others do not, although they may mask this fear behind self-deprecatory humor. If they have an easy manner it is usually affected, and not a reflection of their true nature, which is inclined to be intense.

With this position of Mercury, the mind runs ahead of the body, forcing it to accomplish what the mind has conceived; and this can bring on exhaustion. They want to help solve the problems of humanity, and may work hard and selflessly toward this end. Their nerves are often working overtime, making it hard for them to relax. From time to time, they may wind up in a state where they do not believe that they can accomplish physically what they see is necessary, which results in inertia. This inability to act is actually much harder on them than the strain of too much work.

Physical exercise is necessary for them to drain off their excess mental energy and keep it from affecting their physical system in a negative way. Since they are highly competitive in sports, for relaxation they should choose something non-competitive, such as jogging or swimming.

They are hungry for appreciation, though often they do not show enough appreciation of others to warrant getting any themselves. They are usually too critical of themselves, and must be constantly reminded that no-one is or can be perfect.

Mercury in 6th House: Disease and healing: You are physically vulnerable to what are classically termed 'nervous disorders'. The term 'misunderstanding' acquires greater relevance, since errors in perception or thinking are responsible for behavior patterns that lead to physical breakdown or malfunction. Sometimes this is caused by the brain machinery itself; sometimes it's more the human operator than the machine. The pitfall lies in seeing every imperfection, thus becoming negative or pessimistic. The challenge is to collect and analyze data about any situation (including care of oneself) with an eye toward objectivity, and an inner attitude focused on restoration and maintenance of wholeness. Disease is a breakdown or organization; and healing suggests renewed clarity - making the right connections.

Unequal relationships: The emphasis on inequality in relationships is less important than with other planets. The tonal quality shifts away from general relatedness, toward the specific area of communication. You are more aware of differences in intelligence and education. The pitfall involves putting yourself down because others seem smarter or more eloquent. The challenge is to use your mind to observe the status and power distinctions that occur in all social settings.

Duty and service: Service is linked with rational intelligence or communication. Figuring out logical puzzles, solving problems, deciphering situations; these are all natural. You apply your mind to external situations, typically those involving both people and 'machinery'. Quotation marks are necessary because the machines you so love to take apart and put back together may be literal - metal, plastic, screws and bolts - but also metaphorical - the mechanics of human social interaction, for instance. In either case, you constantly look for flaws, broken pieces, and malfunctioning units. The challenge is to heal your own mind by using it to help others solve problems. While this provides clarity and an understanding of how things work, it can also become compulsive. Remember: if it's not broken, don't fix it. Don't even take it apart. If it is broken, study the basic design, discover how it works, and restore its functioning by repair.

Technical mind: You're possessed with a drive toward organization, an undying curiosity about the workings of things. There is detachment here, and neutrality, an almost computer-like sensibility. You process large amounts of information, constructing complex sequences of understanding, in part because you enjoy the endless feedback loop of mental stimulation. Your analyses branch out, to follow multiple lines of reasoning simultaneously. The pitfall involves your tendency to postpone final conclusions, instead being constantly in process with calculations. The challenge is to make your investigations pragmatically productive, to experience the satisfaction of problem-solving through clear analysis and critical understanding.

Discipline and routines: Regularity is not as important as variety. You need an active routine, one which satisfies your need for the daily stimulation of numerous tasks. Productivity per se is not as critical as the process of having problems to address, puzzles to solve. As with all Mercury levels, the placement of the Sun can significantly modify the way you approach your lifestyle. The challenge is to keep busy, with one eye on the eventual goal.

Mercury in 6th House: You are a resourceful thinker, and you enjoy solving problems. A major issue is to find out how to apply your skills for the most benefit. You know that until you have developed your creative potentials, you don't really have any skills. Therefore you learn as much as possible to improve your chances for getting a suitable job. You believe in self-development, and you try to excel in using every talent to increase your options when opportunities come up. You put a value on your skills, and rarely do any work unless you are paid according to the quality of your service. Money may not be everything to you, but it does provide a tool for judging your performance. You are willing to work to get what you want, because you don't expect others to give you anything or do you any favors. Dedicated to your career, you perform your duties with professional attention. Your superiors generally approve of your accomplishments and admire your devotion to duty.

The environment in which you were raised allowed you to find a suitable outlet for your creative talents. You are grateful for the lessons taught by your parents and their urging you to think for yourself. You serve your own interests best when you serve the needs of others, for solving their problems or showing them how to deal with a situation brings out the best in you. People are more appreciative of your help than you realize, and they would be happy to do favors in return when you need them.

Finding a way to make your skills available through fulfilling some social obligation should be an important priority. You will experience great joy by making a worthwhile contribution to society, even if you act anonymously. Finding a way to do this isn't difficult if you ask people who are in the position to know. Don't be afraid to admit it when you are ignorant about some matter. Even if your formal education is limited, you can accomplish more than many who are better educated, because you know how to make the most of your creative potential.

Stop worrying about your problems that never happen. When external crises develop, learn to use them as opportunities to demonstrate your superior skill in coping. Don't do anything without a plan designed to reward you later in life, when security is so important. Take time to relax and unwind from the demands of your vocational interests. Clean living habits and physical exercise will pay dividends in a prosperous and productive way of life.

Your diligence and determination to succeed give you greater self-assurance and confidence with those you love. In a sense, these qualities are your love offering, and you hope to attract a love or mate who admires you for them. You hope that your children will learn by your example and take advantage of the benefits you provide to make their own life. Be cautious about starting relationships with people who don't seem to want to help themselves. You could be expected to compensate for that person's incompetence by taking on his or her obligations. Still, you don't have to fear competition; instead, look at it as an opportunity to prove yourself in difficult situations. Because you know your competitors' weaknesses, you have little to fear from them.

Mercury in 6th House: Knowledge is acquired in the process of managing the affairs of everyday life and maintaining the health and well-being of the body.

With Mercury here, a great deal can be learned from the body - especially when little things go wrong. But those with this placement must learn to ask the right questions at the right time, such as, 'Why do I always get this pain in the neck when you walk into the room?' or 'Why does my backache get worse on Saturday nights?' In its own domain of the 6th, Mercury dispatches messages from the unconscious mind to the conscious mind via those minor aches and pains which most of us interpret as cues to reach for the aspirin. Information about the environment is also available through the barometer of the body if we only learn how to read the instrument.

Health problems may be connected to nerves, excessive worrying, too much activity and not enough rest. Yoga, relaxation techniques, meditation and attention to breathing can help reduce the stress of an overwrought mind and body. Mercury in the 6th is sometimes a case of mind (Mercury) over matter (the earthy 6th): positive mental images of the self affirm health, foster the healing process, and may even serve in the cause of prevention.

The 6th house describes how we make use of our time; and with Mercury here, the overriding need is to keep busy. Check priorities: how much of the time is frittered away in an endless number of pursuits and activities which in the end don't really lead anywhere?

It is helpful if the work is mentally engaging and allows for some movement and mobility. If Mercury in the 6th is difficulty aspected, watch out for gossip, slander or back-biting among co-workers and a tendency for unresolved issues with siblings to resurface in the office.

See also: Mercury in the 6th House;

Mercury in the 6th House: Muhammad Ali, Charlie Chaplin, Dick Cheney, Robert Hand, Adolf Hitler, Michael Jackson, Carl Jung, Charles Manson, Barack Obama, Cathy O’Brien, George Patton, Ayn Rand, Joseph Ratzinger, Robert Redford, Bertrand Russell, James Taylor, DavMcC, DonW, Ellen, Geoff, J, JerryGr, Ju, JudyPl

Mercury in the 7th House

When Mercury is in the seventh house it can indicate how a person develops an awareness of others, much as Hermes began to do in his relationship with Aphrodite. With this placement, a person may need intellectual stimulation in marriage or close partnerships. Much depends on the aspects to Mercury and whether it conjuncts the Descendant. Time may be spent in analyzing or discussing the relationship; and these people may be unconsciously restless and critical in marriage themselves, or they choose partners who openly display these characteristics. They may display great understanding of other people's intellectual needs, or feel bored and frustrated if these are not forthcoming.

This was certainly Hermes's way with women on his travels through Greek mythology. He was one of the Bachelor gods of the pantheon, and his adventures with women, even with Aphrodite, were short-lived. The sedate, house-husband role was not for Zeus's messenger. It meant that he missed out on the opportunities to form long-lasting relationships and to watch them change over time. Though this is sometimes a painful process, it is not always so, but immature Hermes has none of the judicious staying power of Libra, which knows that perseverance supplies the conditions for the proper assessment of a process. Hermes was often too eager to be on his way.

The sign on the house cusp of the seventh will affect the operation of Mercury. With Pisces on the cusp, the planet may allow people the capacity to talk through emotional difficulties with a partner, though not without some vacillation between conflicting emotions. Mercury with Gemini here can lead to underestimating emotional needs. These people may delude themselves by thinking that all difficulties can be worked out rationally, or they may pick partners who show these traits.

Aspects of Mercury to ant seventh-house planets will also affect the quality of the relationship. Over time, people with this placement may discover an urge to become more conscious of the manner in which they co-operate or collude with significant partners, bearing in mind that the underlying meaning is a desire to achieve balance between their own needs and those of their partners. They have the ability to develop an understanding of the nature of their projections and the qualities for which they choose partners. This could help them to appreciate the emotional content of partnerships, developing the detachment and the intimacy necessary to maintain a long-standing involvement. It is where the spirit of Mercury may be profitably active in the alchemical conjunction. Only at this stage of the work on the psyche can the sacred marriage take place, a complete relationship between two opposing principles which allows for future progeny. In the seventh house, Mercury may help with the conscious recognition of both partners' needs, emotional and intellectual.

Mercury in 7th House: Those with Mercury in the seventh have a great interest in people in general, and in what makes them tick. They want to experience the gamut of human relationships. Much here will depend on the aspects to Mercury. If trines and sextiles predominate, they will be the most pleasant and understanding of companions. With chiefly hard aspects, difficulties will be defined by the planets involved. Usually they are pleasant, even exciting, in one-to-one relationships. With oppositions, squares, and inconjuncts, they may have trouble with the way they relate to groups. They may be paranoid, think too much about what others are doing or saying, and worry too much about how they appear to others. They may originate rumors or stir up trouble, usually in an anxious effort to discover opinions about themselves.

This interest in people usually results in an understanding of others, not so much by empathy, which would require other placements, as by knowing so many different types that repetitions are bound to occur, so that there finally develops a clinical knowledge of the ins and outs of the human psyche.

These people can't be accused of being locked up in themselves. They look to others in order to know and understand themselves. On the path to self-knowledge, they may give themselves over completely to a teacher at some point, or go from teacher to teacher, ever seeking self-revelation. They are not usually secure enough in their egos to seek the limelight.

They are usually restless, without as well as within, seeking an ideal place to dwell, and will travel a lot, or go from one living place to another. They may even try to change themselves totally in some way once or twice by moving away from home, changing their names, and so on.

They are not particularly faithful to mates; but if a mate leaves them, or is unfaithful, they will suffer agonies. They are forever seeking a place or a group that can reflect back a good image of the self. They may complain bitterly if things are not just right; yet they cannot bear to hear others complain.

Mercury in 7th House: Mirrored awareness: Mercury in the 7th shows the relatedness to be the 'start-up motor' for personal thinking. You are not self-generating in mental activity. Instead, it is through connection with others that you become stimulated to use your intelligence, to develop rationales for solving your own puzzles. Naturally, you will be attracted to people you see as intelligent or clear thinkers. The pitfall lies in a kind of inadvertent plagiarism. Don't adopt another person's mode of thought, no matter how brilliant it may seem. Rise to the challenge of using the mental stimulation that arises through relationship to develop thought-forms you can truly call your own.

Equal partnerships: Your curiosity is a great asset for connecting with others; and you spend a lot of time thinking about relationships. The pitfall, curiously enough, centers around difficulties in communication. There is a tendency for you to be too passive in your efforts to reach your partner. You tend to wait, thinking all the while, but stewing, hoping that your partner will initiate communication. If you want your relationships to live vibrantly, to be interesting and exciting, you have to be willing to stimulate them, not simply wait for them to stimulate you. The challenge involves studying one-to-one relationships. Observe every relationship in your own life and in the lives of those around you. Learn how they work, why some succeed and others fail. Become an expert.

Contracts, commitments: Commitments are formed only after exhaustive analysis. You look at every possibility, examining the relationship from every angle before making a firm commitment to it. And even then it continues to change. You love the nuts and bolts of designing contracts; structures of agreement are fascinating for you. And though it may seem paradoxical, disagreement is equally fascinating, at least in the sense of nervous stimulation. The pitfall is that information is endless; you can't possibly know all the factors. The challenge is to allow yourself analysis first, but then to comprehend the importance of decision. Each phase of the process if necessary. One without the other is not only unproductive, but boring, a cause of broken commitments and ruined relationships.

Co-operation: You are compelled not so much by co-operation as by ongoing negotiations. You are not always co-operative, but you're more than willing to discuss the possibility, sometimes endlessly.

You're stimulated by differences more than by togetherness. The pitfall is remaining in a never-ending series of negotiations, setting up the rules, defining the exceptions, tallying what's already been decided, etc., without ever co-operating productively. You're susceptible to logical argument, however, and can be convinced by a silver tongue, so remember the challenge of coming back to yourself, or you discover yourself creating something with which you don't even agree.

Natural partner or partnership: Your natural partner has active, visible intelligence, a person who is curious, stimulating, and communicative. Your mate must be of high intelligence, at least in your eyes, and must be interested in a broad range of human events and experiences.

A natural partnership has a mobile, quicksilver nature. It should be free-ranging in association, with many outside friends and much socializing; and it must be a source of mental stimulation, opening your mind to new and exciting fields of inquiry of which you were formerly unaware. The image is a fast car weaving through the back streets and wide boundaries of a crowded city.

Mercury in 7th House: Your need for communication brings you into close personal contact with the public; and you know that your opportunities for development will come from this sector. To make the right decisions about your career and personal relationships, you need the help and advice of a trusted associate. You are indeed qualified to help people with their problems because you understand their needs. Once you've convinced them of their potential, you can help them exploit their creative talents. The resulting exchange of ideas is mutually beneficial, for your greatest opportunities will come through such contacts. You might choose a career in which you are a catalyst for people who are unaware of their talents. You may consider becoming a vocational adviser, even though you sometimes need advice yourself. In all probability, you will meet your future partner through this field.

You are a fascinating conversationalist; and people are generally attentive when you speak. Your sparkling presentation arouses interest in the subject at hand. You also listen willingly to people with problems, and are equally attentive to their ideas. They appreciate your efforts to help them derive lasting benefits from their ideas. You can usually count on them to help you gladly when you need help, for they remember how instrumental you were in helping them plan their future goals.

Your most urgent priority is learning to be more self-sufficient and have enough confidence to make personal decisions. you are too easily intimidated by competition, so that you don't assert yourself enough. you should compromise only as much as your career requires. You are at a crossroads, and there is tension between your early conditioning and your aspirations. Making the right decisions for yourself, in spite of your parents' opinions, will be a critical factor in determining your destiny. To fulfill your personal desires, you must either concur with parental suggestions or risk alienation. Your task is to help people establish a foundation on which they can successfully build their ambitions.

You need to be reassured that you can help people cope with their problems. If you persist, your earnings will grow as your experience expands. In your desire for increased earnings, you might make the mistake of expanding your operations and becoming excessively fatigued. While it is important to grow, you shouldn't exceed safe limits. Don't worry that you aren't doing all you can to fulfill your obligations to those you serve. The chances are, you have the highest motivation, which produces many rewards for others and spiritual enrichment for yourself.

The worst thing you can do is deny others the benefit of your ideas and your ability to solve problems. It would also be a mistake to focus your actions mainly on financial benefits with little attention to doing something worthwhile. This also applies to choosing a marriage partner. The best motive is love rather than financial gain, but the choice is yours to make. Marrying for love would give you the best of both worlds, for if you are happy in your personal relationship you will put your best efforts into succeeding in your career, which will benefit both of you. With your wealth of ideas, there are unlimited ways in which you can apply your skills to achieve your goals and gain the security you need.

Mercury in 7th House: Mercury's dual function of gathering information and then distributing it again operates clearly when this planet is housed in the 7th: there is an enormous amount to learn through being with other people, but there is just as much to teach and share with them. Mercury in the 7th naturally desires to communicate and exchange ideas with many different types of people. Assessing and understanding how and what others think is a favorite pastime. Telling them one's own thoughts and opinions runs a close second.

Mercury in the 7th shops around for a partner who is intellectually stimulating. Of course, they may find so many people who are interesting in different ways that it is difficult to settle on just one. Then again, there may be no-one ever interesting enough. Nor is Mercury in the 7th immune to the pitfalls of projection: some may try to import another person to do their thinking, talking and decision-making for them.

Or they may attract someone who is non-committal, unreliable, or tricky to pin down. As hurtful as this might be, there is the secondary gain of having escaped being pinned down themselves.

While being careful not to approach the whole delicate and mysterious area of relationship too much 'from the head', some degree of objectivity and detachment is required to sustain a long-term involvement. With Mercury in the 7th, many problems can be 'worked through' if they are discussed and analyzed. Some people with this placement may be fairly (or should I say 'unfairly'?) critical and judgmental about 'those little things' which their partners do that annoy them. Fortunately, the antics of the god Mercury remind us that a sense of humor about such things is the great balancer.

See also: Mercury in the 7th House;

Mercury in the 7th House: Warren Beatty, Princess Diana, Bob Dylan, Clint Eastwood, Sigmund Freud, Hugh Hefner, John Lennon, Shirley McLaine, Osho, Susanna Arundhati Roy, Suzanne Somers, H.G. Wells, AbbieJ, Erika, Gina, JonathanG, Paulo, Roberto, Shakura, Silas, Sugeet, TomW, Tyler, Yarrow

Mercury in the 8th House

Where Mercury is in the eighth house, the house of long-term relationships, there may be a tendency to collude with or submit to partners at an intellectual level. The eighth house issues of death, sex, and the inheritance of resources can cause people with this placement to be acutely aware of unconscious interchanges between people. Often they look for the moments of change and transformation in relationships which they can use to best advantage. These people may be penetratingly aware of the nature and motives behind sexuality and hidden agendas; in dealing with these issues, they may need to keep in bounds tendencies to be tricky, controlling and secretive.

Mercury's dealings in the eighth house sometimes have far-reaching consequences. No matter how tricky and controlling Pelops was in arranging Oenomaus's and Myrtilus's deaths in order to secure the throne of Pisa and a wife, he was unable to control the fates of the kin who came after him. We see something of the interrelationship of Mercury and Pluto in Pelops's tale; more so, since the eighth house is governed by Pluto in the natural zodiac and the story concerns a mortal. Exacting retribution by killing is a divine function, not a mortal one; and Pelops had usurped both Hades's and Hermes's functions by killing Myrtilus by trickery.

Canniness and an intense drive will work in tandem with the sign on the eighth house cusp when Mercury is placed here. Mercury with Sagittarius on the cusp may actively seek out lasting resources and arrangements which will give them the intellectual freedom to pursue their visions; others might regard them as self-seeking and uncaring. Mercury with Taurus could ensure that complicated legacies are dealt with practically and with great determination of mind, perhaps unaware how much other people might be upset by such a seemingly cold approach to death or periods of great transformation.

Aspects with other planets will also influence how these people deal with eighth house issues.

People with the placement might need to develop an awareness of a tendency to control others intellectually by coming to a better understanding of the nature of the darker, plutonic forces underlying their behavior. A rational examination of destructive issues in long-standing relationships may counterbalance the tendency to lash out verbally when thwarted by partners. These people need greater consciousness of the benefits of self-mastery to release them from the stifling effects of repressed emotional energy.

Mercury in 8th House: This position of Mercury gives a deep, serious mentality; and although there may be the appearance of a breezy, easygoing nature, that is almost certainly a pose that has been adopted out of fear that the true nature, which is deeply serious, even solemn, will put others off.

These people may or may not be interested in money for its own sake; but they are usually very good at getting what they need when they need it. They generally know where to get the butter for their bread without necessarily working hard for it, and can't understand why others can't figure this out for themselves. This position often indicates an inheritance, although other factors will show if it is substantial and whether or not it will actually materialize.

These people may experience difficulty at some time during their lives over the question of their loyalty to some group. They may be put in a position where they will be asked to sell out, or choose one reality over another. They may or may not make the 'right' choice; but the facts will be fully known only to themselves. Courage will always be needed with this position, although they may or may not rise to the need. There may be knowledge of other spheres of life that can show forth as religious faith, spiritualism, creative writing of the imaginative or fantastic sort, or psychic activity.

There is a constant awareness of mortality, and either courage and faith in an afterlife or a terrible fear of death. They may face death every day in some way, either by their own chronic illness or by that of someone else who is close to them. They may have a job or career that involves risks, or working with other people who are at risk in some way; or death may haunt them simply because of their own paranoid fears.

If Mercury is under pressure from other planets, it can indicate a variety of mental problems, although great mental steadfastness under pressure is also possible. Once again, it is a question of rising to the occasion. There is also the possibility of the early death of a beloved younger person whose loss leaves them permanently changed somehow, either stronger and wiser or broken inside. Their own death is usually significant in some way, either by being dramatic, sudden, heroic or mysterious, or as the final act of a lifetime of courting death, or defying it.

This position of Mercury will contribute a certain charisma to the personality, making them attractive to others, although the nature of the attraction may be hard to define. It tends to give a pale or olive complexion, sometimes with many moles or freckles on the face. They are inclined to be thin, in youth at least.

They are drawn to extremes of style in speech, which can range from highly profane to affectations of breeding, street argot, unusually low or high pitch, or the vernacular of some group other than their own. There may be a stammer, which comes from a self-consciousness over revealing themselves through their speech. Sometimes, without realizing it, they will take on the persona of someone they admire, changing their role models and style as their interests evolve.

Mercury in 8th House: Union: The more you communicate, the more you are on-track in your intimacy. Interactions need not be based on total agreement, however. While conflict in sharing is antithetical to many 8th house planets, here it promotes a sense of stimulation. As long as disagreements are purely mental, and not emotional, greater intimacy can result. But don't rely so much on ideas that you disregard the being-to-being connection. Also, be aware of your tendency to talk about closeness without ever surrendering into a truly united state. The challenge is to use the connection of your mind with another person's as a kind of 'radar fix' to show the path toward real merging of your spirits.

Transformation: Your thoughts lead you to the edge of what your personality can conceive; and though this may seem perverse - having a mind that leads you beyond yourself - it's actually the most natural thing in the world for you. Develop a scientist's eye; investigate all the transformations going on in the world of your relatedness. Ask people about the significance of their changes; learn their languages, and consider yourself in the same terms. Keep in mind that it's not enough to simply think about transformation. You need to put what you learn back into life, to shift gears from being the scientist to become the guinea pig. After all, you are your own best experiment. The initial challenge is easy: to learn with your rational mind the syntax of transformation. The real trick lies in your mind's ability to teach your heart.

Sexual merging: Physically, your nervous system is sensitized to sexual intimacy. It intertwines with that of your loved. Stimulation truly resides in the vast network of neurological sensors that finally coalesce in the brain. Talk is often more sexual than touch, for you wish to merge with your beloved's mind. You're quite changeable in activity and response; and while this can be delightful in a lover, it can also prevent the steady build-up of intensity necessary for release. Sexual feelings may occur quite suddenly, even in inappropriate settings. Equally, you may think of a joke just after the experience of culmination, and, needless to say, this tends to disrupt the mood. Fulfill your curiosity about going over Niagara Falls in a barrel - your mind is the barrel; sexual power is the Falls.

Focused intuition: You are not so much a highly intuitive person as you are someone who is very interested in intuitive experience. Intuition is an invisible and largely indefinable process; and though you have the tools to be psychically sensitive, you don't easily relax into full trust of your powers. You stand back, wanting to check it out, to confirm it rationally and objectively. The pitfall is merely discussing the possibilities rather than using your intuition. The challenge is to tune your nervous system so you hear others thinking, or at least discern the pattern of their thoughts, if not the actual words themselves.

Shared assets: Your mind engages in perpetual bookkeeping, moving your resources around, reshuffling your worth. This can be energizing, a fully natural experience, in which case you enjoy the changes, or it can be enervating for your nervous system, in which case you gradually exhaust yourself with imaginary crises. The question here isn't how much you have, but what you do with what you have. Keep the money in motion - whether it is your own money or money you manage for others. Recognize that the significant time you spend thinking about resources is perfectly all right, for money and possessions are essentially a game to be played for your stimulation. Winning or losing is not the challenge; playing the game is.

Mercury in 8th House: Your highly developed reasoning ability probably resulted from your deep desire to know as much as possible. You constantly search for answers to all questions about life and about people's motivations. Your persistent inquiry reveals more answers than are found by most people. Your exceptional skill in investigating the unknown qualifies you for such fields as detection, research, financial counseling or psychology. Your early environment allowed you to develop your creative potentials and know that you could capitalize on them later. A higher education will enhance your abilities and give you the necessary skills to achieve your goals. It is to your advantage to continue your studies, no matter how successful you are, for it will expand your influence and increase your value to those you serve professionally.

You let people know that you understand their problems and that you have the skills to help them. You expect to be well paid for your services, because you know you are worth it. you look for opportunities to demonstrate your talents, and you are gratified when your efforts yield results. With your ability to help people with their problems, you should seek a career that uses this skill. Look for a field with growth potential, because you need freedom to expand as the demands for your skills increase. Your earnings should provide all the security you need for your later years.

Your career may be delayed because of family obligations. Your enjoyment of self-indulgent pleasures may also curtail the gains you could be making in your field, if you aren't investing the time and energy necessary to become professionally competent. You must establish some priorities in your professional and personal affairs. You feel you must prove yourself to the one you love and show that you have a firm foundation on which to build your ambitions. You may wonder if you are as competent as the next person; but don't be misled by other people's resources and skills - it's what you do with them that is important; and your ability to solve problems is a good place to start. See how your friends are achieving their objectives. Then, with good planning, you can accomplish everything you set out to do, and more.

It will be rather difficult to find the best way to put your ideas to work. There will be no shortcuts; only by persistently developing and promoting your ideas will you get the results you want. This means that if you want people to know what you can do, you must become so proficient that everyone will beat a path to your door for your services. Once you find answers to your own problems, you may then decide that you can help others with theirs. If you want to win patronage for your services, you must make some sacrifices, as every public servant must learn. If you are truly committed to your life's work, this won't be too difficult.

Trust your partner's suggestions concerning your career objectives. You probably recognize how valuable your mate is to you, and you want to live up to his or her expectations. Don't be afraid to change your mind when the evidence indicates that you should, for it is a sign that you are still growing. Maintain the highest ethical standards in everything you do. When you tell people only what they want to hear, you are not living up to your moral responsibility to them. You cannot afford to disappoint those who have come to rely on your expert judgment.

Mercury in 8th House: The 8th house entices curious Mercury to explore and learn from what is hidden and less obvious in life - to ferret out secrets, and probe into mysteries in search of the bottom line. This is the detective-like mind, with eyes that can see in the dark. Bordering on a voyeuristic preoccupation, Mercury in the 8th watches the kinds of exchanges that go on between people - at the bank, the stock market, in the bedroom or behind any closed door. They may penetrate the world of money and finance, or turn their attention to psychology and the occult, with a fascination for the mysteries of sex and death. Although often adept at communicating and sharing with others anything which is obscure, subtle, deep or profound, they prefer to keep their own thoughts and motivations secret. For those with Mercury in the 8th, experience is not fast-food grabbed hastily between appointments, but something to be savored and thoroughly digested.

Many astrological texts advise those with Mercury in this house (especially if difficulty aspected to Neptune) to examine all contracts for possible misunderstandings before signing. What one person believes is being said or promised may be different from how the other person reads it. The same note of caution applies to wills and inheritances - problems with Mercury in the 8th sometimes manifest as entanglements with relatives over such things. Any difficulties stemming from childhood or adolescent sexual explorations with brothers, sisters or neighbors are worth considering, as well as early encounters with the death of anyone close to them. Their own death could be related to diseases of the respiratory or nervous system, so attention should be paid to these areas.

With Mercury in this house, the mind is suited to investigative exploits and research work. Those with such a placement can be cool and detached about subjects which often arouse other people's passions and fears.

See also: Mercury in the 8th House;

Mercury in the 8th House: Carlos Castaneda, Deepak Chopra, Tom Cruise, Bobby Fischer, Dustin Hoffman, John F. Kennedy, Ken Kesey, Stevie Wonder, Mark Zuckerberg, Abbe, Arrow, Ashira, Cesar, Duane, Jason, Joy, Merrill, Nancee, Robert, Tara

Mercury in the 9th House

When Mercury is placed in the ninth house, it can indicate an intelligent use of a broad Jupiterian mind which seeks to make connections between philosophical, religious and moral issues. Discovering the meaning of the underlying laws of life is important to these people. This placement can give great depth to study and higher education, and can give an indication of the principles to be met as a result of widening mental perspectives or taking long journeys. People with this placement may have some intuition about needing to submit their egos to a broader form of wisdom which has the effect of being a divine law, often inspired by a Jupiterian recognition of order and regulation. At a concrete level, the study of the laws governing wider social structures can be of some appeal; but these people may need to become aware of the tendency always to take the long perspective and ignore issues closer to hand. At another level, Mercury aids the capacity to understand, in some cases transmute, the laws of conventional life when he is placed in his father's house.

In myth, the effect is miraculous on occasions. Where the ninth house impulse is too strong, and where Mercury here might rise too high and risk offending the gods, then there is, inevitably, a fall.

The sign on the house cusp may rule the way in which wider perspectives are reached. Mercury with Virgo here may indicate the powers of a discriminating mind which can meaningfully distinguish between important and less important philosophical issues; the fall would be into criticism and denigration of others if the wider perspective were lost. Mercury with Aquarius in this position may concentrate on developing a mind detached enough to examine new and unconventional ideas which may benefit humanity; too much Aquarius detachment could lead to the tyranny of ideas over emotion - a further example of the fall.

Aspects to other planets may also influence the way Mercury operates in the ninth.

The acquisition of greater knowledge is important to people with a ninth house Mercury placement; but they may need to guard against developing dogmatic intellectual attitudes or an over-insistence on their need to be the best-qualified interpreters of moral law. There may be an intuitive approach to systems of belief and a tendency to ignore any facts that are not consistent with strongly held opinions. These people may have a visionary and prophetic quality of mind; and this can be enhanced by ensuring that their views are based on strong ethical foundations, or they may fall.

Mercury in 9th House: Here there is great upward striving, especially when Mercury is in a Fire, fixed, or Earth sign. There is a desire to always appear at one's best, never to be outdone or made to look bad. Whatever storms may blow in these people's lives, they usually manage to land on their feet.

A ninth house Mercury often shows a rise in life through difficult circumstances, sometimes to considerable power. There is a mental restlessness with this position, a hunger for knowledge and experience that may lead to travel or long-term mental effort, some great study or piece of research or perfected virtuosity. There is also a loneliness here, the loneliness of the traveler, of the explorer. Actually, there is a need for aloneness, under the stars, alone with God, alone with Nature.

There is a need to experience the extremes of the human potential, to know how good one can be and how bad, how much one can learn about something, how much pain one can bear. This person will seek out friendships with those who have experienced all kinds of extremes. This is a very good position for ministers; and anyone with this Mercury will have moments when they will preach to anyone who will listen, about God, life, or other significant matters.

These people can be quite reckless. They are usually not afraid of dying, though they'd rather not; and they will run risks in order to have deeply moving experiences. Women with this position have a royal bearing and great dignity. If Mercury is in Leo, they will rise to power if other aspects support it. If the mentality takes a religious turn, their upward striving may lead them away from the herd to holy places where they will strive to know God or be absorbed by nature. If not religious, they will be political, in which case they will work hard for a better society and for more personal power so that they can help change to come about.

If vilified, they will rarely stoop to defend themselves. They will speak out for causes; but about themselves they are usually silent. They will study and learn all their lives.

Mercury in 9th House: Conceptual frameworks: With Mercury in the 9th house, you collect abstract systems as some people collect stamps, creating a network that links all systems together. You love nothing better than a good old down-home philosophical discussion, preferably a debate. It won't matter what position you're defending, as long as the conversation stays lively. The pitfalls are numerous. Your mind is incredibly quick, but not always logical; and you leap to broad conclusions, often from a skimpy base of experiential knowledge. You'd like to know everything; but failing that, you settle for infinite variations on a particular theme. You have an answer for every occasion. A virtual master of rationalization, you can whip up a philosophy on the spur of the moment to satisfy the demands of convenience. Your challenge is to become a true librarian of philosophy.

Cultural perspective: You can never learn too much, see too much, travel too far. Everything you've experienced is connected to everything else, making your mind a central switchboard. You love long-distance contact; often even the telephone will suffice. All media are interesting to you: magazines, travel brochures, foreign films, anything to feed the mind's curiosity. You're interested in Brain Earth, in feeling that your nervous system is well-connected to a network that extends over the globe. You regard strangers as potential friends, new outposts in your network. You want to be expanded, spread out, everywhere at once and nowhere in particular.

Higher education: You aren't likely to pursue a single path of knowledge; yours is not a path of expertise in one specific field. Much more likely is an interest in diverse areas of education, taking a little from this, a little from that, more a survey than a study in depth. This broadly-based education is modified by the placement of the Sun in the natal chart. If it is in the 10th house, there may be greater specialization, or at least aiming your educational pursuits toward a more singular area, funneling knowledge into career. If the Sun occupies the 9th, you tend toward greater breadth in your mental interests. In the 8th, it can go either way, depending on other factors. The challenge is to remember that dialogue is more important than pure study. Learning is most alive in interaction and two-way communication, a vital exchange of inspiration and stimulus.

The search for truth: You're fascinated by the infinite forms of truth. It's natural to explore all the forks in the river, knowing that each will eventually reach the sea. You hold information in your mind's eye, turning it, squeezing it and stretching it to see it change shape, cutting it into a thousand pieces, looking for distinctions, contradictions, and paradoxes. You don't arrive at a final product, a finished truth.

Instead, you stay in the laboratory - testing, refining, experimenting. It's more natural for you to talk about the quest for truth than to tell it directly. Your challenge is to communicate the structures through which we approach wisdom. Truth is an endless source of curiosity, a study in relativity.

Ideal society: You idealize a society where people are taught to express their thoughts more effectively. Depending on Mercury's sign and the Sun's condition, you believe either in total access to information or in solid control of information, with the former more probable than the latter. However, in either case, free movement from place to place would always be permitted. The perfect society would be in a state of constant change. As Ruler of the World, you would be the ultimate nexus of information, connected to everything, yet constantly mobile, exploring your Kingdom.

Mercury in 9th House: The circumstances of your life allow you to develop your mental faculties extensively and give you the privilege of utilizing your creative potentials to best advantage. You are eager to share your knowledge with those who want information; and you are skillful in your presentation. You look for ways to dramatize your own creative potentials, as well as your children's. They look up to you for inspiration as they seek to fulfill all your expectations of their creative talents. If they choose to follow in your footsteps, you will be deeply satisfied. In your professional pursuits, you know that if you understand yourself, you will probably have a better understanding of the people you deal with. You may occasionally wonder whether you will gain your objectives; but with your naturally self-confident nature, you are very likely to succeed.

You get along well with people because you understand them; and you know how to interpret what they need from you. You can help them see their difficulties with objective clarity, for which they are generally appreciative. Your wide circle of friends and associates is an asset in your career. It is important to define new goals periodically, as the old ones are realized. Your ability to earn a comfortable income in your career will help you achieve the independence you seek. Your partner will be a distinct asset, as long as communication flows freely between you. You want a mate who understands your goals and shares your enthusiasm in reaching them.

You don't pursue physical work if you can avoid it, preferring to utilize your ability to solve problems and resolve crises in your daily responsibilities. Conditions beyond your control may force you to accept duties you don't particularly like; but the chances are that when you demonstrate your special talents, you will be offered a job at the management level, for which you are better suited. While it bothers you when you don't know the answer to a question, it merely shows that you must learn more in some areas. Be especially alert to the danger of being undermined in your job by fellow workers, although this can occur only if you are not well informed. You understand people's failings and liabilities, and you should seek a career that is related to helping solve those problems.

Your education is the base on which you can build the material security you want. Getting an education may not have been easy if your parents did not support your desire for it; and you probably had to extend yourself to get it. While being able to make more money may have been your principal reason for getting formal training, the resulting character development and polish are also important. But all your education will amount to very little if you aren't willing to use it to help people who require your skills. This will advance your position before the public.

You probably worked very hard to gain the knowledge that you have, so it is all the more urgent to apply it wisely. You should make sure your ethical standards are always at the highest level in your dealings with people. Lack of sufficient self-discipline in this area can erode the results of all the hard work you've invested to achieve your ambitions.

Mercury in 9th House: When Mercury wanders into the 9th, he takes his wings along with him, for this is expansive territory to cover. An 8th house Mercury burrows deep down and peers closely into things; in the 9th, Mercury gains his perceptions and awareness by 'zooming up' or standing back and looking at it all from a distance and a higher perspective. Believing that life and the cosmos can be 'figured out' intellectually, those with Mercury in this house attempt (or should attempt) to discover and understand the laws and principles which govern existence by scrutinizing the larger patterns at work. A natural urge to expand and broaden the mind through study, reading and travel keeps those with this placement as busy as ever in this domain.

Usually, there is a desire to teach and share what they perceive and discover, and to inspire others with what has inspired them. This placement suits philosophers, clergymen, writers, publishers, educators and public relations people.

Adhering too fanatically to their own beliefs or version of the truth is the danger of a difficultly aspected Mercury in this house. Facts which support the cherished belief system are readily received, but the others are handily overlooked.

In some cases, relatives who live abroad may figure in the life, or a long journey might significantly influence how the person thinks. Problems with Mercury in the 9th can also mean bickering and gossip among in-laws.

See also: Mercury in the 9th House;

Mercury in the 9th House: Ursula Andress, Warren Buffett, George Bush, Sr., Sean Connery, Robert Downey, Jr., Helen Keller, Nicole Kidman, Maharaj Ji, Willie Nelson, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, George Orwell, Al Pacino, Robert Plant, Babe Ruth, Mother Teresa, Jon Voight, AlexP, Andrea, Andrew, Antonio, BenSt, Cheri, David, Doug, JerryH, Joze, Komala, Lance, LouG, MFor, Q, Samp, Sarik, Supr, Suzanne

Mercury in the 10th House

When Mercury is in the tenth house it may cause people to try to actualize their beliefs through a contribution to worldly responsibility. Those people with this placement may then choose a profession which exercises their intellectual faculties and brings them recognition. If Mercury is conjunct the MC then these people may well use their mental capacities to project on to the world an idealized image of themselves. They may want to be seen as intelligent, lively-minded and well-educated, and to place themselves in the type of work where others might appreciate and admire these qualities. Sometimes they may experience their mothers or the dominant parent as intellectually curious, mentally flexible, perhaps overly rational, somewhat elusive and not so much concerned with their emotional well-being as with their education, sense of duty and sense of community. They may also display the same qualities themselves.

The effect of Mercury in the Saturnian house is shown well in the alchemical text 'The Book of Lambspring'. Here there is an illustration of the old king devouring his young son, much as Cronos did his children. For sprightly and immature Mercury to take on the responsibilities and duties of governing, he must first understand and accept those principles from the authority figure who enacts them. All early learning takes place by mimicry or identification; and the old king has a way of ensuring that his son identifies with his values. The old king then brings forth a new son, one who is capable of reigning with him. So the meaning of Saturn devouring his son is to ensure, positively, that responsibility is understood. But there is also a danger, as with any alchemical work, that Mercury is ingested for the wrong reasons - a fear of relinquishing what has already been gained, which is a negative development of the Saturnian principle. In this case, the Great Work may be spoiled, and future progress halted.

The positive and negative effects of the tenth house operation of Mercury can be judged by the aspects to the planet and by the sign ruling it. People with Leo on the cusp, or on the MC, may take some time to make up their minds about executing plans in a professional capacity; but once they do, they are likely to carry them through with considerable will-power and dramatic flair. Where Libra is on the cusp, these people may view their mothers, or themselves, as capable of seeing all sides of an argument. Perhaps they may also see them as indecisive and unable to find points of harmony between conflicting ideas.

Planetary aspects to Mercury in this placement may incline people to express their modes of thinking with difficulty or ease, depending on whether the aspects are hard or soft.

Where this placement is strong, people may have a tendency to idealize the capable, intellectual image they adopt in business and professional life. They may unconsciously take on the mercurial qualities of the mother, or the more dominant parent, not seeing how they can use their own considerable intellect to help decide on the most satisfying way of achieving some status or professional standing for themselves. There may be, also, an emphasis on gathering any kind of knowledge other than the type of self-knowledge which would lead to a sound recognition of their intellectual status and professional attainments.

Mercury in 10th House: This position gives an extremely intense personality, particularly if Mercury is within five degrees of the Midheaven. These people are eager for the limelight, for recognition and praise. There is a great deal of pride in the self and the intellect, a great deal of ambition for mental achievement, to know a lot, to be able to speak well, always to know the right word, to express themselves accurately and with style. If Mercury is under pressure from hard aspects, there may be too much self-judgment; no achievement is great enough. They measure themselves against others they admire, and often feel themselves lacking.

These people usually were encouraged to develop themselves early, and were taken seriously during childhood by their parents (particularly their mothers), whose standards they may still use to judge themselves and others.

This is a good position for writers or actors. If Mercury is under pressure, there may be too much nerve activity for comfort. They may exhibit nervous habits, facial tics, etc.. They may resort to drink or drugs to relieve the pressure on their nerves. They are 'wired', tending naturally to be always on the updraft. Coffee or other stimulants are not good for them because they tend to be over-stimulated anyway.

They can get on talking jags that drive companions nuts, talking about themselves until everyone is exhausted, including themselves. They should be encouraged early to translate this self-awareness and communicativeness into acting or writing. This is hard for them unless they have a good, strong Saturn, because they tend to lack discipline. They respond so intensely to the stimulation of the passing moment that they are exhausted later and cannot harness their mental energies for long-term projects.

They are witty and clever with words, able to turn a phrase to amuse companions. They don't like to be alone, and would much prefer to be surrounded at all times by exciting people. Nevertheless, it may be necessary for them to be alone from time to time for their mental and physical health, because company is so stimulating to them that they need the quiet of solitude to recharge their batteries.

They should be forewarned that their dreams of glory in youth must be exchanged for a more sober and down-to-earth view of reality, or they will awake in middle-age to a life left in ruins by their pursuit of glory and excitement, at which point they may simply give up and die young of disillusionment.

Mercury in 10th House: Collective responsibility: You may or may not be responsible, since you're changeable in your nervous orientations, but you're certainly aware of the issue. In every situation, no matter how mundane, you see the spiritual handwriting on the wall, the signature of larger purpose; and you try to figure out all the factors that must be taken into consideration. The pitfall, of course, involves spending so much time and energy in any situation calculating the greatest good for the greatest number that you inadvertently forget to act. Remember, you only need so much information before you take a stand. Your challenge is to talk to everyone about responsibility. You needn't push people, but you have a flair for delegation, for discerning each person's perfect niche in any situation. In many ways, it's your role to help others define what their responsibilities are.

Professional ambition: You think about your career constantly. However, you're often sufficiently caught up in the short-run factors involved in your career that you may overlook longer-term concerns. So in spite of your strategizing, your career moves of its own accord. You may have more than one career simultaneously, or a single career that requires knowledge from many diverse areas. In any case, the basis of your social status is mental. Any profession requires mastery of a specialized language; but your style tends to focus on the importance of information management. In a basic way, communication is your product, and translation is your service.

Missions and messages: Your thought processes are especially visible to others. When you speak or write, we are reminded of the importance of communication in human life. Your perceptions are often not your own, but come from a universal well; and what you see we all need to understand. So give voice to whatever wishes to come through your mind - give it the best voice you know how. Learn to express your thoughts, and your message will have positive effect on your life.

'Outer-link' parent: It's not that you necessarily think just like your father, but there is definitely a connection between your mind and his. What he did was stimulating to the development of your own thought-patterns. Certainly this occurs with everyone; but in your case the effect is significantly more sweeping. Your father was on the go much of the time, moving from the home out into the world and back again. Where did he go? What did he do when he was gone? What he thought about was fascinating to you, like a foreign language of strange and compelling syntax.

Authority: Your own authority emerges most effectively through the patterns of your thinking, writing, and speaking. When you use your mind, people pay attention. It's not that you're always right, nor that you necessarily have a unique perspective, but more that the resonance of your thoughts and the way you express them has a commanding quality. The challenge is to use your mind authoritatively. Our nervous systems are sensitive to the peculiar rhythms of semantics, and it is not lost on you that words carry their own magnetic impact on people. However, in your case, the power does not finally reside in the words themselves; rather, it is you who invests them with their impact.

Mercury in 10th House: You are very concerned with making the most of your creative potentials to achieve status before the public. You will probably choose a career that involves serving the public, for your ability to solve your own and other people's problems is your greatest asset. Because you enjoy your work, you extend yourself and obtain better results than others do in the same capacity. It's no secret that you enjoy the attention you get when you do a good job. People trust your judgment because you demonstrate high ethical standards in your dealings, and they know you won't deliberately let them down. You have a deep respect for the value of money, but you also understand the importance of basic human values in winning the public's admiration and respect. You know that you must maintain an untarnished public image, or else your progress and your material gains won't have much meaning in the long run.

Your success is based partly on the fact that you aren't afraid to ask people how you can serve their needs. You are a good listener, and they love you for giving them such attention. Because you show that you are able and willing to help them with their problems, they are happy to pay what you ask for your services. You are concerned about living up to the public's expectations, and you want to always be helpful to people who are unable to help themselves. You are not above accepting favors from friends to get established, but you must remember to reciprocate when they need help in the future.

Because of your parents' training, you understand that it is important to succeed on your own according to your own potentials. If your parents chose a career for you, you certainly resisted. You want to know that you have successfully met the challenge of your career by using your talents effectively. If you occasionally fail, you have only yourself to blame. You aren't afraid of competition because you know that it will sharpen your abilities. Your partner stimulates you to look for new opportunities and makes you realize that you must be aggressive in going after the position you want. Your progress is assured as long as your work makes new demands on your skill. You know that you can expect little from life unless you assert yourself forcefully.

You are reasonably efficient in capitalizing on your creative potentials, and you hope that your children will take their example from you and succeed according to their own needs. Any sacrifices you make will repay you many times over later on. You know that making sacrifices is an investment that you can't afford to neglect, as your future security will attest. You are rich in ideas concerning your career, and you usually know the right time to promote them.

The worst thing you could do is lose faith in your ability to realize your goals and objectives. At the same time, don't forget those who have helped you in the past. A job without growth potential would greatly dampen your enthusiasm. Take advantage of every opportunity to demonstrate your competence, even if by doing so you reveal your superiors' inadequacies. They will respect your ability to compensate for the areas in which they are weak. You owe it to yourself and to the public to prove the value of your training by providing useful services.

Mercury in 10th House: The qualities and principles associated with Mercury are usually reflected in the choice of career when it is in the 10th house. The work may involve writing, teaching printing, lecturing, selling, the media, telecommunications, administrative or secretarial skills, forms of manual dexterity, and the transport of goods or people from one place to another. While pursuing career and professional ambitions, they can learn about themselves and the environment. Those with this placement like to be seen as bright, intelligent and capable, and will want to be remembered by others for these qualities.

If the 10th is taken to mean the mother, then Mercury will color the image of her. If she was seen as clever and articulate, then the child emulates those traits and tries to develop them. The mother might have emphasized the importance of a good education and the need to be intelligent and expressive in life. She also could have been experienced as fickle and changeable - not always present - as if her body was there but her mind was somewhere else. I have seen difficult aspects to Mercury in the 10th in the charts of some people whose mothers were mentally unstable. If besieged by hard aspects, this placement could indicate communication problems between parent and child and a difficulty in understanding or appreciating one another.

See also: Mercury in the 10th House;

Mercury in the 10th House: Kim Basinger, Al Capone, George Carlin, Bill Clinton, James Dean, Johnny Depp, Albert Einstein, Lady Gaga, Alex Jones, Michael Jordan, Martin Luther King, Jr,.Marilyn Monroe, Jack Nicholson, Friedrich Nietzche, Mitt Romney (end), Vincent van Gogh, Robin Williams, Al, AndyF, Cate, Elijah, George, Jean, Jen, JulieD, LucSr, Patrice, Tammy, VinG

Mercury in the 11th House

Mercury's placement in the eleventh house can indicate the type of person who needs to exercise his intellect as part of the larger human family. This house is often where people look for intellectual friendship and companionship. It indicates the kinds of associations they join and where they find or reject group identity. People with this placement may develop an interest in gathering knowledge by promoting groups with a common purpose. They may or may not be vociferous in their interests, depending on how they use the aspects made to natal Mercury. Often they can be intellectually engaged in formulating ideas of their ideal society, which may reflect both their hopes and their social objectives.

Mercury is anyway known for his friendliness, so he is likely to feel at home in the eleventh house. Aquarius has the ability to strengthen the bonds of humanity between people; and Mercury's connective principle helps that process. We see the more realistic extension of this principle in the myth of Prometheus. Prometheus, the light-bringer, was not to be entirely divorced from his shadow side; Hermes, the god of duality, sees to that.

Aspects made by Mercury in this house to other planets will indicate how socially skilful people with this placement are.

The sign on the house cusp will also influence the way in which the thinking qualities of this Mercury placement are expressed in group or friendly activities. Mercury with Scorpio on the cusp may have a tendency to keep its thoughts to itself unless it can be sure it will be really effective in any joint activities undertaken. Mercury with Aries on the cusp may produce many original ideas in groups, but dislike the slowness of the decision-making process. Mercury's real function in any group activities is to recognize what has been left aside and to attempt to incorporate it, where possible.

People with an eleventh house Mercury may come to a realization that their effectiveness in groups and friendly activities is based on their own ability to communicate well. They then see that they need not project these qualities onto other people. There may be a desire to be open to the ideas put forward in groups which have a common and humanitarian purpose; but they may have to learn to integrate individual thought with feeling and action - otherwise, there could be a tendency to emphasize group ideas only.

Mercury in 11th House: This location of Mercury strengthens the ego, making it easy to set long-term goals and stick to them. These people generally appear to be flexible and easy to get along with to those with whom they interact briefly; but over a length of time or from a distance it is apparent that they have been working inexorably towards personal goals all along. This says nothing of what kinds of goals they will choose; they may be the best possible or they may be totally irrational, linked to childhood fears, etc., but in either case these people will go after what they want until they get it, whether it is good for them or not. They will go through any number of horrific experiences, if necessary, in order to get what they want.

They are usually attractive, often with an electric quality to the personality that attracts others to them. Sometimes this electric quality is out in the open, blazing directly from their eyes; sometimes there is a veiled quality, as though masked, but waiting to blaze out.

Whatever their financial circumstances may be, they usually appear to others to be well-off and to be able to get whatever they need whenever they want it.

They appear to be unconcerned with their own image, but actually they do care immensely how they look to others. They generally think quite well of themselves, and thus it is easy for them to create an exciting style.

They may be somewhat callous toward those nearest to them. They are more interested in their own feelings than they are in the feelings of others, and more interested in those who are interested in them than they are in those who aren't. However, much as they like others to be attracted to them, they are not deceived by flattery. They like to measure their effect on others by how many they can attract, yet they themselves will also be subject to powerful attractions to individuals or groups.

They are the busy bees of ideas, carrying them from one group to another, buzzing with excitement, pollinating the mind of humanity. Yet it is not really ideas that excite them; it is the people who have the ideas; or perhaps, in their eyes, these are one and the same.

Mercury in 11th House: Group participation: You're very curious about what other people think, and, even more than that, about what's in the 'collective mind' of the group. You're cross-cultural in approach, with an ever-increasing pattern of organizational affiliations. Whether you are a joiner or not depends upon the placement of other factors (such as the Sun and Venus), but in any case, the breadth of your associations is what's important. The challenge is to extend your network until you've been exposed to every kind of cultural group, so that your mind has the broadest possible base of information.

Appropriate behavior: You're fascinated by the spectrum of conventions in social interaction. Which fork to use first, how to address a business letter, what clothes to wear to a cocktail part - these small details of social living are endlessly interesting to your mind. Most important of all are the conventions around communication: how to talk to a certain person, what is all right to say and what isn't. You love to interview others, to find out what they're thinking. It doesn't matter so much whether you follow your own or others' rules of correct behavior, but be sure to learn them all. The pitfall is gossip, while the challenge is to master the politics of information.

Friendship, social circle: Friendship is based on intelligence and the willingness to communicate. Your friends need not be the deepest thinkers in the world, but it helps if they have quick and facile minds, and are interested in a wide range of subjects. If they don't enjoy talking, they're not really your friends. You like having numerous people from whom to choose companionship, so your social circle is large and diversified. Touching base with friends is a primary interest; you want to keep up with current events in their lives. Sensitivity is not your long suit socially, so keep an eye on your tendency to gossip without regard for the truth. Based on this placement alone, friendship could be superficial. There is, of course, nothing whatsoever wrong with that leaning, since your challenge as a friend is to keep life well-stirred, to expand the mental connections between people. Be active in friendship. Go somewhere, do something together. But most of all, have a good time.

Shared creativity: Shared creativity is a mental event. It's not that you're necessarily the brains of the group, but rather that you take off from and expand the thoughts that float around the group head. Your presence encourages the free flow of ideas as well as debate over their relative merits. Your creative role is to disseminate ideas and provide constructive criticism to help perfect the group's expression.

Receiving love: You want expressions of love in verbal form. Even ordinary conversation, if sufficiently engaging, can be interpreted to contain the stamp of love. You're susceptible to a good line. What's important is a sense of stimulation, the massage of the nervous system. Love can be a delightful game of hide-and-seek. It's quite possible for you to feel loved by one person, but be enamored with the possibility of affection from another. You're an acrobat, able to juggle numerous light romances at once. The challenge is to understand that love is expressed through the mind, but that it emanates from the heart.

Mercury in 11th House: You are a progressive thinker with your sights set on your future goals and objectives. You have a flair for defining your goals, and you know how to solve the problems you will face. You want to be free from the demands of your career so that you may pursue personally satisfying hobbies. Luckily, you probably chose a partner who shares your dreams and who is eager to become involved in enterprises that will enrich your life together. You have always had a strong urge to be free from financial obligations. You have always known that once you satisfied your material needs, you would embark on a more exciting course, doing all those things that you couldn't do earlier because of your responsibilities.

You are valuable to your superiors because you stay informed, and you are always qualified for a higher level of responsibility. You will probably be promoted quite often during your career, and your efforts will bring you the recognition you deserve and considerable appreciation from the public. People are impressed by your genuine concern, for you show them how they can solve their problems. The public is warmly disposed toward you; and you probably have a wide circle of friends from whom you can expect favors if you need them. But you would rather not be obligated to them, preferring to use your own talents to get through any difficulties.

You feel it is critically important to continually demonstrate your creative ability. Your loved ones enhance your potentials by indulging you in your need to prove yourself. It is to satisfy your family's needs that you work so hard to exploit your potentials. You sometimes doubt whether you can satisfy the needs of the people around you, and you aren't really comfortable unless you know you've been helpful. It is especially heartwarming to know that your efforts have helped people become more self-sufficient in handling their own resources. You suffer some anxiety when lack of money delays your plans. Being financially embarrassed is particularly painful to you, for it slows you down and dampens your usual enthusiasm.

You focus on achieving financial independence, and you apply yourself energetically to that objective. You seem unusually competent in your work, and you deserve to retire early if that is what you want. Probably you won't truly retire, however, for you have many outside interests that give you much personal satisfaction. You are willing to make sacrifices while you are working to achieve your goals, because you know that you have to establish your own roots. Family obligations may have delayed the time when you could accomplish this.

It is important to you to make a substantial contribution to society, either in your career or as a private citizen. You've always felt some apprehension about your ability to carry out your plans as originally defined, although the public may never be aware of this secret anxiety. The chances are that you more than compensate for any subtle fears about your qualifications. You should be reassured by your superiors' approval of your effectiveness.

Mercury in 11th House: Awareness of the self and life in general is expanded through friendships and group contacts if Mercury is in the 11th. Rather than just pursuing something alone, Mercury here enhances its knowledge by seeking other people who share a similar interest. For instance, you can study astrology on your own at home with some books, or you can gather together with other people interested in it. Through your doing so, other people's attitudes, points of view and experiences of the topic enlarge your own scope and appreciation. Helpful hints can be shared, and your own opinions aired: 'Oh yes, I hadn't seen that before, but did you ever consider...'. Problems with Mercury in this house could indicate trouble communicating or being understood in groups.

Mercury in the 11th also joins organizations which promote a common belief, concept or cause. One voice becomes many: a group of people thinking something is more powerful than just one person thinking the same thing. Mercury's thoughts might dwell on the ways in which society can be improved or advanced. Mercury in the 11th feels a kinship with like minds or with other group members, and sometimes acts as the group spokesperson. Then again, they may be the one that everyone else tells to shut up so that other people can get a word in. The nature of the group itself may be 'mercurial' - debating clubs, writing societies, or networking groups which link or refer one person or group to another.

Much of the same applies to friendship. If Mercury is projected onto companions, then those with this placement may seek a friend to do their thinking and decision-making for them. Or a friend may turn out to be unreliable, gossiping, or the type who says one thing and then does another. An actual brother or sister may be their best friend, or a friend is sought who can be like a brother or sister to them.

See also: Mercury in the 11th House;

Mercury in the 11th House: Cher, Salvadore Dali, John Dillinger, J.Paul Getty, Jimi Hendrix, Angelina Jolie, Donovan Leitch, Carl Lewis, Mickey Mantle, Groucho Marx, Mitt Romney (cusp), Edouard de Rothschild, O.J. Simpson, Meryl Streep, Donald Trump, Gore Vidal, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., AndySc, Arine, BarryKl, ChrisTr, Clark, Erin, Jane, Judi, Lina, Molly, Nicole, Prabhukar, River

Mercury in the 12th House

If Mercury has this placement it can lead people to some intellectual understanding of the unity of all life. Able to use their considerable mental powers to tap into the collective, these people may develop an awareness of the archetypal and mythic roots of being. Mercury here can be at its most alchemical, trying to connect the worlds of the conscious and unconscious minds, both for their own and for others' understanding, successfully or not according to the aspects made by other planets. The placement can lead to introspection and, occasionally, to obsessive thoughts; and there may be an occasional need to retire from society in order to think difficulties through clearly. Often, Mercury in this position is in touch with collective forces which may not be consciously felt by other people, but are experienced at the feeling level. It indicates people who sometimes may not find it easy to distinguish their own thought processes from those of others; boundaries around thinking are clearly an issue here.

Part of the process of change Mercury has to submit himself to in the twelfth house is the Neptunian dissolution. The black and changeable water breaks down all that has gone before, becomes formless and uncertain before it is transformed into the dark substances which eventually becomes the philosophical stone. Purification in the chaotic waters of the unconscious is a necessary and feared part of change, before the separation from unconscious identification can occur. Those who take the risk of fishing in Neptune's waters must face being swamped by what they find there, if only in imagination. If Mercury is to rise again in purified form, he must first submit to the death of old ideas and associations, allowing his old boundaries to be penetrated and to dissolve.

House cusp signs can reveal the way in which this sometimes impressionistic Mercury works. Mercury with Cancer may prevent objective thinking and encourage a clinging attitude to sometimes outworn ideas and emotions. Becoming aware of the appropriateness of a response to difficult circumstances is often a problem for these people. Mercury with Capricorn on the cusp of the twelfth house can incline people to overemphasize or repress the practicality of their thinking when they feel threatened by structures imposed on them by others; it may impede the process of necessary dissolution. But aspects from other planets to Mercury here will often indicate in more complexity just what it is that Mercury picks up from the collective at an unconscious level. Where the twelfth house is involved, dissolution may take place whether the person is aware of it or not.

People with Mercury placed in this house may come to develop their potential as way-guides between the everyday world and the world of a universal and archetypal imagination. Thinking and speaking in images to the collective would be of some importance to them, or they may draw on the collective for the kinds of symbolic language they need in order to communicate their knowledge of deep levels of the psyche. In any case, they may find a periodic need to be sunk in the collective, Neptunian waters of the unconscious. But they may also need to guard against the effects of obsessive thinking, and to protect themselves from the invasive thoughts of others.

Mercury in 12th House: Individuals with Mercury in this position may have a damaged ego; if not, then their ego has suffered in childhood from pressures that have toughened it. Their sense of self is often damaged in childhood, which can make them wary of exposing themselves and their feelings. They may even hide their own feelings from themselves, trying to be a different person from who they really are.

They are usually sensitive to the pain and trouble of others, though they may react in a variety of ways, one trying to help while another turns away. Some feel that they have such a hard time solving their own problems that they have no help to spare for others. If there are no other aspects of twelfth-house planets, they may try to help by preaching or lecturing, or by recounting what happened to them along the same lines, rather than by giving warmth, sympathy, or real assistance.

It is not a good position for self-acceptance. They are likely to spend a good deal of time fantasizing about themselves, refusing to face themselves squarely. It is hard for them to accept their own faults and weaknesses, and equally hard for them to believe in their own virtues and strengths. They often enjoy reading stories of other people, watching movies, plays, and so on, that give them the illusion of getting to know the truth about people. This is the soap opera position par excellence. They may even pry into the lives of others, looking for similarities to themselves, seeking justification for their own foibles (even, in extreme cases, watching people through binoculars, reading other people's mail, etc.). They are inclined to gossip about others. In most cases none of this is malicious, just the result of curiosity.

If they respond to this position at a higher level, they will want to understand themselves and will seek help from counselors, astrologers, psychiatrists, psychologists, psychics, or the like. They may study these subjects themselves in an effort to achieve more self-understanding, possibly even becoming practitioners.

This is a good position for a writer once the tendency to fantasize has been put into perspective. There is an instinctive quality to the mental processes. Sometimes they have trouble with straight facts, reacting better to the vibes in the air. They learn by absorbing ideas, not by study per se.

On the lower levels of response, they are inclined to overdo on eating, drinking, or drugs. Actually, sensible fasting is probably the best way for them to deal with problems.

They are inclined to be overly susceptible to praise, because they are so hungry for self-acceptance, and for the approval of others that will allow them to approve of themselves. If they rise to positions of power, they are apt to be led astray by flattery, if they are not careful.

Mercury in 12th House: Imagination: Your rational mind is an open and inspirational screen for the projection of your dreams. It extends into your own unconscious and beyond, into the collective unconscious of humankind. However, communication is often confused or misunderstood. Sometimes you don't know how to express yourself in clear language, and sometimes others aren't tuned to your imagery. More often, you misinterpret what they're saying, infusing their words with images from your own unconscious. The challenge is to communicate your thought-dreams in as clear a way as you can. Realize that your mind is sometimes not your own, and learn methods for communication other than verbal.

Unfocused intuition: Intuitions are perceived as thoughts, as if they were the conscious product of your own rational processes. But they're not; they're signals you convert into thought-patterns. Your own thinking tends to flow with the patterns moving through culture, so you are a bell weather for currents at the cutting edge of society. New cultural vocabularies are natural to you, and your thinking changes with the times. To maintain clarity and minimize the dangers of misunderstanding, you must learn to be quiet mentally. The challenge is to understand that your mind is not merely a rational machine. Listen for the signals, and locate both their origins and their destination.

Withdrawal or isolation: You need to clear out the clutter of other people's thoughts from your mind, to take out the garbage. Too much input or exchange can fry your brain. If you don't get relief from the strain, your thoughts become garbled. It's not that you need to stop thinking. It is no more possible to stop the mind than the beating of your heart. But can take a break from attending to your thoughts. Allow your mind to go its merry way without paying so much attention. You don't need to 'read' every thought. Direct the focus of your consciousness upward, beyond the cacophony of thinking. Leave it behind for a while; and when you return, your understanding will be clarified and refreshed.

Selfless giving: You love to figure out solutions for the psychological puzzles of people's lives. Be careful, however, that you don't turn into an advice machine. However pure your motives may be, there is a tendency to get carried away in trying to solve other people's problems. Even when they seem to want exactly that, you're better off letting them come to their own solutions through probing conversations. Remaining neutral is an essential part of your service. Occasional periods of silence -'speech fasting' - are very beneficial, since too much talking can overwhelm your sense of order.

'Past lives': The way you perceive, think, and communicate is linked with past life patterns. Your nervous system is already programmed to interpret life in specific ways, ways that now must be made conscious. Misunderstanding with others are frequently a carryover from prior incarnations where the dissonance originated. Don't presume that communication is clear, especially if there is conflict or difficulty. Assume the opposite, that there is something beyond what meets the eye, and investigate the possibilities by visualizing images of yourself and the other person in past life settings. The more you distinguish then from now, the easier it is to reach the satisfaction of mutual agreement. The challenge is to work into your past lives to establish the origins of disagreement or misunderstanding, to finally reach clear awareness of the facts in any current situation.

Mercury in 12th House: Because of your early upbringing, you feel free to pursue your own life and establish a foundation that is comfortable for you. Your parents probably had more faith in you than you realized, and they undoubtedly brought you up so that you could succeed on your own terms. Although you are cordial to others, you reserve the right to make your own choices and achieve goals that you alone define. You are rich with ideas, but at first you have some difficulty finding ways to apply them. You generally try not to attract attention, especially when you are attracted to someone and don't want the relationship to gain public notice. You are clever at negotiating your financial affairs quietly until you feel confident that they are sufficiently developed to be made public.

Your interests are diversified, so you always have an alternative direction to follow if your current program fails or becomes uninteresting. Because you work quietly behind the scenes to develop your skills, your career is far more advanced than anyone can tell from appearances. You have the ability to apply your basic talents and resources to achieve your goals. The financial rewards of such a career will satisfy your need for security.

Developing your skills should have a high priority, because others may not always be available to help you. A good education will teach you how to use your potentials to accomplish your objectives. You cannot afford to neglect the trivial details that you encounter in your career, even though they seem like a waste of time. Through dealing with these chores, you can become independent of the people you would otherwise have to rely on. This is the only way you can be in complete control of any situation that develops in your career. Your career should involve working with the public in some way, for you are qualified to solve many kinds of social problems. Social service might be an attractive field for you, and it would give you freedom to come and go as you choose in performing your duties.

You don't mind making some sacrifices for those you love, but you resent it if sacrifices is expected as a condition of the relationship. you should choose a partner who sympathizes with your goals and who will work with you to reach them. You would resent a partner who is unwilling to share your highs and lows, successes and failures, or someone who constantly asks you to indulge him or her. You will work without recognition until you feel qualified to establish yourself firmly in your career. You consider this a good investment in developing your creative talents.

Careful self-analysis may help you appreciate your creative potentials and understand how using them positively can help you reach your goals. You tend to underestimate your abilities and credit others with more talent, even though theirs is no more significant than your own. You are sometimes more generous and thoughtful to your friends and associates than they deserve.

Mercury in 12th House: Mercury doesn't exactly wander into the 12th house - he falls into it. And, like Alice, he finds himself in a strange land, encountering things that are awesome, helpful and fascinating.

Primarily, a 12th house Mercury attempts to build a bridge between the conscious and unconscious minds - to integrate into conscious awareness what is operating in the hidden depths of the psyche. This involves a twofold process. First, those with this placement must venture into the imaginary realms of the unconscious, although if they don't choose to take that initial step, it doesn't matter - what is down there will sooner or later come up to get them. Secondly, once in that realm, they must look around, take notes and then come back up again. If they get stuck down there, forgetting to return up again or unable to do so, then someone else will have to be called in to rescue them.

What does all this mean? Those with Mercury here - through introspection, soul-searching, psychotherapy, good literature, or dream work - need to explore the unconscious to find out what makes them tick. Depending on the aspects to Mercury, some of what is stored there will be useful and productive and well worth bringing to the surface. However, other stuff may need to be sifted through and sorted out ¬especially learned impressions and memories from the past which, consciously remembered or not, distort and obscure how information received in the present is being interpreted. In order to see what is in front of them more clearly, they will have to clean up some of the early life (or previous life?) debris cluttering their immediate perception and awareness.

See also: Mercury in the 12th House;

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