Mercury: From a Mythological and Symbolic Perspective
As I’ve been on my astrology journey, one of the ways I’ve connected to the planets has been through their mythological and archetypal correspondences, accompanied by the symbolism astrologers use to describe what the planets signify.
With that in mind, this series of posts about the different parts of astrology, where I’ll cover the luminaries and each of the planets in our solar system (including Pluto), I’ll write about their mythology, archetypes, and some general symbolism, including my own observations.
In this post, I will focus on Mercury.
[I will add to this post when I broaden my knowledge of myths, deepen my knowledge of the planets, and make new observations concerning them.]
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The Mythology of Mercury
Hermes
In Greek mythology, Hermes (also known as Mercury in Roman mythology) was the son of Zeus and the nymph Maia. Hermes shows up in many myths since he “was a messenger god who mediated between heaven and earth as he delivered communications from the gods to humans” (Giesecke 2020). But let’s start from the beginning.
Shortly after his birth, Hermes traveled around until he found a field with a herd of cattle. He drove some of them back to the cave where he had been born. What he didn’t know at the time was that the cattle belonged to Apollo. When news reached Apollo that someone had stolen some of his prized cattle, he set out to find the thief. When Apollo finally reached the cave where Hermes had been born, he heard beautiful music that transfixed him. When he realized that Hermes had been playing the music on a lyre he had made himself from a tortoise shell, curiosity piqued. Hermes then taught Apollo how to play the lyre. And that’s how Hermes became associated with thieves, while Apollo became associated with the lyre. Edith Hamilton even called Hermes “the Master Thief, who started upon his career before he was a day old” (Hamilton 1942).
Hermes wasn’t just associated with thieves, however; he was also “seen as the inventor of fire and of the lyre, but he was also a mischievous trickster” who became the god of conmen, rascals, liars, gamblers, storytellers, jokers, as well as “the protector of travelers, merchants, heralds”, and “of herdsmen, whom he protected, and of their flocks, whose fertility he ensured” (Giesecke 2020).
Hermes was also a guide to the underworld for certain people who had died, “the Divine Herald who led the souls down to their last home” (Hamilton 1942).
The Symbolism of Mercury
Fast Facts
Keywords: Mind, perception, communication (mental and physical), language, how we think, ideas, education and learning, skills, thoughts and opinions, trade and commerce
Domicile: Gemini
Detriment: Sagittarius
Domicile/Exaltation: Virgo
Detriment/Fall/Depression: Pisces
Anatomy: Hands and arms, respiratory system, hormones, nervous system, brain, eyes, mouth, tongue
Number: 5
Day of the Week: Wednesday
Colors: Grey, multicolors
Metal: Mercury (quicksilver) and platinum
Stones: Agate
Plants: Hazel
Joy in the 1st House of the Helm
Mercury spends approximately three weeks in each sign when it’s direct
Symbolism
Mercury is one of those trickster planets that you’re not quite sure whether it’s working for or against you. It’s a planet that’s retrograde around three times per year (for about three weeks at a time), “seeming to disappear into the Sun's rays, hence its reputation as trickster and underworld guide.” (Taylor, 2018, p. 66). While retrograde, there’s often some general turbulence in communication, especially, since Mercury is connected to communication (both verbal and non-verbal).
Mercury doesn’t just signify communication, however. It’s also connected to writing, education, interpretation, sending messages, etc. So it signifies a lot of communication, use of language, and receiving information. Therefore, it’s also interesting that Mercury rules the hands, the hearing, the windpipe, and the tongue, which are all used for different ways of communication and of hearing what’s being communicated. Its job is basically to transmit and convey information and messages. Whether or not the messages are conveyed in the way that we want to or intended to depends on Mercury’s condition. Whether we are more internal or external with our messages, information, and communication also depends on the condition.
Mercury also has an adaptive quality. It’s a Shapeshifter. It can take on qualities from the planets it has a relationship to, as well as the environment it’s in, which means that it can be both benefic and malefic and everything in between. It can also have yin and yang qualities depending on whether it’s in conjunction with a planet that has a yin or yang quality, or none if it’s alone and unaspected.
The relationship between Mercury and the Sun can also be an indication of how one communicates. The Sun represents the mind and how we think, whereas Mercury is about how we transmit and convey those thoughts and that information. So the relationship between the Sun and Mercury in a chart signifies things like whether the mind and the way of communication are on the same page or not. It can also signify miscommunication and difficulty in communicating the thoughts and ideas of a more erratic mind, just to give a few examples.
Mercury’s adaptability can also show up in the style in which something is communicated. So, for example, if Mercury is in a relationship with Venus, information and the messages can be conveyed through poetry or other artistic fields, whereas a relationship to Mars might transmit the information and messages in a more direct, aggressive, edgy, cutting kind of way.
For as long as I’ve been into astrology, I’ve personally always thought of a direct Mercury to signify “pushing” information out, like speaking or teaching, while Mercury retrograde is more about taking information in, by, for example, researching and learning.
In contrast to Jupiter, Mercury is the smallest planet in our solar system, whereas Jupiter is the biggest. So while Jupiter focuses on big, broader, overarching ideas, Mercury focuses on the smaller details and is more methodical in taking in and processing information.
Richard Tarnas summarizes Mercury’s correspondences and archetype in the following way in Cosmos and Psyche:
“the principle of mind, thought, communication, that which articulates the primary creative energy and renders it intelligible; the impulse and capacity to think, to conceptualize, to connect and mediate, to use words and language, to give and receive information; to make sense of, to grasp, to perceive and reason, understand and articulate; to transport, translate, transmit; the principle of Logos; Hermes, the messenger of the gods.” (Tarnas, 2006, ch. 3).
Wherever Mercury is in our chart is where “we are likely to show a versatile, inventive, inquisitive, and curious - even a childlike or mischievous - response.” (Taylor, 2018, p. 67).
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Sources
Brennan, Chris. The Astrology Podcast, episode 307: “Mercury in Astrology: Meaning Explained” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iST16Ijajag), 2021-06-16.
Fry, Stephen. Mythos. Michael Joseph (Penguin Random House), 2017.
Giesecke, Annette. Classical Mythology A to Z. Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, 2020 (ebook).
Gillett, Roy. The Secret Language of Astrology: The Illustrated Key to Unlocking the Secrets of the Stars. London: Watkins Media Limited, 2012.
Kent, April Elliott. The Essential Guide to Practical Astrology: Everything from zodiac signs to prediction, made easy and entertaining. San Diego, California: Two Moon Publishing, 2023.
Hamilton, Edith. Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes. Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, 1942 (ebook).
Parker, Julia & Derek Parker. Parkers’ Astrology: The definitive guide to using astrology in every aspect of your life. London: Dorling Kindersley Limited, 2020.
Ryberg, Kira. “Essential Dignity and Debility in Astrology” (https://www.kiraryberg.com/blog/essential-dignity-and-debility-in-astrology).
Tarnas, Richard. Cosmos and Psyche: Intimations of a New World View. Viking Penguin, 2006.
Taylor, Carole. Astrology: Using the wisdom of the stars in your everyday life. London: Dorling Kindersley Limited, 2018.
