What’s the fastest way to meet the silver tongued, charming and eloquent god Mercury? How can one track down the god sporting winged sandals on his feet, and donning a helmet that also features wings? Getting on his wavelength, by being quick-witted, interesting and/or maintaining a willingness to communicate, is a sound way to start.
Mercury is the Planet of Communication and emphasizes logic, intellect, the ability to organize, and in general, the use of the mind. Thought and rational thinking dominate, as opposed to being ruled by the heart, and its passionate emotions. His strength is his adaptability, instinctively molding himself into the perfect vehicle of communication for whomever he engages with. He is the ultimate shape-shifter, and mirrors, sometimes mimicking, his company to make a genuine connection.
He is lightning fast on his flying feet, moving rapidly and unpredictably. His wit is pure quicksilver- an adjective meaning mercurial, quick and changeable. The mercurial temperament is infamous for being capricious, volatile and excitable. One never knows what mood or frame of mind to expect, only that whatever it is, it will be changing soon.
The Winged Messenger is the ruling planet for the zodiac signs of Gemini, The Twins, and Virgo, The Virgin. He expresses his intellect, communication style and even morality, differently in each. Gemini is a yang, mutable, air sign while Virgo is a yin, mutable, earth sign. Mutability, adaptability and flexibility feature heavily in both astrological signs.
The Twins exhibit masculine traits such as extroversion, fast thinking and sociability. The Virgin displays feminine traits such as shyness, working behind the scenes, and quietly observant of all. She relishes practical and useful ideas. Her mind is precise, analytical and detail-oriented.
Gemini enjoys entertaining a never-ending flow of ideas. He is always learning something new, and indulging an insatiable curiosity. Ideas need to have no further purpose, they can remain forever abstract, never touching the Earth. There is joy in an idea, just for an idea’s sake.
However, fickleness and a refusal to explore beyond the superficial layers of a subject, can disrupt the smooth intake of knowledge for The Twins. The Virgin however, plucks the best ideas out of the intellectual realm and applies them practically, in the real world, bringing concrete, tangible results. She uses discernment to sift and sort through what is useful, and what is not.
Where The Virgin is too fussy, introverted or perfectionist, The Twins bring charm, social graces and devilish good fun to the party. Airy Gemini lightens up earth-bound Virgo, just as Virgo grounds and provides gravitas to temperamental, unpredictable Gemini. The Virgin isn’t usually the one to throw a red herring into the conversation, just to throw things off and see where they lead. That would be The Twins.
Elements of the Trickster archetype such as being sneaky, mischievous, disrupting the status quo, and challenging social conventions comes naturally to Gemini. These pranksters can deceive, cheat and rile up the best of us. While these characters cause chaos, they also provide the catalyst for significant growth and learning. Using a fast-tongue, trickery, and sometimes a bit of humor, the Trickster quickly alters the scene by manipulating events and upending assumptions and beliefs. This is when you find yourself in shocking circumstances, with a need to change strategies in order to deal with the wholly unanticipated situation.
Mercury is the God of commerce, trade and thieves. He carries the necessary equipment signifying his role in all these areas. His caduceus, a wand wrapped in two entwining snakes, declares his role as mediator with the authority to pass judgement. His winged sandals symbolize his incredible speed, making him lightning fast at delivering messages for the gods. His wide-brimmed hat called Petasus, and the purse in his hand, symbolize his trade and commercial duties.
One of Mercury’s greatest roles is that of the psychopomp– a guide for newly deceased souls on their way to the Underworld. As such, he gains access to the Underworld at his discretion, a privilege afforded to no other god. Mercury presides over liminal spaces, which is where transitions and transformations occur. He ensures the newly dead exit the mortal world and find their way into the spiritual realm.
He is also a divine courier, delivering messages, invitations and declarations between the gods. He also connects humans with the higher, divine realms by relaying messages and news from the gods. He controls the rate and flow of information. Is he always completely trustworthy and free from self gain? He is known to have a bit of fun with the messages he is entrusted with, and to manipulate situations to his favor.
Interestingly, the planet Mercury’s orbit is highly elliptical, meaning it swings very close and very far from the Sun. The speediest by far, of all the planets, he takes only 88 days to go around the Sun. Small but mighty, Mercury is only 1.4X larger than the Moon! His diminutive stature does not diminish his physical prowess, it actually enhances it. The god, like the planet, races at top speed, in top physical condition.
Mercury claims an exalted level of status, being the closest planet to the King of the Solar System, the Sun himself. Yet the surface temperature can drop to minus 290 F (minus 180 C) at night. Daytime numbers can sizzle at a whopping 800 F (430 C). The lack of atmosphere surrounding the planet accounts for the wildest, most extreme temperature fluctuations in the solar system.
There is a tiny degree of an axial tilt to Mercury, ensuring certain regions receive almost no solar rays, keeping them forever in the dark. This means no significant seasonal changes throughout the year, which lasts for 88 days. A Mercurian day lasts for 176 Earth days, making a day there twice as long as its year.
Not only does Mercury have the thinnest atmosphere of all the planets, it also sports the highest concentration of iron ore at its core. This metal ball comprises roughly three-quarters of the entire mass of the planet. The strength of the magnetic field is quite low compared to other planets, so protection from the harsh solar winds is minimal.
The face of Mercury thus constantly erodes from the bombardment of charged solar particles. Gargantuan magnetic tornados dance across the surface, as large as the planet itself, often coming and going for only a few minutes at a time. The planet, and the god, deal with extremes and must contend with finding compatibility between the drastic oppositions.
Mercury is there when we solve problems, express ourselves eloquently, and when we make objective, well-informed decisions. He helps create situations that force us to put our intelligence to work, so we can use our knowledge in a creative and organized way. By harmonizing logical thought and heartfelt emotion, Mercury respects the yang, masculine/yin, feminine dynamic, and thus transforms pure potential into reality.
Back in the day when the art and science of alchemy thrived, the element mercury used to be called hydrargyrum, which is Latin for liquid silver. This name derived from the fact that it is the only metal element to remain in a liquid state at standard temperature and pressure conditions. Listed on the Periodic Table of the Elements as Hg today, this element, under the right conditions, does in fact transform into gold. (Although it is theoretically possible, it is a very complicated process and not economically viable.)
Mercury teaches us to be adaptable, curious and navigate life’s twists and turns. Life is usually not linear, nor nice and neatly laid out. Mercury keeps us limber so we grow stronger with each plan that is thwarted, and must be remade. Surprises and unexpected events are there to keep us nimble and on our mercurial toes. Next time you are at a crossroads, know you are not alone as you step over the threshold into a new stage of life.
