Mercury, ruler of Gemini and Virgo, determines where and how you make contact with the world. How you communicate in all ways – speech, movement, transportation – even your choice of car and phone – will owe a great deal to the sign that rules your natal Mercury. Mercury by sign governs how you use and enjoy language, and influences the the books you read and enjoy – or not.
Mercury is the planet of curiosity and, by house position, it tells you a great deal about where you are most effective in processing information, organising your thoughts – and organising yourself. You need Mercury to make decisions, to evaluate between one course of action or another, to understand those handy instruction booklets that come with flat packed furniture – and to process and understand everyday life itself. Without Mercury your life would be a lonely place because, hey, we all need someone to talk to.
In this section, check out your Mercury by its house position in your natal chart. This will give you insight into how Mercury performs in your chart – and where you find your natal Mercury will be most easily expressed.
Mercury: Keywords
Breathing, Breath, Clever, Connected, Contacts, Communicator, Communications Commercial, Comic, Comedian, Co-ordinated, Cunning, Dextrous, Eloquent, Expressive, Flexible, Gossip, Handy, Handicrafts, Ideas, Intellectual, Intuitive, Journalism, Knowledgeable, Know-all, Logical, Messenger, Messages, Mental, Mental Capacity, Mental Health, Mobile, Mobile Phone, Nervousness, Nervous Energy, Nerves, Nervous System, Perceptive, Rational, Speech, Thought Processes, Thinking, Transport, Transportation, Witty, Writing, Writer, Young, Youthful.
Mercury in the First House
With Mercury in the first house, you are mercurial. The first house is all about you so you’re likely to be talkative, agile, have lots of nervous energy and like to keep yourself busy. You may be highly intelligent or simply the local gossip – both of these outcomes (and everything in between) are a natural fit with Mercury’s need to investigate, know more and spread the word. You’re likely to express yourself with ease and fluency – however, if Mercury was retrograde at the time of your birth you may feel some unease in this area.
However, as the first house is the house of ‘self’, there is a risk that Mercury in this house will make you self absorbed, thinking of yourself first and foremost. Be careful all your conversations aren’t about, ‘Me, Me, Me’. Other people need to join in the conversation too (it’s not a monologue) so be aware you need to allow others space for their opinions too. It’s not all about you. Even if you’re not strictly academic you are likely to have a quick and shrewd mind so be mindful of this and put it to good use. Be aware Mercury is connected to how other people see you so be clever or funny – not a liar.
For more on the First House – click here.
Mercury in the Second House
Mercury in the second house has the original one track mind and that track is often concerned with getting the best value. Shrewd in business and financial matters, you can spot a bargain from a mile away and you’re rarely stumped for money making ideas or ways to extract the maximum value from any situation. This may make you seem like a natural ‘wheeler dealer’ and while you may have a talent in that direction, you know the value of money and you’re unlikely to make any financial decision without working out exactly how much it’s going to cost.
You may be a natural accountant but there’s more to you than money matters. you have a very solid set of personal values and this comes over in your communications with others. Flighty Mercury is much more grounded in the second house and often able to put communications skills to profitable use. Mercury in this house can indicate talent as a writer and it’s a skill that can be used to provide an income. And writers or communicators with this aspect have no problem with a steady and focused work ethic – and they often have a rich resource of subjects stored in their minds to draw on as required.
For more on the Second House – click here.
Mercury in the Third House
If you thought Mercury in the first house was mercurial – in the third house he’s exponentially so. However, third house Mercury has more of an emphasis on learning. Your mind is sharp and keen to acquire information. You have a broad and ever expanding range of interests. However, you may tire of them easily and cast them aside. However, your memory is generally excellent. You’re happy to disseminate your knowledge, through conversation, debate, writing, teaching or gossip. You need to be in the loop and you’re never without your mobile phone.
Your mental flexibility makes you versatile and you pick up new ideas very easily. You find it easy to adapt to new situations and you may seek frequent changes as you find it hard to stay in one place for too long. You’re likely to be a social animal – I hesitate to use the ‘butterfly’ as I think it’s overused, but you enjoy the company of others. You’re likely to have many acquaintances and are often the sort of person who is always out doing things that reflect your myriad of interests. People enjoy your company as you could be a great raconteur – Mercury is funny and in the third house is more entertaining than most.
For more on the Third House – click here.
Mercury in the Fourth House
Mercury in the fourth house has mind connected with home and family and often those with this placement are keen researchers of family history and genealogy. In fact, history of any kind usually fascinates those with a fourth house Mercury and they could even end up talking, writing about or even teaching their chosen subject. Mercury in the fourth house often has a particularly retentive memory – and this placement can show that mental ability runs in the family. One, or even both of your parents could have been involved in education.
You were probably not short of mental stimulation growing up – though it could be your family were simply very talkative – and this trend is likely to have continued. For you, a house is not a home unless it’s filled with books, computers and mobile phones – and you probably keep in close contact with your family members more often than most. Mentally, however, this placement can indicate some inflexibility. It’s possible your mindset reflects the values you were taught as a child and you find it natural to hold onto the lessons of the past. It’s possible you learned to keep your thoughts to yourself.
For more on the Fourth House – click here.
Mercury in the Fifth House
Mercury in the fifth house loves to express things in words. Hugely sociable, you can be a born entertainer, funny and charming. This, of course, gives you many advantages over more tongue tied mortals as you are hugely persuasive and a born salesperson. It seems to follow, quite naturally, that you’re also an incorrigible flirt. This is probably Mercury’s most playful position in the birth chart. You have an affinity with children as you’re naturally mentally creative. This can make you a natural as an early years teacher and you would certainly prove popular with the children
However, you get a great deal of personal pleasure from your mental interests. You enjoy quizzes, crosswords, word games, jokes and storytelling – anything that keeps your tongue sharpened is fine with you as you’re likely to be naturally witty. You love to show off your intellect so be careful you don’t become the local ‘know it all’ and be careful you don’t embellish your stories too much. Sometimes your imagination can go too far. That said, you were probably keen on school when you were a child, and you may have bright children of your own. And in this house? Twins are always a possibility!
For more on the Fifth House – click here.
Mercury in the Sixth House
Mercury in the sixth house has a well ordered mind. In fact, with this Mercury placement, a well ordered anything from your words to your closets is more than likely as this is Mercury at home in the house of organisation. You hate to see things in disarray and will happily spend your time sorting out the mess that other mere mortals create – though sometimes you will feel as if they are untidy of habit and mind simply to spite you. A few of your characteristically well chosen words usually restores your sense of mental order – and that really is what it is about for you with Mercury in this house. Mental order is always an issue in some form.
Whether you are concerned with mental health, crosswords or correcting others lamentable grammar and punctuation, you hate to see things out of place, yet you are keenly aware that everything does have a place and your concern is ensuring that your world has everything in place to enable life to be more efficient. You may possess specialist skills necessary to make life work and may possess a library of instruction booklets in your fully indexed ring binder. You are likely to be busy – and may have more than one job because you hate to be bored. The devil may make work for idle hands but your hands are always busy.
For more on the Sixth House – click here.
Mercury in the Seventh House
In the seventh house, Mercury gets people together. Mentally alert, sociable and stimulated by intellectual debate, Mercury in this house needs to bounce ideas off other people – and you often don’t care who. Attracted to ideas – and the people who have them, Mercury in the seventh house likes to reach agreement with others. Expert negotiators with great powers of persuasion, your insights into what makes other people tick are second to none. With Mercury in this house, there is no subject that cannot be discussed – it’s your preferred method of bonding with others.
And that includes personal and romantic relationships. With Mercury in this house affection is something that’s talked about – and is also often tactile in nature. Mercury needs to touch as well as talk and in relationships those with Mercury in this house will constantly be ‘in touch’ via texts, meetings, conversations and holding hands. Mercury in the seventh house may not be emotionally deep but is demonstrably attached. In many instances the partner will be ‘mercurial’ too – born under the sign of Gemini (or Virgo), intelligent, talkative, works in a ‘mercurial’ profession. Sometimes with Mercury in this house, Mercury issues will be projected onto the partner.
For more on the Seventh House – click here.
Mercury in the Eighth House
Mercury in the eighth house has a deep and penetrating mind and it is stimulated by getting underneath the surface to discover the things that lie beneath. What Mercury loves to connect with here is often the taboo side of life. So, in this dark place we find Mercury reading murder mysteries – the more gory the better. Psychological thrillers and supernatural horror stories are also on the library list and the reason for this is quite simple. Mercury here is intrigued by the dark side and the undercurrents and secrets that pass under the radar. And Mercury’s radar here? it’s something to behold.
Mercury in the eighth house tunes into the atmosphere and is acutely observant. absorbing knowledge like a sponge, eighth house Mercury knows the power of information and knowledge is critical if you’re going to be able to manipulate people and events, or discover who did what – and to whom. Mercury here is decisive, disciplined and highly analytical. Mercury here is a natural detective or psychologist. And it goes without saying that, in this house, Mercury can have sex on the brain. Sexually or otherwise, Mercury in the eighth house ‘gets’ what motivates people. Mercury in this house also has a dark sense of humour.
For more on the Eighth House – click here.
Mercury in the Ninth House
Mercury in the ninth house has an expansive mind – and it’s one that can be more philosophical than most. Mercury here is the traditional placement for the philosopher, priest or academic, as the natural curiosity associated with Mercury is directed towards life’s big questions. Is there a God? How big is the Universe? And what about infinity? Mercury here hypothesises – and will be happy to lecture too – because Mercury here is as keen to impart knowledge as he is to acquire it. This makes Mercury here sound serious – but fortunately the ninth house can be a fun place and Mercury here likes to laugh too – for a smart placement that humour can be pretty basic too.
Mercury is the god of communication and communication in the ninth house may be multilingual. Even if Mercury here communicates in only one language, the words chosen will reflect a fascination for language – and learning – with an extensive vocabulary to match. Mercury here is articulate and likes to be heard and Mercury’s linguistic flair often extends to the written word. Mercury here is a great asset to writers, journalists and publishers and, in the house associated with the law, Mercury enhances the ability to present a finely crafted argument, digest large amounts of information. process rapidly – and think quickly on those winged feet.
For more on the Ninth House – click here.
Mercury in the Tenth House
Mercury in the tenth house indicates a serious and methodical frame of mind. Naturally attuned towards the important things in life, those of you with Mercury here are ordered, ambitious and tend to focus the things that really matter when it comes to social order and cohesion. You know the value of education, laws and rules to maintain a functioning society and it’s not surprising that those with Mercury in this house can gravitate to being an ‘authority’, through teaching or influencing the way the social order is maintained. This is a Mercury placement associated with intellectual confidence – but it’s also associated with high expectations.
The tenth house is a public house and Mercury here is not afraid of making his voice heard. Teaching, journalism, blogging or any media platform that gives you an outlet is a natural fit. However, Mercury here does not shy away from personal development. You may have media skills but you also have mediation skills. Naturally keen on connecting people or organisations, Mercury here is a great salesman and, with a tenth house Mercury, you equally adept at selling yourself. That may be beneficial to many of you, as your youthful mental energies may enable you to reach the top of your profession earlier than your peers.
For more on the Tenth House – click here.
Mercury in the Eleventh House
If there’s a great position for a social media influencer, market researcher or forecaster of any sort, then Mercury in the eleventh house is it. You are the original thinker who is able to approach problems from an unorthodox direction and discover solutions to issues other people simply cannot see. You are naturally analytical and innovative and you get a buzz out of challenging conventional ideas. Just because something has always been done in a certain way is no excuse to keep doing so. Always ahead of the intellectual curve, you’re attracted to the new – and untested. You’re a mental risk taker – and that’s how you like it.
Mercury here is friendly and engaging because your natural curiosity is directed towards the social sphere. Intellectual conversations into the night, discussion groups and campaigns are suited to your communicative talents. However, you may have a tendency to value ideas and causes more than you value close friendships. It’s an idealistic Mercury placement so you may be overly judgemental of those who fail to live up to your ideals or intellectual standards. However, you are the ‘go to’ person when it comes to disseminating ideas – and you are a natural with communications technology. This is the geek placement above all others.
For more on the Eleventh House – click here.
Mercury in the Twelfth House
Mercury in the twelfth house will often have insight into things that are hidden. The twelfth house works at a subliminal level, and Mercury here knows exactly the write words to choose to affect people at an emotional or creative level. In fact Mercury here can be ‘Mercury without words’, such is the ability of those with this placement to convey meaning intuitively. This is a great placement for the creative writer or poet because Mercury here has direct access to the imagination. Abstract thoughts, interest in or curiosity about subjects such as spirituality, the supernatural and an ability to ‘look within’ and meditate effectively are often found with Mercury here.
As the twelfth house is a hidden house, so how does this affect your ability to communicate in its realm? Hidden speech or communication is rarely straightforward and this can lead to those here being guarded with their speech. In some cases it can lead to shyness, as Mercury here often refrains from speaking up – unless words can remain hidden in some way. This can lead to words being used deceptively or subjectively, so it can be difficult with a twelfth house Mercury to say what you actually mean – or give an objective or realistic opinion on things. Mercury here is psychologically aware – and that can be used as a tool for healing both themselves and others.
For more on the Twelfth House – click here.
Next: Venus | Mars | Jupiter | Saturn | Uranus | Neptune | Pluto | Sun | Moon
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© Sara Shipman
Picture credit: Image by Martin Pfennigschmidt from Pixabay