MERCURY

Mercury embodies the principles of communication, travel, intelligence, and quick-wittedness. Communication is a broad term. It involves how we speak, hear, write, verbal and non-verbal cues, what we pick up by observation, how we infer, interpret, and translate. Mercury is the messenger of the gods, helping us to navigate the messages we receive between the mortal and divine worlds. Mercury is known to have trickster energy–just when you think you understand, there’s a curveball, or you end up in a place you never dreamed of, like King Priam, the king of Troy. Hector, his son, is killed by Achilles. Priam is grief stricken upon hearing of his son’s death, and wants to take his son’s body back for a proper burial. However, Achilles, distraught over the death of his dear friend who Hector killed, won’t release Hector to Priam. Priam beseeches the gods for their help, and Mercury is sent. Priam must go to Achilles alone–if he’s caught, he will be killed. Under the cover of night, Mercury takes Priam into enemy territory, weaving him in and out through the enemy camp. Imagine the fear and anxiety?  But eventually, he’s brought to Achilles' tent, where he begs for and is able to take his son’s body back to Troy for his funeral. How did Mercury get Priam past all of the dangers? Let’s look at the tools Mercury has up his sleeve. He has the caduceus, the helmet of invisibility, and his winged shoes. The caduceus is a staff with two snakes intertwined and topped with wings. It symbolizes balance, negotiation, and commerce. The helmet of invisibility was given to Mercury by Hades (Pluto), giving him the ability to remain hidden and undetected. His winged shoes are a symbol of speed, agility, and the ability to travel between worlds. Mercury’s role is to help navigate liminal space–he helps people transition between different phases and spaces. All of his tools help him do this. The glyphs of astrology feel Mercurial–they serve as a visual shorthand and help astrologers interpret deeper, broader meanings that can be hard to articulate. The next time you need to share or communicate something, consider the Mercurial tools at your disposal.

Do you need agility when handling intricate negotiations? Would it be beneficial to hide certain non-verbal signals during collaboration? How can Mercury support you? Can you accept the chance of not reaching your initial destination, but still accomplishing your goal?