Significations of Mercury According To Ancient and Modern Astrologers

Significations of Mercury According to Ancient and Modern Astrologers
This document gives some excerpts from different ancient and modern astrologers about what
Mercury signifies in astrology. It is meant to accompany the discussion in episode 307 of The
Astrology Podcast titled Mercury in Astrology: Significations and Meanings, with Jo Gleason and
Chris Brennan. Please see that episode for a full discussion of these passages.
Vettius Valens, Anthology, 2nd Century CE, trans. Brennan, Hellenistic Astrology
The star of Mercury signifies education, writings, disputation, speech, brotherhood,

interpretation, the office of Herald, numbers, calculations, geometry, commerce, youth, play,
theft, community, messages, service, profit, discoveries, following, contest, wrestling,
declamation, sealing, sending messages, weighing, suspense, testing, hearing, versatility. He is
the bestower of critical thinking and judgment, lord of brothers and of younger children, and
author of all things pertaining to the market and the craft of banking. Properly speaking, he
makes temple builders, modelers, sculptors, doctors, teachers, lawyers, orators, philosophers,
architects, musicians, diviners, sacrificers, augurs, dream interpreters, braiders, weavers, those
who are methodical, and those who are in charge of managing wars or strategic actions, and
those who utilize paradoxes and craftiness in calculations or false reasoning, those who are
strong performers or mime-actors, making their livelihood from display, while still wandering and
roaming and unstable; and those with knowledge of the heavens or those who seek to become
knowledgeable, undertaking the marvelous work with pleasure and contentment, for the sake of
the honor and benefit it brings. For this star holds the power of many pursuits, granting
occupations in accordance with the variations of the zodiacal signs or the interweavings of the
different configurations of the stars; for some it gives knowledge, while for others, brokerage;
service for some, while it procures trade or teaching for others; and for some agriculture or
temple-keeping or public <office>; moreover, for some it grants the ability to exercise authority
or leasing rentals or labor contracting or rhythmic performance or managing public services or
even body-guarding or wearing the linen robes of the gods or bestowing the pomp of powerful
men. It brings about all the irregularities in our fortunes and many distractions from our goals,
and even more so when this star is upon signs or degrees ruled by malefics, in which case
things may even take a turn for the worse. Of the parts of the body, it rules the hands, the
shoulders, the fingers, the joints, the belly, the hearing, the windpipe, the intestines, the tongue.
Of substances, it is lord of copper and all coinage, giving, taking: for the god is common.
Abu Ma’shar, Abbreviation to the Introduction to Astrology, 9th century, trans. Burnett
Mercury inclines its nature to the natures of the planets and the signs with which it mixes. It
indicates youth, younger brothers, love for servants and servant-girls. It indicates divinity,
revelation to prophets, trustworthiness, intellect, speaking, rumors; the various sciences:
calculation, surveying, geometry, astrology, omens by birds, sorcery, rhetoric, poetry, the art of
writing, poetic anthologies; little joy, corruptions to weath, commerce, receiving and giving,
cunning, swindling, slyness; assistance, patience, friendliness with one who is suitable.
William Lilly, Christian Astrology, 1647
Nature: Masculine or feminine, depending upon its placement; if in conjunction with a masculine
planet, Mercury becomes masculine; if with a feminine, then feminine. By its own nature
Mercury is cold and dry, and therefore melancholic. Mercury is adaptable; its influence is
beneficial when associated with good planets, malefic when associated with bad planets.
Mercury rules the animal spirit and is the author of subtlety, tricks, devices, and perjury.
People Signified: Literary men, philosophers, mathematicians, astrologers, merchants,

secretaries, scriveners, diviners, sculpturers, poets, orators, advocates, schoolmasters,
stationers, printers, exchangers of money, attorneys, embassadors to emporers,
commissioners, clerks, artificers, generally accomptants, solicitors, sometimes thieves, prattling
muddy ministers, busy sectaries, and they unlearned; grammarians, tailors, carriers,
messengers, footmen, usurers.
Manners when well dignified: When well dignified, Mercury represents a man of a subtle and
political brain, intellect, and cogitation; an excellent disputant or logician, arguing with learning
and discretion, and using much eloquence in his speech, a searcher into all kinds of mysteries
and learning, sharp and witty, learning almost anything without a teacher; ambitious of being
exquisite in every science, desirous naturally of travel and seeing foreign parts: a man of an
unwearied fancy, curious in the search of any occult knowledge; able by his own genius to
produce wonders; given to divination and the more secret knowledge; if he turn merchant, no
man exceeds him in a way of trade or invention of new ways whereby to obtain wealth.
Manners when badly placed: A troublesome wit, a kind of phrenetick man, his tongue and pen
against every man, wholly bent to spoil his estate and time in prating and trying nice conclusions
to no purpose; a great liar, boaster, prattler, busybody, false, a tale-carrier, given to wicked arts,
as necromancy and such like ungodly knowledges; easy of belief, an ass or very idiot, constant
in no place or opinion, cheating and thieving everywhere; a news-monger, pretending all
manner of knowledge, but guilty of no true or solid learning; a trifler; a mere frantic fellow; if he
prove a divine, then a mere verbal fellow, frothy of no judgement, easily perverted, constant in
nothing but idle words and bragging.
Reinhold Ebertin, The Combination of Stellar Influences, 1940
Principle: Intellect, mediation.
Psychological Correspondence:
+ Good grasp or understanding of a subject, sound judgement, critical ability, dexterity in

expression and in writing, mediation, diplomacy, general intellectual abilities, analysis.
- Negative: A lack of understanding and of objective criticism, the tendency to diffuse

one’s energy into too many channels, inhibitions in speech and in writing,
overdevelopment or weakness of intellect.
Biological Correspondence: The motor-nerves (speech - and hearing organs).
Sociological Correspondence: Intellectual workers, tradesmen, agents or mediators.
---
Steven Forrest, The Inner Sky, 1988
Function: Intelligence, transmission of information: talking, teaching, writing; reception of

information: listening, learning, reading, observing.
Dysfunction: Nervousness, rationalization, worry, flightiness, intellectualism, chattering,

inconsistency, hyperactivity.
Key Question: What are my intellectual and communicative strengths? What are my
intellectual and communicative weaknesses?
---
Richard Tarnas, Cosmos and Psyche, 2006
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.

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Significations of Mercury According to Ancient and Modern Astrologers

The star of Mercury signifies education, writings, disputation, speech, brotherhood,

William Lilly, Christian Astrology, 1647

People Signified: Literary men, philosophers, mathematicians, astrologers, merchants,

Reinhold Ebertin, The Combination of Stellar Influences, 1940

Principle: Intellect, mediation.

+ Good grasp or understanding of a subject, sound judgement, critical ability, dexterity in

- Negative: A lack of understanding and of objective criticism, the tendency to diffuse

Biological Correspondence: The motor-nerves (speech - and hearing organs).

Sociological Correspondence: Intellectual workers, tradesmen, agents or mediators.

Steven Forrest, The Inner Sky, 1988

Function: Intelligence, transmission of information: talking, teaching, writing; reception of

Dysfunction: Nervousness, rationalization, worry, flightiness, intellectualism, chattering,

Richard Tarnas, Cosmos and Psyche, 2006

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