As featured in The Cheltenham Directories July 2010 edition.
How do I find out my Mercury sign?
To find out your Mercury sign, scroll down to the bottom of the page, enter your birth details, taking note of your Mercury Sign, then read the appropriate paragraph below. Please note that although it may say 'birthtime unknown' even if you have entered a birth time, it does work out your planetary positions correctly!
What’s Your Mercury Sign?
We all know our Sun (or ‘Star’) Sign, but do you also know your Mercury Sign? In mythology, Mercury was the winged messenger, and in astrology too, it represents your ability to communicate, as well as the way you learn and process information. It is connected with such things as newspapers, letters, jokes, telephones, transport, young people, trips and students, to name but a few.
Knowing your Mercury Sign reminds you how your thinking style differs from other people, and how you learn best. For example, if your Mercury is in Aries, you are a confident communicator. You say what’s on your mind openly and directly, and fight your corner in an argument. Other people may find you challenging, stimulating and sometimes abrupt, but they always know where they stand with you. You learn best by being mentally challenged, encouraged to argue your case logically and by being in a fast-paced and competitive environment. If your Mercury is in Cancer on the other hand, your feelings and emotions strongly influence your thinking. You spend much of your time reflecting on the past, family and childhood, keeping your thoughts to yourself, but always speaking with sensitivity and subtlety. You learn best when you have an emotional connection to the subject, and when you are feeling secure and settled. Writing might be your forté.
Three or four times a year Mercury appears to slow down, then move backwards in the sky, for around three weeks at a time. During these ‘retrograde’ periods all manner of things can go haywire, especially those involving communication and transport. Expect postal strikes, delays, misunderstandings, overlooked details, breakdowns or confusion, so prepare for the unexpected, and be flexible enough to adapt. The last time Mercury was retrograde was between April 18th and May 11th. What happened? Air transportation was thrown into chaos by an Icelandic volcano, and we had the farcical situation of voters not being allowed into polling booths on May 6th. Mercury retrograde is however great for taking time out, reflecting and learning, and for thinking creatively. When’s the next one? August 20th to September 12th. You have been warned!
Graham Boston lives in Leckhampton, Cheltenham (UK) and is available for private consultations and readings. Call (01242) 228796, skype grahamboston or visit www.livingastrology.com for printed profiles (which make a unique gift!).
Knowing your Mercury Sign reminds you how your thinking style differs from other people, and how you learn best. For example, if your Mercury is in Aries, you are a confident communicator. You say what’s on your mind openly and directly, and fight your corner in an argument. Other people may find you challenging, stimulating and sometimes abrupt, but they always know where they stand with you. You learn best by being mentally challenged, encouraged to argue your case logically and by being in a fast-paced and competitive environment. If your Mercury is in Cancer on the other hand, your feelings and emotions strongly influence your thinking. You spend much of your time reflecting on the past, family and childhood, keeping your thoughts to yourself, but always speaking with sensitivity and subtlety. You learn best when you have an emotional connection to the subject, and when you are feeling secure and settled. Writing might be your forté.
Three or four times a year Mercury appears to slow down, then move backwards in the sky, for around three weeks at a time. During these ‘retrograde’ periods all manner of things can go haywire, especially those involving communication and transport. Expect postal strikes, delays, misunderstandings, overlooked details, breakdowns or confusion, so prepare for the unexpected, and be flexible enough to adapt. The last time Mercury was retrograde was between April 18th and May 11th. What happened? Air transportation was thrown into chaos by an Icelandic volcano, and we had the farcical situation of voters not being allowed into polling booths on May 6th. Mercury retrograde is however great for taking time out, reflecting and learning, and for thinking creatively. When’s the next one? August 20th to September 12th. You have been warned!
Graham Boston lives in Leckhampton, Cheltenham (UK) and is available for private consultations and readings. Call (01242) 228796, skype grahamboston or visit www.livingastrology.com for printed profiles (which make a unique gift!).
How do I find out my Mercury sign?
To find out your mercury sign, use the widget on the right.
Enter your year, month, day, hour and minute of birth (make a rough guess if you don't know your time of birth - it is unlikely to make a difference to your Venus sign). Next, you need to know the time zone of your birthplace - and if necessary, whether 'summer time' was in effect. For example, if you were born in the summer months in the United Kingdom, choose BST (British Summer Time) instead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time). Knowing whether it was in effect when and where your were born can be tricky. If you want to check, enter your birth details in Astrolabe's free birthchart generator. |
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To find the Latitude and Longitude of your birthplace, check its entry in Wikipedia (it usually displays at the top right of the page). By default, the widget assumes you are East of the Greenwich Meridian (London), so you may want to change that to West if you live in the UK.
Leave the House System at Placidus and click 'Show It!'. You'll see your Venus Sign listed, along with your other planets' sign positions.
Leave the House System at Placidus and click 'Show It!'. You'll see your Venus Sign listed, along with your other planets' sign positions.
Mercury in Aries
A confident communicator, you express yourself openly, directly and quickly, for which reason people always know where they stand with you. More sensitive souls may find you somewhat confrontational, however, and be shocked when you butt in rather than follow the polite rules of conversation. You have an active mental life and need plenty of mental stimulation to avoid boredom. When you are interested in a subject you run with it enthusiastically, and learn best when challenged or are in a competitive atmosphere where winning or excelling is recognised and rewarded.
Mercury in Taurus
You trust experience and the evidence of your senses and as a result have an abundance of practical knowledge and an appreciation for the how things are rather than how they ought to be. You enjoy talking and are a good conversationalist, appreciating the ebb and flow in the same way you might appreciate a fine wine or a good meal. You are also good at giving practical and financial advice, since you have an understanding of economics, business and the way things work in practice. You learn best when there is hands-on experience and when the emphasis is on facts, figures and ‘hows’ rather than ‘whys’ or abstract theorising.
Mercury in Gemini
Mercury is very happy here in its ‘own’ sign, and boy, do you love talking! Communication is very much your forté, and although people may not always be able to keep up with the flow of ideas and projects that excite you, they are nonetheless stimulated and enlivened by your good humour, sparkling repartee and lively wit. You enjoy learning, reading and writing, and are equally at home with facts as with theories and abstract ideas. You learn best when learning with others so that there is scope for discussion, debate and exchange, and least well when the pace is too slow or there is a lack of variety.
Mercury in Cancer
The past is a constant source of interest for you, and as such, you are likely to spend much time reflecting on your childhood, family background and origins. Subjects such as history, archaeology, palaeontology, ancestry and family psychology are all likely to appeal. You think, or perhaps more accurately feel, before you speak, and although some people may mistake your sensitivity for reticence, most appreciate your thoughtfulness and insight. You learn best when you can make a personal connection to the subject matter or teacher, when you are feeling at ease with life, and when taken at a gentle pace, with plenty of scope for reflection and review.
Mercury in Leo
You are a confident communicator and enjoy expressing yourself. At a gathering of people, yours may be the loudest voice, cracking jokes or recounting tales. Indeed, storytelling may be your forté, so you may have a talent for public speaking, entertaining and oratory, as well as fiction and children’s stories. You certainly have a flair for presenting information clearly and for keeping an audience interested and entertained. You learn best when you are encouraged to shine, and when effort and excellence are rewarded and recognised in front of your peers. Role-play, interspersing learning with recreation, and dramatisation all keep you engaged.
Mercury in Virgo
With your highly analytical mind you have a skill for breaking a subject down into its component parts and understanding its essence. You are thoughtful, speak clearly and with consideration, and are always able to offer common-sense advice. You spend a lot of time thinking and reflecting, and have a love of knowledge, details, facts and figures. You learn best in an orderly environment and when there is a clear practical outcome, for example the passing of an exam, the gaining of a qualification, the acquisition of a skill etc, and learn least well when there is too much discursive debate or abstract conceptualising.
Mercury in Libra
You express yourself with ease and charm, and are attentive to those you are in conversation with. Rarely do you butt in or try to hog a conversation for you value good manners and abhor rudeness. Libra being the sign of the balance (or scales), you tend to see both sides of an argument and are rarely vehement, although this can sometimes make decision-making a fraught process. You learn best when encouraged to discuss the subject with colleagues or team-members, and when asked to present reasoned arguments, perhaps for both sides of a debate. Your mind often turns to ideas about culture, art and society.
Mercury in Scorpio
You rarely take things at face value and prefer to delve beneath the surface to find the hidden truth. For this reason you have are hard to fool, have great insight into people’s real motivations, and are adept at judging character. You prefer meaningful dialogue to superficial conversation, and although you often prefer to keep your thoughts private, when you do express yourself, it is with precision, intensity and passion. You are interested in subjects that require research, investigation and analysis, and learn best when left alone to delve into a subject at your own pace. Mysteries and unexplained phenomena appeal.
Mercury in Sagittarius
Optimistic, broad-minded and wide ranging in your interests, you express yourself with enthusiasm. The bigger picture is of more interest to you than day-to-day details, and so you are naturally drawn to such subjects as literature, philosophy and society. Confident in your opinions, you tend to hold forth to anyone who will listen. You learn best in an informal, relaxed setting in which you are free to explore a variety of subjects. Motivation, inspiration and meaning are vital to maintaining your interest, whereas an emphasis on facts and figures, procedures or too narrow a focus can stop you in your tracks.
Mercury in Capricorn
Logical, rational and pragmatic, you have an ordered mentality and a natural head for business, management and decision-making. You express yourself with caution and consideration, always being sure of your facts when presenting an argument or opinion. People respect your judgment and organisational skill. You learn best when there is a clear practical outcome, that will enhance your status in some way, for example the passing of an exam or gaining of a qualification. You are confused by too much abstraction, debate or abstract conceptualising.
Mercury in Aquarius
Enquiring, curious and intellectual, you are interested in human progress and seek knowledge for its own sake. You delight in thinking the unthinkable and surprising others with an unconventional point of view or the latest scientific or technological breakthrough. Although happy to explore ideas alone you also enjoy sharing them amongst kindred spirits and promulgating them more widely. You learn best when given the freedom to pursue knowledge in your own way. Innovative forms of education such as internet-based learning, accelerated learning, speed reading etc may all work well for you, whereas the traditional classroom situation may be demotivating.
Mercury in Pisces
Dreamy, intuitive and poetic, you tend to soak up what is going on around you, be it information, ideas or feelings, for which reason you benefit from regular periods of rest, reflection and meditation, otherwise you end up feeling confused. You express yourself quietly and with sensitivity, and being an excellent listener, you are able to step into another person’s shoes and empathise with their sufferings or joys. Blessed with a vivid imagination, you have a natural ability to visualise, leading to a flair for design of all kinds. You learn best when in a supportive environment and when information is presented in an imaginative way that brings otherwise routine facts to life, for example by employing mind-maps, flash cards, role-playing or video.