Mercury, named for the Roman messenger god, rules travel, commerce and communication. Commerce and the attendant accounting and wealth aspects usually are associated with Virgo, one of the signs Mercury rules. The other sign ruled by Mercury is Gemini which highlights the quick thinking, communication and sometimes tricky and changeable nature of this planet that gives its name to the word mercurial. The metal Mercury, nicknamed quicksilver, shows us the speed and adaptability of this planet no matter through which sign Mercury travels. In both Virgo and Gemini, Mercury’s characteristics work well. While Mercury travels through other signs, problems may arise. The biggest difficulties come when Mercury moves through Sagittarius who prefers action instead of conversation and whose love of immersive travel clashes with Mercury’s ruling of short trips. The other difficult time comes when Mercury moves through dreamy Pisces causing slow downs and problems focusing and more emotions than intellectual Mercury can easily handle. The other eight signs lay on a continuum between those two wonderful and two challenging placements.
