Mercury is the planet of the mind and mouth, guiding the way we think, our communication style, and our level of focus. Is your thought process very methodical? Inquisitive? Scattered? Do you communicate on a logical, practical level, or in a more sensitive, emotional manner? Mercury's location in your birth chart influences all of this! Mercury never travels more than 28 degrees from the Sun, so many people will have Mercury in the same zodiac sign as their Sun.
Nickname: The Messenger
Zodiac signs Mercury rules: Gemini and Virgo
Exalted in: Virgo
Houses Mercury rules: 3rd House of Thought and Communication, and 6th House of Details and Daily Routines
Mercury stays in each zodiac sign for: 2 - 3 weeks
Mercury makes a complete trip through the zodiac: about every year
Mercury retrogrades: 3 - 4 times every year, with each retrograde lasting around three weeks
In Roman mythology, Mercury was the wing-footed messenger of the gods, the one who brought the words from the gods above down to the people below. In other words, he was the link between the nebulous ideas that are floating around out there and the tangible thoughts that manifest in our minds -- just like the planet Mercury.
