Planet MERCURY – Nature, Significations& positive/negative traits

Mercury is most commonly known as the planet of communication. Mercury is a eunuch planet, neither masculine nor feminine. It is said that mercury generally takes on the characteristics of the planet that it gets aquainted with, so if with a benefic it can do many good things, but if posited with a malefic planet, it can behave negatively.

Mercury Positive traits

Mercury when placed well in a chart gives strong communication skills and the ability to get on with people from all different backgrounds, as the mercurial element helps the person adapt and change according to the environment that they are in.A strong mercury gives a person good intellect and a good memory. They do well in learning languages and have a great knack for picking up technical skills. Software programmers, IT professionals, translators/interpretors and teachers have strong mercurys in their birthcharts. They are witty individuals and able to respond quickly to any statement or problem needing a solution, because they think so fast. For this reason they are also very good in arguments, they are mega analytical and think of things from all the different angles to truly dissect and assemble whats going on before they make their point.A well placed mercury gives good intuition and the ability to go with a gut feeling- which is usually right.

Exalted Mercury

Mercury is exalted in the sign of Virgo – which is its own sign. An exalted mercury gives good intellect, intuition and psychic nature, good command over speaking and communicating, a marketing & sales affinity, a very analytical mind and the need to be a perfectionist.

Mercury Negative traits

Mercurys negative nature can make a person over analytical, and this can hinder them as they tend to ask 100 questions about each and everything. They have a need to know the ins and outs of everything, and they are not satisfied until they have all the knowledge at their finger tips. This can make them seem nagging, obsessive and a disruptive force in teams.Poorly placed Mercury can give a bad memory, and a depressed mental state. As mercury also represents the nervous system, it can cause anxiety, panic attacks and a hyper or depressed mental state in people. Many mental disorders can be attributed to a combination of weak or afflicted mercury with other planets. Mercury badly situated can give a person a complex about themselves. It also has the potential to give bad habits, or repetitive behaviour such as Obsessive compulsive disorder. These are exacerbated through stress and stressful situations. Mercury when weak can make a person stammer or stutter, with language problems in life. 

Debilitated Mercury

Mercury is debilitated in the sign of Pisces. Here Mercury is over sensitive and irrational. There are unrealistic expectations and ideals which leads to dissatisfaction in the house that its situated in. May give a withdrawn and introvert personality.

Mercury Combustion

Mercury travels quite closely to the Sun, so it is not unusual for Mercury to be conjunct with the sun in a majority of charts. The theory is that mercury becomes combust at 14 degrees proximity to the sun. I don’t necessarily believe that the qualities of mercury get severely disadvantaged. Sun and mercury combination also gives rise to Budhaditya yoga which makes one intellectually clever.

Mercury’s friendship & enemity
Friends: Sun,Venus
Enemies: Moon
Neutral: Mars, Jupiter , Saturn
Mooltrikona: Virgo 15-20 degrees
Exalted: Virgo
Debilitated: Pisces

Mercury Karaka, Mercury SignificationsMercury is the bhava Karaka or significator for:
2nd House, speech
4th House, Education
7th and 10th House, Business & commerce

some of the things Mercury represents include:

Mercury Significators:
Communication
Sisters & friends
Young nature,
young
prince
Quick Wit & Sense of humour
Telephone/emails/
Letters
Mathematics,
languages,
computing
Nervous system
Green clothing
Green Lentils
Green Emerald
Good Speech
Technical fields
Business, Accounting
Maternal Uncles
Intelligence
Brass & alloys
Writing/Writers/Media
Intuition