Mercury was the messenger of gods and the god of roads and travel in Roman mythology. The ancient Romans also worshipped Mercury as god of commerce, property, and wealth. The words commerce, merchandise and merchant are related to his name. The Romans consider Mercury rather crafty and deceptive and even as being a trickster or thief. Criminals regarded him as their protector. Hence all rogues, thieves, and lawyers are strongly born under it.

Mercury delivered his messages with miraculous speed because he wore winged sandals called talaria. He also wore a broad brimmed winged hat called Petasus. He always carried a winged staff. The Greeks called the staff a Kerykeion, from the Greek word for messenger. In Latin, the language of the Romans, the word was changed to caduceus. Mercury’s caduceus had snakes curled around it to protect him on his travels. In ancient times, most messenger and travelers wore a hat similar to Mercury’s petasus. Messengers also carried a staff to identify themselves so they could travel freely. Mercury later became associated with magic and science, and his caduceus has come to symbolize medicines. Artists portrayed him as a handsome, alert, and intelligent young man.

According to Vedic astrology Mercury is called Saumya, that is son of Soma (moon).Mercury is heir-apparent or prince. He represents the mind and the intellect. He represents speech in human beings He would be benefic when associated with benefic, malefic combined with malefic. He is Shudra by caste and impotent. He is of middle stature, has visible hollow nerves and is shrewd in business. He has a thick skin. He is always happy and joyous, rajasik in temperament and emits green radiation in the spectrum of light. He is well-informed, courageous, and luxurious and loves romantic enterprises since he is fond of women. He is of tender age and has a vigorous and active mind with a good memory and intellect. By nature Mercury is cold, dry, and melancholic with short stature. In Hindu astrology, he is considered as neutral in character, but in Western astrology, he is known as a masculine planet. Mercury has a chief rule over our thoughts. Mercury represents the maternal and paternal aunts and uncles in native’s horoscope. Mercury’s stone is “Emerald” or “panna”. It is bright green in color. Mercury rules the number 5 in numerology. It also rules Wednesday.
 
The symbol of Mercury symbolizes that mind has risen above both matter and spirit which means preservation has risen over both destruction and creation; hence, Mercury’s chief motivation is preservation.

If strong, he makes the native changeable, clean, excitable, strong and nervous, versed with the dynamics of the cosmic vibration, and the subject of philosophy, mathematics, poetry, science and merchandise. He is well educated and ingenious.

If badly placed, he would make the native mean, cunning, a thief, messenger or servant .He is anxious to please and oblige others. He is open-hearted and talkative. He would have command over messages, communication networks and editorial assignments. He is familiar with law, excels as an orator with power of persuasion but can also cause affliction of brain, madness, lethargy, stammering, dry cough, nervous disorders in hand and feet. He wears wet clothes. He is dominated by three Doshas wind, bile and Mucus all rajasic.

In Hindu astrology it is called “Buddha” a word related with “Buddhi” or ‘Intelligence’. It represents communication. It is a planet which differentiates mankind from all other living phenomena i.e. animals and plants. Because it is in humans, that reason or thinking has attained the most highest and important status. It is also impressionable like moon, but this impression is resisted and critically analyzed and evaluated, then absorbed, where as moon absorbs each impression without resistance. Mercury is concerned with facts of any situation or problem, nothing else mattering to it. Hence mercury is the chief constituent in the development of science and all scientific data. It is the planet which makes us curious about any subject situation. Hence all research has to do something with Mercury always, though influence of higher octave planet like Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are also important.

The most unique characteristics of the fast moving Mercury is its power of commanding other planets and imbibing their qualities and characteristics .If associated with the sun, it will gain dignity, position, prestige and comprehensiveness. Its association with Moon will enhance the native’s interest in occult, and parapsychology. It will activate their urge for action with a greater amount of interest and in love and life, as also accelerate a fertile imagination and intuition. In association with the energy giver, Mars, it will bestow the natives with a higher social image and energy, initiative and drive. With Venus it will accentuate their social and emotional urges and enhance the personal image with the opposite sex. Its association with Jupiter will enhance the nobler qualities in a man, giving him sound judgment, as also depth of vision. Its association with Saturn will enhance sobriety and a profound outlook making the best of writers, lawyers, preachers, authors, publishers and printers.

It is the ruler of Gemini and is exalted in the sign Aquarius and Virgo and debilitated in the sign Leo and Pisces. It is weak in Sagittarius. Mercury confers upon us, the learning capacity of new fields and vocations. It represents the wanderlust of conscious mind, which is thrilled, when wandering to new subjects and fields and learns more and more.

When Mercury is well aspected at birth, the highest thinkers are born. A good aspect of Saturn to mercury is very important, which gives profound materialistic wisdom and a disciplined mind, where as that of Jupiter gives moral wisdom and a disciplined mind. Aspects of other higher octave planets like Uranus, Neptune and Pluto give some special mental talent. Mercury also causes one to be easily bored.

In Hindu mythology, it is symbolic of “Vishnu” the force of preservation and conservation or “Satva”, because it leads to the truth. Mercury resembles themetal quicksilver mercury, taking impressions of each rising or falling temperature on the mind, other aspects not withstanding Mercury has chief rule over our speech and communication abilities. Mercury rules over medicines also.

MERCURY IN DIFFERENT HOUSES

Vedic astrology mentions specific results for placement of planets in relation to the moon. Here is the brief account of the results of Mercury when located in different houses, as considered from the moon.
1st house: Red-eyed, reddish complexion; suffers (bleeding) wound.
2nd house: Owns land; son takes to agriculture.
3rd house: Has four brothers; good natured; ever comfortable.
4th house: Bereft of comfort and wealth; loss of wife.
5th house: Bereft of sons; if wife has Mars in lagna, he becomes childless certainly.
6th house: Prone to unrighteous behaviour, illness and enmity toward others.
7th house: ill natured and ill –tempered wife.
8th house: Sinner; killer; bereft of good nature and truthfulness.
9th house: Wealthy; begets a son in old age.
10th house: Comforts, conveyances, money.
11th house: Famous in king’s court; dignified; handsome.
12th house: hurts all, including his mother.

MERCURY IN DIFFERENT SIGNS

As the placement of various house lords and planets in different houses is important in prediction, so also are horoscope indications consequent upon an interaction of planets and signs. Here is the brief account of the indication given by planets when located in different signs, according to classic works on astrology.
Aries: wicked, quarrelsome, cunning, slim-bodied, liar, of changing mind, versed in singing and dance, fond of sexual union, voracious eater, wastes money, suffers debts and imprisonment.
Taurus: wealthy, trustworthy, charitable, skilled in many arts, clever, sensual, famous, versed in music, witty.
Gemini: fine clothes, wealthy, good speaker or orator, proud, disinclined towards sex, brought up by two mothers, versed in Vedas and Shastras, and generally comfortable.
Cancer:scholarly, residing in foreign country, addicted to pretty women, excessive talker, wickedly inclined, opposed to his friends and relatives, poet, singer, a dancer, earns through water-related pursuits.
Leo: wanderer, devoid of learning, famous, liar, poor memory, bereft of wealth and property, disliked by women, and servile.
Virgo: religiously inclined, learned, poet, writer, orator, honored, fearless, argumentative, forgiving in nature.
Libra: clever in speech, versed in several arts, keen to spend his money, devoted to gods, Brahmins and preceptors, trader, indulges in physical pleasures.
Scorpio: industrious, irreligious, shameless, cruel, greedy,
 An associate with wicked women, deceitful, covets the wealth and belongings of others.
Sagittarius: learned, scholarly, famous, forgiving, versed in scriptures, brave, wealthy, a teacher or preceptor, writer, clever speaker, associates with worthy women.
Capricorn: servile, foolish, impotent, liar, back-biter, shunned by his relatives, very fickle, desirous of physical pleasures, ugly and coward.
Aquarius: troubled by opponents, impotent, shuns the prescribed duties, unclean, uncultured, defective speech, servile and coward.
Pisces: good natured, pious, lives in distant lands, capable, liked by friends, helps others while himself poor