According to Greek myth, Mercury (or Hermes, whose name derives etymologically from the piles of rocks which marked trails and guided travelers) was the messenger of the gods. He carried orders from Olympus to the mortals on Earth. The child of the illegitimate union of Zeus with Maia, Mercury was born “unknown to the immortal gods” and had to win his place among them by trickery, cleverness, and cunning. This is why he became the vagabond deity of travelers and wanderers. He is the instinctive foe of the settled who see him as an outcast roaming on the outskirts of society: a pariah, a thief, and a swindler. As ruler of the sign of Gemini, the Twins, he symbolizes the brother—the alter-ego who teaches us as much as we teach him and is associated with adolescence, a period of intense intellectual discovery. Mercury thus symbolizes lively, sparkling wit, mobility in any form, mental exchange, and interaction. As a result, a person strongly ruled by Mercury is quite likely to be clever and skillful. If Mercury is “afflicted” in one’s chart, their intellectual velocity may sometimes become mere mental hyperactivity. In any case, these skills are a great resource in the social realm. You communicate easily and effectively, orally or in writing. Your ability to unite and transmit would be a good resource in diplomatic or commercial endeavors.

As the moon orbits around the earth, it has always been associated with the sun. This satellite of the earth, which mysteriously waxes and wanes, has been compared to the eternal feminine principle, the mother hovering over your infant’s cradle. Psychologically, the moon is thus symbolic of the mother and the mother image. This figure is a primordial element in the psyche of each individual. Depending on your nature, the mother figure may correspond to your biological mother, a grandmother, or a woman who cared for you in infancy and childhood. When you reach adulthood, this mother-figure and all the emotions and bonds associated with you may be transferred to something else: a spouse, a companion, an institution, a church, corporation, or political movement, a cult, etc. In short, any individual or structure likely to take on the mother’s duty of caring for and nurturing the vulnerable aspects of an individual. To be more down-to-earth, the mother figure corresponds to the habits which were learned and then definitively incorporated into the individual’s identity as you gradually became acculturated and progressed toward social independence. As a result, a strongly “lunar” personality often finds it difficult to adapt and is uncomfortable outside the secure setting of familiar routines. Closely tied to your past, you may be unwilling to detach yourself from it and embark on your life as an individual in the here and now. You still identify somewhat with your inner child and may display a child’s capricious behavior, indulging in moodiness and indecision. Your passivity may make you easily influenced, your sensitivity makes you subjective, and you hesitate to open up and lay your soul bare. In your daily life, psychic activity will rule. Your imagination, memory, sensitivity, sensation, and sentiment nearly overwhelm your psyche.

Brooke Evers,

Mars represents aggression and male destructiveness. It is usually associated with rage, its resultant brutality, and male destructiveness and domination. Psychologically, Mars figures in any situation of conflict, opposition, and confrontation. Individuals who are greatly influenced by Mars are typically direct and straightforward—either unabashedly extroverted or furiously introverted. They are extremely active and extremely emotive. Their purpose in life seems to be inextricably mingled with a combat against an unacceptable situation, a challenge which they either issue or are forced to accept.

Brooke Evers, you should watch out for the 12th house in your horoscope! It’s home to several planets, including the one which rules your rising sign.

According to tradition, this area of the astrological chart is related to hardship, disease, hospitals, and all other areas associated with weakness and weariness. More specifically, this last area of the sky map is associated with the last sign of the zodiac, Pisces, or the Fishes. It symbolizes the end of your various experiences. This is where the failures you encountered as you were going about your evolution may have accumulated; in certain extreme cases, they may have an impact on your health or well-being. This sector should thus be associated with your need to confront your own past, face your mistakes, and learn from them. If you hope to improve your performance, you must confront your past, understand and analyze it. Before starting something new, it is often important to settle the unfinished business first. If this house is especially prominent, you may have to concentrate on making sure every initiative is followed through to completion, including a constructive analysis of your experiences afterward. You may wonder about the personal and spiritual value of your acts and thoughts. You may sometimes be haunted by the memories of your failures; at that point, you must have the courage to confront your mistakes and learn from them.

Brooke Evers reads the paragraph. The ninth house is an area of the sky which is especially important in your theme. In the following paragraph, we shall explain the general meaning of this fact.