Planet Mercury in Vedic Astrology

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When Mercury is Well Placed in Astrology Chart:

When Mercury is Adversely Placed in Astrology:

Mercury is the planet closest to the Sun and comes between our Earth and the source of all life forms, the Sun. Mercury, thus, has a very significant place in our astrology charts as it influences our being substantial.

Mercury is a neutral planet and its association with the other planets becomes very important as it behaves in tandem with the planets it is placed with. Mercury is beneficial if it is with benefic planets, while it impacts us adversely if it is placed with malefic planets.

Mercury or ‘Budh’ is the signifier of intelligence. It represents the thinking mind, but unlike the moon that represents just the consciousness, Budh is what helps one differentiate the right from the wrong and the good from the evil. It is representative of intellect, wit, humor, sharp thinking, education, business, and most importantly, communication. Having a good Mercury makes one an efficient communicator, and often such people can rise to success in personal as well as professional spheres. Even in the traditions of Hindu religious practices, Mercury is accorded a special place. Mercury is regarded as the Grahapati- the lord of the planets.

Since Mercury dictates so many aspects of our life, it is important that we learn about Mercury in astrology, to know the movement of this planet better and how it is likely to affect us. In case of weak or negatively placed Mercury, we may need some remedies to get better results.

VEDIC STORY ABOUT MERCURY

Mercury or Budh, as it is called in Vedic astrology, is the messenger of the Gods and the Prince in the celestial cabinet. The birth story of Mercury is very different from the other planets. Mercury is born of the union of Moon or Chandra and Tara or Star.

Tara, the wife of Dev Guru Brihaspati, fell in love with the handsome Chandra. The Moon deity also took a liking for the beautiful Tara and, soon after, they eloped. As a result of the union, Budh or Mercury was born.

Brihaspati had questioned the paternity of the child while Tara refused to speak on the matter. A lot of persuasion by the Devas also did not help, and it was only after the unborn child asked the same question from the womb thatTara revealed the father’s identity. The unborn child, who was so intelligent even in his mother’s womb, thus became ‘Budh’- the wise one.

However, as a result of Brihaspati’s curse, Budh is neither a man nor a woman. Thus, Mercury is considered to be a neutral planet that takes on the attributes of the planets it is placed with- with benefic planets, it is benefic, while with the malefic planets, Mercury is malefic.

Budh is also regarded as Vishnu-Rupi, owing to Mercury’s beauty and similarity in appearance with Vishnu. Thus the presiding deity of Mercury is also Lord Vishnu.

PLANET MERCURY IN ASTROLOGY

Mercury in Vedic astrology is the ruler of Gemini and Virgo. It is the planet closest to the Sun and is most often found placed in the same house as that of the Sun, or 1 house before or 1 house after the Sun. The planet Mercury is the prince in the celestial cabinet, and it stays for 25 days in one Rashi or house, and as such, it takes 10 months to transit through all the houses. Mercury has a Mahadasha period of 17 years.

Mercury is in an exalted state in Virgo at 15 degrees and is the only planet to be exalted in its own house. It is debilitated in Pisces at 15 degrees. Mercury finds directional strength in the 1st house of astrology.

Mercury’s day is Wednesday, and it is associated with the green color. Those with a weak or ill-placed Mercury are asked to wear green-colored clothing as a corrective measure. The gemstone associated with this planet is the emerald, while the metals associated with Mercury include alloys like brass. Mercury’s direction is the North direction, and its nature is ‘Vata’ or airy. The chief deity that is worshipped for Mercury’s blessings is Vishnu.

Mercury has friendly relations with Sun and Venus, while it has enmity with the Moon. It is neutral towards Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.

Since Mercury is dual-natured, it does not have qualities of its own. In general, it is taken to be a benefic planet. However, its effects on an individual depend on the placement of Mercury in the astrology charts. If it is placed with benefic planets like Jupiter, Mercury assumes its qualities and gives fruitful results. However, if Mercury is placed with malefic planets like Saturn, it gives bad results.

Mercury in astrology is related to qualities like intelligence, education, reading and scholarly habits, commerce, communication, and humor.

Since planet Mercury stands for analytical skills, people who have a strong Mercury make very good astrologers and mathematicians and other such fields that would require strong analytical abilities. They can analyze things far more easily and correctly. They are also very good scholars and take a keen interest in reading and learning.

Since planet Mercury is the planet of communication, people with a strong Mercury shine in the associated fields like lawyers, media persons, news reporters, writers, and so on. Modern-day communication is also governed by Mercury, and as such, it includes telephones and the internet. People with professions related to computers are also under the influence of Mercury. Mercury makes one a good software engineer as well, and people who are associated with any profession which involves communication with a lot of people or a wide audience are also under Mercury’s influence.

The planet Mercury has its way with words. It makes people witty and humorous, and many comedians and entertainers have a well-placed Mercury in their birth chart that helps them make people laugh with the prowess of their words. Even in Hindu Mythology, Mercury is regarded as being light-hearted and someone who enjoys jokes.

In Vedic astrology, the planet Mercury is considered to be of the Vaishya varna and has Rajsikguna. It, therefore, presides over trade, commerce, business, and finance. Professions like bankers, chartered accountants, dealers, brokers, salespersons, businessmen, etc. are successful in their respective fields under the influence of Mercury.

In medical astrology, Mercury represents the skin and the nervous system, as well as the lungs, mouth, and digestive system, especially the intestines. Any affliction to Mercury may result in adversities of these organs, and one might develop problems of the skin like eczema, nervous breakdown, brain disorders, giddiness, and lung ailments like asthma, speech ailments, and digestive disorders relating to the intestines, like constipation.

MENTAL ATTRIBUTES OF MERCURY

Mercury is the planet that governs speech and communication, and as such, people with a strong Mercury are able communicators and find it easy to articulate their thoughts and emotions to others.

When Mercury is Well Placed in Astrology Chart:

People with a strong planet Mercury are bestowed with great intelligence. They are of a sharp mind and can differentiate between the truth and the falsehood, and between the right and the wrong. They are not simple-minded folks who can be easily fooled, rather they think a lot before making any decision.

A positively placed Mercury gives sheer brilliance of mind, and people are thus blessed with strong logical and calculative abilities. They gain success as mathematicians, and many prominent mathematicians also have a strong Mercury.

Great communicative ability is also another attribute bestowed by Mercury. People who have a strong Mercury can negotiate on matters adeptly as it is easy for them to establish communication of any kind. They also make for very good writers and columnists and even media persons.

A well-placed planet Mercury in astrology also makes people very articulate in their opinions. They find it easy to vent their thoughts. When they can distinguish between good and bad, they do not shy away from voicing their opinion and make themselves heard. People pay heed to them and can trust them because they are known to be vociferous of their opinions and do not keep anything in secrecy.

Mercury is what makes one humorous. People who have a good Mercury are jolly, with a pleasant personality. They can make others laugh effortlessly. Others enjoy being around such people as they are attractive due to their command over the spoken words.

When Mercury is strong in astrology, people display extreme versatility. They excel at multiple things and can easily juggle between tasks, given their sharp mind and clear thinking.

A strong Mercury also imbues a person with humility. It makes people down to earth and they do not fail to express gratitude. There is no tinge of arrogance, despite the supreme intelligence. As is its name, it makes a man wise and of great character.

When Mercury is Adversely Placed in Astrology:

With an adversely placed planet Mercury, people tend to be gullible. They do not show traits of intelligence and are easily influenced by others. They cannot think for themselves and often end up doing what others want them to do. Thus, they are unable to take up any big responsibilities which will need them to make firm decisions.

Most people with an ill-placed planet Mercury are indecisive. They weigh and weigh options a lot, but fail to arrive at a definite conclusion. They cannot firmly stick to the choice that they make, as they fear that the other choice might be better and they might be losing out on better things.

People with a weak Mercury in astrology are extremely fickle-minded. They quickly shift between decisions and whenever someone shows something better to them, they change their mind and start doing the opposite thing.

An adversely placed Mercury is also the major factor driving anxiety in people. Because of their indecisiveness, many people become anxious about what is to come. They are afraid of the negative consequences of their acts, and consequently, they fail to act when they are needed to and miss out on good opportunities for the fear of ‘what if’. They are very skeptical and pessimistic in their approach.

A weak Mercury makes people restless and irritable. They constantly want to do something, but end up getting agitated in the process. They lose calm very easily and often burst out on people for trivial reasons. They find it difficult to deal with anger issues and are quick to react to such situations.

When Mercury is ill-placed in astrology, people tend to become very arrogant. They do not pay heed to other people or their emotions and are not humble for anything that they receive. They think they are entitled to all things good, and negate the contribution of others in everything they receive or achieve.