About a year ago, I enrolled in and began the year-long astrology course at the Cosmic Academy of Astrology. Prior to taking this course, I was mostly only familiar with my sun sign, Cancer. Little that I know, the astrology has so many components, layers upon layers and trying to learn all that can be quite overwhelming.
Because it had been so long since I last studied anything, I had to re-learn how to study, take notes, process information, and I remember it was so hard at the beginning. However, along the way, I felt my Mercury had awoken from his long slumber. My Mercury is conjunct my Ascendant, but before taking this course, I didn't understand the extent to which planetary and astrological awareness affect us. Now that my Mercury is up and running, I enjoy studying, reading, writing, and processing information has been optimized.
Mercury is one of our personal planet and known as the planet of communication, intellectual, intelligence, rules over Gemini and Virgo, and its placement in a person's birth chart can provide insight into how these traits are expressed in their lives. Understanding your Mercury's placement is crucial for astrology study, as it helps you understand your learning style and how you process information.
Mercury placement can vary greatly from person to person and can have a significant impact on communication style, intellectual ability, and decision-making processes. For example, a person with Mercury in an air sign, such as Aquarius or Gemini, may have a natural talent for communication and possess a logical, analytical mind. Conversely, a person with Mercury in a water sign, such as Cancer or Scorpio, may be more emotional and intuitive in their communication style. Another more personal example, my Mercury is in Gemini, so I process information in bite-size pieces and I love gadgets. I take notes on my iPad using the Apple Pen on the Notes app. However, my study buddy, who is a Pisces ascendant and has Mercury in 8th house, loves to use an old-fashioned typewriter, and processes information in a much deeper and profound way.
To identify your Mercury placement, you will need to know the date, time, and place of your birth. This information can be used to cast a birth chart, which is a map of the positions of the planets at the moment of your birth. You can use online tools, such as Astro.com or Astro-Seek.com, or work with an astrologer to generate your birth chart and find your Mercury placement.
While it is impossible to assess your Mercury without seeing your whole chart, you can tell a lot about your learning style and how you process information based on the sign in which your Mercury resides.
Mercury in Aries: In the Mars-ruled fire sign of Aries, Mercury can run at high energy. With your competitive nature, creating a sense of competition with your study buddy would be a fun way to enhance your learning ability. It's important to keep studying at a good pace and take breaks often to avoid overheating your Mercury. Perhaps setting a timer would be a good idea.
Mercury in Taurus: In this sensual sign of Taurus, your Mercury needs to be relaxed. Create a soothing environment, wear comfortable clothes, have a cup of tea, and do yoga or stretching between sessions. Give your Mercury time to effectively process data to maximize its potential - don't overwhelm it with too much information all at once.
Mercury in Gemini: Your Mercury is at home and ready to learn! This Mercury process information quickly, but doesn't have a large capacity at once, so be sure to feed the information in small amounts. Be mindful of the curious minds, as you can quickly go down a rabbit hole full of wonder and amazement.
Mercury in Cancer: The Mercury in water signs tends to rely more on intuition than on logical and linear information. Linking planetary and astrological placements to emotions and feelings can do wonders for Cancer, as it will create emotional memories. Journaling daily can help you stay connected to your feelings and emotions.
Mercury in Leo: This Mercury loves dramas and need to be entertained. Creating a drama/story with a character for each placement, and astrology houses can be the stage where the characters act, and doing show-and-tell for your study group would be an opportunity for an education that’s entertaining. It will satisfy your Mercury's creative side while learning.
Mercury in Virgo: Mercury is in its another home in Virgo. Love to analyze and organize information, study hard, and always strive for perfection, such as meticulous note-taking. However, it has a tendency to be overly critical of both the work of others and its own. Be sure to remind your Mercury that it's okay not to be perfect all the time.
Mercury in Libra: The Mercury in diplomatic sign of Libra craves paired learning; taking quizzes together, and exchanging notes would be beneficial to their learning process. Speaking of notes, the idea of having aesthetically pleasing stationery can add a layer of motivation, which can help inspire you to study even more!
Mercury in Scorpio: Your Mercury is an investigator, possessing excellent research skills. You need to know and understand the deep psychological side of astrology and might get stuck on one subject. Be sure to remind yourself that you don't have to uncover everything at once; you can always come back to study deeper later.
Mercury in Sagittarius: Your Mercury has a higher perspective and always wants to know more. However, when lessons or lectures don't meet their standards, you can easily become disinterested. So, be sure to feed your Mercury with high-standard learning material. Also, they will appreciate a good philosophical astrology book as well.
Mercury in Capricorn: The Mercury in Capricorn is a hard-working Mercury! They love to be held accountable for their knowledge as they strive for the highest truth. Building a word bank and making flash cards for each placement would match their linear learning style. Don't forget to give over-achieving Mercury a break and take some time to relax and recharge.
Mercury in Aquarius: Mercury in Aquarius is highly optimized with the ability to learn and process information quickly. They are also able to read symbols and acquire knowledge directly from celestial sources. However, they are not so reliable when it comes to fact-checking, so you should be mindful about where the information is coming from.
Mercury in Pisces: As one of water signs, Mercury in Pisces is highly intuitive and empathic. Mercury in Pisces is connected to more imagination than the real world; they can miss key factors or become confused when learning. Thus, good note-taking is essential, and it is advisable to revisit lectures as many times as necessary.
The study of astrology is an ongoing journey, takes life time to truly master. Utilizing your Mercury placement is just one aspect of this journey, and there is so much to learn and explore.
If you would like to study astrology from the ground up create solid foundations, be sure to check out the Cosmic Academy of Astrology course.
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