How to Find Your Mercury Sign, AKA the Chatty Part of Your Birth Chart
So you know your Sun sign. But do you know your Mercury sign? Yes, you have one of those! In your birth chart, you have a sign for every planet in the sky, plus the Sun and Moon, and various points in the sky, like your Rising sign.
By learning more about your Mercury sign and Mercury's role in astrology, you can learn more about yourself, especially about the way you communicate. Let's talk all things Mercury.
Mercury in Astrology
In astrology, Mercury is the planet of communication, intellect, memory, and transportation. Your Mercury sign influences all these traits, like whether you’re a triple texter, if you use an Excel spreadsheet to plan every weekend trip or just ~go with the flow~, and which Wikipedia pages you spend hours reading. Mercury is the planet of the mind—it rules how we make sense of the world and our place in it.
Mercury as the "Communication Planet"
Mercury is named after the Roman god of communication, travel, and commerce; the god is often pictured with winged shoes and is called "the messenger of the gods." So it's no surprise that in astrology, Mercury is the planet to turn to for all things communication, from misunderstandings with your friends to that email to your boss.
Your Mercury sign can shed light on your own communication habits, and examining where Mercury is in the sky right now—and how it interacts with your own birth chart—can help you understand how your own tendencies around communication change week-to-week and month-to-month.
Mercury as a Ruling Planet
Mercury is the ruling planet of two zodiac signs: Gemini and Virgo. This means a few things: Mercury's movements, like Mercury Retrograde (more on that in a minute), can have a stronger effect on people with these two signs in their birth charts. And when Mercury is in one of these two signs, it's considered to be "in its domicile"—basically feeling "at home"—and its influence will be stronger.
Mercury Retrograde
Even astro-beginners have heard of Mercury Retrograde! This occurs when Mercury appears to move backwards in its orbit from our POV here on Earth, and all the things Mercury rules—like communication, travel, and technology—might go a little "backwards," too. (Like you miss your flight, your phone breaks, and you accidentally like your ex's new girlfriend's Instagram photo from 73 weeks ago.) Mercury Retrograde lasts for around three weeks and occurs 3-4 times a year, and despite what you've heard, Mercury Retrograde is not all bad. It's a great time for reflection, revision, and resolving old drama.
If you have Mercury Retrograde in your birth chart, you probably think and communicate a little differently from others—in a good way. You might be more inclined to philosophize and think deeply about things, or you might have an eccentric and quirky sense of humor. If you were born during Mercury Retrograde, your birth chart will indicate it with an "R" symbol.
How to Find Your Mercury Sign
Think of your birth chart as a snapshot of what the sky looked like the moment you were born. Your Mercury sign = which zodiac sign Mercury was in when you were born. You can find your Mercury sign by using a birth chart calculator, like the one on the website Café Astrology or an app Co–Star. JSYK, it’ll probably be different from your Sun sign!
Here’s what your Mercury sign means
If your Mercury sign is Aries
You’re sharp, direct, original, and funny in a biting way—in other words, you will clap back. If you’re in a mood, you can be argumentative and even tactless. You rely on your instincts rather than rational plans, but more often than not, it works for you (the other signs are jealous). Fortune favors the brave, after all. Your Mercury sign means you’d do great work in the publishing or literary world.
If your Mercury sign is Taurus
You have a fantastic memory and are a perceptive observer of others—you don’t miss a thing and you never forget! Your intellect is practical and detailed—you take a long time to come to an opinion, and once you have, you can be pretty rigid about it. You can be guilty of repeating yourself (you’d call this ~emphasizing~). Your knack for managing money and keen eye for beauty would make you a good fashion designer, interior decorator, or antiques dealer.
If your Mercury sign is Gemini
You’re super fast, super curious, and super versatile. You’re like a lightning bolt, offering opinions, ideas, and insights in the blink of an eye. You have such a broad range of interests that sometimes your knowledge is only surface-deep, but you’re such a good bluffer that no one knows this lil secret. You love to talk and you’re so interesting that others love to listen. Many journalists, interviewers, and talk show hosts have their Mercury in Gemini.
If your Mercury sign is Cancer
Imaginative, intuitive, and intensely personal, you’re a social chameleon. You can immediately ~read a room~ and morph into whoever you need to be to ~work it~. You understand the world through your own personal experience—when looking at the big picture, you want to know how it will affect you and your loved ones. Poetical and deep-thinking, you’re drawn to the academic life.
If your Mercury sign is Leo
You have a fiery temper and warmhearted passion, a love of fun, and a hardwired thirst for success. Mercury in Leo blesses you with a magnetic personality. You’re born to lead, as long as you keep your urge to show off in check. You’re drawn to careers that put you front and center—think CEO, athlete, or celeb.
If your Mercury sign is Virgo
You’re a born statistician, always seeking out data and working from a rational, logical point of view. You need ALL the information before you make up your mind, and this sometimes makes you resistant when reality doesn’t mirror your expectations. You can be guilty of taking on too much at any one time, so you need to focus. Your analytical brain makes you a great scientist or researcher.
If your Mercury sign is Libra
Social, empathetic, and thoughtful, you don’t like making waves and are able to ~fit in~ anywhere. Be careful not to sacrifice your own opinions and beliefs. You love making pro and con lists, taking your time in order to make the PERFECT decision. You can achieve success in a strong business partnership with someone who is more fiery and ambitious—you get to smooth their sharp edges. You’d also make an impressive diplomat.
If your Mercury sign is Scorpio
You’re a natural loner, preferring to rely on your own wit. Remember Harriet the Spy? That’s basically you. You’re a natural-born investigator, innately curious about everything around you, especially if it seems secretive or ~dark~. You’re a lil stubborn and relentlessly challenging, so people better not get in your way (they’ll regret it). You’d make a superb documentary maker or detective.
If your Mercury sign is Sagittarius
An eternal student and traveler, you possess an insatiable hunger for knowledge and news. Restless and optimistic, you hate being pinned down. You’re a natural rebel who’s always on the move. You’d love a career that plays to these strengths, like travel vlogger, reality show producer, or writer.
If your Mercury sign is Capricorn
You’re calculating, serious, rational, and ambitious. There’s never anything random or spontaneous about your behavior—you always have a strategy. Life is a game, not necessarily a ~fun~ one (although you do have a wicked dark sense of humor) but one you intend to win. Your natural diligence and authority make you well-positioned for leadership roles.
If your Mercury sign is Aquarius
Your mind vibrates ~on another level~. Your clever, inquisitive brain makes you super smart when it comes to sizing up people and situations, and you love predicting what will happen next (you’re damn good at it too). Careers in progressive areas like the arts, engineering, and technology work well for you.
If your Mercury sign is Pisces
You are definitely more of a ~feeler~ than a ~thinker~, arriving at your judgments, opinions, and ideas through insights and inspiration rather than logic. You use your intuition to guide you—in fact, you’re kinda psychic. You possess a deep compassion for other people, particularly the underdogs. Working with charities or global humanitarian campaigns would suit your kind nature.
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