how you think, communicate, your thinking process
ARIES--You are an impulsive and spontaneous thinker, and you must develop greater patience and self-control in order to use your quick mind to its fullest potential. There seems to be no limit to your bright ideas, but you are not so strong on discipline and follow through, so that you start many projects but finish very few. You enjoy debate and argument, and you can have a sharp tongue.
Others find you witty and entertaining, and indeed you have a talent for "thinking on your feet." You may be quick- tempered, especially with others who cause you delay or opposition, thus curbing your spontaneous style. Your mind moves very quickly, and you often act impulsively without considering all of the possible repercussions of your deeds. One of your greatest challenges is to develop greater concentration and self-control.
Sound has a strong effect on you and soft music helps soothe your nerves when you feel frazzled. With your keen senses of sight and hearing, you are very observant. You are also very sensitive to smells and cannot tolerate foul odors. Your sense of touch is not as well developed, and you will have to work at it to become dexterous.
You have definite ideas about what you do and do not want, and at times you may insist that your way is the only way. Like all good warriors (ruled by Aries), you are alert and ready for battle should the need arise. However, you are at a loss for diplomatic skills during times of peace. The more self-discipline you develop, the less conflict you will have in your life.
TAURUS--Although it may take you longer than others to master a concept, once you have done so it becomes a permanent part of you. You have many interests and want to absorb every detail you can about them all. While you may read theories in books, you will learn best by actually applying them in material form. You appreciate good craftsmanship and have the patience to acquire such skills yourself. Although you appreciate beauty for its own sake, you always look for a practical application for everything.
With Mercury in Taurus you are highly intuitive, yet intellectually grounded. You appreciate art, romance and the finer things in life, and you will share your good fortune with loved ones. Being sight-oriented, you get more enjoyment from reading a book than listening to a lecture. You are not a good listener and have a talent for tuning out unwanted and intrusive sounds as if they didn't exist. It is difficult for you to learn to put the needs of others before your own. If this is the case, one of your greatest lessons in this life will be to overcome self-absorption.
With your shrewd business mind and common sense, you could be a good manager. Your mind is strong enough to endure challenges, and you are stubborn enough to insist that regulations be followed to the letter. Since you love to accumulate material possessions, you should resist the temptation to be greedy. You express affection for your partner in a touching and loving manner.
GEMINI--Mercury is the natural ruler of Gemini and is very comfortable in that sign. You have a clear, rational mind as well as a sharp wit and sense of humor. Your imagination is very active, and it imperative that you do not allow yourself to become bored intellectually. Your intellect is well-developed and you may have natural linguistic abilities. Since you have a knack for communication, others will find you to be a stimulating conversationalist.
Your mind moves so fast that you must sometimes slow it down on purpose. Otherwise, you may tend to overwork your mind and may even risk nervous breakdown. Although you are very curious and quick to grasp new concepts, you must develop patience with others who are slower to understand. Also be careful not to speak too quickly in anger without thinking your words over carefully. You can do great damage with hurtful words when you are angry.
To make fullest use of your sharp mind and wit, you need to develop the ability to focus your scattered energy on one project at a time. Otherwise, you will be a Jack or Jill of all trades, knowing a little bit about everything but not much about anything. You should also avoid worrying about what's going to happen tomorrow. If you become too preoccupied with uncertainty, you could worry yourself sick. Instead, develop a greater confidence in your own intellectual abilities. This will greatly increase your effectiveness.
You very much enjoy relating to others and communicating your ideas. Others may see you as a "chatterbox" because you talk rather quickly and abundantly. Learn to speak only when you have something important to say, not just because you feel like talking.
CANCER--You have an intuitive mind and at times can pick up other people's feelings psychically. You are very sympathetic to the needs of others and will find yourself worrying about the problems of loved ones or of the world in general. Mercury in Cancer also gives you an appreciation for your home and family, and especially for children.
It is difficult for you to separate your thoughts from your emotions, and this is one of the challenges you face in life. You spend a good deal of time thinking and talking about yourself. Don't allow yourself to get so caught up in depression and despair in a seemingly hopeless situation that you are unable to take appropriate action to solve your problems.
You are easily impressed by everything you pick up through your senses (sights, sounds and smells) and overreact to great ugliness or beauty. This extreme sensitivity to the world around you can be creatively channeled through art or other creative activities. Since you have such a strong need to be needed, you depend on compliments and praise from others to raise your spirits.
You value your privacy and share your innermost feelings with very few people. Once you choose a lover, you are very devoted and loyal. You need little more in life than someone to love and a comfortable home. Indeed, you tend to be more of a "home body" than a socialite, and you need a partner who has similar preferences.
LEO--You are very self-confident about your mental abilities, and you are an articulate and convincing speaker. You are highly creative and have your own distinctive style of expression. Since not everyone is as talented or confident as you are, you need to allow them to express themselves in their own way. One challenge of Mercury in Leo is to develop patience with others who seem slow or uncreative.
Although you are happiest when others are admiring and praising you, at times it is best to learn a little humility. Otherwise, you will encounter disturbing surprises in your interactions with others which will "shock" you and force your attention away from yourself. With Mercury in Leo there is a tendency to be arrogant and demanding. Remember that you are not the only player on the stage of life, and every role is as important as your own because without any one of them the play is incomplete.
Since you are often overly absorbed in yourself and your own view of life, it is difficult to get your attention long enough to make an impression on you. You take in only the information you feel will be useful to you and reject the rest. For this reason you are not very observant and need to develop a greater attention span and eye for detail. Your reactions are usually slow, not because you are stupid, but because of your lack of interest in things which are not about you.
With your strong sense of self-confidence, you are a natural public speaker or writer and can present your ideas clearly. In discussions with others you will attack any statements that seem irrational or contradictory. You love to travel and are enthusiastic about life. With your ability to inspire children, you could be a great teacher.
VIRGO--With your logical and practical mind, you have the ability to pay close attention to detail and to develop systems and methods which are very organized and efficient. You like to keep your environment neat, tidy and well-organized. You learn quickly, and with your excellent memory for details you can maintain a great deal of what you take in.
You have a quick analytical mind and can use it to perform tasks requiring great precision and skill. With your natural talent for critical evaluation, you must avoid the temptation to criticize others. Be patient with others who are not as organized or "together" as you are. Remember that all humans, including yourself, have faults, and therefore you should allow others their imperfections just as you would want others to understand yours.
Since you are rather shy, you avoid idle conversation and usually only speak when you have something important to say. You are work-oriented and are most satisfied with jobs in which you provide a service to others. Mercury in Virgo also gives you a natural aptitude for science (especially the use of computers). With your great speaking and writing abilities, you could be a great teacher.
With your need to categorize and organize everything, you can become detached from the natural flow of life. The more you dissect something, the less you can experience it for itself. Thus, by over-intellectualizing your life, you lose spontaneity and enthusiasm. It is good for you to remember that "a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."
LIBRA--Others are impressed by your rational, well-balanced mind, and you can be a persuasive public speaker. It is important to you to have a harmonious social life, so you choose your friends carefully. Since you are so interested in maintaining harmony and balance, you always try to see both sides in any situation. If you're not careful, this can result in chronic indecision.
Others enjoy speaking to you since you always seem willing to see their point of view. You are a natural mediator; however, it can be difficult to maintain neutral ground in a disagreement between others. Be careful not to put yourself in the position of judging which of your friends is right or wrong.
You are very sensitive to your surroundings and are offended by harsh words or vulgar behavior. Unpleasant odors, sounds and sights are disruptive to you, and you will strive to have a clean, pleasant and beautiful home. If not careful, you could become downright fussy, or you could use your extreme aesthetic sensitivity to create works of art or beautiful music.
Love is a subject which is on your mind a lot, and you are continually seeking progressive change in your relationships. Mercury in Libra also indicates that being in a love relationship is important to you, and you probably began seeking a love partner at an early age. Since you are embarrassed by emotional displays, you may attempt to exercise strict mental control over your emotions. Learn to relax, be yourself, and show affection to those you love.
SCORPIO--You are highly perceptive and intuitive and have the ability to see through people's false pretenses. This placement of Mercury can also indicate an ability to succeed financially. You are very dexterous and are probably adept at fixing just about anything. Be sure your biting satirical wit does not become vicious criticism of others.
Sex is often on your mind, and if you're not careful you could become preoccupied with the subject. There is also a tendency to develop a sexy, earthy voice. One of the challenges with Mercury in Scorpio is to develop the self-discipline to focus less on sexual matters and more on the practical concerns of day-to-day life.
You are very private and secretive, and you reveal your deepest thoughts to no one. The unknown is intriguing to you, and you enjoy solving mysteries. You are also curious about the occult sciences and may be interested in experimenting with them. There is nothing wrong with this as long as your interest does not become obsessive and fanatical. You will be ever watchful for frauds or phonies and will reveal them whenever possible.
With your powerful mind, you understand how your thoughts create your reality. You are determined to achieve your goals and will not let obstacles stand in your way. Just remember that you tend to get back energy which is similar to what you put out. Any attempts on your part to manipulate or control others will usually backfire in the long run.
SAGITTARIUS--With Mercury in Sagittarius you are very direct about your opinions and, if you are not careful, can become very critical of others. While some people will appreciate your frankness, others may wish you would use more tact. You approach life with a youthful and adventurous outlook, and you will retain this quality well into old age.
Because of your keen mind and impulsive nature, you will explore many different subjects and philosophies during your life. Travel to foreign lands would be very expansive for you, as it would widen your view of the world. You also have a deep respect for education. Your main weakness is your inability to stay focused for extended periods of time. While you may have grandiose ideas about extravagant projects, you very seldom manage to follow through on these inspirations.
With Mercury in Sagittarius you are prophetic, philosophical and truthful. Others come to you for advice on their problems, which you are always willing to provide. You constantly support justice and freedom of thought, and you are quick to speak out against unjust treatment of others. You sometimes overlook the details of life because you are completely focused on the larger perspective. In other words, you miss things right under your nose because your eyes are on the mountaintops.
You will achieve your greatest success once you learn to focus your energy on one project at a time and to follow it through to completion. This will allow you to turn your lofty ideals into concrete realities for the benefit of everyone.
CAPRICORN--With Mercury in the sign Capricorn you are a deep, serious thinker. You have a very practical and methodical mind and are not afraid of a hard day's work. Although you may learn rather slowly, you can be sure that you will absorb your lessons thoroughly. You have a wonderful "matter of fact" manner and would be an excellent teacher or diplomat.
You rarely waste time with idle or foolish chatter and often find it hard to tolerate others who do. You take life very seriously (as is reflected in your dry wit) and rarely enjoy frivolous and lighthearted activities. When making plans you consider all possible angles and proceed with caution and perseverance.
You are very observant and try to see things from a realistic viewpoint. When others get lost in the minor details of a project, you're the one who brings the group back to the main point of discussion so progress can be made. Your senses are highly developed, and you make good use of them to experience all the intricacies of life. For instance, you can probably taste a meal and then list the spices it contains, or witness an event and then recall details other witnesses miss.
Since you usually feel more secure staying with the status quo rather than undergoing risky changes, others generally see you as conservative and conformist. It is important to you that you have a position of respect in your community. Your ambition and willingness to work hard for what you want often win you positions of authority, or give you the courage to build a business of your own.
AQUARIUS--Mercury in the sign Aquarius has a reputation for being the sign of the genius, as many inventors and scientists have Mercury in this sign. You have a highly original and versatile mind, and you can put your ideas to work in a practical manner. It may be difficult for you to gain acceptance from your own generation for your ideas because with Mercury in Aquarius you are a futuristic thinker. In another 50 years, everyone else will catch up.
Although your friends are very special to you, it is important that you follow your own convictions no matter what others think. With your highly developed intuition, you also have the ability to see through the pretenses of others. You communicate your ideas very clearly so that others can easily understand even the most abstract concepts.
You have a well-balanced concept of human values and view life from the point of view of what is most helpful for the entire planet (or the Universe). You strive to remain detached and objective, so that your judgment can remain clear. This is a good idea, as long as your detachment does not become aloof coolness. You have a natural aptitude for science, both traditional and metaphysical. Since Aquarius rules astrology, Mercury in this sign indicates at least a curiosity about this subject.
Your friends will be your greatest source of mental stimulation, and you will choose friends from every walk of life. With your highly developed sense of intuition you may have psychic abilities, such as telepathy or premonitions. You have an excellent memory, and may be able to recall details of past lives with greater detail than others.
PISCES--Pisces is the most difficult sign for Mercury, as the dreamy, foggy nature of Pisces interferes with Mercury's rational and logical thinking processes. Since Mercury rules communication, it also indicates problems in this area. You may find it difficult to express your ideas with clarity and precision, and at times it may seem as though you're trying to talk under water. Avoid indulging in emotional mind games, such as excessive worrying, negative thinking, and regrets over the past.
You have a strong intuition and may follow it more often than you do logical reasoning. As a matter of fact, you may be annoyed by people who continually demand that everything be logical. Your strong imagination and psychic tendencies contribute to your love of fantasy and metaphysical subjects. You also have a talent for poetry and creative writing, as well as music.
With your extreme sensitivity, your emotional states have an overwhelming influence on your thought processes, which sometimes prevents clear thinking and makes it more difficult for you to cope with day-to-day life challenges. Strive to maintain a positive attitude toward life. Negative thoughts only lead to depression and worry and generally tend to immobilize you, making it more difficult for you to solve your real-world problems. Avoid a tendency to see things the way you want them to be rather than the way they really are. It only leads to rude awakenings.
Your mind can be chameleon-like, and you readily adopt different ideas depending on the beliefs of the person you are with. You are so "wide open" mentally that you sometimes confuse your beliefs with those of others around you. You make your judgments based on emotional reaction rather than logic and reasoning. You make judgments for personal reasons and find it impossible to imagine anything beautiful being produced by someone you dislike, or anything ugly being done by someone you love