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Your connection with Mercury?...

☆Jai☆ — Mon, 20 Mar 2006 16:21:49 GMT

I have my Sun, Mercury, Mars, North Node, Chiron, IC in Gemini
AND my Mercury is also in house 3!!!
Consequently I tend to fit the personality profile for Gemini pretty damn accurately (even the bad bits)...

posted in QUIKSILVER - 2 replies

Mercury is retrograde, dammitt!!!!!!!!!

☆Jai☆ — Mon, 20 Mar 2006 16:28:58 GMT

On March 2, 2006, Mercury, the cosmic magician, went retrograde in Pisces (SIMULTANEOUSLY GIVING A NASTY SQUARE TO GEM AND VIRGO!!!), sending communications, travel, appointments, mail and the www into a general snarlup! This awkward period will last until March 25, when the Winged Messenger reaches his direct station. At this time he halts and begins his return to direct motion through the zodiac.

Everything finally straightens out on April 14, 2006, as he passes the point where he first turned retrograde. Mercury turns retrograde three times a year, as a rule, but the effects of each period differ, according to the sign in which it happens (see box for Retrograde Periods in 2006).

A planet is described as retrograde when it appears to be moving backwards through the zodiac. This traditional concept arises in the illusory planetary motion created by the orbital rotation of the earth, with relation to other planets in our solar system. Planets are never actually retrograde or stationary, they just seem that way, due to this optical illusion.

Retrograde periods, although often problematic for us earthlings, are not particularly uncommon. Each planet retrogrades, except the Sun and Moon.

Fated Events
As a rule, retrograde planets presage a period of seemingly inevitable or fated events, which relate to their sphere of influence. They present us with a series of events over which we seem to have little or no control, relating especially to the sign in which the retrogradation occurs. For example, Mercury retrograde in Virgo presents quite different sets of circumstances from those generated when it retrogrades into Leo.

A retrograde period is best seen as a cycle, beginning when the planet begins to slow to a halt before travelling backwards through the zodiac and ending when the planet returns to the point where it first paused. However, during the cycle, the planet's energy is most powerful (and more likely to generate critical events of universal importance) when the planet makes a station, appearing motionless in the sky.

These stationary periods occur near the beginning of the cycle (when the planet first halts as it prepares to move backwards) and midway through the cycle when the retrograde planet slows to a stop before moving forward again. The "direct station" (when the planet halts before moving forward again) is the most powerful and can be used for maximum benefit.

Some astrologers consider that the "Mercury Shadow" begins some three weeks before the actual retro station (when Mercury passes the point of direct station for the first time), but I am more inclined to think that the really noticeable peculiarities begin when Mercury slows significantly, a few days before the retro station. This period of "Mercury Shadow" extends to the Return date, some three weeks after the direct station. Bear this in mind, because experience shows that the effects of the retro period are still marked during the "shadow" phase.

What does Mercury affect?
In general, Mercury rules thinking and perception, processing and disseminating information and all means of communication, commerce and transportation. By extension, Mercury rules people who work in these areas, especially people who work with their minds or their wits: writers and orators, commentators and critics, gossips and spin doctors, tricksters and thieves.

Mercury retrograde gives rise to personal misunderstandings; flawed, disrupted, or delayed communications, negotiations and trade; glitches and breakdowns with phones, computers, cars, buses, and trains. And all of these problems usually arise because some crucial piece of information, or component, has gone astray, or awry.

It is therefore not wise to make important decisions while Mercury is retrograde, since it is very likely that these decisions will be clouded by misinformation, poor communication and careless thinking. Mercury is all about mental clarity and the power of the mind, so when Mercury is retrograde, these intellectual characteristics tend to be less acute than usual, as the critical faculties are dimmed.

The Key Issue
The key issue here is one of focus. Mercury's retro phase tends to bring unforeseen changes and blockages, but the aggravation and frustration that many of us experience during these periods is often due to our own inability to roll with the punches. Is this due to our ego-fixation? Mercury sets out to restructure our thinking processes and for many of us this is painful and frustrating. Moreover, these experiences reveal flaws in our internal organisation as well as our external planning, which can make us feel foolish and inadequate.

Mercury retrograde, like any cosmic aspect, affects people differently, depending on where it hits their personal charts. Some people actually prosper under a retro Mercury, especially if Mercury is retrograde but otherwise well-aspected in their birth charts. It is also a time when matters begun under a previous retro period will come to fruition, or completion as the case may be. Firm decisions that have been previously made when Mercury is travelling normally through the zodiac may be implemented or finalised while Mercury is retrograde without too much worry, for experience shows that this can be done without undue problems arising.

Mercury Retrograde in Pisces
When Mercury is retrograde, everyone's thinking is more introspective and we tend to think about issues and concerns which relate to the sign involved. With Mercury retrograde in Pisces, people with this sign prominent in their charts will be especially prone to such introspection. There is little choice but to reconsider our personal views and opinions about life. There is, however, an opportunity to gain insight into our own ego.

Mercury retro in Pisces, the sign of his fall, creates mental and emotional confusion, with strange dreams and sometimes psychic experiences. Mental processes being entwined with emotions, we find it hard to separate ideas and opinions from passion and idealism. Our mental orientation can be unstable, unrealistic and overly-spiritual, but it also inclines to laziness and increases the urge to consume alcohol. Nervousness and stress, even unfounded fears and paranoia are stimulated, especially from working or living in a hostile environment. Maintain privacy and dignity in the working environment and don't try to read between the lines, when there is really nothing to find.

As Mercury turns in stressful square aspect to Pluto in Sagittarius, people tend to become too intense or place too much importance on relatively innocuous ideas or pieces of information, and the likelihood is that the intelligence will be confused or misleading, especially if concerned with foreigners, faraway places, or religious matters. Don't waste time looking for hidden motives in what others are doing, when their actions may be perfectly innocent. Others take your ideas or actions far more seriously than you had intended. Valuable time can be lost, or you can jeopardize a position of personal power if you manipulate a situation, or the information and ideas you get from others, to your unfair advantage. Maintain a patient, reasonable attitude and take rumours with a dose of salts.

All areas of communication are affected, especially in any cultural pursuits, overseas matters or anything to do with travel, religion, academic pursuits, trading partners, adventurers and foreigners in general. This period brings travel snafus and missed appointments of all kinds. Documents can go astray. Be sure to carry a diary and refer to it often.

posted in QUIKSILVER - 0 replies

Gemini and Virgo...

☆Jai☆ — Mon, 20 Mar 2006 15:44:39 GMT

Gemini (+ house 3)
The third sign of the zodiac, Gemini is ruled by Mercury which represents intelligence invested in matter. The glyph symbolizes two pieces of wood bound together. In ancient times this was seen to signify the conflicts arising from contradictory mental processes. Geminis establish their relationship between the self and material substance through a balance of opposing thoughts. This bond may also be interpreted as the link between rhythm and form.

In Gemini we move from the action, reaction response of Aries, Taurus to the interaction response. The Gemini nature Interacts with the environment, investigating, learning, knowing and exchanging ideas. The intellect dominates Gemini, and all things intellectual are valued greatly. As communication is also of importance to Geminis, knowledge is never a thing to be hoarded. Seldom is a twin more entertained than in the midst of exchanging ideas with others of an intellectual nature.

Gemini is traditionally associated with the vibrant
pursuits and activities of the early summer season.

Nature:
Positive, Masculine

Quality:
Mutable

Element:
Air

Symbol:
The Twins

Colors:
Yellow, Rainbow

Metal:
Mercury

Gem:
Agate/emerald/aquamarine/blue sapphire/pearl

Flowers:
Lily-of-the-valley, Lavender, fritillary
Being the most versatile and changeable of the signs, Geminis are seldom what they seem to be. Chameleon like, they will take a stand, voice an opinion, decide on an option then completely change their mind tomorrow. Nothing is ever written in stone by Gemini. They are truly a free soul, driven by curiosity and a desire to know and do. They usually have several things going at once, and within such chaos, they thrive.

Geminis are bright, witty, entertaining and rarely get deeply absorbed in any one task. There are just too many things to do and know, and so many new people to meet. They prefer to skim the surface of many things, then to get deeply involved in one interest. If they do become drawn into something, they always feel they are missing out. It will always be what they aren't doing, or don't have, or the people they haven't met that intrigue them the most.

Countries:
USA, Wales,
Switzerland

Cities:
London, Melbourne, San Francisco

Animals:
Small Birds,
Parrots, Butterflies,
Monkeys, seals

Herbs:
Marjoram,
Caraway, Anise

Body Areas:
Arms, Shoulders, Lungs and Nerves.

Principle:
Interaction

Keywords:
Communicate, Versatile,
Adaptable

Geminis are optimistic people. All things are fresh and fascinating for the twins, it's the way they like it to be. They often possess the enthusiasm of a child. Routine is boring, and boring is not allowed. Restless, with an active imagination and a keen intellect, life must be lived to the fullest for Gemini. Perceived as a game, life is best played with swift moves and entertaining teammates. With the zeal of a sportsman, Gemini analyzes everything. They often possess a compulsive need to know the why of all they experience. A twin wants to know the causes, motivations, and dynamics behind everything and everyone they encounter.

Geminis are expressive folk, and this may manifest beyond mere speech. Often gifted with their hands, it seems whatever they touch does turn to gold. Their love of communication may also express itself as an affinity for languages, which they tend to pick up quite easily. Known for being great story tellers, Geminis have a knack of making life a little more interesting for the rest of us.

Morality is not an issue, and values are situational. Gemini's are usually affectionate, courteous, kind, generous, thoughtful, and superficial. They are attractive and interesting people who instinctively know how to meet their own needs and will do whatever it takes to do so. Although self interest is always the primary motivator in a Gemini person, they are also known to be honest, straightforward and without guile. They are what they are, and usually have no problem admitting their failings. Whatever they choose as a course of action is done out in the open without a measure of deviousness.

Other Gemini traits include: adaptability, ingenuity and cleverness. They are a mental sign and therefore logical, even brilliant at times, possessing a great deal of charm. However, it is important to remember that the symbol for this sign is twins, and that not all twins are alike. There are broad distinctions within the Gemini character. In contrast to the shining one described above is the shadow twin. On the turn of a moment, Gemini can become cynical, biting, moody and quickly angered. Inseparable as two sides of a coin, those born in this sign can be dazzling and irresistible or inconstant and irrational.

Geminis probably make better friends than they do lovers. They are entertaining companions and are more intrigued by the idea of love than the actual day to day involvement. Remember, what intrigues a Gemini is the unknown. Once something is familiar as an old pair of socks, the interest wears thin and the need for new worlds to investigate grows strong again. Geminis are fickle. This is not intentional, it is their basic nature to be so. Life seems too short a span to get very serious about anything for a Gemini. So, in love as in life, intensity of feeling is always fleeting.

Physically, Geminis have a youthful demeanor, sometimes childlike. Gemini rules the arms, shoulders, hands, lungs and nervous system. They generally have a sensitive nervous system, and don't fare well under too much stress. As Gemini considers danger about as seriously as they consider the rest of life, there is a need to restrain a sense of heroic invincibility.

The constellation of Gemini has been seen as twin figures by cultures throughout the world, back into prehistory. The 'Two Stars', referring to its very bright suns, which the Greeks recognized as Castor and Polydeuces, were named for the younger and elder forms of the god Horus by the Egyptians. To the Romans they were Hercules and Apollo. Often perceived as twin boys, the lore sustains that they were placed in the night sky by Jove to honor and exemplify the fidelity of their brotherly love. In other instances they were seen as a sister and brother or two angels, then within later Christian traditions, as Adam and Eve.

Stories of hero twins are also related throughout the world. For the Greeks their was Castor and Polydeuces, also known as the Dioscuri, or Heavenly Twins. They were the children of Zeus and Leda, queen of Sparta (yes...you may call them: 'sons of the swan.'), thus also the brothers to the infamous Helen, late of Troy. The exploits of these twins are many, and all heroic. In their youth they sailed with Jason to retrieve the Golden Fleece. To the Romans, who knew them as Castor and Pollux, the twins were invoked on the field of battle to assure victory. For centuries beyond they were held as guardians to sailors on extended or risky voyages.

posted in QUIKSILVER - 1 reply

MADASAHATTER!!!!

☆Jai☆ — Mon, 20 Mar 2006 15:54:13 GMT

MAD AS A HATTER...
Most people reading this would have either read Lewis Carrol's Alice in Wonderland or know the story at least. We all know about the Mad Hatter's tea party. But do you know why he was called "The Mad Hatter"?

During the 19th century there were an abundance of Hatters. A man would not dream of going outside without his hat on. Felt hats were very popular, an example being the "top hat". The best and most expensive ones were made from beaver fur, but the more cheaper versions were made from rabbit fur. The rabbit fur was not as easy to work with as the beaver was, it didn't easily "mat" and wasn't easily compressed and shaped. In order to make the skins more pliable Mercurous Nitrate was used to achieve the flexibility they needed. This process was called "carroting" as it made the fur turn orange. Finishing the hats included steaming and ironing the hats. Hatters worked in poor ventilated workshops and during this process the Mercury solution was absorbed into the skin of the Hatters and they also inhaled toxic levels of mercury vapour which would cause extreme cases of induced DEMENTIA and ST. VITUS'S DANCE or lesser tremors. (People who wore these hats were also poisoned!). This led to the English expression "mad as a hatter" and the American term "Danbury Shakes" from the Connecticut town where hatmaking was a chief industry. (Incidentally, in 1941, Mercury Nitrate was banned from hatmaking by 26 states of the United States). (Source Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase & Fable). Lewis Carol used the Hatter in his portrayal of someone completely "mad".

posted in QUIKSILVER - 0 replies

About Mercury...

☆Jai☆ — Mon, 20 Mar 2006 14:38:56 GMT

Mercury is about the same size as the moon. Its orbit is the one closest to the sun in our planetary system. Mercury rotates around the sun four times while the earth makes one revolution. Its proximity to the sun accounts for this speed. With a slower speed would fall into the sun.
That Mercury is so close to the sun means that the planet is never seen more than 28 degrees from , which in turn means that it can only be seen at specific times and then only after the sun has set, or immediately before sunrise.
In ancient Greece the sign for the planet Mercury was drawn . In Greece Mercury was represented by Hermes, the quick-footed messenger of the gods, often pictured with wings at his ankles. Hermes was symbolized by the caduceus, the staff of the two snakes . The god in the Roman empire that the messenger of the Greek gods, Hermes, was identified with, Mercury, was the god of merchants, but also of thieves. The staff of the snakes in Rome became a symbol for trade and communications.
This caduceus, or snakes' staff, has been mixed up with the Aesculapii staff, with only one snake, a symbol for the art of healing or medicine. Aesculapius for the Romans and Askleipos for the Greek, this god was the son of Koronis and Apollo and the god of medicine and healing, worshipped at Epidaurus. Zeus killed him with a thunderbolt for restoring Hippolyte to life at the request of Artemis.
In astrological psychology Mercury stands for the intellect and, on a more fundamental level, for the processes of symbolizing, the basis of our communication systems. All our knowledge of the parts of the world that we cannot directly perceive reaches us via symbols and signs. When these symbols and signs (e.g. words, pictures and ideograms) reach us, we associate them with our memories of our perceptions of the world, and then true knowledge or illusions (false ideas) about the world we live in are released in us. For every sensory perception that reaches us, there is some outer physical reality. The position of in the natal chart, or horoscope, indicates the character of the individual's intellect, his or her inventiveness and communication ability, and the functioning of his or her nervous system.
Those who are lucky enough to be born with a well placed , according to astrologers have a good linguistic ability, are fast thinkers, and like to communicate. They are said to have a well developed ability to convince others as well as a good memory for even tiny details. If is less well placed it can give restlessness, inconsistent behavior and superficiality.
In mundane astrology Mercury stands for business, letter writing, short journeys, gossip between neighbours, schools and universities, technical and natural science institutions, printing, publishing companies, and all those people who are in one way or another working in these fields.
Anatomically stands for the nervous system, the organs of vision and speech, and the hands, all considered in this case as instruments of the intellect. Mercury is the ruling planet of , Gemini, and , Virgo. The planet is considered not very well placed in , Sagittarius, and , Pisces.
In alchemy all that is volatile, i.e. all that could be sublimated or distilled, was sometimes referred to as mercury, since one of the most important substances for the alchemists to sublimate was the white, poisonous compound mercuric chloride. Alchemists were always very interested in the fluid metal mercury (a close relative to gold, mercury having the atom number 80, gold having 79). Mercury could dissolve other metals and combine itself with them into amalgams, . The alchemists produced mercury by roasting cinnabar (see and in this group).
Mercury is poisonous, and thus the sign for it has often been used in pharmacology to mean dangerous poison.
Hermes was, contrary to the other Greek gods, both male and female, a hermaphrodite. For this reason the sign has been used both in biology and botany to mean double-sexed.
As a weekday sign it stands for Wednesday. See in Group 29 for a derivation of the planets' days. In the Germanic countries this day is known as Odin's or Woden's day, in Anglo-Saxon countries as Wednesday. In Latin countries it is known as the day of Mercury.
The hermaphroditic character of Mercury (the alchemists were interested in opposites, also the opposite sexes) gave it a special position in the field of alchemy. Apart from meaning mercury, and compounds with mercury, it was also used to signify the coniunctio, or uniting of opposites, in esoteric alchemy. (Refer to the section "Esoteric alchemy" in the Appendices.)
Also note its appearance in , the philosopher's or wise man's stone (for more data, see , in Group 39).
As to the age of this sign's structure, it is believed to have been used for about 3,000 years. See the sign found on a Babylonian clay cylinder.

posted in QUIKSILVER - 2 replies

Mercury the messenger...

☆Jai☆ — Mon, 20 Mar 2006 15:12:23 GMT

The messenger god is generally described as wearing the clothes of a shepherd. He has winged sandals and sometimes a winged hat. He generally carries the caduceus which is a staff entwined with two snakes (the universal symbol for medicine). The symbol for Mercury is shown at right. It may represent the caduceus staff or the circle might be Mercury's head and the two "horns" might be the wings on his head.

Mercury was the son of Jupiter (king of the gods), the result of an illicit union with Maia, goddess of the clouds (as well as one of the Pleiades). His many adventures and his assignment as guide of the dead to Hades, made him the patron god of travellers. But his tricks also made him patron of thieves. The Romans also made him god of merchants and he lent his name to "mercantilism". Wednesday was his day of the week. This day the Romans called "Mercurii dies", which survives in the names for that day in many of the Romance languages, such as the Spanish, "miércoles". We also find Mercury lending his fame, in a "mercurial" manner, to a number of other objects...

posted in QUIKSILVER - 0 replies

OUR PLANET RULES!!!!!....

☆Jai☆ — Mon, 20 Mar 2006 15:04:47 GMT

In Roman mythology Mercury is the god of commerce, travel and thievery, the Roman counterpart of the Greek god Hermes, the messenger of the Gods. The planet probably received this name because it moves so quickly across the sky.

orbit: 57,910,000 km (0.38 AU) from Sun
diameter: 4,880 km
mass: 3.30e23 kg

Mercury is 58 million km. from the Sun.
It is the closest planet to the sun.
It takes only 88 Earth days for Mercury to orbit the Sun
The planet is bare and rocky with many craters formed by
asteroids
Mercury is the second smallest planet in our solar sysem .
It is only a little bigger than our moon.
Mercury has no moon. It does not have any atmosphere or water.
The planet rotates on its axis very slowly , once in 59 Earth days.
Its coldest temperature is -170 C
and the hottest is 430 C

posted in QUIKSILVER - 0 replies