Shameless Commerce

In mythology, Mercury (aka Hermes) is the God of A Lot of Things: thieves, travelers, wrestling, gymnastics, trade, profit, merchants -- and commerce. His stories are legion and his legacy is, well, legend.

He is also known as "guide of souls" because of his role escorting the newly-dead to the underworld. In this capacity, he is also a patron of depth (especially Jungian) psychology, which understands the journey to the underworld as a metaphor for going deep within the self as part of individuation.

The complexities of Mercury perplex the literal mind. What has wrestling to do with thievery? The underworld with commerce and profit? Remember that the ancients were required to pay the ferryman to get to the underworld, and in many cultures (even today), people are sent to their rest with worldly goods to help them through the period post-mortem.

But even this is certainly metaphoric to the underworld experience of the living. What does one give up with the decision to delve deep within the self? What is the price of self-knowledge and individuation? The ancient goddess Inanna hung on a meat hook in the underworld for three days before she ascended back to her heavenly throne (not unlike another, more "modern" Son of God we know). Is that a high enough price? How are we asked to hang in preparation for becoming more ourselves?

Mercury is amoral -- that is, although he is known as a "personal planet" in astrology, in mythology his character is one that remains fairly apart from individual desire. His actions defer to the larger universal dynamic rather than the fleeting wants of the individual. So allowing Mercury to guide you requires faith that the universe has your best, highest outcome in store -- a trust that you might not, in fact, be always best-suited to choose your exact course. Mercury's price might feel steep, but it almost always has a reason.

Has Mercury ever enticed you into underworld experiences -- regretful purchases, slips of the tongue, misguided information or worse -- that nevertheless helped you know yourself better? What is Mercury connected to in your chart? Where is he placed -- in what sign, in what house? How might he pull you into experiences that feel like rabbit holes but ultimately lead to your higher self?

(And speaking of Mercury: Click on the Cafe Press link to the right to engage in a little shameless commerce -- I've just introduced my first line of astrology apparel, so you can wear the stars on your sleeve! And more is on the way...)

Copyright (C) 2007 by Kathy Crabb