MERCURY - THE MESSENGER

Mercury, also known as the messenger of the gods, represents how you communicate and how you process and exchange information. In Greek myth, Hermes was known to be clever, quick, mischievous, and the only god who was able to travel to the underworld. Where Mercury falls in your chart is an area of life where you may have access to some of these qualities. 

Mercury will express differently in each of the 12 signs and feels most at home in Gemini and Virgo where it has easier access to what it needs in order to do handle its business! It struggles a little bit more in Sagittarius and Pisces where it can’t always get the facts and details in these two big-picture focused signs. Mercury has a changeable quality and has many sides — it can be the skilled communicator with a gift for sharing valuable information, or it can be the shady snake-oil salesman who lies his ass off! This is why it’s good to get to know your Mercury and understand its gifts and shadow side. 

Where Mercury is in your chart says a lot about how easy or challenging communicating might be for you, and the style in which you do it. In Aries, you could be a quick thinker and speak passionately and openly. In Cancer, you could think emotionally rather than objectively, and communicate in a nurturing way. If you have Mercury in Scorpio like me, you might just swear a lot! 

If Mercury is your chart ruler (Gemini or Virgo rising) it means that in some way Mercury is the one guiding your life forward, so it’s extra important to pay attention to. If this is the case, your life’s direction will be guided by curiosity, communication, learning, and sharing information.

As the messenger of the gods, Mercury also rules over the chemical messengers in the body: hormones. And as the ruler of Gemini, it governs the lungs, arms and hands. Issues could arise in these areas with a Mercury that is out of balance. 

VENUS - THE LOVER

“Venus symbolizes a quality of absolute self-love and self-value, which can give joyfully to others but which does not depend upon others for a sense of self-worth.” - Liz Greene

Venus, the goddess of love and beauty, represents the archetype of the lover. In our lives Venus is operating when we form connections and when we experience beauty and pleasure. Venus also represents what we value, what we’re attracted to, and our desire/ ability to co-operate and find harmony. In myth, Venus is probably most recognized as the goddess Aphrodite, but has many other names and faces as well, including Inanna, Ishtar, Hathor and Oshun.

Venus feels most at home in Taurus and Libra, and finds some challenges in the Mars ruled signs of Aries and Scorpio, as well as in Virgo. In Taurus, Venus tends to like a bit of luxury and enjoys the sensual side of life. This is often a creative placement, and in relationships they are attracted to people who are stable, grounded and consistent. In Libra, there is an emphasis on creating beauty. This Venus is also creative, fair and may have a particular gift for diplomacy, though there’s potential to lean a bit heavily in the people-pleasing direction.  

Where Venus lands in your chart gives us clues to your relationship dynamics and your sense of self-worth. If it is in a challenging position, this may describe the experience of having difficulty with self-worth issues. This can always be worked with though, and the expression of a planet or archetype in your life can absolutely change over time. 

This is one of the planets that represents the feminine principle (talking about a quality of energy, not gender) and expresses this very differently in each sign, teaching us that there are many different expressions of the divine feminine. 

If Venus is your chart ruler (Taurus or Libra rising), then your life is being guided forward with the intention of creating connection, beauty and harmony. As the planet of ‘sweetness’, Venus rules carbohydrate metabolism, as well as the thyroid and lymphatic system. 

Venus retrograde periods are extremely valuable for navigating and evaluating our personal value system, and we just came out of one of these in September 2023. Venus goes retrograde less frequently than the other planets, and the next one will be in March/April of 2025 in Aries and Pisces. 

MARS - THE WARRIOR

“I believe that if we can find constructive channels for aggressive energy and use it to serve our self-development, to unfold more of our potentials and resources and to master life in general, it is less likely to manifest negatively.” - Howard Sasportas 

Mars represents the archetype of the warrior, shown in myth through Ares and Herakles, as well as through basically every hero in every Marvel movie. The word ‘warrior’ can mean a lot of different things though, so I encourage you to broaden your definition beyond the image of someone wearing armour ready for battle. 

Mars represents how we fight for things and how we take action; it’s our relationship to anger and our ego drives and desires; it’s the instinct to compete, to take on challenges and to instigate things. In one of its lowest expression it can manifest as aggressive anger and force with no idea when to stop or any care that it’s doing anything wrong. This repressed Mars function will often be associated with health issues. In its higher expressions there is a healthy awareness and expression of anger, boundaries and knowing when to stand down. It’s the will to act courageously on behalf of others as well as cultivating courage within yourself, for yourself. 

Mars is most at home in Aries and Scorpio and feels a bit out its comfort zone in Libra, Taurus and Cancer. In Libra it has to learn diplomacy and cooperation rather than its more familiar Arian impulse of “shoot first aim second”. In Taurus, it has to slow down and smell the roses rather than sprint ahead. Don’t worry if you have any of these placements — they force Mars to get creative and can often end up being very productive versions of Mars!

If Mars is your chart ruler (either Aries or Scorpio rising) your life is being guided by an impulse to take on life’s challenges and to win at these challenges, and you are likely to meet your fair share of conflict along the way as this is Mars’s training ground. This is not a negative thing for a Mars ruled person—it’s all part of the challenge. In the body, Mars rules inflammatory conditions, issues with the head, the adrenals, and acute injuries. 

Mars goes retrograde roughly every 2 years and lasts for about 2-3 months. This can be a frustrating time when it feels like we can’t get any momentum or get anything off the ground. We are meant to take those times to go more inward, evaluate our motivations, and perhaps exercise some patience—a word Mars does not love. The next retrograde happens from Dec. 6th 2024 - Feb. 23rd 2025 in Leo and Cancer.