Whenever I hear the word Mercury, my mind begins to conjure up a multitude of symbolic meanings, among them: speed, journeys, taxi-drivers, intelligence, curiosity, mobility, children, brothers, adolescence, communications, studies, telephones, operators, journalists, video-games, computers, portable radios, walkmans. There are so many that, if I were to describe them all, I would risk producing a superficial survey, as required by Mercury in Gemini, his primary domicile. But if I alight upon his exaltation in Scorpio, the whirl of pictures becomes calm and allows space for introspection, for deeper investigation, for the analysis of the human, psychological aspects that are part of the make-up of each one of us. And if I turn my attention to the sign of Virgo, in which the planet has base domicile, I will get the assistance I need to write down some of the symbolism and aspects that Mercury makes with the slow planets: certainly, this will be a limited work, but I hope substantial and useful.
Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are the slow planets that are positioned in relation to Mercury; the aspects are harmonious (conjunction, sextile and trigon) and discordant (quadrature and opposition).

The harmonious aspect formed by Mercury with Uranus, which symbolises dynamism, organisation, decision-making and drastic change from the intellectual point of view, translates into good mental reflexes that allow the subject to immediately grasp any situation and react with equal rapidity, then turning his attention to the future in search of something new, which makes him an instigator, ahead of the game. When he listens to a person, he succeeds in correctly understanding what they’re trying to say even before they’ve finished speaking.
In adolescence, he can be spotted by his intrepid spirit, by his curiosity, which will make him take apart toys and technical objects such as watches, phones, video-games, in order to understand how they work, and then enjoy the satisfaction of being able to put them back together again. He loves to be surrounded by his contemporaries with whom he will think up new games, new lines of inquiry that interest and stimulate his mind, which is able to focus on the essence of things and arguments, passing beyond the outer form, precisely because of this “haste” that he has to learn, before moving on and starting something new.
He makes good use of school thanks to the facility he has for understanding and he will build lively relations with his companions and teachers. He has a certain disposition towards technical things. Whether to continue or curtail his education will, however, be his decision.
I remember the case of a young girl, whose birth chart presented Mercury in Scorpio in the twelfth house, which formed trigon to Uranus in Cancer in the eighth house and sextile to Saturn in Virgo in the ninth house, whose mother, for financial reasons, didn’t want her to continue with her studies, but the high scholastic marks the girl obtained allowed her to thwart that decision and win a bursary to complete her high school studies (the values of the eighth house, which can also refer to the money of others).
The relationships with brothers, nephews and relatives will be shaped by dynamism and opportunism, and the wish to do something useful or practical together.
Mercury, in its symbolism of the child, reinforced by a harmonious aspect with Uranus, will influence a pregnancy from the start, and in a female birth chart, in particular, it will predispose the woman to become pregnant unexpectedly at a young age, leaving her to make the choice either to continue the pregnancy, which will be well handled, or to have an abortion, which will be accomplished without any sense of guilt. In other cases, there will be a tendency towards good planning, both in ensuring the necessary precautions to guarantee a successful pregnancy, and in trying to fix the time for the proud event and establishing the method of birth.
Organisation and time management will be the rule of the day for the parent bringing up the child, making use of their natural efficiency to plot out the paths of life in order to avoid any difficulties, especially material ones.

Discordant aspects between Mercury and Uranus, from the mental point of view, will not undermine a person’s intelligence, but will create a discontinuity in their intellectual efficiency. Rather like a light operated by a switch which, when turned on, allows the subject to understand very rapidly, to express their thoughts rapidly, to be curious, and to react; but, when suddenly turned off, casts the mind into darkness so that the person remains stuck with notions acquired earlier: their mental reflexes become slow and this is reflected in a ponderous way of acting.
In adolescence, this child is also keen on taking toys and technical objects apart in order to put them back together; but if the time needed to complete the task is too drawn out, the child, because of the haste to finish, will get tired and give up, leaving everything in bits, and go on to something else, and as a result will be scolded. He loves to be with children of his own age, but the relationships are on-off, either because of the family situation (for example, they move to another city) or because he passes his time with others at great intensity, only to suddenly break off from them when he wants to be with someone else; when he goes back to the first, he finds coolness or rejection and as a result he is sometimes obliged to remain on his own.
Just as he can be willing, lively and stimulating in relationships with his contemporaries and school companions, he can also be argumentative, ready to pick a fight, or shut off.
He makes the most of school only if the subject or the teacher instils passion in him, otherwise the outcome may be barely adequate or worse. It may even be that he gets good results but, for family reasons, is forced to abandon his studies, something he will regret all his life unless he is able to resume the studies as an adult.
Relations with brothers, cousins and relatives swing between periods of collaboration and harmony and periods of conflict and separation.
As far as the symbolism of the child is concerned, the negative aspect with Uranus, in several of the cases analysed, means that the subject, above all if it is a woman, will find a decision to have an abortion anything but easy; it will be so difficult for her in fact that she will be unable to find a solution. These decisions often have to be made in adolescence, when girls become pregnant by accident and, over and above their insecurity over the relationship with the partner, there is the incapacity to communicate with the parents. These situations will bring serious conflicts and guilt feelings which she will carry with her for many years of her life. In other cases, however, the afflictions between the two planets contribute to the natural abortion of the foetus, which the woman will see as unavoidable.
The relationship between the parents and the child will be marked by a lack of continuity, both in the upbringing received and the willingness or otherwise of the child, when asked to help.

And now we move on to the aspects that Mercury forms with Neptune, which symbolise the infinite, metamorphosis, fantasy, restlessness, anxiety and fluidity.
The harmonious aspects between the two planets, from the intellectual point of view, bestow a marked mental openness which encourages the subject to widen any topic in a continual search for something new that satisfies his sensibilities, his restlessness, the urge to go deeper. Mercury makes more concrete and lucid the intuition of Neptune so the subject has faith in his own ability to absorb every emotion and stimulation that comes his way. In fact, in order to have an excellent scholastic record, it will be sufficient that he stays attentive during lessons, or listens to an examiner, to be able to produce what the teacher wants to know and, in this way, give a perfect account of himself, or produce a brilliant exam paper. He is predisposed towards artistic subjects, or research, or writing novels.
In adolescence, the relationships with friends and colleagues are based on the fact that it is they who will seek him out, to stand in attendance for him, both because of the slower rhythm he needs and because he is quite happy to be by himself, thanks to his capacity to invent stories, adventures and imaginary friends. He is however sought out for his extreme sense of the fantastical and the sensitivity he demonstrates in his relations with them. I remember a young girl, who is now a beautiful youth, whose birth chart presented strong values of Pisces in the eighth house, with Mercury in sextile to Neptune, who at the age of about six, succeeded in holding spellbound a group of colleagues and adults, telling them about herself, a poor child who had lost both her natural parents in an automobile accident; and she went on to describe her life as an adopted daughter. Her story was so touching and filled with such intense emotion that all those present were deeply moved and had no doubt of the truth of the story. Often, the child’s parents, who were alive and well, heard themselves saying “poor little child, life has been so hard on her…”.
Mercury, in the symbolism of the child, with a positive aspect with Neptune, is influential from the beginning of pregnancy “guaranteeing” its course, assuring the foetus protection and growth, thanks to the right quantity of amniotic liquid. A great sensitivity and bond will develop between the parents and the child, so much so that they will understand each other by hints, expressions; only rarely, when the situation has become desperate, will they have arguments, or forbid things, or dole out punishments.

Even the discordant aspects between Mercury and Neptune, from the mental point of view, do not undermine the person’s intelligence but do create difficulties due to a lack of clarity that prevents the subject holding in check their anxieties and emotions, and discriminating between then; something that can cause mental blocks and paralysis of action. As a result, the person needs rest and isolation in order to find themselves again or calm their soul.
In some cases, this search for serenity encourages them to reach for the phone and call fortune tellers or astrologers, who they may have seen on television, to get reassurance: they need this so much that sometimes they spend (liquid Neptune) up to half their salaries in the search. This is pure escapism which, unless supported by the rational qualities of the birth chart, can take them to drugs, alcohol and living outside reality.

At school, they are inconsistent pupils who may, by intuition, sometimes achieve excellent results, but who are often reproved for moments of inattention since a little distraction is enough to break their concentration, taking them out of the situation of the moment. Their relationships with their fellows and school companions are also full of conflict, precisely because of their way of being there when they feel well accepted and absenting themselves when they don’t; and the way they avoid taking decisions. They only succeed in striking a balance if they meet their friends on a sporadic basis.
Mercury, in the symbolism of brothers, cousins and relatives, often demonstrates concerns that the subject has over a relative who either suffers some psychological ailment or is considered “different” from the rest of the family; they have such severe problems that they lead an unhappy life - the subject is unable to help, or escape from the unbearable anxiety such a situation provokes within him.
Mercury, in the symbolism of the child, with a negative aspect with Neptune, can mean difficulties in carrying a pregnancy to term because of inadequate amniotic fluid, or because of either the fear of or actually contracting an infectious disease that may damage the foetus: Mercury – child, Neptune – the infinite, in the sense of unfinished. In many cases analysed, this aspect may mean that the parents will look on their child as different, either because it is slow to develop or simply because it does not meet their ideal; this causes the subject to feel continuous tension which they can rarely put into words.

I now bring forth the example of Daniela in whose birth chart Mercury in conjunction with the Sun in Aquarius in the second house, forms opposition to Uranus in Cancer in the eighth house, in quadrature with Neptune in Scorpio in the tenth house, and sextile to Saturn in Sagittarius in the twelfth house.
She was the second born of three girls, the oldest being six years her senior, and who may be represented in the quadrature that Mercury made with Neptune, given that Daniela never succeeded in become close to her because of the differences in their characters, ideas and the slight vein of “madness” that ran through the sister. The youngest is fifteen years her junior and her relationship with this girl reflects the opposition of Mercury with Uranus: initially, she rejected her, then they became close, and that is the way the relationship has continued until now, given they live in different cities. The sextile that Mercury makes with Saturn brought reconciliation with the elder sister during her later years. Daniela’s childhood and early adolescence were marked by the family moving from city to city several times because of the father’s job, which demanded continuous upheaval. She coped with this situation in a contradictory manner: the Sun in Aquarius spurred her to accept the moves with enthusiasm, while its position in the second caused her to yearn for a stable clan that could give her security and protection. In addition, the affliction of Mercury shows how this constant moving weighed heavily on her and was a source of anxiety during her adolescence. In fact, it is in this period that friends and school companions assumed great importance: the desire to get to know people, spend time with them and make friends with them, only to have to end all contact because of circumstances, proved to be a constant source of anxiety and personal insecurity. Simply going to a lot of different schools becomes draining, because of the sheer effort of joining different institutions, a process which saps the energy required for study. Nevertheless, she did well at school in some subjects, though in others she was barely adequate. At the age of fourteen, she finally moved to a city where she would remain for a longer period. After a couple of years, she met a boy and began a relationship, which led to pregnancy at nineteen years old. Her mind was seized by terror and panic at the very idea of telling her parents, especially her mother, who is a severe person, very authoritarian and moralistic, Moon in Libra in the tenth house. So she decided to have an abortion, which at the time was illegal, and with the money from her first pay packet, accompanied by the boy, who was some years older than her, she went for the operation. The sense of loneliness that these terrible events provoked in her, allied to a sense of guilt, burrowed inside her mind, and, within a year, she broke with the boy. She later met another man, some years older than her, who became her husband. But after a few months, he showed himself to be a heavy drinker and living together changed from problematic to impossible, since violent outbreaks of jealousy became the order of the day. In these circumstances, she twice fell pregnant but felt unable to see them through: she had other abortions and, after she became utterly exhausted by the whole situation, they separated. Some years passed and she met the man who would become her second husband, who allowed her to be free, yet at the same time gave her security.
In ’96, Uranus was transiting in the first degrees of Aquarius and counteracted the birth opposition with Mercury; in addition, Pluto in the first degrees of Sagittarius, formed sextile to the planet: she wanted a child, but her husband said no. Notwithstanding the importance of these transits, given that Neptune was also soon transiting in conjunction with Mercury, ending the radical quadrature, she still did not obtain what she had every right to desire. Why not?
The transits had their influence on her primarily on the mental level, because, for the first time, she was able to tell the whole sad story of the lost children, and to come to understand that the reason she had chosen her second husband was precisely because he did not want children, and would have opposed her becoming pregnant; it was therefore left to him to decide whether the pregnancy should continue, since the affliction of Mercury at her birth stopped her being certain in her own mind about it. In fact, a birth did occur, that of a nephew, to whom she transferred all her affection.
In addition, her Mercury bound to Neptune, allows her to imagine her children being happy together in another world.

Finally, let’s look at the aspects that Mercury forms with Pluto, who represents creativity, the testicles, profound energy, secrecy, intrigue and deception.
The positive aspect between the two planets, from the intellectual point of view, produces a mind gifted with great psychological capacity, and this drives the individual to analyse in great depth what they see in themselves and others. For this reason, they spend a lot of their time unpicking the points of view in any discussion, and if they turn this on themselves, in a period of suffering, they can become almost obsessive: they hunt for every possible reason for all their problems in order to understand them. They are good listeners, and therefore learn a great deal about others while others find out little about them.
In adolescence, the first approach towards their companions and contemporaries is a gradual one, conducted with stealth; they remain silent, almost standing apart, listening to others, and taking the time to understand them; once that happens, they then start to allow themselves to be noticed and to be themselves; as time goes by, they may become the leader of the group, precisely because of this histrionic approach and because of the capacity to help their companions overcome any obstacle in any given situation. They will be surrounded by friends, but challenged by enemies. They may do well at school if they agree with the direction taken, otherwise, if forced, they can become insolent, or drag their feet, over-dramatising the difficulties of their studies, in order to show the parents they made the wrong choice. They are predisposed to humanist subjects, but do not disdain science, politics or business.
Relationships with brothers are very intense even though they swing between love and hate; the subject succeeds in becoming dominant, psychologically. I have encountered many cases in which the first sexual approach is made by them, and others in which the subject is the victim of sexual molestation on the part of cousins or relatives: trauma that often emerges unconsciously in their speech or play.
In the symbolism of parenthood, the harmonious aspects between the two planets reflect the unconscious desire to have children, something that will make them feel alive and creative. In bringing up the child and following its development, the person will channel and consume their energy, regenerating it by seeing the progress and the results the child achieves. It is a symbiotic bond, a continual and positive exchange of vital energy.

The negative aspects between Mercury and Pluto do not undermine the person’s intelligence but their influence renders them more psychologically disorientated. They need to be reassured about their mental make-up and because of this, they often end up being taken advantage of both by friends and by those people with whom they have an emotional relationship.
They live in this way following their “guide”, internalising the frustrations that may result, at times projecting them as jealousy, or by running down the positive actions of others, and surrounding themselves with, or holding up the example of, failed people to make themselves feel better. If however, at a certain point in their lives, they become tired of the situation, they may cut themselves completely as if the “guide” were dead. Similarly, in relationships with friends and colleagues, this “dependence” is present, but so is the rebellion.
The scholastic outcome is good, above all if there is a certain competitiveness with companions, or if the teacher fits the identikit of the “guide”.
Bonds with brothers, cousins and relatives are intense and often linked to work relationships; on one hand, the subject feels protected and secure, but, on the other, they are unable to fulfil themselves. With the affliction of the two planets, they may be tortured in some way by brothers, cousins and parents; traumas so violent that the subject tries to cancel them from their conscious memory, and therefore finds them impossible to talk about.
In the symbolism of parents, the negative aspects between Mercury and Pluto signify an unconscious refusal to procreate that results in not having children and, when it is found in a woman’s birth chart, may indicate the possibility of miscarriages. In cases where children are produced, however, a symbiotic bond will develop in which the parents drain the vital energy of the child; and vice versa, when the child becomes an adolescent.