IN Scorpio Mercury is “quick and powerful, sharper than a two-edged sword.” No other position so thoroughly accentuates the {217} fierce acuteness of the mind. People with Mercury in this sign are far-seeing and clear-sighted; it is almost impossible to deceive them, but on the contrary they are often over-critical and sometimes incurably suspicious. The thought is bitter and eager, often vitriolic, and the word follows suit. They have an uncanny faculty of knowing exactly where to wound. They make admirable vivisectors on every plane, and they are usually quite unscrupulous in their methods and careless of what pain they may inflict. Furthermore, they are intensely secretive; they hate to commit themselves to any positive statement, but their capacity for insinuation and innuendo may well be described as infernal. They make the most dangerous enemies, and in some cases (though, fortunately, this is rare) there is something of the snake in their temperament, and they may turn suddenly and treacherously upon their antagonists. They make excellent secret-service men. They are capable of long continued dissimulation and, the imagination being exceedingly vivid, they are well fitted to deceive others. With all these qualities, goes an intense skepticism, an intolerance of the opinions of others whom they regard as inferior, and a supreme contempt for those who disagree with them. On the other hand, the secretive side of the sign may sometimes develop as mysticism or some profound interest in secret societies (particularly, of course, when Mercury is in the twelfth house) or in hidden and obscure matters of one sort or another. They have tremendous capacity for investigation and are quite ruthless in their methods. These qualities often cooperate to bring about success, and some of the most profound seekers into the mysteries of life have this position of Mercury.
This is exemplified in its highest and best form by William Blake, probably the most profound mystic that the English race has produced. The activity of mind and the love for secret subjects of thought are shown in the horoscope of Robert Louis Stevenson. The particular determinants of this matter are discussed more fully in another place.
Martin Luther exemplifies very clearly the critical, militant, destructive tone of the mind, conferred by this position. Truth, as he saw it, was his God, and he could see Europe plunged into every kind of horror, sooner than abandon a theological thesis which a mind of broader humanity might have considered trivial. {218}
An example of the vigorous eloquence and keen critical instincts of this position manifesting in matters of less universal importance is given by John Bright, and of these same qualities in more intense form by Theodore Roosevelt and Winston Churchill. W. S. Gilbert, the greatest of the social satirists of the Victorian Age, has Mercury in this sign.
Something of the brilliancy and secretiveness, with a most unfortunate turn, not only for repartee, which made him enemies, but for obscure thoughts, which gave them their weapon against him, is shown in the nativity of Oscar Wilde.
The following well known persons were born with Mercury in the sign Scorpio:
Winston Churchill
Ex-President James A. Garfield
John Bright
William Blake
Oscar Wilde
Robert Louis Stevenson
Gandhi
Theodore Roosevelt
Eugene Debs
Andrew Carnegie
George H. Lorimer
For the benefit of those who are not in possession of Raphael’s Ephemeris, or who are not able to interpret the symbols contained therein, the years when Mercury is in the sign Scorpio are as follows:
From October 13th through November 1st 1840
October 6th " October 29th 1841
November 12th " December 10th 1841
September 30th " December 4th 1842
September 30th " October 6th 1843
November 9th " November 27th 1843
November 1st " November 19th 1844
October 25th " November 12th 1845 {219}
From October 17th through November 5th 1846
October 10th " October 31st 1847
November 29th " December 13th 1847
October 2d " December 8th 1848
September 28th " October 25th 1849
November 11th " December 1st 1849
November 6th " November 24th 1850
October 30th " November 16th 1851
October 21st " November 8th 1852
October 14th " November 2d 1853
October 7th " October 29th 1854
November 17th " December 11th 1854
October 1st " December 5th 1855
September 27th " October 12th 1856
November 9th " November 27th 1856
November 3d " November 20th 1857
October 26th " November 13th 1858
October 19th " November 6th 1859
October 10th " October 30th 1860
December 3d " December 12th 1860
October 4th " December 9th 1861
September 28th " October 30th 1862
November 12th " December 2d 1862
November 7th " November 25th 1863
October 30th " November 17th 1864
October 23d " November 10th 1865
October 15th " November 3d 1866
October 8th " October 29th 1867
November 22nd " December 12th 1867
October 1st " December 6th 1868
September 27th " October 17th 1869
November 10th " November 29th 1869
November 4th " November 22d 1870
October 28th " November 14th 1871
October 19th " November 6th 1872
October 12th " October 31st 1873
October 5th " October 30th 1874
November 8th " December 10th 1874 {220}
From September 29th through November 5th 1875
November 11th " December 3d 1875
November 7th " November 25th 1876
November 1st " November 18th 1877
October 24th " November 11th 1878
October 17th " November 4th 1879
October 8th " October 29th 1880
November 25th " December 12th 1880
October 2d " December 7th 1881
September 28th " October 22d 1882
November 11th " November 30th 1882
November 5th " November 23d 1883
October 28th " November 15th 1884
October 20th " November 8th 1885
October 13th " November 1st 1886
October 6th " October 29th 1887
November 14th " December 11th 1887
September 29th " December 4th 1888
September 28th " October 8th 1889
November 9th " November 27th 1889
November 2d " November 19th 1890
October 25th " November 12th 1891
October 17th " November 4th 1892
October 10th " October 30th 1893
November 30th " December 12th 1893
October 3d " December 8th 1894
September 28th " October 27th 1895
November 12th " December 1st 1895
November 5th " November 23d 1896
October 29th " November 16th 1897
October 22d " November 9th 1898
October 14th " November 2d 1899
October 7th " October 29th 1900
November 19th " December 12th 1900
October 1st " December 6th 1901
September 28th " October 15th 1902
November 11th " November 29th 1902
November 4th " November 22d 1903 {221}
From October 27th through November 14th 1904
October 19th " November 7th 1905
October 12th " November 1st 1906
December 7th " December 12th 1906
October 5th " December 10th 1907
September 29th " November 1st 1908
November 12th " December 3d 1908
November 8th " November 26th 1909
November 1st " November 18th 1910
October 24th " November 11th 1911
October 16th " November 4th 1912
October 9th " October 30th 1913
November 24th " December 12th 1913
October 2d " December 7th 1914
September 28th " October 20th 1915
November 12th " November 20th 1915
November 5th " November 22d 1916
October 28th " November 15th 1917
October 21st " November 8th 1918
October 13th " November 2d 1919
October 5th " October 30th 1920
November 11th " December 10th 1920
September 30th " December 4th 1921
October 1st " October 4th 1922
November 9th " November 27th 1922
November 2d " November 20th 1923
October 25th " November 11th 1924
October 17th " November 5th 1925
October 10th " October 30th 1926
November 28th " December 13th 1926
October 3d " December 8th 1927
September 28th " October 24th 1928
November 11th " December 1st 1928
November 6th " November 23d 1929
