IN this sign Mercury is not only in his own house, but also in the house of his exaltation, and it is natural to suppose that he will {207} be stronger and more excellent here than anywhere else in the Zodiac. To a great extent this is the case. So far as Mercury is sufficient, he is admirable; and it is irrational to blame Mercury because he is not also Venus! Yet this is the danger: A native with Mercury so placed may be overwhelmed by this part of his character. Virgo, however, is much to be preferred to Gemini as a place for the mental ruler; the duplicity of the Twin-sign is avoided, and Virgo, being an earthy sign, tends to add stability to the planet.
The extreme development of intellect naturally causes a certain coldness and detachment; people thus endowed sometimes forget that this world is not altogether ruled by reason, but very largely by prejudice, emotion, and self-interest. They are, therefore, better fitted to deal with abstractions than with practical affairs; Leo is much better than Virgo for the man of the world. The great men are the true men, no doubt; but this is exactly why the great men are often never discovered until they have been dead for many years.
People with Mercury in Virgo are quick to learn; indeed they often learn so easily that they do not concentrate sufficiently to retain their acquired knowledge. They have excellent memories subject to exactly the same limitations. They are often fertile of fancy, make excellent linguists, and good orators. Their mind is well adapted for scientific inquiry and, if Mercury is strengthened by Saturnian wisdom, their attainment in Science may be really profound. They are clever in handicrafts, and should excel in scientific agriculture. The mind, too, is essentially honest. As lawyers they are not so sharp as those with Mercury in Gemini. There is much plasticity and receptiveness, moreover, in the mind; and they are easily influenced, especially by argument.
On the other hand, they are sharply critical, sometimes too much so, though this trait rarely takes so aggressive a form as when Mercury is in Scorpio. They are intolerant towards stupidity in others and cannot understand the point of view of “common sense,” when it conflicts with their reasoned judgment. In a sense they are idealists as much as those who live in an emotional dream-world, and are just as fanatical, though in the opposite camp. They take “the world as it ought to be” (in their opinion) instead of the world as it is. {208}
From this fault come the practical blunders of such really magnificent intellects as those of Anna Kingsford and Mme. Blavatsky. Shelley and Tolstoi had this same limitation. Each “proved conclusively” that a certain course of action was correct; and each was amazed that humanity remained unconvinced.
In pure philosophy this does not apply. Sir William Hamilton, dealing with the abstractions of metaphysics, was content to leave his work where he found it, on the intellectual plane. In politics, too, the coldness of perception often sets as an advantage. Witness: Franz Josef and Louis XIV. Both these monarchs were able to pursue a difficult policy with success because of their detachment from emotional considerations. Mr. Asquith, Caesar Borgia, and Sadi Carnot may be cited as further examples. On the other hand, Louis XVI and Ludwig II of Bavaria failed from this identical course; they were not identified with politics in the same way as those just mentioned, and they lost their thrones and their lives from lack of interest.
It is to be noticed that every single one of these people could see only his own point of view, and rode roughshod over his opponents. There is much selfishness in intellectuality, and even where the heart is humanitarian, this lurks unsuspected by the native. Consider the pain given to the very objects of their devotion by Shelley and Tolstoi. A little human silliness and weakness would have been much more productive of human happiness! Man shall not live by syllogisms alone, even though each one be an ideal formula for the production of perfection.
The following well known persons were also born with Mercury in the sign Virgo:
Leo Tolstoi
Lord Roberts
H. H. Asquith
Maeterlinck
Blavatsky
Jane Addams
Lyman Abbott
Oliver Wendell Holmes
Kate Douglas Wiggin {209}
Dr. Felix Adler
Nathan Haskell Dole
Charles G. Dawes
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 Virgo are as follows:
From September 8th through September 24th 1840
September 1st " September 16th 1841
August 24th " September 8th 1842
August 16th " September 1st 1843
August 7th " August 26th 1844
October 5th " October 9th 1844
July 31st " October 6th 1845
July 26th " August 28th 1846
September 11th " September 29th 1846
September 6th " September 21st 1847
August 28th " September 12th 1848
August 20th " September 5th 1849
August 12th " August 29th 1850
August 4th " August 26th 1851
September 21st " October 10th 1851
July 28th " October 3d 1852
July 27th " August 11th 1853
September 9th " September 25th 1853
September 2d " September 17th 1854
August 25th " September 10th 1855
August 16th " September 2d 1856
August 8th " August 27th 1857
August 1st " August 29th 1858
September 4th " October 8th 1858
July 27th " September 4th 1859
September 10th " September 30th 1859
September 6th " September 21st 1860
August 30th " September 14th 1861
August 21st " September 6th 1862
August 13th " August 30th 1863 {210}
From August 5th through August 25th 1864
September 25th " October 10th 1864
July 29th " October 4th 1865
July 26th " August 18th 1866
September 10th " September 27th 1866
September 4th " September 19th 1867
August 26th " September 10th 1868
August 18th " September 3d 1869
August 10th " August 28th 1870
August 2d " August 26th 1871
September 12th " October 9th 1871
July 27th " October 1st 1872
September 8th " September 23d 1873
August 31st " September 15th 1874
August 23d " September 8th 1875
August 14th " August 31st 1876
August 6th " August 26th 1877
October 1st " October 10th 1877
July 30th " October 5th 1878
July 26th " August 24th 1879
September 11th " September 28th 1879
September 4th " September 19th 1880
August 27th " September 11th 1881
August 19th " September 4th 1882
August 11th " August 29th 1883
August 3d " August 25th 1884
September 17th " October 9th 1884
July 28th " October 2d 1885
July 29th " August 6th 1886
September 9th " September 24th 1886
September 2d " September 17th 1887
August 23d " September 8th 1888
August 15th " September 1st 1889
August 7th " August 26th 1890
July 31st " October 7th 1891
July 26th " August 29th 1892
September 10th " September 29th 1892
September 6th " September 21st 1893 {211}
From August 29th through September 13th 1894
August 21st " September 5th 1895
August 11th " August 29th 1896
August 4th " August 25th 1897
September 22d " October 10th 1897
July 29th " October 4th 1898
July 27th " August 14th 1899
September 10th " September 26th 1899
September 3d " September 18th 1900
August 26th " September 10th 1901
August 18th " September 3d 1902
August 10th " August 28th 1903
August 2d " August 27th 1904
September 8th " October 8th 1904
July 27th " October 1st 1905
September 8th " September 23d 1906
August 31st " September 15th 1907
August 22d " September 7th 1908
August 14th " August 31st 1909
August 6th " August 26th 1910
September 29th " October 11th 1910
July 31st " October 6th 1911
July 26th " August 20th 1912
September 11th " September 27th 1912
September 4th " September 19th 1913
August 27th " September 12th 1914
August 19th " September 4th 1915
August 10th " August 28th 1916
August 3d " August 26th 1917
September 15th " October 9th 1917
July 28th " October 2d 1918
September 9th " September 25th 1919
September 1st " September 16th 1920
August 24th " September 8th 1921
August 15th " September 1st 1922
August 8th " August 27th 1923
October 5th " October 11th 1923
July 31st " October 6th 1924 {212}
From July 26th through August 26th 1925
September 11th " September 29th 1925
September 6th " September 21st 1926
August 29th " September 13th 1927
August 20th " September 5th 1928
August 12th " August 29th 1929
