Mercury in Virgo

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

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