Mercury in the Tarot

Joseph Campbell might not have been thinking about Mercury specifically when he wrote The Hero with a Thousand Faces, but this description seems appropriate for a planetary archetype that wears many hats. One could argue that Mercury is the gig worker of the pantheon, pulling off the role of messenger, psychopomp, “patron saint” of theosophy, astrology and alchemy, and trickster, among countless other “jobs.”

In astrology, Mercury rules manual dexterity, information, debate, mathematics, email, analytics, and transportation. To list everything that Mercury rules requires more space than I have here, but this short list illustrates the breadth of Mercury’s rule, from professions — journalists, accountants, mail carriers, mechanics, researchers, marketers, and chemists—to people and places — younger siblings, markets, bookstores, libraries, gas stations, and schools.

As the ruler of Gemini, Mercury has a bad rep for contributing to the sign’s stereotypical flightiness. In this active, mutable air sign, Mercury can be at its most changeable, prone to dabbling in myriad endeavors, gossiping, and enjoying sometimes fruitless debate; it isn’t until Mercury is in its earthy domicile and place of exaltation that we see a higher expression of it, adding discipline and Virgoan analytical prowess.

You’ve heard the term “mercurial”―someone changeable, erratic, and unpredictable. This dispersed energy shows Mercury’s chameleon qualities. Depending on house placement, it can point to restlessness, technical abilities, or where we may be…