Astrology gives us the gift of divine perspective
A glimpse into a higher design of trials, explorations, and lessons all woven together with the purpose of transformation and soul growth as individuals and as a collective.
Witchcraft gives us the gift of tangible divine practice
A way of life that allows us to connect the magick to the mundane, to harness and work with the soul purpose we discover through spiritual exploration.
Astrology + Witchcraft, when practiced together, therefore amplify one another and further expand their potential.
And one of the simplest ways to begin intertwining these together is working with the planetary rulers of the days of the week in your magickal routines and rituals.
Daily cosmic witchcraft can be as simple as inviting the ruler of whatever day it currently is to join in on whatever spiritual practice you're already doing, so don't overthink things! But I also know how fun and helpful it can be to get to know and work with a new spiritual entity on a deeper level, so I wanted to be give us all the opportunity to really explore each of the major planets to encourage your own natural practice to form on its own.
Wednesday, ruled by Mercury
Planet of interaction, processing, communication, short travel, messaging, social technology, learning, wit, and mentality.
Astro Quick Facts:
Role: Our internal and external processing and interaction.
Element: Air 🜁
Rules/Domicile: Gemini ♊👯, Virgo ♍🪄
Detriment/Opposite: Sagittarius ♐🏹, Pisces ♓🐟
Generation: Inner/Personal planet
Day of the Week: Wednesday
Download as a pdf:
It feels good to be giving a lesson on Mercury Wednesdays. I've personally developed a very close connection with Mercury as an energy, an archetype, an entity, a deity. Known as Hermes in Greek mythology, Mercury is the messenger of the Gods, God of Cunning, and God of Thieves. It rules over all matters of the mind, and holds the key to the vast terrain that is our mental landscape. This quick-on-its-feet cosmic player is a skilled wordsmith, instinctive communicator, and endlessly curious student.
The airiest of air planets, Mercury in my opinion is one of the easiest to cultivate a relationship with because it is so open to any and all forms of communication. When you pick up your end of the spiritual phone line, Mercury is always down to pick up theirs and have a chat. And while, yes, everyone is going to have their own unique interpretation of Mercury's vibe, in general it is experienced in a very relaxed, casual, and often very fun way. I joke around with, poke fun at, cuss with, and have probably my silliest and most out-there offerings for this sly little fox of a planet. So it's one I often nudge new practitioners toward when they're expressing interest in deity work and worship.
I think this light-hearted (with a tinge of dark humor) and laid back approach is possibly the most important tool when it comes to the art of mindfulness, or really truly feeling at home in your own mind. It's so easy, too easy, to get swept away and caught up in the darkest corners of our mental energy plane. Mercury's matter-of-fact, often ornery perspective can help us uncomplicate what is normally an excessively complex part of our experience. Remember, Mercury=My Mind.
On Wednesdays, ask yourself:
How can I be present in my thought processes without completely letting go of the wheel?
Think about how much in our bodies and in our lives our mind, our brain is responsible for. It's very common for us to sort of separate our brain up into chunks and forget that it is this singular extraordinary organ. According to John Hopkins Medicine, "The brain is a complex organ that controls thought, memory, emotion, touch, motor skills, vision, breathing, temperature, hunger and every process that regulates our body." Do you realize, I mean really realize, how much that is?! I want this information to hopefully give you even somewhat of an idea of all that Mercury is responsible for; this is an archetype that has a fuck ton of capacity, a n d it still has its limits. This understanding and practice is crucial for working with and nurturing Mercury's abilities.
Curiosity + Processing + Interaction = Learning. This formula is kind of the pinnacle of the Mercury journey, it's what motivates, fuels, and drives its every move. It is this very cycle that gives Mercury an inertia very akin to Mars', and that's honestly really saying something considering Mars is literally our personal fueling and driving planetary force. I always remind my students, Mercury is like the Energizer Bunny—even when your body is totally shut down, your mind continues running in the background at all times. This is why Mercury is such an effective learner and gives us our highly adaptive and resourceful qualities, that never-ending desire to consume knowledge and export it out into the world is like having a lifetime supply of jet fuel for your soaring thoughts and mental processes.
Our hands and our lungs. With all this talk about our brain, it may seem like I'm hitting you with a bit of a curveball here, but actually the connection here is so simple when you think about which organ controls these (and most) parts of our bodies. First, our lungs are one of the many organs that our brain stem runs on auto-pilot and is controlled by the autonomic nervous system, meaning we don't technically have to think about breathing at all to make our lungs work. However if you are practitioner of breath work, you know first hand how powerful it can be to bring intentional thought into your lungs. And right on the same token, it really is so fucking cool that we don't have to think about it (cause holy moly I think we would honestly forget sometimes 😅). And secondly, our hands do what they do because we will them to do so. We are not only reliant on them for our independent survival (feeding & hydrating ourselves, bathing, caring for wounds or ailments, etc.) they also give us the ability to so much more than just survive. (I want to note here: I had a thought about the people that don't have hands due to a condition or an injury, and I realized it is still Mercury yet that pioneered and innovated the modern resources and technology both available and in continued development to support these differently abled people. Just a cool astro connection I wanted to share.) Our hands make magick and transmute energy all day every day. Treat them with the same reverence you would your most valuable tools.
The Ruler of Communication. Boy oh boiii can Mercury be a professional conversationalist or what. Both taking in loads of information and just as effectively sharing it with the world around it. But it is soooo incredibly important that we understand Mercury, like the other planets, isn't exempt from challenges like miscommunication and struggles speaking or listening. In fact, depending on the sign our Mercury is in, it can actually feel a bit too confident in this arena, and we feel like we are experts at communication and that it is the world around us who seems to have the problem. Your Mercury placement and its unique journey will shed some powerful light on what you're bringing to the table, and how you, too, can be more effective with your words and interaction.
Check your chart:
Beginner:
-Look at the sign your Mercury is in.
-What planet rules that sign?
-Your Mercury is in _________ and ruled by _________.
Intermediate:
--Look at which house your Mercury placement is in.
--What sign rules that house in your chart? --What planet rules that sign?
--The area of life your learning and interactions are most centered around is the _________ House, which is in the sign of _________ and ruled by the planet _________.
Advanced:
---Do you have any aspects to your Mercury placement in your natal chart?
---Are there any current transits aspecting your natal Mercury?
---Is current transiting Mercury aspecting any parts of your natal chart?
*Tip: combine this information with the Mercury Placement Journal Guide
^ ^ ^ What To Do With Any or All of the Above:
Ultimately, your intuition is going to be the best guide when nurturing your planetary relationships. I recommend keeping these Mercurial concepts in mind, taking that knowledge into your Wednesday, and letting it permeate how you spend your time.
Mercury Magick Activities:
Air - Like I said, the airiest of air planets. You can tap into and work with Mercury energy simply by speaking and having a conversation, reading articles or books on new subjects you've been curious about, playing with sensory toys (yes, grown ups too), flexing your mental muscles with puzzles and other mentally stimulating games or activities, listening to a podcast, speech or lecture, taking a trip to the library, or signing up for an online course.
Dedicating Mercury-themed tasks to Mercury - There are all kinds of daily tasks that Mercury already has its hands in, and one way to honor this archetype in your cosmic witchcraft is by dedicating those items to Mercury itself. For example, That Witch Podcast is dedicated to Mercury, it is the main planetary energy I work with and connect with before, during, and after each episode. My email newsletter is also dedicated to Mercury, and I ask for help and show my appreciation by channeling its lessons and core themes into the work I do.
Get intentional with your scroll - How are you exercising your mind? Remember the Energizer Bunny: it keeps going and going and going and going... So what direction are you giving it to head in? It's wayyyy too easy these days to whip out our phone and keep our mind numbingly distracted at any given time. And because we're creatures of habit? This becomes a pattern and eventually an addiction quite honestly because of the chemicals released in our brains. What are some ways you can get more intentional with your apps and internet usage?
Breathwork & airway expansion - Bring some of that Mercury mindfulness into the lungs and airways by practicing breathwork. This can be as simple as pausing during a difficult moment to breathe, or as much as sticking to a structured breathwork routine every week or every day. I highly recommend seeking out breathwork coaches and experts for simple yet effective tips for working more of this into your craft.
Technology cleanse & consecrate - Repeat after me: technology is not the Devil! Technology is a tool, and if it's one thing a witch knows how to wield, it's a powerful tool. Treat your phone and devices the same way you treat your crystals and other magickal items - cleanse them, charge them in the moonlight, charge them with prayers and affirmations, utilize phone cases, stickers, digital backgrounds, etc. to amplify your intention.
LAUGH - Tap into your sense of humor. We often find ourselves cursing Mercury and all its shenanigans (hey, trust me, I GET IT 😂), but what if they take place to get us to loosen up and approach life with a little more lightheartedness? I dedicated this entire lesson to Mercury, I put so much intention into it as well as the School Bulletin email I sent out at the same time. I double and triple checked my work, made sure I had everything updated...and then my internet went out. I was able to get reconnected, double- and triple-check everything again...and the changes didn't end up saving anyways! I felt myself getting sucked into a perfectionism spiral over the mishap, and then it hit me - hey, Merc! I see you! I was taking myself a bit too seriously. And you know what, it provided me with a prime example to discuss during our lesson haha.
Mindfulness practice - Often we think mindfulness means "emptying your mind," when, sure, maybe that's a piece of it sometimes, but really to me mindfulness is creating a place of safety and comfort in your mind. Check out the previous episode on That Witch Podcast about modern meditation practices and how you can start doing mindfulness work that fits into your unique lifestyle (and brain)!
To sum up:
As you'll continue learning in all of our daily magick lessons, there is no wrong way to work with Mercury's magick. I hope this lesson serves as a helpful base or starting point that inspires you to allow your own natural planetary practice to evolve and grow over time. Get curious, and get excited. It's fun to work closely with a planet or a celestial body, and to see how your unique connection unfolds in your spiritual practice and in your life.
Comment below if this was helpful for you, and any other questions you have about working with Mercury!
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