What Mercury's Position When You Were Born Says About The Way You Communicate Now

It's no secret: How you communicate is a huge part of how you relate and are related to by the outside world. It affects your relationships with everyone from your boss, significant other, co-workers, parents, siblings... everybody. The better you understand how you think, make decisions, and communicate those thoughts, the easier it is to navigate the world of office politics, prevent relationship drama, and ultimately get what you want.

In astrology, the way you communicate, make decisions and retain information falls under the rulership of the planet Mercury. The sign, house, and condition of the planet Mercury at the time of your birth (known as your Natal Mercury) indicates your communication style, and how easily, or difficult, it is for you to communicate effectively and be heard. So how do you find your Natal Mercury? You can have your natal chart done by an astrologer, or you can use this Mercury Calculator.

Here is a run down of Mercury in each of the signs: Notice if your sign has a tendency to be confrontational or not.

Mercury In Aries

Aries' mind and speech is action-oriented. They're aggressive with a direct and unapologetic communication style. They're impulsive in decision-making, and information that is not actionable in the immediate is often overlooked or forgotten.

They have a tendency to speak without thinking first. They're energetic, outspoken, and argumentative.

Mercury In Taurus

Taurus is slow and methodical in its speech and decision-making. They have an aptitude for music or art. They're typically slow to grasp concepts, and even slower to let go of ideas or beliefs. They're capable of powerful and persistent concentration.

Taurus speaks and receives information that is practical and can be used to create practical results.

Mercury in Gemini

Mercury is in its natural sign in Gemini. They're powerful, quick-thinking, witty, and love to exchange ideas frequently — and with everybody. Silver-tongued Gemini in Mercury has the ability to say exactly the right thing at the right time.

Their minds are more curious than concerned with deep exploration, so Gemini may seemingly understand a lot of subjects without true mastery of any.

They have bright, adaptable minds, which is why they change their minds quickly and lose interest even quicker. This is a natural placement for people in writing careers, like journalists.

Mercury in Cancer

Cancer is an emotional thinker and deeply intuitive, even psychic. Cancer Mercuries hold on tightly to the past. Memories are vivid. Anything that made them feel is retained indefinitely.

They may have a difficult time making decisions until they know how they feel about something or someone. They have difficulty speaking out when uncertain emotionally.

Cancers are sensitive and sympathetic communicators and are most vocal in one-on-one situations or in small, family-like circles. They have an attraction to poetry, art, and mythology. They sometimes avoid confrontation.

Mercury In Leo

Leo identifies passionately with their beliefs. They're creative, energetic, and outspoken. They express themselves openly, honestly, and with a little dramatic flair. They're warm and distinctive storytellers and can use their great mental and creative vitality to inspire and teach others.

They love an audience and need to be recognized for their original ideas and contribution to any decision-making process. They're fixed in their beliefs.

Mercury In Virgo

Virgo is the most analytical of all the signs and is also the hypercritical perfectionist of the zodiac. Having Mercury placed here makes them exacting, practical, and well-organized in their thoughts and communication style.

They have enormous technical ability and pay great attention to detail. They can come off as critical, sarcastic, or impersonal in communication, but they have a bright, stable mind that's more than capable of getting the job done.

Virgo makes decisions and absorbs knowledge based on facts, not opinion. The more useful, the better.

Mercury In Libra

Libra is the diplomat of the zodiac, constantly weighing both sides objectively. Concerned with fairness, beauty, and balance in all communication, and its outcomes, Libra is great for jobs or situations that call for both sides to be heard.

Mercury Libra makes a great mediator, constantly finding ways to bring reconciliation and social finesse to all things. They're also very concerned with and influenced by the appearance and/or aesthetics of things, people, concepts and the way information is presented.

Their mind is adaptable, but possibly to the point of indecision.

Mercury In Scorpio

Scorpio has a mind like a steel trap. Sharp. Penetrative. Observant. Their minds can be used to gain influence and power in many fields, but have a natural tendency toward sex, death, and the occult. They can be stubborn or secretive, but they're all too willing to share their minds, as long as they never divulge any personal information about themselves.

To Scorpio Mercury, knowledge is power. And their minds are happy to go where angels fear to tread to acquire it. They're fixed in their beliefs and have a propensity for paranoia.

Mercury In Sagittarius

The Sagittarius mind is positive, idealistic, and expansive. They're often blunt and direct in their speech. A big-picture thinker and a natural at grasping large philosophical concepts, the Sagittarius focuses on possibilities, potential, theory, religion, and future plans.

They have an attraction to foreign lands and concepts and can speak openly among all kinds of people, one-on-one and large crowds alike. They can also be tactless in sharing their opinion. Unconcerned with details, their minds lean toward the abstract.

Life-long students with keen, lively, and versatile minds, they have the ability to handle many projects at once. They're adaptable in mind, but can be fixed in their beliefs and open to debate. They need to develop tact so as not to hurt others' feelings with their blunt speech.

Mercury In Capricorn

Capricorn is serious, practical, and clear-minded. They're sharp, unwavering, and goal-oriented. Capricorns make plans and strategize with an excellent natural ability to organize and disregard any sort of frivolous information or exaggerated truths.

They're realistic and sometimes cynical. Most have to be careful of coming across as lacking humor or being too unfeeling. Their seriousness of purpose and single-mindedness in thought can hide an otherwise dynamic personality.

Mercury In Aquarius

Aquarius' thoughts and communication is unique and highly-individualized. Their thoughts tend to come completely out of left field and can confuse and/or repel more traditional thinkers. They're great for innovation as they have a difficult time relating to the status quo.

Their mind is geared toward humanitarian efforts of a revolutionary nature. They work well in group cooperatives and have a mind that pushes forth advancements in technology. They're scientific and emotionally detached.

Mercury in Aquarius gives the ability to speak and communicate even the most far-out ideas clearly, making them accessible to others. Decisions are made based on what's most in-tune with the evolution of humanity.

They're all about advancement and exploring new territory. They can be eccentric, radical, and impatient with those who seem to lack vision or imagination.

Mercury In Pisces

Pisces is dreamy, artistic, empathic, and highly-intuitive. Mercury Pisces are very creative, sympathetic, and idealistic in their thoughts and communication. They prefer to rely on their highly-developed intuition and psychic abilities as opposed to tangible facts.

They can have trouble making decisions as their minds are impressionable and they're overly sympathetic to the feelings and needs of others. So much so that alone time in a quiet, safe place, away from people, is integral to their mental health and ability communicate and center their thoughts.

Pisces' mind is very open, and spiritual and mystical elements are as important to their rationale, if not more, than information gathered from the physical plan. They just get a feeling about someone or something.

It's sometimes difficult to translate their feelings into rational thoughts or talking points, so they may need to express themselves in creative ways, such as music, poetry, or painting. They're non-confrontational and can have a difficult time focusing. They may seem flaky or distracted.

How The Mercury Signs Interact

Ever wonder how you can communicate so easily with some people and other people just don't get what you're saying no matter how hard you try? ...Even if you're related to them. Or maybe your best friend or significant other has a similar emotional nature (Moon Sign) to you, which makes you feel safe in your interactions with them, but the way they think and communicate (Mercury) always leaves you feeling misunderstood or unheard.

Chances are, you have a Natal Mercury sign that's in difficult aspect (relationship) to that of your BFF or beau. Consider your sign and the Mercury sign of others the next time you don't see eye-to-eye with someone. Is it the way they communicate that's rubbing you the wrong way or the content of their words?

One last condition of Natal Mercury is to consider its direction at the time of your birth. Was Mercury moving direct or retrograde? Or was it stationary?

Natal Mercury Retrograde can indicate an inward focus to your mind and communication. You may think differently than others, which adds to the feeling of not being understood.

However, a benefit of this placement is that when everybody else on earth is experiencing the chaos of Mercury Retrograde, you actually have an easier time pushing your plans and projects forward, as well as an easier time expressing your thoughts clearly.

Moonsplaining is a content package dedicated to the power of feminine spirituality. Instead of blaming the universe for your problems, learn how to harness its ebbs and flows for your own good. Here's how to make the universe work for you, not against you.