Sun and Mercury in different Sidereal Signs?

[staragewiz]

Jim,

Curious how you'd interpret the Sun and Mercury in different chart signs?
e.g. Sun in Gemini - Mercury in Taurus or Sun in Taurus - Mercury in Gemini?
If Sun is the Seat of the Intellect and Mercury is it's Self-Expression
but from different Signs then how is that squared? Doesn't make a whole lot sense to me,
and it's a little confusing for interpretation?

thanks,

[Jim Eshelman]

Curious how you'd interpret the Sun and Mercury in different chart signs?
e.g. Sun in Gemini - Mercury in Taurus or Sun in Taurus - Mercury in Gemini?
If Sun is the Seat of the Intellect and Mercury is it's Self-Expression but from different Signs then how is that squared? Doesn't make a whole lot sense to me, and it's a little confusing for interpretation?

This is a great question, one to which I gave some extensive attention years ago (and to which I devoted a large section of my primary notebook). My theory, once upon a time, was that the Mercury-sign was surely important enough that there were likely three types of each Sun-sign, based on the three possible Mercury-signs: That there would be recognizable differences between Sun in Virgo with Mercury in Leo, Sun in Virgo with Mercury in Virgo, and Sun in Virgo with Mercury in Libra.

There really isn't, though. I couldn't find any patterns at all, let alone any that held up and gave anything consistently useful.

This doesn't mean the Mercury-sign isn't important at all. I've offered interpretations of Mercury in each sign here: viewtopic.php?f=13&t=86
But they are nowhere near as important as the Sun-sign. Nothing in the entire horoscope matches the importance of Sun's sign except Moon's sign. When I was given statistical breakdowns of the Gauquelin character trait data against Sidereal sign placements, there were occasional significant results for Mercury-sign placements, but the statistical scores were much weaker than those for the luminaries. I dare say that most people could ignore Mercury and Venus sign placements as easily as they could ignore those of Jupiter or Saturn.

I think the answer to your question is that Sun's sign overwhelms Mercury's sign entirely. For example, as a Virgo with Mercury in Libra, I can be courteous and mannered, speaking tactfully and graciously, helping mediate and find common ground - but in no sense is this who I fundamentally am as a person. It's just a tool I pull out of a tool kit when I need it. Virgo doesn't unnecessarily rock people's boats (at least, not without a good reason), but is rather indifferent to all of this tact and grace except as a useful skill to use as needed; at root, Virgo is quite non-Venus.

So, I guess I'd say that if you want to know who I fundamentally am, think Virgo; if you want to know how I adapt to and navigate physical, psychological, and social environments to 'deliver' who I fundamentally am, think of my Aquarius Moon; and if you want to know what extra random wrenches and screwdrivers I have in my back pocket or glove compartment, think of my Mercury in Libra or Venus in Scorpio.

[staragewiz]

.......So even if Mercury is in the immediate foreground and the Sun in the background
the Sun still takes precedent?

[Jim Eshelman]

.......So even if Mercury is in the immediate foreground and the Sun in the background
the Sun still takes precedent?

I don't think a planet's angularity has anything to do with the importance of its sign position. Sun and Moon signs are always of great importance, usually (together) the most important things in a chart, regardless of whether they are angular or not. (Don't you think your luminary sign placements are important - even though both are away from the angles?)

I consider the Mars-sign next in strength - a full step behind Sun and Moon but a couple of giant steps ahead of all the other planets. Also, a sign with four or more planets routinely becomes a major theme in the life, though not so much of character. (In your case, six planets in Taurus wouldn't provide anything really different from your Taurus Sun.)

[staragewiz]

Makes Sense...thanks for the clarification.