from Gururattan Kaur Khalsa Ph.D.


NEW MILLENNIUM BEING



MERCURY: MESSENGER OF THE GODS



Number 34, June 3, 2001

By Gururattan Kaur Khalsa, Ph.D.




Mercury stands along with the Sun, Moon and Ascendant as a critical
indicator of our character and personality. Mercury is the ruler of the sky
when the Sun is in Gemini between May 20 and June 20.

**********************************************************************
YOGA TECHNOLOGY - sponsors of New Millennium Being
Books on Kundalini Yoga & Meditation, Chakras, Women's Empowerment by
Gururattan Kaur Khalsa Ph.D.
Large format & fully illustrated. Ideal for home study.
Also Kundalini Yoga Videos & CD's.
http://www.yogatech.com/ (secure online store)
**********************************************************************

SYMBOLOGY

The astrological glyphs for the planets are composed of three symbols. (1)
The circle represents Spirit or pure consciousness. (2) The cross
represents matter of life on Earth. (3) The semicircle represents the Soul
and receptivity. (*1) Each planet represents a unique combination of these
three energies, which together make up the various aspects of our inner and
outer realities.

Mercury is the only visible planet whose glyph incorporates all three
symbols. The cross is below the circle, which is below the semicircle.
Mercury's receptivity to Spirit is placed above matter so that he can use
Spirit to interpret his life experiences. In his highest expression,
Mercury represents the Soul using Spirit to express and guide his physical
manifestation. As a mediator, Mercury shows us how our Soul can use pure
universal consciousness to live our lives on planet Earth. Mercury shows us
the true function of our mind. (*2)

Mercury's glyph indicates that our mind receives impulses from two
directions. Information from our surrounding circumstances and earthly
activities stimulate us to take action and interact with our environment.
The ability of our mind to tune into the cosmic universal mind gives us the
power to channel inspirational and original concepts. When these two types
of information work together, ideas can be realized into projects and
manifested in practical results.


THE MESSENGER OF THE GODS

"Mercury is called the first of the celestial Gods, the God Hermes...to
which God is attributed the invention of and the first initiation of men
into Magic...Mercury is Budh, Wisdom, Enlightenment, or "reawakening" in the
divine science." ---H.P. Blavatsky The Secret Doctrine (*3)

Mercury is a god of many talents. Mercury bestows the gift of the healing
arts. The god Mercury often carried the baton that signifies wisdom. The
caduceus is the emblem of the medical profession. The two snakes
surrounding a pole with wings and a circle on the top signify the spine,
consciousness and the rising of the kundalini.

Mercury corresponds to the Hindu Monkey -God Hanuman, known for unrivaled
wisdom and great feats. The Hindus also know him as Saram, "the divine
watchman who 'watches over the golden flock of stars and solar rays.'" (*4)
As the god of wisdom, Mercury is associated with the name Buddha, a title
signifying someone who has been enlightened with divine wisdom (budhi). The
Greeks called Mercury Hermes. This god of the "persuasive tongue" was god's
messenger and a great orator and teacher. (*5)


SPEED

Mercury is the planet closest to the Sun. It is the hottest, quickest and
smallest planet. One year (the time it takes to orbit the Sun) for Mercury
is 88 Earth days. It is hard to observe Mercury because the Sun's
brightness hides it from view.

Moving the fastest of any of the planets, Mercury symbolizes the concept of
speed. Like Mercury, our mind out races every other part of our being. It
is Mercury that makes it possible to change, to forget, to destroy and to
create instantaneously. Magic manifests in an instant. Through speed,
Mercury, our mind and magic conceal from us their inner workings.

The mythological Hermes, also known as Mercury, was a god with wings on his
feet. Heroic Mercury was smart, fast, useful and well-liked. The messenger
of the gods, he was always in the know and could travel at lightning speed.
Well-regarded Mercury was (and is) constantly in motion, always carrying out
some job for the other gods. (*6)


EXPLORATION

Mercury's mission is to explore both the known and the unknown. There are
no limits to Mercury's curiosity. It is Mercury's nature to wander, to
investigate and even to be distracted. Mercury instinctually gathers
information. Mercury is the seeker who roams all realms, "seeking more
information to select, analyze, compare and compartmentalize." Mercury's
investigation of possibilities is not necessarily rational or methodical.
(*7)

Mercury is equally tuned into the cosmic and the earthly realms. Mercury is
part of both the universal mind and the collective consciousness. Mercury
sees reality from the perspective "As above, so below." Mercury understands
existence as a circular continuum between higher and lower levels of
existence. Mercury operates from the premise that our inner and outer
realties mirror each other. Mercury teaches us that we can understand
ourselves and our relationship to everything else by pursuing all types of
experience and all levels of consciousness. (*8)

Mercury moves from one activity to another and from one idea to another with
impressive speed. So fast in fact that he is often perceived as a flighty
dilettante. What is impressive is his perseverance in carrying out his
endless exploration of both inner and outer life. His ability to connect
all inner and outer experiences helps him function as the arbitrator of
meaning and relevancy, where everything seems to fit into the cosmic jigsaw
puzzle in one way or another.


THE MAGICIAN AND THE TRICKSTER

During Mercury's explorations he engages in all forms of communication. He
exchanges and transfers information with and between groups, individuals and
dimensions. In the process he, engages in analysis, performs coordinating
functions and facilitates understanding. AND he performs magic! Magic
usually refers to events or things that happen that we do not understand.
Mercury is a master of exploring the hidden forces in the spiritual, natural
and physical worlds. Mercury delights in investigating the magical realms of
existence.

Mercury is known as the Magician and the Trickster. It is easy to see that
these are two sides of the same coin. The hidden realms of existence seem
to play tricks on us, confound us with unexpected information and events and
challenge our habitual perceptions. The unknown can also surprise us with
unexpected gifts, open us up to new possibilities and bestow us with
seemingly supernatural powers. If we like the surprises, we call it magic.
If we don't like the surprises we call it bad luck. Whether we like the
results or not, the common thread is their uncanny, mysterious, supernatural
and superhuman nature. The result is to jar us from the inertia of our
routines and move us out of the mundane. The purpose of these mysterious
challenges is to catapult us into other dimensions of reality and to awaken
us to our Soul. (*9)

Mercury teaches is that there really is a magical realm of existence. The
more we tune into and follow our Soul, the more this magical realm is
revealed to us. The irony is that our rational mind refutes and is confused
by magic. But there is method in this madness. It is when our rational
mind gives up its need to understand and control that magic happens.
Mercury's ultimate goal is for the head to surrender to the heart. In the
end Mercury leads us to our heart.

I have a nightshirt with a big clown on it and the words, "Life's
mysterious. Don't take it so serious." This is definitely a Mercury motto.
It is certainly a dictum that gives me a detached perspective when I go to
bed and wake up in the morning. Magical Mercury manifestations are always
mysterious. Mercury is trying to teach us that if we would simply let go,
quit trying to take charge and figure everything out, we could delight in
the synchronous ways of the divine and enjoy the ride. Mercury wants us to
stop resisting and start embracing the magic in our lives.


NEUTRAL TRANSMITTER

Mercury is like an antenna. He receives information from all dimensions of
reality including signals from other planets. Mercury also transmits
information, but he is not the source of the information. He is thus
neutral, transparent and androgynous. Mercury conforms to his particular
circumstances and environments. This is very valuable information in terms
of dealing with our personal manifestation of Mercury - our mind. We can
impact the information that our mind receives by our choices, intentions,
environments, relationships and other conscious inputs such as mantras,
music we listen to and even food we eat.

Mercury takes a neutral position. All information is information for
Mercury. It is interesting then that Mercury is said to be the protector of
boundaries. How can Mercury have boundaries if he includes everything?
Mercury's boundaries are not defined in terms of what he receives or
withholds. Mercury's boundaries are defined in terms of his identity and
personal integrity. Mercury's goal is to know his Soul. For Mercury,
everything in life is an experiment. All his experiments and experiences
serve to help him discover his Soul. Thus what may seem arbitrary on the
surface in fact serves a higher purpose of uncovering the multi-faceted
treasure of the Soul. Mercury is unified in his mission and all-inclusive
in his strategy. Experimentation is his master tool.

Mercury is neutral for other points of view. Winning and losing are equally
important in Mercury's grand experiment to unleash the power of his Soul.
Mercury the Magician must figure out what action to take at what time. His
failures are due to "wrong action, wrong timing, or a lack of
understanding." His successes are a "result of a correct action taken at
the right time." (*10) From the experimentation perspective, there are no
moral absolutes and no obligations. Both fortune and misfortune are gifts
from heaven and grist for the mill of life.


MERCURY'S DOMAIN

Mercury rules the mind, the brain and the nervous system. Mercury also
governs the hands and the arms. Our arms and hands enable us to modify or
control our physical environment. The hands and the arms are an extension of
the heart center. The relationship between the mind and the heart are thus
built into the symbology of Mercury. If we visualize a heart superimposed
on the upper torso, the two bulges at the top represent the two hemispheres
of the brain. They come together at the bottom point at the level of the
heart chakra. Mercury thus incorporates the synthesis of the head and the
heart. The higher mind transcends the inherent duality of the rational mind
and achieves neutrality when it serves as an expression of the heart.

Mercury rules the facilities that distinguish humans from the rest of the
animal kingdom. Through the faculties of reason, our mind moves us beyond
pure instinct. The human brain gives us the capacity to think, reason, plan,
remember and use tools. Our mind gives us "the ability to know, to deduce
and to use facts in an impartial and impersonal way." (*11) Our ability to
be conscious allows us to develop an awareness of and a relationship with
universal truth. Mercury is the illuminator of human life. Through the
intuitive mind, Mercury gives humans the capacity to be conscious conduits
for energy and knowledge from higher realms.

Mercury's domain includes the lower rational mind or the intellect that
processes information and the nervous and neurological systems that make all
forms of sensory input possible.
The senses interact with the brain through the nervous system. We gather
information through our five senses - sight, hearing, touch, taste and
smell. These senses and be outwardly or inwardly directed. We use our
senses as external antennae to gather information from our environment. We
also use our senses internally to gather information from our body and soul
and to attune us to realities beyond the physical dimension.

On the personality level, Mercury is associated with all facets of
communication. He also represents duality or the ability to distinguish
between polarities. On the soul level, Mercury expresses relatedness and
harmony achieved through the integration of opposites or complementary
energies and expressions. Mercury synthesizes cognition and wisdom.
Mercury facilitates the rhythmic exchange of information and energies
between the personality and the soul, between the earth plane and
non-physical reality and between the rational mind and the intuition.

KEY MERCURY CONCEPTS INCLUDE (1) Active intelligence, (2) Mind, logic and
reason, (3) Educational and learning abilities, (4) Spoken and written
communication, and (5) Transmitter of the spiritual to the material. (*12)


FREE WILL AND THE POWER TO CHOOSE

Mercury symbolizes two different aspects of the mind: (1) the neutral
transmitter and (2) the power of the will. (Will power is also indicated by
the Sun.)

(1) As a transmitter, the mind simply receives information. The mind itself
is "neutral and is therefore capable of entertaining any thought, be it high
or low or pertaining to any area of human experience or knowledge." (*13.)
The human mind is part of the universal mind and the morphogenic field of
the planet. We pick up thoughts based on our programs, conditioning,
cultural biases, soul make up, etc. and our level of consciousness. Yogi
Bhajan used to tell us we do not think. We just think we think. This means
we are not generating the thoughts. We are receiving them. One of the most
basic human questions is what do we do with this information?

(2) Humans are given the faculties of consciousness and free will so we can
influence what we receive and how we react to these thoughts. Free will
enables us to choose whether to act or not to act and to determine the
nature of our choices. Free will is associated with both the navel and the
throat chakras. The third chakra gives us the power to take action, to
commit and to make and break habits. The fifth chakra gives us the power to
communicate without fear. Both are needed for focus, concentration and one
pointedness. Both are needed to make choices and to direct our life
energies appropriately toward destruction or creation.

The magician in each of us is manifested through our power of free will.
"We have the power to manipulate the four elements of matter (earth),
feeling (water), mind (air), and Spirit (fire) as we choose. If we do not
choose to use this divine power to consciously direct our thought-forms (and
our actions), we will be directed by the unconscious thought-forms of our
desire nature." (*14) The goal of the human journey and all spiritual
paths is to move from unconsciousness to consciousness. Saturn teaches us
that it is an arduous journey. Mercury teaches us that it can be fun, if we
approach life from the perspectives of experimentation and detachment.
Mercury teaches us not to take everything personally or seriously so we can
be entertained by the human experiment.


ATTENTION: TRAINING THE MIND

Our quality of life and indeed our destiny are dependent upon our ability to
use the power of our mind. Our talents remain dormant and unexpressed
unless or until we develop the capacity of our mind to serve our highest
expression. Our mind provides us with "the intelligence, communicating
ability, knowledge and understanding" (*15) to learn, to be educated and to
develop the skills necessary to be a success in life. Since our mind
creates our life and our destiny, if we are not in control of our mind, we
are not in control of our life or our destiny. How do we control our minds?
The faculty of attention is our most valuable tool. With mental
self-discipline we can choose what thoughts we give our attention.

Our mind is our personal antenna, which both transmits and receives
information. Our mind has the capacity to tune into, amplify and send out
any thought. The question is what thoughts do we choose to receive, send
out and focus on? The nature of our thoughts impacts our emotional state,
determines our behavior and our actions and attracts our life experiences.
Because our thoughts determine our life, destiny and karma, it is of utmost
importance to wisely select the thoughts that we give our attention to.

The faculty of free will gives us the capacity to select the thoughts we
wish to dwell upon. We have all experienced negative outcomes,
misunderstandings and failures which have resulted from acting upon thoughts
which would have been best to have been flushed from our minds. Through the
gifts of discrimination and free will we can consider the probable outcome
before we put a thought into action or communicate it to another person.

We cannot eliminate negative thoughts. Even the Dali Lama admits that he
gets angry many times a day. The difference between the Dali Lama and most
of the rest of us is that he processes his negative thoughts within his own
mind before they take over his consciousness and direct his actions.

Yogi Bhajan has told us we have 3-5 seconds to process and release negative
thoughts before they create karma for us. I find this both scary and good
news. It is scary because it means that we have to be very alert and
attentive to our thoughts and deal with the ones that we do not want to
impact our lives almost instantaneously. The good news is that we have the
capacity to do so. Every spiritual path has refined techniques to train the
mind to deal with the mind. These skills include the following:

1. OBSERVATION We must learn to observe ourselves and the thoughts that
enter our mind.
2. DISCRIMINATION. We must learn to discriminate between the thoughts that
serve us and the thoughts that do not. Which thoughts are destructive,
negative, impractical or superfluous? Which ones are constructive,
positive, practical or relevant?
3. SELECTION We must "select only those thoughts which serve a useful and
constructive purpose for further examination, work, exploration and
planning" (*16)
4. The skill of ATTENTION is required for all of the above. The bottom line
is where we put our attention.

Training the mind requires intention, discipline and devotion. The good news
is that we can alter our reality, elevate ourselves and consciously
participate in our lives.


MERCURY IN OUR BIRTH CHART

Our Mercury shows us how we can discover the magic and embrace the mystery
in our lives.

Mercury is never more than 28 deg. away from the Sun. This means that the
sign of our Mercury is almost always the same as our Sun sign or the
previous or following sign. When Mercury is in the same sign as our Sun, we
embody more of the generalizations attributed to our Sun sign. This is even
more the case when our Venus is in the same sign. On the other hand, when
our Mercury and our Venus are in other signs, what and how we think
(Mercury) and what we want and attract (Venus) are very different from our
Sun energy.

Since Mercury itself has a neutral vibration, the nature of our individual
Mercury is determined by its sign, the sign of our Sun and its relationship
(aspects) to other planets. The sign of our Mercury represents how we think
and indicates the nature of our intellectual and inventive abilities and
oratorical powers. Mercury gives us the intellectual capacity "to store
knowledge, formulate opinions, and structure logic." (*17) The nature
(sign) of our Mercury and its interactions (aspects) with other planets is a
strong indicator of our ability to use words, learn foreign languages,
communicate ideas and to persuade others.

Mercury is an objective extension of our personality. Our Mercury symbolizes
our basic mental make up, our innate ability and manner of communication,
our capacity to learn and the way in which we articulate and correlate
perceptions and ideas. Mercury influences our adaptability and dexterity.
Mercury also relates to siblings, acquaintances, neighbors, peers, the
powers of observation, how-to instruction, empirical thought, information,
collaborative ability, logical thinking. (*18)

The location of Mercury in our natal chart indicates where we seek to
improve things and move forward through experimentation, inventions and
other forms of progress. Our house placement of Mercury can also reveal
areas in our life where we are never satisfied and are always searching for
new knowledge, avenues to investigate and ideas to stimulate and awaken the
mind to expanded dimensions of reality. Our Mercury can also indicate areas
of restlessness, superficiality and inconsistencies.

An undeveloped or weak Mercury or mind is impulsive, indecisive and unduly
influenced by the ideas and opinions of others. A well-developed or strong
Mercury or mind is capable of quick perception, clarity, concentration,
discrimination, detachment and discipline.


CAUSE AND EFFECT

Emotions are the energy that motivates us (e-motion). Emotions express our
desire nature, which propels our urge to live, to achieve and to be
fulfilled. Emotions are our fuel. When our emotions are out of control,
they burn up our fuel, deplete us of life force and steer us in undesirable
and destructive directions. The mind is our steering wheel, which can guide
our emotions and use this energy for constructive purposes.

Our mind is our focusing lens. It serves as the bridge between our Soul and
our personality. Our intuition is our highest faculty. It delivers
messages from our Soul, which is our personal link with the infinite. The
mind accesses information from both our Soul and our physical-emotional
being and communicates between the two.

Mercury teaches us to use our minds to perceive causes rather than to be at
the effect of incoming information. When we are able to perceive the effect
of our actions before taking them, we can consciously create our reality
instead of blindly reacting to information that is processed by subconscious
programming. At the higher levels of awareness, we perceive the essence
embodied in the form, be it humans, other beings or circumstances. To
achieve this level of consciousness, the mind must connect with the emotions
as information and not relate to them as tyrannical determinates of our
behavior. Instead of being controlled by our desire nature, we integrate
this energy into our response patterns, which gives power to our actions and
communications.


MERCURY'S DANCE WITH THE OTHER PLANETS

How our Mercury interacts with the other planets affects our style, mental
capabilities and communication skills. Mercury closely linked with SATURN
results in a powerful mathematical mind. Einstein had Mercury and Saturn
conjunct (in the same sign and degree.) Mercury linked with VENUS makes
one charming, facilitates graceful expression and gives one diplomatic
skills. Mercury linked with MARS gives one an energetic and enterprising
mind, which focuses on success and achievement. It can also result in
aggressive attitudes and an argumentative and confrontational nature.
Mercury linked with JUPITER gives one an expansive mind which delights in
teaching, traveling, spirituality and a positive promotional nature. When
the SUN and Mercury are in the same sign and with a few degrees of each
other, one has a lot of will power, is motivated to achieve, can inspire
others through writing and speech and has a penetrating vision and power of
concentration. The person can also be egocentric, lack objectivity and be
judgmental. (*19)

When Mercury is linked with URANUS, the mind easily receives information
from the subtle dimensions of reality. There is a vastly expanded mental
awareness through a telepathic relationship with other minds and the
universal mind. "Great inventiveness and originality of thought, sometimes
manifesting as genius, go with Mercury-Uranus contacts." (M 8) Mercury
lined with NEPTUNE gives similar effects to Mercury-Uranus contacts. With
Uranus, interests are more scientific and technological. With Neptune, the
intuitive powers connect with the emotions. "There is a vivid sense of
imagery and highly developed powers of visualization." This imaginative
faculty is often expressed in the arts, music, drama, spirituality and
philosophy.
Mercury linked with PLUTO extends the power of the mind deep into the
subconscious. The person with the Mercury Pluto connection can either be
disturbed or clairvoyant. In either case he is capable of accessing the
mysteries of life. (*20)

PLANETS IN THE ELEMENTS

"The planets represent specific principles of energy exchange between the
individual and the universal supply of all energy. Each planet therefore
reveals not only a type of outgoing energy and an urge toward expression of
a certain kind, but also a specific need for activity and fulfillment that
must be fed along a particular incoming wavelength." (*21)

An in-depth understanding of ourselves and others is facilitated by
examining the elements that dominate a birth chart. The elements - air,
earth, fire and water – determine:

(1) how we are naturally attuned to different dimensions of experience
(2) how we can consciously tune into these different dimensions
(3) what energies we will use to connect with the different fields of life's
activities. (*22)


MERCURY IN THE ELEMENTS

"Mercury symbolizes the urge to establish contact and true give-and-take
communication with others." (*23)


Mercury represents several basic needs:

(1) The need to EXPRESS ourselves, to communicate our thoughts to others and
to express ourselves through manual skills
(2) The need to be UNDERSTOOD by other people who are attuned to ideas, or
think, in a way similar to our own.
(3) The need to LEARN by receiving information and ideas from outside
ourselves. (*24)

**********************************************************************
TRANSITIONS TO A HEART-CENTERED WORLD
by Gururattan K. Khalsa Ph.D.
The most comprehensive source of Yogi Bhajan's Kundalini
Yoga sets & meditations available. 100+ sets & meditations.
200+ pages in large clear format. Ideal for practice at home.
Click below for on-line catalog & bookstore
http://www.yogatech.com/cgi-bin/hazel/hazel.cgi
***********************************************************************

The element and sign of Mercury in our birth chart describes the mode of
energy exchange in both (1) the inflow of information through our perception
and (2) the outflow of information through our speech, body language and
behavior. The element of our Mercury "indicates what specific energy and
quality influences one's 'logic' and how one thinks and expresses thoughts
along a certain vibratory wavelength." (*25)

AIR SIGNS

Mercury is right at home in the air signs (Gemini, Libra and Aquarius).
Unfettered by the emotions of the water signs, the practical needs of the
earth signs or the passion of the fire signs, Mercury in the air signs can
operate with a high degree of lightness and freedom. The intellectual mind
is free to be as conceptual and abstract as the person wants. Mercury in the
air signs tunes the mind into universal awareness, which facilitates
objectivity, impartiality and a clear vision of the truth. The air signs
are the most adept at being the objective observer.

EARTH SIGNS

Mercury in the earth signs (Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn) focuses on
practical needs and accepts ideas easier if they have practical
applicability. The earth minds move slowly and deliberately and don't
change their minds easily once they have made their decisions and taken
their stands.

WATER SIGNS

Mercury in the water signs ( Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces) is strongly
influenced by sub-conscious programming and dispositions and deep emotional
yearnings. (*26) Communications are often unconsciously dictated by the
emotions. The mind is clearly connected to the emotions.

FIRE SIGNS

Mercury in the fire signs ( Aries, Leo and Sagittarius) indicates purposeful
and positive thinking. Although Mercury in the fire signs can express
itself decisively, it is not as objective and unattached as the air signs.
This is because the fire signs are motivated by personal beliefs and hopes
and influenced by ones' plans and aspirations in life. (*27)


UNDERSTANDING EACH OTHER

The sign of Mercury ranks with the Sun sign in understanding ourselves and
each other. The element of our Mercury indicates the type of energy behind
our communications. Our ability to "hear" another person is directly
influenced by the compatibility of our Mercury's. When our Mercury's are in
the same element, we often understand each other even if our communications
are not clear or articulate. This is because we automatically tune into the
consciousness, motivations and nuances of the other person's communications.
The opposite is true in communications with people of different elements.
We are not naturally attuned to the energy and vibration of their
expressions. We either get frustrated or have to use extra mental energy to
figure out where they are coming from and what they are trying to say.

As a general rule, Mercury's in the same element ( air, fire, water or
earth) understand each other. Air and fire understand each other with a few
exceptions. Air thinks fire is too passionate and fire thinks air is too
detached. Water and earth generally understand each other, although earth
does do think that water is practical enough and water thinks earth is too
practical. Air and fire are more mental and water and earth are more
emotional. As a result, air and fire do not vibe with water and earth and
vise versa.

Being aware of different patterns and modes of expression helps us
understand each other better. However, conscious adaptation to other's
communication frequencies requires effort and energy because we are working
in a realm that is foreign to our basic nature. It is useful in day to day
interactions to be flexible in our interactions with others. However, in
intimate and long term relationships, it is exhausting to be in situations
where we are obliged to express ourselves in ways that are not natural to
us.

It is important to know if our Sun and Mercury are in different signs. If
they are in the same sign, what and how we think will be governed by the
same energies. If they are in different signs, what and how we think will
be governed by different energies.

WHAT we think about and give our attention to is determined by our will,
which is indicated by our Sun as well as our Mercury. It is through our
will power that we guide and use our mind. Through the faculty of
attention, our willful Sun determines the thoughts that our mind will
entertain and dwell upon.

HOW we think, our manner of expression, and the nature of our thought
process is determined by the sign and house position of Mercury and by the
nature of the planets that make the closest aspects to Mercury.

**********************************************************************
KUNDALINI YOGA - Powerful and Fast-Acting
Now you can learn in the comfort of your own home!
***FREE*** on-line course prepared by popular author and teacher
Gururattan K. Khalsa Ph.D.
Full details and enrolment from our Web site:
http://www.kundaliniyoga.org/classes.html
**********************************************************************

MERCURY THROUGH THE SIGNS

Mercury in each sign has a need to and is naturally disposed to express in a
certain manner, is naturally attuned to certain energies, is preoccupied
with certain areas of interest and computes information in a certain way.

ARIES AND THE FIRST HOUSE

Mercury in Aries is one-pointed, self-willed and motivated by curiosity and
the need for new experiences and the urge for action. Undisciplined, he may
jump from one activity to another and from one thought to another without
bringing anything to completion. He can be distracted by new ideas and
quickly lose interest in the old. He can create problems if he is too much
in hurry and misunderstandings if he is too abrupt in his communications.
Disciplined, he can use his mind to tune into pioneering ideas and seed
these ideas into the public consciousness. He will fight with a fixity of
purpose for causes with which he identifies.

The Aries mind is motivated by personal ambition and learns through direct
action and experience. Keenly aware of the here and now, it is able to take
advantage of opportunities as they present themselves. It uses its mental
initiative to explore new avenues and achieve goals. The Aries mind
sometimes limits itself by seeing things from only its own point of view.
It can be argumentative and conceited. It can also accomplish much with its
steadiness of purpose and daunting courage to keep finding solutions to
problems. (*28)

The mission of the awake or soul-centered person with Mercury in Aries is to
lead humanity into the light of consciousness. He is active in diffusing
illusion in worldly life. He has a powerful will, which allows him to
"pierce through the darkness of consolidated thought-forms, thus freeing the
life force for the birthing of new ideas." (*29)

TAURUS AND THE SECOND HOUSE

Mercury in Taurus is tuned into and responsive to immediate physical
sensations and gratification. The Taurus mind is steady, possessive and
relentless. He examines values in order to find greater levels of pleasure,
security, comfort and stability. Reflection is feed with the "sensuous
centers of consciousness" (*30). The goal is to come up with solid plans
that can fulfill practical needs. He is satisfied when his values are
confirmed and he feels assured of his ability to consistently get his needs
met and enjoy his life.

The Taurean mind is steady, slow and practical and thorough in carrying out
its activities. It has a lot of common sense and skill in business and
moneymaking activities. It communicates deliberately and methodically. It
appreciates beauty and proportion. The Bull mind is known to be stubborn
The awake or soul-centered person with Mercury in Taurus uses art,
sexuality, sensuality, and business as channels to align form with the
Light.

GEMINI AND THE THIRD HOUSE

Mercury in Gemini is acutely aware of immediate perceptions and
interconnections. Mercury in Gemini is curious, changeable, friendly and
talkative. He learns through impersonal exploration and enjoys considering
all possibilities and understanding different viewpoints. His inquisitive
mind loves playing with ideas, uncovering puzzles to be solved and observing
paradoxes

The Gemini mind is alert, quick and agile, neutral and unstable. It
constantly seeks information, lacks concentration and shifts from one point
of interest to another. It has a facile reasoning ability and quick
intuition. The continual flow of new ideas keeps the Gemini mind active and
often agitated.

The awake or soul-centered person with Mercury in Gemini has the "potential
to harmonize and relate many streams of diverse thought into a vision and
expression of harmonious unity." (*31) He uses his inventiveness to serve
all of humanity.

CANCER AND THE FOURTH HOUSE

Mercury in Cancer is instinctively nurturing, empathetic and protective.
Mercury in Cancer is reserved, moody, sensitive, self-protective and
dominated by his feeling nature. Preoccupied with security and safety, he
searches for ways to get his survival needs met. Security comes from getting
his emotional needs met. He has a deep sensitivity to what others are
feeling and communicates with others in a caring and kind manner. He is
instinctively connected to others and compassionately cares for their needs.

The Cancer mind is so influenced by the emotions and the subconscious that
if often does not even realize how past conditioning and programming control
its thought processes. It is very difficult for a Cancer mind to be
objective and to step back and observe situations without taking everything
personally. It is ultra-sensitive, protective and defensive. The Cancer
mind instinctively reacts to unconscious emotional stimuli. It works
intuitively, not logically or analytically. The good news is that it can
connect with the emotions and is sensitive to its own feelings and those of
others. Once it connects consciously with its emotions, it can project
powerful healing energy that it shares through empathy and compassion for
others.

The awake or soul-centered person with Mercury in Cancer communicates in a
way that promotes a sense of emotional security. He is devoted to the
sustained nurturing and nourishment of humanity and planet Earth. He is
very resourceful and has the gift of being able to bring ideas and people
together. He is the mother of forms that births Spirit into physical
reality.

LEO AND THE FIFTH HOUSE

Mercury in Leo is radiant, vitally alive, enthusiastic and warm. His
communications express the need for recognition, drama and passion. His
mode is playful, dramatic and expressive. He likes to communicate the truth
through art forms. Although he needs recognition and tends to try to
impress others, his charm comes from the fact that he speaks from the heart
to the heart of others. He has the capacity to awaken hearts and honor the
nobility in everyone. He loves to be loved and will always love in return.
His communications are motivated by a sincere enthusiasm for life and an
earnest desire to create, enjoy and love.

Illumined by the light of the Sun, the Leo mind has penetrating powers of
insight and will. It can express ideas with clarity and influence public
opinion in inspirational and creative ways. It generates enthusiasm and is
a skillful teacher. It can be very independent and self-willed and
courageously defend its convictions. (*32)

The creative powers of the awake or soul-centered person with Mercury Leo in
are active and powerful. His thoughts are easily manifested into external
expressions that support and express individual identity and passion for
life.

VIRGO AND THE SIXTH HOUSE

Mercury in Virgo is concerned with being helpful and has a need to serve.
He is a perfectionist, analyzes everything and is highly discriminating.
His analytical and critical mode judges every idea and approach in terms of
its practical usefulness and its perfection. The Virgo mind can worry about
the smallest details and wants to discuss how to make things more perfect.
He is more satisfied when ideas are practical and realistic and when
adjustments can be made that further his mission of service and lead to
higher levels of order. When he can understand the function of place of
something, he is also pacified.

The Virgo mind is known for its exactness, efficiency, attention to details
and mental discipline. It can analyze any situation and figure out the most
efficient way of achieving goals. It likes to break things down into their
component parts and see how the parts are related to the whole. It can
become overly critical and nitpicky. (*33) But it is the hero when
attention to detail determine the success of a project, especially research.
It thrives in clean, orderly environments and is concerned with heath and a
good diet.

The awake or soul-centered person with Mercury in Virgo has the ability to
hold an idea in gestation and then at the right time give birth to this
idea, which will nourish humanity. (*34)

LIBRA AND THE SEVENTH HOUSE

Mercury in Libra seeks to harmonize conflicting interests and make sure
everyone is happy. He is tactful in his communications, impartial in his
opinions and balanced in his approach.

Mercury in Libra thinks in an aesthetic and balancing mode. His mind
weights everything and tries to reduce conflicts and extremes. He has an
ideal standard of measurement than can be realistic, unrealistic or
visionary. From this abstract touchstone, he helps adjust positions in an
attempt to achieve harmony and cooperation. He may seem to vacillate. This
is due to unconscious adjustment to other's ideas or accommodation to a
point of view that seems most agreeable to everyone involved. (*35) His
communication style is friendly, graceful and agreeable. He learns by
dancing with polarities and finding the balance point between them.
Mercury in Libra is happy when there is cooperation and balance in his life
and he will work to achieve this in his relationships and life situations.

The Libra mind has an awareness of others and finds it easy to communicate
in a friendly and compassionate manner. It has a strong sense of fairness
and justice and a disciplined capacity to learn and study. Representing the
neutral mind, it tunes into the impartial truth and is able to balance
points of view. The Libra mind likes moderation and harmony and dislikes
extremes and excess.

The awake or soul-centered person with Mercury in Libra fosters a
humanitarian vision and is concerned with right human relations. He is
involved in creating communication networks and disseminating integrative
ideas.

SCORPIO AND THE EIGHTH HOUSE

Mercury in Scorpio penetrates to the core of every issue. He is intense
because his communications are fueled by deep emotional power. He can be
identified by his secretive nature, controlled but intense passion and
compulsive nature. Basically he wants to get to the bottom of what doesn't
work and why, so that he can find the path to the truth. He needs substance
and searches for deep meaning. It is no wonder that power, sexuality,
money, life and death occupy his mind and that he considers superficialities
a waste of time. He searches for opportunities and usually finds them. He
has the ability to pierce through to the cause and bring things to
completion through death and rebirth of ideas and concrete plans. He gets
turned on by piercing to the depths of matters. He has unbeatable mental
endurance and skill, which allows him to overcome obstacles and hold on
until completion no matter what it takes.

The Scorpio mind is shrewd, penetrating, secretive and mysterious. It can
also be tormented and depressed. It is a keen observer and perceives the
truth is most situations. It is capable of comprehending life's inner
secrets and connecting with the subtle forces of the universe. This is
because it is connected with universal forces through the emotions. Its
emotional intensity is often scary to the light-hearted because it tolerates
no nonsense, speaks the truth and reveals deep meaning, insight and purpose.

The awake or soul-centered person with Mercury in Scorpio has the mental
power to transform his own psyche and facilitate the reorientation of
others' thought forms. His personal and contributory goal is elevation from
the lower self to the higher mind. To access his great power, he must past
many tests and commit to the Path of Light. (*36)

SAGITTARIUS AND THE NINTH HOUSE

Mercury in Sagittarius has a need to express ideals and search for spiritual
meaning. He is often restless, inspired and positive. Visionary by nature
and a seeker of universal truth, he has a built-in tendency to focus on the
future and be distracted from the here and now. He is frank, honest and
sincere, but sometimes naïve. He is always searching for spiritual meaning
and can be restless and impatient with himself, others and life in general.
He gets high from serving the highest truth and inspiring others to do so as
well.

Sagittarius is the sign of the higher mind where intuition transcends
reason. The Sagittarian mind thrives on philosophy, spirituality, foreign
travel and higher education. It seeks experiences and knowledge that expand
and broaden its perspective and further the achievement of its one-pointed
goals. It can be dogmatic, get lost in dogmas and lose touch with the
facts. It can also be impatient and impractical. It has an optimism and
faith in life that inspires others.

The awake or soul-centered person with Mercury in Sagittarius is a natural
teacher because he understands and is able to communicate the transcendent
issues of life. His mission is to share his vision of the truth. He is
more concerned with service than with his personal desires and his personal
life.

CAPRICORN AND THE TENTH HOUSE

Mercury in Capricorn has a detached determination to accomplish his goals
and get things done. He is recognized by his self-control, ambition, reserve
and caution. He operates from an organizational and utilitarian mode. He
instinctively searches for opportunities to achieve recognition, power and
authority. He is concerned with effectiveness, discipline, limits and
following the rules that make things work more efficiently. He wants to get
the job done correctly and assumes the responsibility for making this
happen. He pragmatically examines how things are organized and tries to
come up with practical solutions. He may be pessimistic and feel weighted
down by responsibilities that are both real and created in his head. He
learns from on hands experience and likes utilitarian information.

The Capricorn mind is disciplined, organized, ambitious and practical. It
is interested in prestige, recognition and status. It is an efficient
manager and executive and thrives in an institutional setting. It is
practical and unlikely to take risks. Its outlook is traditional and
conservative.

The awake or soul-centered person with Mercury in Capricorn is creatively
and practically intelligent. He can use his mind as an extension of the
universal mind to create outer forms that manifest Spirit.

AQUARIUS AND THE ELEVENTH HOUSE

Mercury in Aquarius is detached and individualistic. He loves his freedom
above all else. From his cosmic perch he experiences the unity of humanity
and seeks to achieve an ideal society. He searches out innovative
possibilities and then synthesizes ideas into revolutionary plans that serve
humanity. He operates from a universal vision that perceives life
holistically. He is resourceful and adept at networking and communicating
with others. His power comes from perceiving a unified vision and his
ability in managing others to manifest it.

Connected to the universal mind, the Aquarian mind "it is able to see and
know things from a different space and time continuum. (*37) It finds new
applications, discovers new insights and figures out how to use them to
advance the evolution of humanity. Its ability to be detached and
dispassionate allows it to honor everyone's position. The practical Aquarian
mind is highly intuitive. It gives concrete expression to ideas and thoughts
that it brings through from comic sources. (*38)

The awake or soul-centered person with Mercury in Aquarius communicates
ideas and philosophies that unify humanity. Service to humanity is his
focus. He seeks to unite people behind a common focus with shared ideals
and principles. His powerful intuitive sense that gives him the ability to
perceive the dynamics of energy patterns in life situations (*39) makes him
a powerful networker. He is inventive in areas of science and technology
and is interested in the application of his inventions to serve humanitarian
purposes.

PISCES AND THE TWELFTH HOUSE

Mercury in Pisces heals others through the power of his words. He is
compassionate, idealistic, vulnerable and has a direct experience of cosmic
oneness. He is able to witness the world because it is not of this world
and is aware that he is a part of the universal mind. He is highly
intuitive and receptive to comic and subconscious messages. His challenge
is to be able to interpret these messages in a way that helps him function
decisively in the practical world. Lack of clarity and ambivalence are
sometimes a cause of frustration. When he feels lost and in the fog, he may
feel confused or depressed and turn to addictions for consolation. However,
when he is aware that he lives beyond the veil where most people spend their
whole lives trying to get to, he can enjoy his ability to observe the human
experience. His gifts are many. He is naturally compassionate and
empathetic. He is authentically sympathetic and instinctively sensitive. He
may be a visionary writer or poet, an unrivaled computer buff or champion
chess player. The common thread is the ability to pull in the answers from
the cosmic realms. His pleasure comes from experiencing the vastness of the
universe and cosmic truth.

The Piscean mind is subtly intuitive and perceptive. It receives
information through psychic awareness, not through logical examination. It
processes through the unconscious mind. It must learn how to bring
information from the unconscious to the conscious mind. The dreamy Piscean
mind is highly imaginative and visionary. It perceives the depth of reality
through an internal movie screen. It has a telepathic rapport with others.
Since the Piscean Mind is at the mercy of the emotions, unconscious
psychological neuroses can cause mental confusion and distort its perception
of reality. (*40) A deep connection to the unconscious mind as well as the
universal mind facilitates deep meditation and mystical thinking. It can
tap into deep levels of spiritual knowledge and tune into the future through
clairvoyant vision. The Pisces mind is most comfortable communicating
empathy and compassion and least comfortable working with regulated
environments and intellectual data.

The awake or soul-centered person with Mercury in Pisces is a vehicle for
the expression of divine love. The barriers, limitations and complications
that exist in the typical rational mind do not exist for the Pisces mind,
which has direct and continual access to the universal mind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*** AstroSolutions FREE Weekly Newsletter ***
* Zodiac Affirmations * Horoscope Meditation * Astrology Q and A *
* Original Articles * Original Astrology Columns * Much More!*
To subscribe, send your blank email to:
mailto:astrosolutions-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MEDITATION AND EXERCISES

1. The mind follows the breath. A most useful exercise is to practice
changing your mind with your breath. Without making any adjustments to your
breath, count the number of your breaths you take in one minute. Then slow
your breath down and see if you can breathe four or less breaths per minute.
More that 10 or 12 breaths per minutes activates a stress mode. Four and
under activates a meditative mind. Notice the difference in the activity of
your mind.

2. The mind is the observer. Close your eyes. Look inside until your are
aware of a dark space. From this space observe your thoughts, your body and
your actions. While the Sun is in Gemini, Libra and Aquarius are powerful
times to cultivate the skill of the inner observer. Air signs may find this
easy. Water signs may not even know what this means. It will just take you
longer to perfect this skill.

3. The mind is connected to the emotions. Feel the connection between your
mind and your emotions. Here water signs will find this easier than air
signs, who might find it hard to make the connection. The goal of this
exercise is to investigate the fact that we are filled with so many
emotions, most of them controlled by automatic responses from past
programming. The emotions are attached to the mind. The gift of KY is that
we can train ourselves to use this emotional energy to become magnetic and
heal ourselves and others. When you do yoga and meditate feel the energy and
sensations in your body. You will begin to feel the connection between the
mind and the emotions. Through emotional sensitivity, we can ground the
mind's ideas into artistic and creative expressions.

************************************************************************
Can Financial Astrology make you a Millionaire?

Yes, if you channelise your energies and take advantage of a benign
Jupiterian and Saturnine transit. Financial Astrology & Numerology are there
to guide us to Success! Discover the Secret Forces that determine your
Destiny! Get FREE readings of Astrology, Numerology & Gemology.
http://www.zodiaccomputers.com. World class Astrologer G Kumar imparts
Transcendental Knowledge. Subscribe to the Z Files, our free ezine and get a
20 word ad FREE. mailto:zodiac20@.... Also Free Ebook !

*************************************************************************


REFERENCES AND FOOTNOTES

Alan Oken's Complete Astrology, Alan Oken, Bantam Books, New York, 1980.
(Oken Astro)

Soul-Centered Astrology, Alan Oken, The Crossing Press, Freedom, CA, 1990,
pp.192-199.
(Oken)
Astrology, Psychology and the Four Elements, Stephen Arroyo, CRCS
Publications, Davis, CA, 1975. (Arroyo)
The Astrologer's Manual, Landis Knight Green, CRCS Publications, Sebastopol,
CA, 1975. (Green)

The Importance of Mercury in the Horoscope, Frances Sakoian and Louis S.
Acker, 1970.

A New Look at Mercury Retrograde, Robert Wilkinson, Samuel Weiser, York
Beach, Maine, 1997.

1. Wilkinson, p. xi
2. Wilkinson, p. xii
3. Oken-Soul, p. 272
4. Oken-Astrology, p. 189
5. Oken-Astrology, p. 189
6. Wilkinson, p. ix
7. Wilkinson, p. xii
8. Wilkinson, p. xiii
9. Wilkinson, p. xiv
10. Wilkinson, p. xv
11. Sakoian, p. 1
12. Oken-Astrology, p. 191
13. Sakoian, p. 4
14. Wilkinson, p. xiv
15. Sakoian, p. 4
16. Sakoian, p. 3
17. Oken-Soul, p. 279
18. Green, p. 135
19. Sakoian, p. 7 and 10
20. Sakoian, p. 8-9
21. Arroyo, p. 134
22. Arroyo, p. 134
23. Arroyo, p. 134
24. Arroyo, p. 134
25. Arroyo, p. 135
26. Arroyo, p. 135
27. Arroyo, p. 135
28. Sakoian, p. 15
29. Oken-Soul, p. 273
30. Wilkinson, p. 42
31. Oken-Soul, p. 274
32. Sakoian, p. 16-17
33. Sakoian, p. 21
34. Oken-Soul, p. 275
35. Wilkinson, p. 49
36. Oken-Soul, p. 276
37. Wilkinson, p. 53
38. Sakoian, p. 13
39. Oken-Soul, p. 277
40. Sakoian, p. 29.


*********************************************************************
NMB - SUBSCRIPTION, UNSUBSCRIPTION, LINKS, etc.

To subscribe to this Ezine, mailto: nmbeing-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
or click on the link from our website - http://www.yogatech.com/nmb/
or go to http://www.groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/nmbeing

To unsubscribe, mailto nmbeing-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
of go to http://www.groups.yahoo.com/unsubscribe/nmbeing

A Spanish edition is available - Ser del Nuevo Milenio.
To subscribe mailto sdnm-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

A Portuguese edition is also available - Ser do Novo Milenio - To
subscribe mail to novo_milenio-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

The New Millennium Being is also mailed to all subscribers on the Kundalini
Yoga Training List. (kytraining-subscribe@yahoogroups.com)

This is an opt-in list, and we have a copy of every subscription request on
file. If you believe someone has subscribed you against your will and do not
wish to receive this newsletter, let us know and we will look into it for
you.
Mailto: nmbeing-owner@yahoogroups.com

Or better yet, save yourself some time and just unsubscribe using one of the
methods detailed above.

Please share the New Millennium Being with friends and fellow seekers. If
each one of you could pass on this newsletter to at least two others, then
we would soon be getting our message out to a very much wider audience. More
readers means more feedback and an even better newsletter for everyone!

BACK ISSUES
The first issue which contains the article about the August 11th, 1999 Solar
Eclipse is available at
http://www.yogatech.com/nmb/nmb01.html

The second issue - the Perfection of Virgo is available at
http://www.yogatech.com/nmb/nmb02.html

A more recent issue, number 26 - Venus, Goddess of Love, is available at
http://www.yogatech.com/nmb/nmb26.html

We also have an autoresponder service where you can automatically have back
issues mailed to your address - to use this, send mail to nmbxx@...
but taking care to replace xx with the issue number - 01, 02, 03, etc.

SPONSORS
This Ezine is sponsored by YOGA TECHNOLOGY PRESS
- publishers of a popular and practical range of books on Kundalini Yoga and
Meditation, Tantric Yoga and also Women's Empowerment. To view and order
their books, visit their secure on-line store - http://www.yogatech.com/

If you would like to join our on-line Kundalini yoga class send a blank
email to kytraining-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
I cover a lot of basic information in this class that can be applied to
other disciplines as well and life in general.

Copies of previous lessons are available from
http://www.kundaliniyoga.org/classes.html
You will find clickable links near the top of the page.
Also, there is an autoresponder service. Send mail to
kytxx@..., again remembering to replace xx with the
appropriate lesson number - 01, 02, 03, etc.

Finally, there is the Kundalini Yoga mailing list where people discuss and
ask questions about KY. To be on the list send a blank email to
kundaliniyoga-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
or go to http://www.groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/kundaliniyoga

Home page for the Kundaliniyoga Mailing List is at
http://www.kundaliniyoga.org/
A growing and comprehensive on-line resource covering the art, science and
technology of Kundalini Yoga, also containing many links to other sites of
interest.

==================================================
GT WEB SERVICES
Web Site Design & Marketing, E-Commerce Solutions.
"We don't just build Web sites, we make them work for you!"
Full details from http://www.web-sites-that-work.com/
===================================================