Mercury, Gender and Sect

1
Hello all, I'd like to hear your opinions.

I have been judging Mercury's gender by its solar condition, that is, masculine if oriental and feminine if occidental. However, in a brainwave it occurred to me that when Mercury is in a fe-/male sign it should follow that gender instead. This issue is important as impacts on the notion of sect which interests me greatly.
I am far from my library and notes, working away from home, and I would love to receive your erudite views on the matter.

Thanks in advane,

al-Habashi

2
Hello,

I think we should just leave Mercury as being double gender and double sect belonging to none exclusively. As far as I remember there are 3 different ways of determining the gender of Mercury (if you insist!):-

1. As you stated, the orientation to the sun; oriental = male, occidental = female.

2. As you stated also, sign position; male if in masculine sign, female if in feminine sign.

3. Its aspects esp. conjunction as it partakes the gender of the planet it aspects with.

Mercury is probably more diurnal and feminine (???)

Why "more" diurnal?

We must remember that Mercury is always in proximity to the sun (in the same sign or one sign before/after). When the sun is high in the sky, it is impossible to have Mercury being nocturnal; similarly, it is impossible to have a diurnal Mercury at midnignt. Conclusion, Mercury "likes" to be with the sun - hence it follows the sun's sect (more often than not).

BUT BUT BUT

All diurnal planets find joy in upper hemisphere (Sun in 9th, Jupiter in 11th, Saturn in 12th). All nocturnal planets find joy in the lower hemisphere (Moon in 3rd, Venus in 5th, Mars in 6th).
Mercury finds joy in the 1st house - hence it likes to be nocturnal.

Bonatti also listed the signs that Planets find Joy in his Anima Astrologiae. His formula is simple, diurnal planets find Joy in diurnal signs and nocturnal planets find Joy in nocturnal signs. By this token, Mercury is more nocturnal as it is in Joy when in Virgo (feminine sign).

Why more feminine?
Mercury is exalted and dignified in Virgo - a feminine sign and since all planets prefer to be in the same sign, Mercury "prefers" to be feminine.

Confused? Yeah, me too. My opinion: Stick to double gender, double sect.

The proximity to the sun is also the reason I do not consider Mercury ever being in combust. Mercury is designed to be in combust! It is when it's not in combust that makes it special!

3
Hi,

Why should mercury be one gender or another? Can it not be hermaphroditic, both at the same time? The beauty of Mercury is that he/she is not gender specific, he can be masculine, masculine-feminine, both equally, feminine-masculine and wholly feminine.

Just my thoughts anyway.

Draco :wink:

4
Hi

Thanks for your interesting replies astrojin and draco.

I heartily agree with all that astrojin has said, with the exception that aspects might determine the sect of Mercury, trusting the verity of the first two considerations alone. But what both astrojin and draco say is orthodox in theory, but where does it leave us in practice?

As I tend to anthropomorphise the planets I find it difficult to cast Mercury in the hermaphrodite role. If the sects are two parties at odds of some kind with each other, is Merecury a fence-sitter, an opportunist, seedy bargainer, kingmaker, depending on fortitude and placement? If the sects were really likened or based on the Blues and Greens at the hippodrome, is Mercury the purist sports lover just in it for a good game, or does s/he have a scarf of each colour? (ooh missus)

If the diurnal sect idealise the higher soul, whilst the nocturnal symbolises the lower, to which party will Mercury, the intellect, work? Here is where astrojin's apparaisal of Mercury in its various joys is very apt: Stilbon loves the variety and energy of the Sun, but its home is in the cloying vapours down below! But in an individual chart, which sect will Mercury tend towards? (check power of domination over Mercury by Lights, compare power of Moon and Mercury - I know!)

I suppose the thing is to judge Mercury chart by chart on a continuum of gender, informed by astrojin's precepts, and make differential judgements thereby.

Anyway, what about Venus? She is also doomed as a nocturnal planet chained to the Sun.

Thanks again for your thoughts

al Habashi