MERCURY 
Mercury represents the part of you that receives and processes all incoming perceptions; your senses themselves; and all the raw, undigested data that pours through them. Mercury represents thinking and speaking; learning; communication; and your brain and nervous system. Your Mercury seeks to label or to find a logical reason for everything, and it tends to look toward the external world for its reasons. Mercury is known as a trickster. Mercury is also associated with transportation and manual dexterity.

It is as if the very earliest teachings you receive in this life help you to set up an intricate filing system with many labeled folders, into which you organize and store all the raw bits of data that you receive. Anything that does not fit into a file in your filing system is likely to be labeled as "Bad", or "Wrong " , or "Invalid" (or a similar value judgment label). Because these types of "labels" make the files inaccessible to your "file retrieval system" (conscious processing), your Mercury mind governs the doorway into expanded dimensions of consciousness.

Mercury defines your boundaries with logic and labels. Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, which represent the potential for expanding consciousness, know that what defines you confines you. If your Mercury left brain has only on/off, good/bad kinds of file-folder labels, than you will resist working with the energies of these three "transpersonal" planets, and the friction generated by your resistance is likely to be experienced as some kind of pain. Remember that how you label something is how you will experience it. If you accept Mercury's external reasons as the cause of the discomfort, than you cannot recognize and cooperate with the unfolding inner process. If you have no folders labeled with "process-oriented" labels, you cannot recognize and process transpersonal growth opportunities. Once you recognize the existence of these growth potentials, you can choose to add a few folders to your filing system and open the way for new growth.

If you are not in touch with the process, you may fall for Mercury's tricks as he rationalizes, argues, and chatters endlessly.

The sign of your Mercury describes the manner in which you learn, process information, and establish connections with others. The House position describes the area of life situations in which you concentrate on learning and on communicating your perceptions in skills (art, music, etc.) or language.

If you fail to recognize and express your own sense of values, than you may lack serenity and sincerity, and become self-indulgent, overly passive, and overly fond of luxury and comfort.

The Sign and the House position of your Venus describes the process you go through to find the things and the people you love; where your love and appreciation comes from; and the context of what life experiences you find it. Here you seek comfort and harmony.

If you fail to recognize and express your will with courage and decisiveness, than you are likely to feel the fire of Mars as impatience, urgency, rage, or seething resentment. Mars energy demands to be channeled into physical activity and if it is "stuffed" inside with no way to express, it can "draw in life" situations in which you are victimized, experience accidents, or become ill with infections or inflammations. Mars was known to the Ancients as the god of war, and represented violence -- an overabundance of survival energy.

The Sign and House position of you Mars describes the way in which you express courage and initiative, the kind of life situations that excite you, fire you up, and challenge your will, ambition, and courage. Here is where you initiate new experiences and act on personal desire.

If you fail to recognize and grasp Jupiter's opportunity, than you may exhibit unrealistic over-confidence, laziness, or scattered energy.

The sign of your Jupiter describes the manner in which you express joy and humor and how you lighten your load. The House position describes the kinds of life situations in which you seek to expand and connect with something bigger than yourself; where you seek faith, trust, and confidence in life.

If you fail to recognize and express your Saturn energy, then you will seek to avoid the heavy, sobering experiences Saturn's energy attracts. Instead of crystallizing the potential wisdom, you may experience bitterness, doubt, depression, restrictions, despair, delays, inhibitions, or frustrations.

The Sign and the House position of your Saturn describes the kind of devotion and manner of discipline and the area of life situations which demand discipline, structure ( maybe even ruthless dedication) from you. Here you define your place in society by seeking excellence and social approval.

Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto represent creative, transpersonal levels of awareness beyond the control and limitations of normal consciousness. You must be open to expanded consciousness to be able to realize the transforming potentials of these Planets. Their affects appear disruptive from the viewpoint of ordinary consciousness. Because your Mercury-mind does not trust anything that transcends the lines of logic that it draws, examine your "Mercury files" in the areas where Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto lie. A critical point here seems to be; give your mercury "some process-oriented " labeled folders so that it will allow you to move beyond normal consciousness.

All three of these Planets move slowly and stay in a sign for a long time, so their Sign affects a whole generation. Now let us look at each of these individually.

If you fail to recognize and respond to your Uranus challenge, you may feel trapped and rebellious, experiencing anxiety, nervous tension, or unpleasant surprises like accidents.

The Sign of your Uranus describes the manner in which you strive to be uniquely yourself. The House position describes the kind of life situations that demand individuation and innovative genius to free your soul, and where your "rule-breaking" behavior tends to annoy those in authority.

If you fail to recognize and move into Neptune's illumination, you may become deceived by illusion. Glamour enchants you into self-deception and self-destructive patterns of escape, distorting your fears and your wishes. Addictions to drugs or alcohol are an example of a Neptune's glamorous, destructive, escape patterns.

The Sign of your Neptune describes the process you must go though in order to move through the boundaries of this world and of yourself. The House position describes where you seek transcendence in solitude, and the area of life experience where disillusionment is a spiritual catalyst.

If you fail to recognize and cooperate with the process, you may experience intense fears, paranoia, stagnation, and despair.

The sign of your Pluto describes the kind of energy needed to process your deep, dark, shadow side; the kind of energy that you have the potential to use for powerful healing and rebirth. The house position describes where your personal "garbage" is buried; where your deepest, darkest fears are; and the kind of life experiences that will challenge you to face them, heal them, and find your deepest meaning in life. Pluto pushes you to look deeply within the darkest part of you self; to dig in the dirt and mire or your own inner "garbage" and find the treasure buried there.