Mercury - The Power of Thought

Mercury retrograde Nov 9-29, 2025. Jupiter retrograde Nov 11-Mar 11, 2026

The Arcadian Hymn to Hermes

Listen now, as the Muse is sing for Hermes Kriophoros,

the Quicksilver King, Teacher of Teachers, Universal Mind,

Arcadian child of Maya, divine.

Mathematician, Magician, Traveler, Thief:

Make the pics man doubt. Bring that skeptic belief.

Bring justice in the market and luck for the gambler.

Bring guidance to the lost and inspiration to the rambler.

Make our words be clever. Let our minds be bright.

Grant unearned luck and true wisdom’s insight.

Let our tongues be quick and our feet quick too;

Let our lies be convincing, and our teaching be True.


Send instructive dreams and controllable visions.

Ennoble our purpose. Empower our missions.

And when at last our lifetime end - 


Be our beloved guide, and our psychopomp friend.

- Orphic Hymns Grimoire by Sara Marstros

Mercury: the Power of Thought

Mercury rules writing (hence its famous reputation as the god of communication), alchemy, magic, astrology, commerce, mathematics, grammar, travel, means of transportation, gaming, teaching, and speaking. What connects all these things? Thought.

Mercury is the only planet that, according to ancient knowledge, can travel freely between the upper and lower worlds—that is, act as a messenger for both the gods and the dead. Why? Because Mercury symbolizes thought. Thought can effortlessly create anything and travel anywhere in an instant. A thought is here now, and in the next moment, it is over there.

In ancient Egypt, Mercury was known as Thoth. In Greece, his name was Hermes, and in Rome, he became Mercury. Mercury’s lesser-known role today is that of a guide of souls in the underworld.

The best line from the Hymn to Mercury—one that always makes me smile—is: “Make the wise man doubt. Give faith to the doubter.” Mercury’s teasing spares no one—neither the wise nor the atheist.

Mercury rules not only thought itself but also the process of giving meaning to things through thinking. This requires the ability to discern things from one another and to understand their connections or differences.

Mercury Retrograde

Mercury retrograde generally symbolizes a period when we can stop, reflect, and redo things we thought we had already moved past. On a practical level, this may bring communication mix-ups and difficulties: travel plans may change repeatedly, computers and appliances might malfunction or slow down, and so on. At its best, however, it gives us an opportunity to redo things—and often simply forces us to slow down and look back.

November begins one way and ends in a completely different manner. During Mercury retrograde, things are typically upside down and inside out.

Mercury’s influence is at its strongest on the days when it stations—either turning retrograde or direct.

Mercury goes retrograde three or even four times a year, so it’s familiar to us. But this particular retrograde is especially challenging because it happens in the idealistic yet fiery sign of Sagittarius—and together with Mars. This combination brings ideological and principled conflicts. To make matters even more complex, Jupiter, which rules Sagittarius, will also be retrograde from November 11, 2025, until March 11, 2026.

In Sagittarius, Mercury is generally enthusiastic and positive. Sagittarius’s positivity and grandness can be inspiring at best—but during Mercury retrograde, this same energy may turn fanatical. Especially with Mars strongly involved, qualities like tolerance, idealism, adventurousness, and a sense of the greater good may turn into their opposites. Communication may sound or appear very different from what was intended.

Mercury begins with Mars in Sagittarius and then retrogrades back into Scorpio. Many people may feel unusually impatient and self-righteous. Mars urges us to act—but during Mercury retrograde, action can easily backfire. So think twice before doing or saying big, seemingly justified things. Only in early December will we truly know how things stand.

Communication confusion can at least partly be avoided by being aware of it: count to ten before sending that text message, double-check and reread contracts several times. It’s also wise to leave yourself plenty of extra time and avoid overly tight schedules that don’t allow for corrections or delays. Mercury retrograde demands patience from us all—so it’s good to remember that everyone is under its influence.

We also have control over our own words and actions. Now is the time to be careful and practice self-control in communication. A word is like an arrow (note the correspondence to Sagittarius!)—once released, it cannot be taken back.

Namaste,

Ursula Lunardakini

Lunardakini.com

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