Before we enter the mysteries of Mercury, I want to dedicate this reflection to him, because culturally we tend to blame this archetype for every technological glitch, every miscommunication, every interruption in flow when he moves into retrograde. And yet, when Mercury moves direct, we hardly acknowledge him at all. This entry is an offering of recognition, a space to honor this precious force that lives within us, animating the thyroid gland, the pharyngeal plexus, and the first emanation of our Shakti, our living spirit energy. Mercury is not the disruptor. Mercury is the messenger, the translator, the bridge. And when we understand his rhythm, we understand ourselves.
There is a reason why Mercury, Hermes in the Greek mysteries, was the only god able to move freely between the three worlds: Olympus, Earth, and the Underworld. He carried the language of the gods to mortals, the prayers of mortals to the divine, and the unspoken whispers of the dead through the caverns of the subconscious.
In myth, he is the psychopomp.
In the body, he is our nervous system.
In consciousness, he is our mental dialogue.
Hermes embodies the swift intelligence that translates reality between layers, just as our inner world translates experience between the reptilian brain, the limbic system, and the neocortex. These three brains, stacked like ancient temples, determine how we communicate, how we interpret life, and how we respond to the environment. Our internal Hermes moves between these realms constantly, carrying signals, stories, fears, intuitions, dreams, and insights.
And like Hermes, this messenger must stay attuned. If one layer becomes louder than the others, if the reptilian threatens survival, if the limbic floods emotion, if the neocortex over-rationalizes, our communication becomes distorted. We lose homeostasis. We lose coherence.
It is no coincidence that Mercury rules both the vagus nerve and the autonomic nervous system, the pathways of translation that regulate breath, digestion, voice, vision, and the overall sense of safety. Every message we give and receive, every word we choose, every silence we hold begins here: in the invisible choreography between the body’s three brains and its mythological messenger.
Wings on the Feet | The Spiritual Logic of Hermes’ Anatomy
Hermes is always depicted with wings on his feet, not on his head. Myth understood what modern somatics confirms: the feet are psycho-spiritual organs.
Feet are ruled by Pisces, the zodiac’s ocean of intuition, dreams, and spirituality. Movement begins in the feet, not in the mind. Stability begins in the feet. Ascension begins in the feet. Every step taken on Earth mirrors a step taken in the subconscious.
The wings symbolize swift perception, the ability to move between dimensions with fluidity, physical, emotional, psychic. This is the alchemical work of the three brains: moving from instinct (reptilian), through emotion (limbic), into meaning and articulation (neocortex).
We call this communication, but in essence, it is alchemy.
The Mirror of Medusa | What We See in the Other
Hermes was also given a shield of polished reflection, a gift attributed to Aphrodite, so he could help Perseus face Medusa. And Medusa, in myth, is never the monster. She is the reflection that petrifies us: the unspoken, the shadow, the pain, the memory we avoid. The mirror-shield teaches us how relationship works. We do not confront the other; we confront the reflection of ourselves the other awakens.
In communication, Medusa appears when our nervous system is dysregulated, when the internal messenger is overwhelmed or moving too fast between worlds. We turn to stong, rigid, defensive, reactive, until we learn to see with clarity rather than fear.
Hermes’ shield reminds us to see truth without being consumed by it, we need reflection, not projection.
The Helmet of Invisibility | The Sacred Privacy of the Mind
Hermes carries also the helmet of invisibility, reminding us that the mind is a private temple. Our mental dialogue is ours alone, subtle, interior, intimate. And yet, this invisible world shapes everything:our physiology, our choices, our voice, our relationships.
When our internal dialogue becomes cluttered, chaotic, or punitive, Mercury’s realm becomes distorted. Words become sharp or foggy. Communication fractures. The nervous system destabilizes. This is why nature itself created Mercury Retrograde, a cyclical pause in the messenger’s outward movement so the inner realm can reorganize.
Mercury Retrograde | The Natural Cycle of Assimilation
Mercury spends three months moving direct, weaving interaction, commerce, exchange, learning, stimulation. This is the time of outward motion, collecting data, connecting, expressing, performing. But every cycle requires an alchemical return. So Mercury moves inward for 21 days, appearing to move backward in the sky.
Retrograde is not an error. It is the nervous system’s sacred reset. Retrograde is the moment the messenger returns to the Underworld, the subconscious, to sort the information, emotions, conversations, and stimuli accumulated during the direct phase. This mirrors Mercury’s rulership over Virgo, the sign of digestion, physical, emotional, mental, spiritual.
Virgo is the nervous system that filters noise.
Virgo is the digestive system that separates essential from nonessential.
Virgo is the purification that allows us to find truth.
Retrograde is the body’s way of saying:
Assimilate before you speak.
Process before you respond.
Integrate before you decide.
Only then can we return to the world with coherence.
The Essence of the Cycle
When Mercury completes its inward journey, we emerge with: clearer communication, organized thoughts, stronger boundaries, regulated nervous system, more discerning perception, truth instead of reaction.
Retrograde is not an inconvenience; it is medicine. It is the messenger cleansing his wings before taking flight again.
Personal Note...
For me, Mercury has always been more than a planet. He is an ally, an intimate companion in my inner landscape.
With Virgo ruling my 12th house, my spiritual realm is a place of depth, intuition, and darkness. It is an intangible world where revelations arrive like whispers, and where form dissolves before meaning appears. To walk there, I need a guide who understands both the invisible and the embodied, and Mercury has become that guide. He helps me touch the earth of Virgo in dimension that naturally has no ground. He shapes my revelations while keeping me anchored in the means to materialize them.
And with Gemini ruling my 9th house, Mercury also governs my appetite for higher knowledge, cosmology, and the contrast between worlds. Through him, I have learned to make peace with my endless desire to study, understand, and expand. What once felt like an insatiable hunger now feels like a rhythm, one that belongs to my nature. Mercury has taught me that curiosity is not restlessness; it is devotion.
We all benefit from working with the natural force of Mercury retrograde, because, at the end of the day, we live in relational ecosystems. We evolve through interactions: with people, with environments, with conversations, with meaning. Coherence is born in relationship. Homeostasis is born through the way we translate life inside our body. When the nervous system is attuned, when communication is clean, when perception is grounded, we create from a place of true potential.
And this is a special call to those who are naturally woven into Mercury’s rhythm |
if you were born under Mercury retrograde, if you are a Virgo or Gemini rising,, if you carry a Virgo or Gemini Moon, or if Mercury is the highest planet in your chart, you may find in this cycle not just an ally, but a powerful force for self-knowledge, purification, and self-care. Retrograde may feel like home for you, an environment where insight clarifies, intuition strengthens, and coherence becomes natural.
Embodied Teachings
If this reflection speaks to you and you feel the invitation to not just read, but live, this process, you’re welcome to go deeper. This entry has an accompanying downloadable PDF that guides you through an embodied integration process rooted in astrology, elemental journaling and aromatherapy.
Below you’ll find a ritual companion designed to help you work with Mercury’s retrograde force through the body. It offers practices for nervous system regulation, vagus nerve attunement, dreamwork, and mental digestion, supporting you in reorganizing perception, clarifying communication, and integrating insight. This guide is an invitation to slow down, recalibrate, and return to coherence, so that your inner messenger can rise with clarity and truth.
