More or Less, is my Mercury Important?

My Mercury has only two aspects... a wide conjunct to my Moon (by 4'51 degrees) and a novile aspect to my Pluto, (by 0'0'44 degrees)... the conjunct to my moon has Mercury at 29'56 Sagittarius, with Moon at 4'48 Capricorn.

Moon is part of a stellium in Capricorn involving Uranus 10'31 Capricorn, Neptune 14'37 Capricorn, Sun 23'35 Capricorn, Saturn 27'13 Capricorn. This whole lot spans across 22 degrees, and 27 degrees if Mercury is included.

From what I've read though, you aren't supposed to include a planet in a stellium if it reaches into a different sign... is this true? Because that would leave the novile aspect as the only aspect my Mercury makes, and would this make it an unaspected planet? I'm having such a hard time trying to understand the importance/significance of my Mercury, seeing as it IS in critical degree, but in Detriment, it is also conjunct Juno (0'23 Cap) and the first planet in my super packed 3rd House...

Can anyone decipher the importance of this communication planet and its standing in my communication house?

Your Mercury is always "important" because it is your thinking and communicating functions. Mercury also rules the hands.

Most astrologers would allow an orb of at least 7 or 8 degrees for a luminary; others would allow 12 or even 15. So a 4-degree orb is by no means wide. It would suggest that emotions colour your thoughts to a high degree; but this isn't necessarily a problem.

A lightly-aspected planet can be a bit of an independent, wild child in the horoscope. If we think of your horoscope as a committee, most of the members communicate with one other to a greater or lesser degree, depending upon their aspects. Your Mercury is sort of like the committee member who can really relate to only two of the others, Moon and Mars.

But this is only a first, crude level of analysis. If you look at midpoints, minor aspects, and house and sign rulers, you will probably find more points of interaction. For example, your Mercury is in a novile (360/9) relationship with Pluto. Some astrologers think it works like a weak trine; others think it is an aspect of initiation (probably into new ideas, given Mercury's involvement) that is often activated by transit.

Everyone's mercury is important. Along with all the other planets.

Tautomer, I realize it is important... in fact, I feel it might be more important than I have been giving it credit for. But with the lack of relationships with my other planets, I find it very hard to pick up on the 'nature' it has, besides being in detriment, I believe I'm very aware how that affects me usually.

I'm wondering about the rest of the picture, if it is included in my stellium or not, and if not, what is its influence overall with the rest of my chart

waybread said:

A lightly-aspected planet can be a bit of an independent, wild child in the horoscope. If we think of your horoscope as a committee, most of the members communicate with one other to a greater or lesser degree, depending upon their aspects. Your Mercury is sort of like the committee member who can really relate to only two of the others, Moon and Mars. But this is only a first, crude level of analysis. If you look at midpoints, minor aspects, and house and sign rulers, you will probably find more points of interaction.

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Thank you very much for your insight, waybread. I have been re-asking this query on other astrology sites as well as this one, looking for any advice, but to no avail. Your analogy helps me see this Mercury relationship a lot better. As far as midpoints go, I believe my Mercury/Node = Neptune and Moon/Asc = Mercury... and possibly Mercury/Sun = Neptune... but that's only if there is an allowance of 0'09, I am definitely not sure about that

For example, your Mercury is in a novile (360/9) relationship with Pluto. Some astrologers think it works like a weak trine; others think it is an aspect of initiation (probably into new ideas, given Mercury's involvement) that is often activated by transit.

Click to expand...

This might be a silly question, but do you mean activated by transit, to the natal Mercury & Pluto?