**1. Introduction to Mercury (Hermes)**

Mercury (Hermes) is practically the same god in Roman and Greek mythology. Henceforth, Mercury will be predominantly mentioned, but if Hermes appears, it’s the same character. Mercury (Hermes) is the son of Jupiter (Zeus) and Maia, one of the Pleiades sisters. The name Mercury likely originates from the Latin verb “mercare,” “merx,” meaning to trade. The words commerce and mercantile share the same root. Another theory suggests the name derives from the Proto-Indo-European word “Merg,” meaning “border,” indicating his role as a guardian of boundaries.

**2. Attributes and Roles of Mercury**

Mercury’s attributes include the caduceus with two snakes, winged sandals, a winged helmet, a turtle, a lamb, and a rooster (herald of the new day). Additionally, the lyre made from a turtle shell is worth noting. Mercury was responsible for financial profit, commerce, eloquence, served as an intermediary between gods and humans, a psychopomp (guide of souls to the underworld), god of boundary states, and a patron of thieves.

**3. The Symbolism of the Caduceus**

The caduceus is essentially the world tree, with two mediators (snakes) moving between the world of the living and the dead. This aligns with Mercury’s function as an intermediary between realms. He embodied exchange, transfer, and transition from one state or position to another. His role as a mediator is frequently emphasized by many ancient authors, which is why mercury (the element) was named after him due to its fluidity.

**4. The Importance of Mercury in Various Spheres**

Mercury, the celestial messenger, conveys the prayers of people to the gods and the gods’ blessings to people. As a guide of souls, he represents the transition from life to death. Mercury, the god of eloquence and contracts, communicates the thoughts of an orator or messenger. He was also the god of gymnasiums (schools for wrestlers) because wrestling involves the transmission of force. Mercury’s connection with thieves and commerce is emphasized, as stolen or purchased items change hands.

**5. Ancient Worship and Representation of Mercury**

In ancient times, Mercury (Hermes) was worshipped as a phallic deity, representing fertility and abundance, and was depicted accordingly. He symbolized the productive power of nature. This aspect of his cult later facilitated the merging of the Celtic god Lug with the Roman Mercury. It is believed that Mercury and the Irish Lug are identical. Caesar’s description of Mercury as the “inventor of all arts” almost literally corresponds to the Irish Lug’s epithet “Samildánach” — “skilled in many arts.” This connection is significant, as the Celtic Lug is one of the most important gods of the Irish pantheon, possessing the nature of a trickster.

**6. Representation of Mercury in Art and Sculptures**

The next oldest way of depicting this god was the so-called herms (from the name Hermes). These were placed along roads and named after the god. They were a special type of sculpture, representing a quadrangular column crowned with a head or bust. For those curious, images of herms can be found on the internet. The oldest of such images date back to the 16th century BCE, a time when Mercury didn’t yet exist, but the role was already established.

**7. Visual Representation of Mercury’s Winged Sandals**

A visual digression into another attribute of Mercury — the winged sandals. Here is what René Joseph Menard writes: “Few gods are mentioned as often in ancient mythology as this god. The role of Hermes is very important… In many cases, like a servant in a comedy, he becomes the main character directing the entire plot in ancient myths.”

**8. The Invention of the Lyre and Mercury as a Trickster**

The god Hermes (Mercury) invented the lyre the day he was born. Escaping from his swaddling clothes, Hermes ran out of the cave. At the entrance, he saw a turtle walking slowly and majestically on the soft grass. The newborn god Hermes grabbed the turtle, pulled the animal out of its shell, stretched sheep’s intestines over it, and covered the hard turtle shell with bull’s hide. Thus, the first lyre in the world appeared. After completing his work, Hermes struck the lyre strings and was delighted by the sounds produced by his new instrument. This “feat” brought him the reputation as the patron of thieves.

**9. The Origin and Meaning of the Caduceus**

Mercury received the caduceus from Apollo, who gifted him a magic wand, which later transformed into the caduceus — a staff with wings at the top, entwined by two snakes facing each other. According to myths, Apollo, in reconciliation with his brother, gave him this magic staff. When Hermes decided to test its properties, he placed the staff between two fighting snakes, which immediately ceased fighting and coiled around the stick. Hermes liked this sight so much that he immobilized them. In ancient Rome, the caduceus became an essential attribute of ambassadors. Besides being a symbol of reconciliation, it later became an emblem of commerce and medicine. It is also known as an occult symbol, representing the key to secret knowledge, with the crossed snakes symbolizing the duality of the universe.

**10. Mercury as the Patron of Writers and Translators**

Mercury (Hermes) patronizes teachers and all those engaged in writing. Therefore, he likely favors me as well. He also translates all languages, aligning with his role as an intermediary. (He should indeed be my patron!) Mercury (Hermes), as we remember, patronized people. He gave Perseus winged sandals and a helmet, which enabled him to perform his feats (killing Medusa, rescuing Andromeda). Perseus, by the way, is considered the progenitor of the Persians. The name of the entire nation comes from the legendary progenitor. Therefore, the ancestor of all Persians also had Mercury’s winged sandals and helmet.

**11. Mercury as the Keeper of Secrets**

“Mercury-Hermes is the keeper of secrets, the revealer of wisdom, and the guide to the crystal worlds where those who understand the miraculous fragility and uniqueness of existence reside.” Nicolas Flamel, an alchemist, may have discovered the secret of immortality.

**12. Astrological Symbolism of Mercury**

Mercury (metal, planet, and androgynous god) has a remarkably consistent and universal symbolism in mythology, astrology, and alchemy. The symbol of Mercury is a circle, a cross, and an arc. The arc is a helmet or cap with wings, symbolizing the connection between the material and spiritual worlds, as well as the flow of energies. This connection purifies matter and fills it with spirituality. The circle represents infinity, the earth element, and completeness. The cross is another female symbol. The symbol of Mercury includes both male and female motifs, partially reflecting his character.

**13. Representation of Mercury in Astrology and Medicine**

In world astrology, Mercury represents intelligence, writers, orators, tricksters, educators, media, and changes in state affairs. He governs Gemini and Virgo. Gemini represents morning Mercury, responsible for communication, information processing, and new ideas. Virgo represents evening Mercury. Mercury also governs practicality, attention to detail, and specifics.

**14. Influence of Mercury in the Human Body**

In the human body, Mercury influences the respiratory system, intestines, brain function, and central nervous system, as well as speech. Essentially, Mercury has a broad influence. Plants associated with Mercury include phlox, clover, pansies, and valerian. Plants with small leaves, variegated colors, and those that bear fruit in a shell, symbolizing secrecy (e.g., nuts), also belong to Mercury.

**15. Characteristics and Correspondences of Mercury**

Due to Mercury’s airy nature, his plants are those with a strong and sharp smell (e.g., garlic, dill, parsley). Animals associated with Mercury include the dog, fox, and monkey. Stones include chalcedony, beryl, onyx, emerald, and opal. The colors are yellow, purple, and gray. Mercury governs rational thinking. Without Mercury, a person is limited in capability. Mercury is the thin layer of rational thought over the abyss of the unconscious.

**16. Significance of Mercury in Human Life and Intelligence**

Mercury enters a person’s life when they feel the taste of words and the joy of expressing thoughts. This can manifest through a novel, theorem, logical constructs, poems, or anything where the author has been able to articulate and convey their ideas to others. This is why oratory is another “signature” gift of Mercury. This is also why tongues of sacrificial animals were dedicated to him.

**17. Mercury’s Astrological Qualities**

Astrology attributes to Mercury qualities such as eloquence, indecision, dexterity, expressive power, skillfulness, and unreliable friendship. It is considered an androgynous planet associated with quicksilver (see Sulfur and Mercury), with its “day home” in Gemini and its “night home” in Virgo. Among colors, azure blue is associated with it, and among gemstones, agate, jasper, topaz, opal, and fossil amber. Mercury represents the energy of spoken words — the symbol of speech; for Gnostics, it was the spermatic (seeding) logos (god of fertility), dispersed throughout the universe. This idea was adopted by alchemists, who associated Mercury with the concepts of mobility and transformation. Additionally, it was considered the god of paths (i.e., possibilities). In astrology, it is defined as “intellectual energy.” However, since Mercury is the planet closest to the Sun (associated with gold), this archetype ultimately has a dual nature (earthly and heavenly god — hermaphrodite).

**18. Mercury as a Prophet**

Now we move on to the art for which Hermes (Mercury) was considered a master, namely — divination and prophecy. Remember? He received this gift from Apollo! Mercury had the gift of foretelling and sending omens to people. It all began when Apollo, in exchange for the lyre and syrinx, gave Hermes the caduceus and taught him to divine. Additionally, to correctly convey the will of the gods, one needed to speak well, so the art of eloquence and the science of interpreting texts — hermeneutics (from the name Hermes) — are associated with him.

**19. The Mystical Symbolism of the Caduceus**

Here is a brief digression about the caduceus — according to some myths, Apollo gave Mercury a magic wand, which later turned into the caduceus. Mystically, it symbolizes reconciliation and union. The caduceus can also be compared to the kundalini serpent in Eastern traditions and the Middle Pillar of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life. As mentioned earlier, the caduceus represents the tree of life, with animal mediators (in this case, snakes) connecting two worlds. Mercury used the caduceus to send people to sleep when he wanted to give them prophetic dreams.

**20. Hermes Trismegistus and Hermetic Knowledge**

In antiquity, the figure of Hermes Trismegistus — a mythical king of Egypt, patron of alchemy, medicine, music, astronomy, and many sciences — emerges. The term “hermetic (secret) knowledge” originates from his name. Trismegistus is the author of the famous “Emerald Tablet.” At some point, Mercury and Hermes merged, and this fusion wasn’t unique to these two deities alone.

**21. Merging of Mercury with Other Gods**

The Romans sought to incorporate the gods of conquered peoples into their pantheon, so they associated Mercury with the Sumerian god Nabu (god of wisdom, patron of scribes, who made records in the book of fate) and the ancient Arabian god Utarid. Among the Celts, this was Lug, the inventor of crafts and arts, associated with light. He had the nickname “long-armed.” Among the Persians, it was Tiri. (By the way, the Gallic Mercurius tricephalus — three-headed Mercury — is also noteworthy.) This Gallic god was also considered a psychopomp (guide of souls to the afterlife), just like our Hermes-Mercury. This Celtic deity is the same Lug mentioned earlier.

**22. Mercury in Tarot and the Symbolism of the Magician Card**

The image of Mercury-Hermes is also present in Tarot cards. He corresponds to the first Major Arcana — the Magician. The depiction of Hermes Trismegistus, who created the Emerald Tablet, embodies the principle “As above, so below.” (Pay attention to the gesture.) The figure on the card points to the ground with the left hand and to the sky with the right. Additionally, the card shows that the Magician has symbols of all four elements on his table, indicating his ability to unite and manipulate the four elements (earth, air, water, fire), just as Hermes Trismegistus or the Egyptian Hermes (Thoth) did, the god who gave people writing and revealed secret knowledge.

**24. Numerology and the Number Four**

In numerology, Mercury often represents the number four, which likely signifies Mercury-Hermes, the magician capable of mastering and controlling all four elements (earth, air, water, fire). Additionally, Wednesday, the fourth day of the week (previously considered the first day when Sunday was the first), is associated with Mercury.

Though Vedic astrology says that Mercury represents number 5 and 4 is Rahu. 

**25. Carl Jung on Mercury’s Nature**

Here’s what Carl Jung writes about Mercury in his work “Spirit of Mercury”: “According to the Hermetic tradition, Mercury is multifaceted, changeable, and deceptive. Dorn speaks of ‘varius ille Mercurius’ (this capricious Mercury), and another author describes him as shape-shifting, a performer. He is duplex, and his primary characteristic is duality, duplicity… Mercury internally differs as ‘ordinary and philosophical’; he consists of ‘earthy dryness and sticky wetness.’ Two of his elements, earth and water, are passive; the other two, air and fire, are active. He is both good and evil…”

**26. Mercury and the Four Elements**

Jung links Mercury to the four elements: “Mercury (quicksilver) — (water of life and dry water). I would like to draw special attention to the term ‘dry water’; it is paradoxical, and the nature of the object it designates is characterized by paradox. Many treatises call Mercury simply fire. Aqua mercurialis [Mercurial water] is even called divine fire. In one text, it is said that the ‘heart’ of Mercury is at the North Pole, and he (Mercury) is like a flame (aurora borealis!). The predecessors of the alchemical Mercury in his airy form were Hermes, originally a wind deity, and the corresponding Egyptian god Thoth, who made all souls breathe.”

**27. Mercury in Alchemy**

Mercury in alchemy is philosophical quicksilver. Mercury is light, volatile, and capricious — these are his most important characteristics. From Sulfur and Mercury comes the philosopher’s stone during the complex process of the Great Work. With this magisterium stone, one can transmute metals and create the elixir of life.

**28. Dual Nature of Mercury in Alchemy**

In traditional alchemy, Sulfur is the masculine, dry, hot, fiery principle, while Mercury is the feminine, moist, flexible, and volatile principle. Together they form an opposition, from whose union emerges the solar-lunar androgynous figure.

**29. Representation of Mercury in Alchemical Art**

In alchemical engravings, Mercury is often depicted as a serpent or ouroboros, or as two dragons devouring their own tails. This is one of the oldest symbols of humanity, signifying infinity, cyclicality, life-death, creation-destruction. Notice that the Magician in Tarot is also girded with a serpent biting its own tail.

**30. Mercury as Philosophical Quicksilver**

Sometimes Mercury is portrayed as a Queen, then described as “philosophical quicksilver.” Finally, it should be noted that Mercury ensures the exchange between the subconscious and the superconscious; it’s crucial to understand how this occurs.

**31. The Three-Headed Mercury**

And finally, the promised three-headed Mercury.