Mercury in Taurus - Reading the Signs
In this series, I use astrology to explore my natal chart through the lens of my creative practice.
Ever since I was young I have had an easy way with words. They fascinate me and anchor me in the world. I have an equally strong association with visual imagery. Some of my earliest memories are learning to read by looking at Richard Scarry’s Best Word Book Ever. I loved that book and, as I listened to my parents read the words to me, I would look at each image and the associated written text and fairly quickly I was able to sound out words for myself, especially when I could figure them out by sight or by context.
As a former English and Special Education teacher, I now recognize many of the skills I employed at a young age to make me such a strong reader. I had parents who were readers and who read to me. I watched programs like Sesame Street that made me familiar with letters and also with concepts like story and narrative. I amassed a large number of memorized sight words early on. I was able to assess and understand contextual clues. In addition to all these things, I had an innate love of words and a gift for using language.
In terms of astrology and reading a birth, or natal, chart, we look to the planet of Mercury, associated with communication and thought, to find out more about linguistic abilities. In my natal chart, I have Mercury in Taurus in the 11th house.
Mercury is the sign of communication and thought, While Taurus is associated with honest and truthful values, beauty, and the stability of grounded earth energy. Together they give several characteristics to an individual:
methodical and deliberate in thought and speech
makes certain of ideas before speaking
is generally clear and direct in communication
can be slow to form an opinion and,
once decided, can be stubborn or one sided in thought
The 11th house in astrology is associated with large, interconnected groups and concepts such as networking and the energy and ideas of the collective. I actually have an 11th house stellium (cluster of multiple celestial bodies) composed of my South Node, Chiron, Mercury, Lilith, and Jupiter. And Taurus is intercepted in this house. Translation: a lot of my energy in this lifetime is focused on thinking about the collective and my place in it.
As I learn more about astrology I gain a deeper understanding of how this 11th house energy manifests. The placement of Mercury in my birth chart is just one piece in the larger picture of how all the planets and signs are expressed in my individual personality and experince.
