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Mercury and your health

Mercury, when well placed in the nativity chart, indicates a good and balanced mind. It rules the cerebral hemispheres. Ill-aspected and afflicted, it shows a tendency to various disorders of mental reasoning, bad judgment, nervous disease, and tendency to gamble, swindle, insomnia, and a lack of spiritual calm. The location in the chart shows what body parts may be prone to neuralgia.

Mercury rules Gemini and Virgo, therefore it manifests in diseases related to respiratory and digestive disorders, particularly of nervous origin. Physiologically, Mercury rules the respiration and breath. Mercury afflicted at birth indicates a tendency to shallow breathing. The Hindus believe rhythmic breathing is necessary for direct link between the soul and mind. Unrhythmic breathing severs this connection leading to nervous conditions, those easily influenced by others, proneness to depression, and even insanity. Proper and unregulated breathing beginning in early life leads to a cascade of pathological actions including lack of intellectual development, oxygen deficient blood, tendency to overeat since the diaphragm does not "massage" the stomach due to stifled breathing, lymphatic stasis since breathing opens the lymph channels, and lethargy due to lack of vital force and sluggish pranic currents. Mercury placement indicates much more than the mundane astrology books indicate.

Mercury is considered a neutral planet, in that its transmissions are governed by the aspects to other planets in the chart. When Mercury conjuncts the Sun, the ego is involved; aspected to the Moon, the subconscious and habits; to Jupiter, exaggeration, etc. When Mercury's nervous messages are distorted by the rays of another planet, inaccurate reception of information and inappropriate neural commands are likely. Simply, response does not match stimulus resulting in unbalanced behavior. If the large planets are involved, this can translate into important health consequences.

PATHOLOGICAL TENDENCIES: Mercury's chief influence is on the nerves. In regards to aches and pains, the placement of Mercury in the sign of body rulership shows tendency to affliction when ill-aspected. Thus, Mercury in Aries shows the tendency to headaches, in Taurus a tendency to laryngitis and sore throats, in Gemini chest pains, etc. To offset Mercury afflictions and thus reduce tendency to aches and pains, the native must learn proper and rhythmic breathing. Taking up study of yoga or Chinese Ch'i Kung would be of great benefit.

ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY: Nervous system, nervous faculties; breathing, the hands, the touch; organs of speech and hearing.

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