Mercury in Sagittarius

Mercury in Sagittarius indicates that you're philosophical, sincere, and direct to the point of being tactless. Honest and fair, you cannot tolerate deception in anyone. Because your mind is naturally focused in the distance or on finding connections between your many observations, your thoughts are often impractical and have little to do with what's right in front of your nose. You often exaggerate the significance of personal opinions, or turn someone's statement into a matter of principle or an ethical issue. You're so compelled to synthesize details into whole visions that you often imagine yourself to possess the truth before you've seen all the facts. These are instances of a general tendency to make mountains out of molehills, or to mistake the large for the small. You need to learn to focus and direct your mind, and to get all the data before spinning a philosophy. You love to wander afar in your thoughts, and are a good storyteller or salesman.

Celebrities who have their Mercury in Sagittarius (and who also have their Sagittarius Mercury in the first house for added emphasis) are Tracy Austin, Beau Bridges, Maria Callas, Dick Clark, Arthur Fiedler, Ed Harris, Lady Bird Johnson, Gordon Lightfoot, Henri Toulouse-Latrec, Ted Turner, and Tom Waits.

Mercury goes retrograde (see glossary) three times a year for three-week periods, occurring in 1/5 of all charts. If your Mercury is retrograde there’s an "Ñ" just inside its degree and minutes numbers on your chart. Mercury retrograde individuals need to personalize and digest data before they can understand or recommunicate it. Unusually sensitive to what others say, they take things personally, as they must relate it to themselves to make it significant. Once something has been learned, however, it is never forgotten. This process may appear as mental slowness to others. It is important that parents listen carefully to and make sure they understand their retrograde Mercury child, as well as giving that child plenty of time to communicate what is on his or her mind.

This Mercury-in-Sagittarius page and, in fact, the entire website are excerpted from You and the Universe, a handmade, individualized fine art book on astrology, mythology and astronomy through which the recipient's complete astrological reading is woven.