According to Greek myth, Mercury (or Hermes, whose name derives etymologically from the piles of rocks which marked trails and guided travelers) was the messenger of the gods. He carried orders from Olympus to the mortals on Earth. The child of the illegitimate union of Zeus with Maia, Mercury was born “unknown to the immortal gods” and had to win his place among them by trickery, cleverness, and cunning. This is why he became the vagabond deity of travelers and wanderers. He is the instinctive foe of the settled who see him as an outcast roaming on the outskirts of society: a pariah, a thief, and a swindler. As ruler of the sign of Gemini, the Twins, he symbolizes the brother—the alter-ego who teaches us as much as we teach him and is associated with adolescence, a period of intense intellectual discovery. Mercury thus symbolizes lively, sparkling wit, mobility in any form, mental exchange, and interaction. As a result, a person strongly ruled by Mercury is quite likely to be clever and skillful. If Mercury is “afflicted” in one’s chart, their intellectual velocity may sometimes become mere mental hyperactivity. In any case, these skills are a great resource in the social realm. You communicate easily and effectively, orally or in writing. Your ability to unite and transmit would be a good resource in diplomatic or commercial endeavors.

Pluto represents transformation and the unknown. It rules the sign of Scorpio, which is associated with death, redemption, and divine mysteries. Pluto’s energy is mysterious and its discovery in 1932 associates it with the development of the nuclear bomb and psychoanalysis. In ancient mythology, Pluto was considered to be associated with all aspects of the underworld – Hades, the Greek name for Pluto, was the god of the underworld. Today, the underworld is synonymous with the Mafia, and the two share many characteristics. Pluto occupies an important place in the horoscopes of great mystics and spiritual beings, as well as in the theme of certain dictators and tyrants. Pluto corresponds to the transmutation of instinctive energies into energies which are accessible consciously by the individual’s ego. This transmutation, which is never completely controllable, induces a power complex. On the social level, it might be symbolized by the nuclear disaster, the failure of Western man to master the energy of the atom – a power complex gone awry. On the individual level, Pluto is expressed either in a “power complex,” in which instinctive energy is completely transmuted into a personal resource, or as a “failure complex,” in which certain inhibitions prevent the instinctive energy from being transmuted.

Abigail Hale stood in the center of the ring, surrounded by her fellow contestants. She felt the eyes of the crowd upon her, and she knew that they were all waiting for her to make her move.

She had known all along that this was her chance to prove herself to the world. She had worked hard to get to this point, and she wasn’t going to let anyone stop her now.

She took a step forward, and the crowd erupted into applause. She knew that she had to show them that she was the best fighter in the room, and she was ready to take on the challenge.

She stepped forward again, and this time she swing her arm back hard. She knew that she had to show them that she was the strongest fighter in the room, and she was ready to take on the challenge.

The tenth house is an area of the sky which is especially important to Abigail Hale. In the following paragraph, we will explain the general meaning of this fact.

Traditionally, this part of the sky chart was related to your family’s reputation, social position, and power. Metaphorically, it was also related to the father, the law, the spinal column, etc. The North Node, the gateway into the tenth house, corresponds to the vertical line connecting the zenith to the nadir. The North Node can be opposed to its partner, the South Node, the lowest point on the map of the sky. As the highest point, it symbolizes your elevation, your social position. You may be sure to derive some power from your social eminence, such as money, prestige, or privilege, but you also have duties to fulfill. When this area is the site of significant activity, it does not mean that you will automatically have a high social eminence. It means that you will invest a great deal of energy in acquiring a form of social power. Because the energy is somewhat vague, you will have to become aware of the various desires, needs, and ideals which are motivating and inspiring you. As a result, you will probably become conscious of how closely your social destiny is linked to your family’s reputation. Indeed, all you can give society is what you have managed to make of yourself from the raw material you received from your background. When the tenth house is especially significant, it means that the use of power deriving from social rank is problematic for you. Your attitude toward both accomplishment and failure may be somewhat obtuse. As a result, you should always be asking yourself why you aspire to a certain career or profession, what your learning is worth, what meaning you want to give your relationship with society, what you are ready to give of yourself, and what you want from society in exchange.

The second house is an area of the sky which is especially important to you, because it contains several planets, including the one which rules your rising sign. In the following paragraph, we shall explain the general meaning of this fact.