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.

The sun was the primordial light and the source of all warmth and life. It was worshipped by humanity from the dawn of time, and it represented the absolute power kings and despots yearned for. It was the sun king, the nucleus of society, and it embodied a principle of cohesion and harmony. Various subordinates—aka planets—revolved around it. In terms of psychological symbolism, the sun corresponds to the center of an individual, the factor that rules your psyche. Its luminous aspects were usually associated with knowledge and consciousness. As a creator of life, it was related to the image of the mother and the influence of motherhood on an individual’s consciousness and ideals. As a result, the sun’s position in a birth chart always indicated the way in which an individual would relate to your goals and ideals, what your ambitions and aspirations might involve. A person whose chart was strongly “solar” usually identified very positively with motherhood. Your personality was friendly, energetic, and creative, with high ideals and a firm determination to accomplish them. You took your own superiority and authority over others for granted, and you had a natural ability to command the attention and admiration of an audience. You were a born leader who enjoyed being in the limelight and may behave somewhat theatrically or with dramatic exaggeration. You had definite artistic leanings. The sense of your ideals was evident to you and may lead you to be somewhat self-focused. If ill-directed, your deep aspirations may lead to such faults as egotism, selfishness, or greediness for power.

You walk into the room and see Buffie Carruth sitting in a chair, looking lost. You walk over to him and sit down in the chair next to him.

Buffie Carruth looks up at the ninth house in the sky and sees that it contains several planets, including the planet which rules her sign. She knows that this information can be very helpful to her as she works on her theme for the year.

According to traditional astrology, the area ruled by Sagittarius is associated with dreams, distant journeys, studies such as religion, philosophy, priesthood, and spiritual guidance. In life, everything begins with us and proceeds outward, but it is reflected, experienced, and renewed by our relations with others. Indeed, once you grow beyond the subjective field of your ego and reach adulthood, you must be able to adapt and modify your abilities in such a way as to fulfill a specific function in the outer world. The reference framework you use to judge your worth is not only your personal life, but the huge complex of values, principles, and laws which regulate life in a community. The ninth house rules this much broader framework, which includes law as well as philosophy, psychology, science, religion, mysticism, occult studies, etc. An individual with a great deal of activity in this area of their astrological chart will probably feel a strong desire for personal expansion. An idealist, you will seek out experiences which reveal knowledge and meaning to you and give you a better indication of your purpose in living. The difficulties you are likely to face will be hidden behind what appears to be success. They may arise from your expansiveness, which is sometimes uncontrollable, or disproportionate. Although at the outset, your ambition and desire for personal development are a source of strength, they later become powerful enough to cut you off from yourself. If you identify too strongly with the flattering self-image reflected by the community, you may gradually begin to neglect your personal essence. Because this perverse tendency to confuse form with function is reinforced by modern society’s emphasis on packaging and advertising, you are liable to lose yourself completely.

Buffie Carruth reads the paragraph. The seventh house is an area of the sky which is especially important in my theme.