Planets: Mercury—ray 4 (sacred)

Ray 4 triangle

C Ray 4 (sacred planet)

Method: intelligent, fluid response to change

Rulerships: Orthodox: Gemini Virgo Esoteric: Aries Hierarchical: Scorpio
Dignities: Exaltation: Virgo Fall: Pisces Detriment: Sagittarius Pisces
Symbol: C A cross surmounted by a circle crowned by a semicircle.
Mercury triangles:

Mercury: general information

Details to follow

Mercury: Rulerships

Orthodox: Gemini

To follow

Orthodox: Virgo

To follow

Esoteric: Aries

Details to follow of Mercury as esoteric ruler of Aries: clarity of mind, the ability to cut through illusion, incisive perception and the combination of the dissimilar to form fresh insights.

Hierarchical: Scorpio

Details to follow of Mercury as hierarchical ruler of Scorpio: the resolution of conflict and the harmonising of seemingly impossible oppositions.


Mercury decanates

The decanates in Esoteric Astrology are not given consistently. They are sometimes reversed and other times given in the familiar direction. In conventional astrology they simply follow the rulerships of the signs in the elemental triad. They are consequently not always clear, and neither is the direction of travel. Alice Bailey draws on Theosophical Astrologers Sepharial (Walter Gorn Old) and Alan Leo, and for some decanates gives fresh esoteric replacements. Further, information on the decanates of some signs differs from that given elsewhere for the same sign, whereas in other cases they’re stated clearly. Some decanate rulerships also coincide with esoteric rulerships, or hint at planets veiled by the Sun or Moon, while others are explained as substitutes for planets with a related influence. For more information, see notes about the decanates

Mercury Dignities

Exaltation in Virgo

To follow

Fall in Pisces

To follow

Detriment in Sagittarius

To follow

Detriment in Pisces

To follow