Mercury is the first true planet we come across in astrology. Mercury is named for the Roman version of the Greek Hermes, messenger of the Olympian gods, psychopomp (guide for the recently deceased), and god of trade, commerce, travel and trickery. In your birth chart, Mercury’s placement indicates how you communicate and process thought. Some practical applications of the Mercury placement may include learning/study style, favourite topics of conversation, or repeated thought patterns we may find ourselves stuck in. Mercury’s placement is also an important part of a career-focused birth chart reading, because of its associations with commerce.