Little Mercury circles the sun the most quickly of any planet because it is the closest planet to the sun—close enough that the curvature of space and time near the sun affects the duration and shape of Mercury’s orbit. That quickness suggested to the ancients the same qualities that are suggested by the lightness of air, qualities of speed, freedom, and in particular, the use of the mind.
The ideas of knowledge, order, classification, all cluster around the sphere of Mercury. When we say that magic is the power of the universe, the skill to use it, and the knowledge of how to access it, it is the focus of Mercury that provides the knowledge.
Magic can be as simple as writing an affirmation. It can be so complicated that we spend our lives studying a single facet. Mercury compiles facts for our intellectual comprehension. Tapping the power of Mercury greatly increases our options as we expand our knowledge of what is possible. The danger is that we can become lost in learning, and, like those who favor the element of air, become detached from the other aspects of our lives.
Children study many things in school. Eventually they grow up and graduate, moving out into the world to work, raise families, and explore. Some people think our learning years come to an end when we leave school. In fact humans constantly learn about the environment. We are hard-wired to continually take in and process information. When we pay conscious attention to this process, seeking to learn new things, we keep our minds and hearts flexible and young. However much we know, we all remain students, all our lives.
Affirmation I am always learning.
Practice: Learning
Every day for a week, as you go through your day, be on the lookout for something new you are learning. Did you hear a new fact on the news? Did you notice a new business opening up near your home? Did your body let you know something you hadn’t previously noticed? Record what you have learned in your journal.
Learn something new. This can be anything at all: how to cook something you’ve never cooked before, how to grow a plant, how to dance a particular type of dancing, how to say please and thank you in a new language. Have you always wanted to learn something? Now is the time to try!
Go to a bookstore or a library. Seek out the section which contains books about magic. It might be labeled new age or occult. You might find an entire bookstore dedicated to these books. Look at the titles on the shelves. There are many different magical paths. Read some of the covers. Do any of them call to you? If you have been practicing a particular magical path for many years, be sure to explore a type of magic you haven’t worked with before. What books are available that describe this magic?
