TOO much emphasis has been laid by astrologers on the fact that Mercury is in his fall and detriment in Pisces. It is true that there is very little which can be called scientific about the mind of any native with this position. The sharp edge of the reason is usually wanting, and there is a disposition to a curious kind of mental idleness, which, however, is not really a defect. It merely means that the mind plunges itself into a bath of reflection, only to emerge purified and strengthened. However, this type of mental operation is not at all understandable by the devotees of reason, pure and simple. Those people who boast that their brains are always clear and active and who measure their achievements by the amount of visible work which they put into them cannot understand such individuals as we are now discussing. One might go further and say that they do not understand the laws under which the creative instinct works, or even the ordinary laws of generation and growth, either in the vegetable or animal kingdom. 

As a matter of fact, the minds of those born with Mercury in Pisces possess one very contradictory pair of qualities. They are intensely practical in matters of thought, and tend to accept the pragmatic philosophy; they may even be utilitarians or hedonists. At the same time, they set a high value upon the conclusions of theoretical reasoning; but it does not follow from this that they will act on these conclusions. There is a fund of strong common sense in their nature and, when it comes to the test, they will follow instinct in preference to reason. In its manifestation, the mental power is far from stable. There may be periods when the mind seems almost dormant. In reality, what is happening is that the {243} subconsciousness has taken hold and wishes to operate without interference from the more active portions of the mind. The memory is extremely retentive and the power of reflection enormous. But there is always this psychic quality in their mental processes. They make statements, "ex cathedra," for which they cannot give chapter and verse. They know, but they do not know how they know. To people of different types of mind this often gives the idea that their knowledge is unreliable, but experience proves that this is not the case. 

Their conversation, as a general rule, is fluent and subtle, but they are decidedly dependent on their environment, and, if their society is uncongenial, they keep silent. Sometimes this trait is very exaggerated; acute dislike founded upon no tangible reason throws them into a sullen mood, from which it is almost impossible to extricate them. Whenever they find themselves in harmonious surroundings, the fault will be in the other direction. They will talk too much, and, if undeveloped, are rather inclined to be talebearers and revealers of secrets. This is not because of any malice in the disposition, but because they are incapable of appreciating the amount of mischief that an unguarded word may cause. 

The psychic character of Pisces causes this sign to react upon the mind when Mercury is placed therein, not only by making it sensitive to subtle influences, but also by exposing it to all the disorders which they are apt to cause unless carefully balanced by strong common sense. The mind is not robust and vigorous in the way that we find then Mercury is in a more positive and virile sign. The forces which stir it have a different kind of strength. It is the rapier, not the broadsword. The result is that heavy and long continued strain upon the mind brings about nervous break-downs in a way which could never happen with a person whose Mercury was in Aries or Virgo. 

Pisces being ruled by Neptune, and Venus being exalted therein, and there being much sympathy both with Neptune and the Moon, it is natural that the artistic temperament should find a very full development in the mind. The tendency is to be romantic, perhaps, but this is not incompatible with extraordinary achievement. Naturally, in many cases, perhaps in most, the Sun will also be in Pisces, accentuating and steadying this disposition. One of the {244} greatest romantic artists that ever lived, Victor Hugo, has this position of Mercury. Charles Baudelaire brings out more fully the intenser, more psychic, and less flamboyant qualities. Where Mercury refers to voice rather than thought, we have Adelina Patti. Here the quality of Mercury is adapted to the physical organs of speech. The romantic, subtle, and rather shy and retiring temperament of mind is shown by Dr. Rudolph Steiner, who, engaged as he was, in a work of world-wide importance, yet managed to remain quietly and modestly in retirement, neither seeking fame nor troubling himself about advertisement. 

The following well known persons were born with Mercury in the sign Pisces: 

W. B. Yeats 

Victor Hugo 

Rosa Bonheur 

Ellen Terry 

Charles Evens Hughes 

Adolph Ochs 

Henry W. Longfellow 

Lee Schubert 

Charles M. Schwab 

John Hays Hammond 

Bishop Greer 

Henry Carmichael 

Bliss Carman 

Abraham Lincoln 

Chester S. Lord 

Otto Kahn 

For the benefit of those who are not in possession of Raphael's Ephemeris, or who are not able to interpret the symbols contained therein, the years when Mercury is in the sign Pisces are as follows: 

From February 22d through March 8th 1840 

February 13th " March 2d 1841 

March 21st " April 17th 1841 

February 6th " April 13th 1842 {245} 

From February 1st through February 9th 1843 

March 18th " April 7th 1843 

March 12th " March 29th 1844 

March 5th " March 21st 1845 

February 26th " March 13th 1846 

February 18th " March 5th 1847 

February 10th " April 15th 1848 

February 2d " February 28th 1849 

March 18th " April 10th 1849 

March 16th " April 3d 1850 

March 10th " March 26th 1851 

March 2d " March 17th 1852 

February 22d " March 9th 1853 

February 14th " March 2d 1854 

March 27th " April 16th 1854 

February 7th " April 14th 1855 

February 1st " February 15th 1856 

March 18th " April 7th 1856 

March 13th " March 30th 1857 

March 7th " March 22d 1858 

February 27th " March 14th 1859 

February 19th " March 5th 1860 

February 11th " March 2d 1861 

March 10th " April 16th 1861 

February 4th " March 8th 1862 

March 15th " April 11th 1862 

March 17th " April 4th 1863 

March 10th " March 27th 1864 

March 3d " March 18th 1865 

February 24th " March 10th 1866 

February 16th " March 3d 1867 

April 4th " April 15th 1867 

February 8th " April 14th 1868 

February 1st " February 19th 1869 

March 18th " April 8th 1869 

March 15th " April 1st 1870 

March 8th " March 24th 1871 

February 29th " March 15th 1872 {246} 

From February 20th through March 7th 1873 

February 12th " March 2d 1874 

March 17th " April 17th 1874 

February 5th " April 13th 1875 

February 3d " February 5th 1876 

March 17th " April 5th 1876 

March 12th " March 28th 1877 

March 5th " March 20th 1878 

February 25th " March 12th 1879 

February 17th " March 4th 1880 

February 9th " April 15th 1881 

February 2nd " February 25th 1882 

March 18th " April 9th 1882 

March 16th " April 2nd 1883 

March 8th " March 24th 1884 

March 1st " March 16th 1885 

February 21st " March 8th 1886 

February 14th " March 2nd 1887 

March 23d " April 17th 1887 

February 6th " April 13th 1888 

January 31st " February 11th 1889 

March 18th " April 6th 1889 

March 13th " March 30th 1890 

March 6th " March 21st 1891 

February 26th " March 12th 1892 

February 18th " March 5th 1893 

February 10th " April 16th 1894 

February 3d " March 3d 1895 

March 17th " April 11th 1895 

March 16th " April 3d 1896 

March 10th " March 26th 1897 

March 2d " March 18th 1898 

February 23d " March 10th 1899 

February 15th " March 3d 1900 

March 30th " April 16th 1900 

February 7th " April 15th 1901 

February 2nd " February 17th 1902 

March 19th " April 8th 1902 {247} 

From March 15th through April 1st 1903 

March 7th " March 23d 1904 

February 28th " March 15th 1905 

February 20th " March 7th 1906 

February 12th " March 3d 1907 

March 14th " April 17th 1907 

February 5th " April 12th 1908 

March 17th " April 5th 1909 

March 12th " March 28th 1910 

March 5th " March 20th 1911 

February 25th " March 11th 1912 

February 16th " March 4th 1913 

April 8th " April 13th 1913 

February 9th " April 16th 1914 

February 2nd " February 23d 1915 

March 19th " April 10th 1915 

March 15th " April 1st 1916 

March 9th " March 24th 1917 

March 1st " March 16th 1918 

February 22d " March 8th 1919 

February 14th " March 2d 1920 

March 20th " April 17th 1920 

February 5th " April 13th 1921 

February 2d " February 8th 1922 

March 18th " April 6th 1922 

March 13th " March 30th 1923 

March 5th " March 21st 1924 

February 26th " March 13th 1925 

February 18th " March 5th 1926 

February 10th " April 17th 1927 

February 3rd " February 28th 1928 

March 18th " April 10th 1928 

March 16th " April 3d 1929

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