All About The Mercury, Virgo’s Ruling Planet

Knowing the qualities of your sun, moon, and rising signs is key to understanding yourself on an intimate level, but knowing the context of those zodiac signs’ planetary rulers is just as important. Every zodiac sign is associated with a luminary in our solar system — sometimes, they even share one — that lends them their own unique essence. When it comes to the altruistic and put-together Virgo, their planetary ruler is one of the most perfectionist celestial bodies in our solar system. Not only will learning about what planet rules Virgo deepen your appreciation for the pragmatic maiden, but it can also help you better navigate your daily routine.

Virgo is ruled by none other than the swift-moving, chatty planet, Mercury. “There are two sides of Mercury: the logical side that rules communication, reason, reading, and writing, and the practical side that rules routine, habits, order, and day-to-day tasks,” astrologer Astrodim tells Bustle. The planet is all about finding practical solutions, which is totally Virgo’s vibe.

In astrology, each celestial body can rule over more than one zodiac sign at a time, and this is the case for Mercury, which governs both Gemini and Virgo in both traditional and modern astrology. “While Gemini asks why and tries to find the answers, Virgo takes action for an immediate answer, perfecting it as time goes by,” Astrodim explains.

Since the heavenly body governs things like communication and mindset, you can feel the Mercurial influence every day, especially during its thrice-yearly retrograde, when it throws all things tech and travel out of whack. The detail-oriented planet plays a critical role in our interactions with others and directly impacts our daily routines. You’re going to want to know everything there is to know about Virgo’s ruling planet, Mercury.

All About Mercury, Virgo’s Ruling Planet

Despite being only slightly bigger than the moon, Mercury is the fastest planet in our solar system — its orbit of the sun only takes 88 days. Considered a personal planet in astrology — which means it’s one of the seven heavenly bodies that reflect our individual motivations — Mercury governs communication, logic, and travel.

In the Roman pantheon, Mercury was the god of merchants, travelers, and tricksters. In Greek mythology, Mercury is associated with Hermes, aka the speedy messenger of the gods. Its fast-paced orbit is what gives its residing zodiac signs their aptness to power through high-pressure environments and allows them to think quickly on their feet. It’s also why Mercurial vibes can bestow a bit of mischief during its retrograde periods, causing confusion, misunderstanding, and rudely interrupted travel plans.

Objective and focused on unraveling the truth, this heavenly body gives us the ability to analyze, probe, and resolve. “Mercury will help you get the information and help you execute appropriately,” says Astrodim.

When you know your Mercury sign, you can pinpoint your tendencies in social interactions and how you verbalize your ideas. It can also give you a sense of how you portray yourself on social media, given its relation to technology. For example, if your Mercury placement is stationed in the elusive Scorpio, it’s likely you avoid oversharing online, but if it’s in the socialite Libra, you might be more of an open book.

Mercury’s Influence On Virgo

Virgos are famous for being meticulous and having an eye for detail, which has a lot to do with their Mercurial influence. Mercury symbolizes logic, mind, and communication, bestowing the ultra-organized earth sign with pragmatism and a thirst for knowledge.

“Mercury influences Virgoan energy by making them detailed, service-oriented, and routine-focused,” explains Astrodim. Because Mercury governs thought processes, it dissects information and analyzes them objectively rather than by emotions, which is what gives Virgos the reputation for being critical. “Virgos can be perfectionists and their resourcefulness can help others reach their goals,” says Astrodim. “They are good at breaking things down to actionable plans to make aspirations believable and reachable.” Virgos will conscientiously study every move and do their research when going after what they want, thanks to their calculated ruling planet.

Their mutable modality, in tandem with their Mercurial influence, can also speak to why Virgos are smooth conversationalists and can adapt to any situation. “Virgos are very agile like the messenger god — open to bend and twist in order to be their best or help others do the same — it just has to make sense for them to change their route,” Astrodim explains. You can count on a Virgo to be authentic with their words and that they’ve arrived at their conclusions after careful consideration.

Your Mercury placement is a great way to identify your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to communication. Making an earnest effort to improve your mindset via your Mercury sign can help push you to be your best, put-together self, the true Virgoan way.