For a long time I have been looking at mercury avasthas and over time I noticed something "unusual". Here is a list of things I noticed that I don't think Ernst talk about, at least not in this context:
-Mercury exalts himself; So the planet of friendship don't need friends to exalt himself apparently.
-Mercury only friend is Venus, and only by conjunction, so while searching for mercury exalted you will find only find a "weak" Ucha Venus in Virgo helping mercury.
-Mercury with Jupiter, harm Jupiter at the same time so not really helpful if you consider Jupiter at the same time.
- Mercury is an adult, so help yourself and other will help you when you are at the top for your "game" (mercury game)
- Mercury is the smallest, Jupiter the biggest. Both likes the 1st house, are linked to manifestation through the throat or the first element (element course)
-Logic would makes us think friendship is social yet mercury doesn't seem to be oriented that way, either from Avastha or Dig bala. I wonder why this is the case.
-I disagree a bit Ernst on this, Mercury doesn't seem to be the planet that helps the most or he is not helped himself, since it's often not delighted (often end up with a negative results in the avastha screen), and mercury doesn't have much friends to help him, so he is the independent adult. So he end up maybe like Saturn, often beat up in my opinion.
- Mercury is delighted in Taurus and Libra though. I guess it does have a friend but only one. Maybe we need to cultivate only a few friends.
What's your thoughts on that? While searching for a strong mercury in Virgo I often see that mercury is getting bombarded by enemies, only a few charts seem to pop up with a mercury delighted, most often it's starved by enemies. Maybe I'm not seeing something correctly here ?
Interesting observations!
- That you don´t have friends doesn´t mean that you can´t be one. So I don´t think you have to disagree on Ernst on that one. Mercury helps others.
- The friendships that Mercury represents are the superficial one´s. More like people known by the person than siblinglike friendships, which is Mars, right? So no contradiction really that he´s alone and social at the same time.
Staffan
I think the idea that mercury rules friends is false. Its mars. mercury is friendly in the sense that he will talk, ask questions, answer questions, etc. but that does not make him a friend that one is actively involved with, that is mars. Mercury starves mars and so such a mars is a person with few friends. So a delighted and well functioning mercury is friendly, that is part of him going out and investigating and checking things out, being friendly helps that process and since that process if fun for a good mercury, its easy to be friendly in those situations. A starved mercury will not have fun in that process, be grumpy, and not want to spend any more time doing it then neccessary and so they won't spend time being friendly while they investigate things and as a result, they won't learn what the need to learn. A friendly attitude is how we find out where the doors of opportunity are.
@ernst In one of your course, old one you have said a good mercury have friends that they cherish and maintain. That's it is your ability to maintain friendship. Isn't Mars Co-workers or colleagues or neighbours ?
I guess Mars would be bro love 🤣 or maybe mars friendship is more apparent.
My sibling has an exalted Mars and a delighted Mercury in Leo. They have 0 friends and have never gone out of their way in adulthood to make or maintain friendships. They had friendships in childhood though school, but upon leaving school made no effort to keep in touch with those friends. Having no friends doesn't bother them in the slightest. I have a starved Mars and a thirsty Mercury, I've had a couple of friendships from childhood that I relied on quite heavily, so it really devastated me when they suddenly ended as an adult. I only have one good friend now, which sometimes makes me feel sad and isolated at times.
@kam Ketu near the first 1 house? One of my ex have an exalted mars but with Rahu, and ketu on the first. She didn't have friends or just one sometimes but she didn't see them as friend more co-workers 😀
@lorris No, exalted Mars in the 10th alone although Neptune is there too, technically. They have Ketu in the 7th with the Moon. Rahu is alone in the 1st.
I ask the card of truth "how to make friends?" and it gave me a 10 of hearts 🤨 🤨 , 10 of hearts is a jack of club in the Jack spread. So it seems to confirm the Mars idea.
@lorris 10 of Hearts in terms of friendships is the card of popularity or having a lot of well wishers/tight knit family. Jack of Clubs friendships are more like your work colleagues, ie. people you gossip with while you're making coffee in the morning, or who you talk sports with, coworkers or teammates. More like acquaintances you make small talk with or situational friendships as opposed to good friends you have close emotional bonds with.