Astrocartography · Mercury line
Mercury line astrocartography: where your mind speeds up
Mercury is talk, learning, trade and travel. Near its lines, the tradition says, conversations multiply and ideas come faster than you can write them down.
NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington
At a glance
Astrocartographers read Mercury lines as places of communication, study, deals and a busy, curious mind.
- Per birth hour
- 15.00°1,668 km
- AC/DC cut-off
- 64.1°November 30, 2023
- Mercury pace
- 1.22° a dayall twelve signs
- Mercury MC
- 124.7°WVictoria, 102 km
Find your Mercury lines15.0° per birth hour.
The Mercury line
The Mercury line, in one breath
Try this today
- Check a city where you learned a language or did your best studying. Is Mercury nearby?
- Look at your Sun and Mercury lines side by side in the finder. They usually travel as a pair.
Picture a city where you somehow end up talking to everyone: the barista, the person next to you on the train, three new contacts by Friday. Your notes app fills up. You sign up for a class. That is the Mercury line in its natural habitat.
Mercury is the messenger planet, the part of you that thinks, talks, learns, buys, sells and gets from A to B. Near its lines, astrocartographers say, those activities speed up. It is a favourite line for students, writers, translators, salespeople and anyone whose work runs on words.
The flip side is noise. A Mercury line can be overstimulating, with more messages, more errands and more opinions than you can handle. Nervous energy and poor sleep are the usual complaints.
Mercury always sits close to the Sun in the sky, never more than about 28 degrees away, so your Mercury lines usually run near your Sun lines. Read them together.
The sky behind it
Mercury, 1940 to 2026: 1.22° a day on average, all twelve signs, declination -25.87° (November 30, 2023) to +25.66° (May 29, 1987).
Mercury rising (AC)
Mercury rising (AC line): the quick-witted you
On Mercury's rising line, the tradition says you come across as curious, chatty and quick. It is a good line for networking, learning a language, starting a side business or reinventing how you talk about yourself.
The tradition reads sharper thinking and a youthful restlessness. You may walk more, travel locally more and juggle more projects.
The risk is scattering. On a Mercury AC line pick two things to go deep on, and let the rest be fun.
The sky behind it
Apollo 11 sample, July 20, 1969 20:17:40 UTC. Mercury AC curves through 125.0°E at 40°N, 145.3°E at the equator, 165.5°E at 40°S. 5 within 300 km: Pyongyang (3 km), Shenyang (15 km), Seoul (17 km).
Mercury setting (DC)
Mercury setting (DC line): clever partners and good deals
On the setting line, Mercury colours your one-to-one relationships. Astrocartographers read it as meeting witty, talkative partners, and as a strong line for contracts, negotiations and collaborations.
It suits agents, consultants and anyone whose income depends on working with clients. In love it brings partners who are also best friends and conversation partners.
Read the fine print. Mercury rules contracts, and also tricksters.
The sky behind it
Mercury DC: curves through 14.5°W at 40°N, 34.7°W at the equator, 55.0°W at 40°S. 11 within 300 km: Oslo (7 km), Bristol (52 km), Manchester (70 km).
Mercury overhead (MC)
Mercury overhead (MC line): a voice at work
Mercury at the top of the sky is read as a career in communication: writing, publishing, media, teaching, tech, trade and transport. People look for it when they want their ideas to reach an audience.
It is a good line for building a reputation as the person who explains things clearly, or who knows how to connect people.
Careers here can be busy and varied. Expect more than one job title.
The sky behind it
Mercury MC: runs straight down the meridian at 124.7°W. 5 within 300 km: Victoria (102 km), Vancouver (117 km), Portland (160 km).
Mercury underfoot (IC)
Mercury underfoot (IC line): a busy, bookish home
On Mercury's IC line, home becomes a place of thinking and talking. Astrocartographers read it as good for studying or working from home, for writing family history, and for a household full of conversation.
It can also mean frequent moves or a home that is always busy with siblings, neighbours and visitors.
If you want a quiet nest, pair this line with something calmer nearby.
The sky behind it
Mercury IC: runs straight down the meridian at 55.3°E. 3 within 300 km: Dubai (5 km), Abu Dhabi (88 km), Ashgabat (273 km).
Your Mercury lines
Where do your Mercury lines run?
Sample Mercury: 25°50′ Cancer, declination 22.42°.
1. Whose chart?
Chart: Apollo 11 landing (1969-07-20 20:17 UTC)
Mercury rising (AC)
talk, learning, quick wits, a busy mind.
- Pyongyang, North Korea: 1 km (1 mi) · strong
- Shenyang, China: 15 km (9 mi) · strong
- Seoul, South Korea: 16 km (10 mi) · strong
- Changchun, China: 235 km (146 mi) · strong
- Christchurch, New Zealand: 289 km (180 mi) · strong
- Brisbane, Australia: 416 km (258 mi)
Mercury setting (DC)
contracts, conversations, clever partners.
- Oslo, Norway: 5 km (3 mi) · strong
- Bristol, United Kingdom: 51 km (32 mi) · strong
- Manchester, United Kingdom: 70 km (44 mi) · strong
- Ushuaia, Argentina: 107 km (67 mi) · strong
- Florianópolis, Brazil: 122 km (76 mi) · strong
- São Paulo, Brazil: 144 km (90 mi) · strong
Mercury overhead (MC) · 124.7°W
a voice at work: writing, teaching, media, trade.
- Victoria, Canada: 101 km (63 mi) · strong
- Vancouver, Canada: 116 km (72 mi) · strong
- Portland, United States: 159 km (99 mi) · strong
- Seattle, United States: 179 km (112 mi) · strong
- San Francisco, United States: 203 km (126 mi) · strong
- Los Angeles, United States: 597 km (371 mi)
Mercury underfoot (IC) · 55.3°E
a busy household, study at home, thinking about roots.
- Dubai, United Arab Emirates: 3 km (2 mi) · strong
- Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: 89 km (55 mi) · strong
- Ashgabat, Turkmenistan: 272 km (169 mi) · strong
- Muscat, Oman: 319 km (198 mi)
- Tehran, Iran: 348 km (216 mi)
- Doha, Qatar: 377 km (234 mi)
Strong inside 300 km.
More to read
One shorter read. It opens in place.
Always near the Sun
Why Mercury lines shadow your Sun lines
Seen from Earth, Mercury never strays more than about 28 degrees from the Sun. On the map that keeps your Mercury lines close to your Sun lines, often within a few hundred kilometres. Where they nearly overlap, astrocartographers read the Sun's confidence and Mercury's voice together.
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Mercury line numbers, computed
NASA JPL DE442.
| Line | Where it runs | Nearest cities |
|---|---|---|
| Mercury AC | 40°N: 125.0°E · 0°: 145.3°E · 40°S: 165.5°E | Pyongyang (3 km), Shenyang (15 km), Seoul (17 km), Changchun (236 km), Christchurch (290 km) |
| Mercury DC | 40°N: 14.5°W · 0°: 34.7°W · 40°S: 55.0°W | Oslo (7 km), Bristol (52 km), Manchester (70 km), Ushuaia (108 km), Florianópolis (121 km) |
| Mercury MC | 124.7°W | Victoria (102 km), Vancouver (117 km), Portland (160 km), Seattle (180 km), San Francisco (203 km) |
| Mercury IC | 55.3°E | Dubai (5 km), Abu Dhabi (88 km), Ashgabat (273 km) |
| Mercury | Degrees | When |
|---|---|---|
| Mercury north | +25.66° | May 29, 1987 |
| Mercury south | -25.87° | November 30, 2023 |
| Mercury 2026 | -24.85° to 25.60° | cut-off 64.4° |
| Mercury per 15 min | 3.75° | 417 km (259 mi) |
All times are UTC. In the Americas the local date can be a day earlier; in Asia and Australia a day later.
Quick answers
What is a Mercury line in astrocartography?
The places where Mercury was rising, setting, overhead or underfoot at your birth. It is read as a line of communication, learning, trade and travel.
Is the Mercury MC line good for career?
Read as a strong line for careers in writing, media, teaching, tech, sales and anything that runs on ideas and words.
What does Mercury AC mean?
Mercury rising at your birth, seen from that place. You come across as curious and witty, and it is read as a good line for learning and networking.
Is the Mercury DC line good for business?
Yes, in the tradition: it is linked to contracts, negotiations, clients and clever collaborators. In love, it brings partners who are great to talk to.
What is the best astrocartography line for writers?
Mercury MC is the classic writing and publishing line, with Mercury AC for finding your voice. Venus and Neptune lines are often added for creative writing.
