Planet Mercury

The fast and furious

Taking just over two weeks to move from one horoscope sign to another, Mercury is the super quick trickster planet. In Roman mythology, "Mercury" was the wing-footed "Messenger god," and in Astrology, Mercury governs how we communicate on all levels, from basic conversation to our individual mental processes. As the overseer of all things travel, fleet-footed Mercury has taken over the realm of technology as, more and more, electronics and gadgets have become necessities, not luxuries.

Above all, Mercury is the planet of information -- collecting it, dispersing it and absorbing it. So, it makes perfect sense that the two horoscope signs ruled by Mercury (airy Gemini and earthy Virgo) are known for their intellectual natures. Gemini loves to learn all it possibly can about anything and everything, while Virgo is constantly in analyze and critique mode.