We may liken both the physical and psychological strata of the brain and mind to be analogous to the archetypes of Mercury and Pluto in astrology. Mercury, like conscious thought and the neocortex, is affiliated with the rational centers of the mind. Through the use of the neocortex, we may think abstract thoughts, we may self-reflect, we may write and communicate. The limbic system and the reptilian complex are responsible for the autonomical functioning of the human, the tasks that occur without conscious effort. Secondly, the lower strata of the triune brain are responsible for the more emotional, more powerful states of mind. Through the lower strata of the mind we feel—often intensely—threats from the environment. It is through the reptilian mind that fight of flight mechanisms are often brought to the surface of consciousness. The lower strata of the physical mind may be likened to the archetype of Pluto—the source of the powerful, yet often unconscious, material of the psyche.

Given Mercury’s and Pluto’s affiliations to the structure of the mind, it is easy to suggest that Mercury is a higher, or more evolved, archetype. If we are strictly to adhere to the sequence of evolution, this is true; the neocortex evolved after the formation of the lower brain. However, rather than look at the mind in terms of an evolutionary sequence, it is perhaps more illuminating to see the strata of the brain and mind in terms of relationship. The neocortex may help us to understand and repress, when necessary, the knee-jerk, instinctual reactions of the lower mind. However, the neocortex may also be the handmaiden or henchmen of the lower mind, building weapons of destruction and chaos that lower evolved life forms could never create. The alligator or lizard cannot create or detonate an atomic weapon when it feels the threat of its enemies; it simply reacts automatically to the impulses of its brain when danger is sensed. Thus, it is more productive to view the divisions of the mind and brain as a dynamic system rather than a hierarchy of evolution.

This relationship is the subject of this essay and it is best elucidated through the interplay of the archetypes of Mercury and Pluto. Mercury, the archetype of letters, thought, and left-brained analysis exists in relationship to Pluto, the symbol of primitive, evolutionary drives and deep-seated emotional material. Within astrology, this relationship is highlighted when Pluto and Mercury are in significant angular relationship to each other in the birth chart. That is, when this pairing are in aspect, the instinctual reservoir of energy of Pluto meets and informs the thinking and communicative centers of Mercury. Through Pluto and Mercury, the depths of the human unconscious meet rational and civilized discourse. Thus, with this pairing, Pluto informs the thought patterns of Mercury, as Mercury acts as a mouthpiece or conduit to the primal, evolutionary power of Pluto.

As with any planetary combination, the meeting of Pluto and Mercury makes for a multi-faceted expression. The interface is a complex one and can lead to a number of different, thought ultimately interrelated, manifestations. The following five patterns arguably represent the core of the archetypal complex, although certainly other expressions may be as evident.

· The Power of Persuasion:

Pluto-Mercury individuals are innately attuned to powerful use of language. They know that how you say something is as important as what you say. Pluto-Mercury individuals are either very powerful speakers or attract very power use of language into their lives. Sometimes this powerful drive around language can come through in a love (sometimes an unconscious love) for heated intellectual debate or arguments. For Pluto-Mercury possessors, the intellect is a source of passion and power, thus, there can be an extremely intense desire to hold onto one’s intellectual positions at all costs. In fact, since Pluto is often the seat of the unconscious, there may even be a sense of threat if one’s intellectual authority is undermined. Regardless, there can be a very intense, powerful drive around the mind and intellectual issues with this combination.

Pluto also signifies where there can be power struggles in our lives, where issues of domination and subjugation occur. With Pluto-Mercury, there can be a need to be top-dog in conversation, seeing everything as a possible argument to win. Or, on the other side of the spectrum, one can be very easily dominated in conversation with others, taking on the position of a child where we allow others to steamroll over us with arguments and positions which aren’t congruent with how we view reality. So, Pluto deals with power issues, how it manifests is different for every person, but with the Pluto-Mercury combination, power games and strategy are often intimately bound in communication and speech.

The Dark Side of the Mind:

Where Pluto is in the chart is the symbol where we are willing to confront, often courageously, the dark side of life—the murderous, the licentious, the scatological, or the demonic. Thus, with a Pluto-Mercury combination, there can be an innate fascination with dark intellectual subjects. Some individuals with the Pluto-Mercury combination report a paradoxical fascination and repulsion to horror books, mystery, crime novels, gothic literature, or any subject that is considered taboo. Thus, with Pluto in aspect to Mercury is where we see the dark side of life, and there can be a lifelong dalliance with intellectual subjects that carry this shadowy material.

Another way this combination can be witnessed is through constant or incessant usage of vulgar language; the need to express one’s self powerfully through obscenities or offensive language, especially if one is feeling threatened in some capacity. Often a Pluto-Mercury individual has to contend with more unrefined, darker sides of speech and thought.

Obsessions of the Mind:

Pluto’s position in the birth chart can be where we tend to obsess over things with an air of compulsivity. With a Pluto-Mercury combination, one may be an innate stickler for correct use of language. This may express itself through a very strict adherence to the rules and syntax of language or it may express itself in a fear of self-expression since one may fear that one can never live up to an internal standard of perfection in use of language. Pluto can fuel a sort of fixated sensibility over subject matters or ideas. When the aspect is activated in one’s life, there may be a sense of fixating or ruminating on one subject or a set of ideas. Although this may not sound comfortable from an outsider’s perspective, this type of obsessional activity can lead to extremely positive outcomes, such as intense problem solving or idea generation.

The Heart of the Matter:

The Pluto-Mercury possessor is often the individual that can talk most earnestly, bluntly, and openly about subject matter that may make others squeamish. Both attracting and manifesting intellectual discussions which may be brutal, frank, and utterly honest, the Pluto-Mercury individual is often the individual that may be most able to discuss things with complete honesty and directness. This quality can be both refreshing and liberating as it can be too blunt and harsh. Those with this aspect may learn when it is necessary to discuss matters in a deep, honest, and direct manner and when it is necessary to appropriately pad their talk with superficiality, cordiality, and diplomacy.

Deep Research:

In a similar vein, the Pluto-Mercury individual may be an individual who is most able to penetrate deeply and profoundly into any subject matter. Thus, the Pluto-Mercury possessor often makes an extraordinary researcher, investigator, or examiner, delving more profoundly and more deeply than others are capable. Both in terms of sheer quantity and level of penetrating insight, the Pluto-Mercury individual can stretch beyond normal capacity to reach extraordinary levels of the mind. Pluto’s evolutionary power can be the fuel that allows for superhuman achievement, stretching and pushing an individual to the utmost. When connected to the mind, Pluto may press an individual to extraordinary lengths and pursuit.

Examples of Individuals with Pluto-Mercury Aspects in the Birth Chart:

Sam Kinison (December 8th, 1953; Pluto square Mercury)

One needs to merely summon the guttural roar of deceased comedian Kinison’s peculiar style to get a sense of Pluto inflecting the archetype of Mercury. Known for both a raw, in-your-face brand of comedy and for monstrous rasping, yelling, and bellowing, Kinison represents a particular expression of the Pluto-Mercury interface. With Kinison, we observe how Mercury as a mouthpiece can serve to express the primal, instinctual, and passionate archetype of Pluto. That is, Mercury allows one a sense of understanding how the realm of Pluto manifests itself through the conduit of verbal and vocal expression. Kinison allows one to see how an unrefined, unrestrained Pluto can convey its energy through the conduit of voice, thoughts, and ideas.

Bret Easton Ellis (March 7, 1964; Pluto opposite Mercury)

Born with Mercury tightly opposite Pluto, Ellis’s fiction has been thoroughly punctuated with Plutonian themes: corruption, decadence, depravity, decay, and murder. This generation x novelist has distinguished himself as the arch observer of the territory where bourgeois meets the Underworld. In his most famous novels—Less than Zero and American Psycho—Ellis documents the slow dissent of privileged, disaffected individuals into very dark terrain. With Ellis, we see crosshairs of where the yuppie psyche meets the dark topography of the murderous, licentious, and wicked. Ellis has received critical and popular condemnation for his work, as the graphic and explicit content of his novels are not for the faint of heart. Ellis’s brand of fiction is merely one particular expression of how the Pluto-Mercury interface can manifest itself.

Gary Kasparov (April 13, 1963; Pluto trine Mercury)

Champion chess player, Gary Kasparov represents several expressions of the Pluto-Mercury interface. The Armenian-born competitor represents the extreme powers of concentration, mastery of mental strategy, and sheer mental effort of the Pluto-Mercury combination. Kasparov’s most famous match, the game where he took on IBM’s “Deep Blue” captures the evolutionary quality of Pluto, where mind is pitted against machine. Kasparov also symbolizes the often extreme mental competitiveness of the Pluto-Mercury combination.

Kitty Kelley (April 4, 1942; Pluto trine Mercury)

If Kasparov represents several facets of the Pluto-Mercury combination through chess, then Kelley symbolizes numerous qualities of the combination through the writing. To some, Kelley is a deep researcher who is uncanny in her ability to get her subjects to open up, confess, or otherwise talk explicitly about challenging or secretive material. To others, Kelley is nothing more than a trash biographer, exploiting and manipulating her subject matter for personal gain. Both expressions show the lofty and low expressions of Pluto-Mercury.