Mercury Transit in Ashwini

Ashwini opens the zodiac in Aries, from the first degree of the sign. Its deities are the Ashwini Kumaras, physicians to the gods, its symbol a horse's head and its lord Ketu. Mercury is neutral toward Ketu in the usual lists and neutral toward Mars, the lord of Aries. Neither helps nor hinders it. Its own speed sets the tone.

Moving direct, Mercury crosses Ashwini in about eight days, and a retrograde loop can hold it here for over a month. Speech quickens, decisions come fast, and messages go out before they are read a second time. Trade and travel move well. Medicine, diagnosis and the nerves come forward.

Muhurta Chintamani counts Ashwini among the laghu nakshatras, light and quick, suited to learning, trade, medicine and setting out, and Mercury adds its own ease with words and accounts. A short course, a first consultation, a departure or a piece of writing started and finished in one sitting all suit these days.

From the Moon and the lagna, Mercury in Aries reaches Phaladeepika's favourable houses for six Moon signs. Pisces, Capricorn, Scorpio, Virgo, Cancer and Gemini Moons have it in the second, fourth, sixth, eighth, tenth and eleventh. Aries, Aquarius, Sagittarius, Libra, Leo and Taurus Moons should take care with hasty speech and quick signatures.

The mind has little time to think. Ketu's nakshatra brings out the instinct beneath the reasoning, and Mercury reports what it finds, so a good instinct speaks well here and haste mistaken for clarity shows itself within the week.

The remedy is to slow the tongue by a breath. Recite Om Budhaya Namah, worship Vishnu, and give green cloth or moong on Wednesday. Honour the Ashwini Kumaras with a prayer for health, and keep to one task at a time until Mercury has passed.