Mercury Transit in Krittika

Agni is the deity of Krittika, and its symbol is a razor or a flame. The Sun rules it, and the Sun is Mercury's friend. The first pada lies in Aries, where Mercury is neutral toward Mars, and the other three lie in Taurus, where Venus is a friend. It is a nakshatra that sharpens Mercury.

About eight days is the usual stay, stretched past three weeks by a retrograde loop. The razor is the mind that separates one thing from another. Editing, auditing, criticism and sorting the true from the false all go well, and speech turns direct and sometimes cutting. A careless word burns.

Agni is also digestion and purification, and the nerves and the gut, both under Mercury, respond to plain food and a clear timetable. Mercury never travels far from the Sun. Combustion can fall on any stretch of the zodiac and mute its judgement for a time, so check the ephemeris for asta before trusting a decision.

The house from the Moon and the lagna sets the result. For the Aries pada, Pisces, Capricorn, Scorpio, Virgo, Cancer and Gemini Moons hold Mercury in Phaladeepika's favourable houses. For the Taurus padas, the gaining Moons are Aries, Aquarius, Sagittarius, Libra, Leo and Cancer. Taurus, Pisces, Capricorn, Scorpio, Virgo and Gemini Moons have it in the unfavourable houses during the longer Taurus stretch.

The transit shows what a person does with a sharp mind, and whether the cutting stops once the needed cut is made.

The remedy goes to Agni. Light a lamp to him at dusk and offer the day's harsh words into it. Recite Om Budhaya Namah, honour Vishnu, and give green cloth or moong on Wednesday. Measured speech is the main practice.