These are the global energies of a mercury in Libra or in 7th House that must be nuanced according to your chart, see the article Mercury in signs; see also the article on the general meaning of the planet Mercury.
You will also have to take into account whether the Sun is in this sign, in Virgo, or in Scorpio.
The planet mercury can also indicate the type of Projection of mental qualities in the colors of the occupied sign.
Sociability and Strategy with Libra
This position makes Mercury very “air-like”. Since it’s nicely in tune with the sign that it rules, Gemini (they form a Trine), this planet is quite at ease in this talkative, expressive Air territory.
The planet Mercury in Libra gives people peace of mind, a knack for communication, and eloquence. Their mind is supple, and their personality is gentle and friendly, with a sharp sense of how to be diplomatic and even a very advanced talent for strategy.
These people are often one step ahead of everyone else. Their large capacity for empathy allows them to easily gain an understanding of the machinery behind and structure of the psychology of human society.
They are very socially adept, making the effort to reconcile when needed and avoiding touching on sensitive topics. They understand the people they are talking to, and negotiate well. They also know how to tell a lie to get at the truth, and their subtlety may sometimes escape certain signs that are more “rustic and straightforward”. Their exceptional sociability often makes them “network people” : they are quite capable of making connections and also maintaining them.
These people abhor extremism in all of its forms, even though they themselves often have very deep-seated ideas. They refuse to be labeled as “bad” and always try to put themselves “in the middle”.
They may possess a deep sense of logic and rationality which can be very “abrupt” and cutting, and which contrasts sharply with the tremendous tact that they use to nicely deliver their remarks (they are able to state blunt truths with astonishing sophistication and elegance). While this does not generally pose a problem when talking to a person who is influenced by fire, when faced with someone influenced by water, and thus more attached to feelings and emotions, they may very often be on completely different wavelengths.
Yet, Mercury in Libra people are deeply objective and attached the ideas of equality and justice. They like intellectual sparring and debates, they like the effervescent energy that comes out of these discussions. They like building an argument, and they love conceptualizing their ideas (this is how they learn : they organize their knowledge by marvelously linking it all together and then pull out the most important parts).
As a result, they may be somewhat intransigent and arrogant compared to people who do not have well-structured opinions, and this may lead them to isolate themselves to some degree “in their ivory tower”, withdrawn into their mind and their own thoughts.
They attempt to find this same sharp mindedness that they themselves have in their partners. For them, the mind is a truly dominant part of any relationship, and is the seed of their emotions that they need to establish any affinity. In fact, it’s often very difficult for them to find the right person because of how they generally view other people. They are often very critical, do not tolerate “mediocrity”, and do not listen to people whose arguments they judge to be inadequate, unfounded, or biased. So, if you want to contradict them, it’s in your best interest to have a solid set of arguments and to prepare yourself for the coming interview. They have a hard time acknowledging it and giving compliments, but if you are able to staunchly stand up to them, you will inevitably win their respect and esteem.
Fundamentally, these people have the humility to recognize the “reality” of things, and their kindness leads them to treat others with respect. This is surely what gives them the ability to entice and persuade all of the other signs so easily.
They have a perfect understanding of balance and imbalance in relationships, both psychologically and in terms of finding “harmony”. It’s this understanding that gives them their sophistication, elegance, subtlety, delicacy, etc.
In the best case scenario, this makes them a true defender of widows and orphans, ready to make injustices right again. On the other hand, they can turn into Don Quixote, tilting at windmills without any perspective or foresight. As a result of wanting too badly to reach a consensus, they can also end up in a “split” : a totally indefensible position that will lead everyone to reproach them for taking a position as a moderator.
Mercury in Libra thus inherently gives people a sense of equilibrium, compromise, and strategy, which generally allows them to be excellent and very subtle advisors. These people are often even better at giving advice to others than making up their own mind for themselves ! They frequently have a lot of trouble making decisions, taking time to weigh the pros and cons and to find all of the arguments to form a basis for their opinion.
Indeed, it’s truly very amusing how they structure their point of view in such an extremely conditional way, almost modeled after computer programming language : “IF this/that OR this/that AND that BUT this OR this AND IF,” etc. Like a chess player, they consider all of the possibilities, to such a degree that their answer actually elicits more questions, which can quickly give some signs a headache when they just want a clear, binary YES/NO answer !
Intellect is a very important part of their personality; they have an extremely vast, ramified, and rich mind. This is a tremendous strength, but it can also be a handicap depending on how they use it. As my grandmother used to say: “Being intelligent is good, but it all depends on how you use your intelligence”.
Mercury in Libra people are cerebral. They like to “think for the sake of thinking”, but paradoxically, they can also sometimes be quite passive, idle, or lazy, wallowing in do-nothingness (including psychological do-nothingness) and relying on the head start that their intellect has given them.
Mercury retrograde in Libra
Retrograde motion in this sign maintains the cerebral, intellectual qualities of Mercury in Libra, but makes people more introverted, even more strategic, and also potentially more indecisive. They are even more nervous, more careful, more determined, and more rigorous. In fact, it’s as though the retrograde motion tints their actions with “Earth”, making them more rational, more practical and pragmatic, more concrete and much less abstract, and also less distant.
They excel at giving “sensible” advice, are good at calculating, and are very efficient in the world of work, even though they may be less sociable.
They learn differently, but energetically. Their erudition is more analytical, perfectionistic, tied to examples, well-organized, and possibly a bit obsessive. In the event that on top of it all their Sun is in Virgo, their personality will clearly bear the marks of this sign.
Celebrities with Mercury in Libra
Friedrich Nietzsche, Vladimir Putin, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, François Mitterrand, Margaret Thatcher, Silvio Berlusconi, Brigitte Bardot, Alain Delon, Stephen Arroyo…