These are the global energies of a mercury in Scorpio or in 8th 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 Libra, or in Sagittarius.
The planet mercury can also indicate the type of Projection of mental qualities in the colors of the occupied sign.
The profound mind of Scorpio
The planet Mercury in Scorpio leads to a sharp, mysterious, and thoughtful mind that gets to the bottom of things. It pushes people to think beyond external appearances, and more about things that are hidden. These people are able to perceive the depths of the human psyche, and sometimes even the darkest, most impenetrable parts of it (Mercury in Scorpio people simply call this “clear-headedness”).
It’s important for them to be able to channel their powerful mind so as not to become a victim of it.
These people need to spend time with the aspect of darkness that lives deep inside of them. In addition to being externally confronted with this darkness, they need to tame it and cultivate it. This often takes them to the root of metaphysical questions as part of a deep mystical and spiritual quest.
It’s as though their mind is stretched out over the abyss between two extremes. Though one side of them can be angelic, the other can be much more diabolical and destructive in nature.
Their psyche can thus be both a blessing and a curse for them. On the one hand, they are perspicacious, efficient, and intuitive, which gives them the potential to be excellent psychologists, researchers, or investigators, as they are able to detect unsaid things and underlying energies and help other people using their selflessness (their judgment is shrewd and profound). Indeed, we may find them, for example, practicing medicine, or working as a part of the police or in the worlds of business or finance. On the other hand, their dark side can get the upper hand and take over their entire soul. They may seek out power, and they may focus on negativity and absorb it like a sponge without being able to evacuate it, which gives them a very self-destructive and sometimes even Machiavellian side.
It’s often difficult for them to bring optimism into the mix; even their humor is quite dark. They have a tendency to avoid shallowness and triviality, and they also tend to be quite wary of other people, showing themselves to be doubtful of any relationship.
Mercury in Scorpio people are thus passionate and extreme on all levels, and they also use their instincts, with great self-control. These people can be obstinate, very attached to their reasoning, and often inflexible in their decisions, as well as quite calculating and focused on making plans. This may make them somewhat aggressive, and rage may take over at times, but they are also very protective (or even possessive and jealous). Once they consider you to be part of their tribe, their loyalty is remarkable.
These people have a very intense hidden energy that gives them true magnetism, considerable powers of persuasion, influence over others, and real charisma, all of which makes them very dominant beings who can be somewhat over the top. They blossom much more in times of crisis than in times of peace, so much so that sometimes they themselves may create conflicts, even unconsciously, just to feel as though they are in control of the situation.
In terms of communication, Mercury in Scorpio people are often of the quiet sort, not very prone to outpourings or displays of feelings despite their sensitive nature. They understand that relationships with others are necessary for their own transformation, but may focus on the destructive side of their relationships.
Their unconscious is extremely active, and much of their behavior is compulsive.
They have a highly secretive side, tending to hide certain things and to have multiple, separate lives and sometimes even multiple personalities.
People with Mercury in this position learn very much empirically, a bit like the sign opposite them, Taurus. They need to “feel” things, touch them, try them out, and test them; they need examples, demonstrations, and models.
Mercury retrograde in Scorpio
Mercury’s Retrograde motion in this sign leads people to be introverted. All of the energies of Scorpio mentioned above are present, but in a much more internal way. These people are even more secretive and mysterious, and possibly more shy, but not any less sharp and charismatic. Given their very thoughtful mind, they may show themselves to be even better researchers and investigators.
This higher degree of introversion may allow them to focus their mind better, but they may also have more difficulty getting out of the darkness once they have stepped into it. In this way, these people are even more caught between different extremes : the retrograde motion adds another dynamic, likely giving them superior analytical abilities, but possibly also even more compulsive energy, and also in some ways restricting or slowing any possibility of development.
Celebrities with Mercury in Scorpio
Mahatma Gandhi, Winston Churchill, Theodore Roosevelt, Hillary Clinton, Bruce Lee, Pablo Picasso, Jean Claude Van Damme, Martin Scorsese, Arthur Rimbaud, Walt Disney, Oscar Wilde, Diego Maradona, Aleister Crowley, Ted Bundy, Charles Manson…