by Anja Heij
Mercurius solubilis means fluid mercury or quicksilver; mercurius vivis is ‘living’ mercury: two forms of the homoeopathic mercury who are very much alike and therefore discussed together.
There is a metal mercury, a planet Mercury and a god Mercury, who ofcourse all are interrelated. The strange thing about the metal is that it is liquid on room temperature. It forms drops who react on movement and temperature, dividing themselves into smaller drops and coming together again in bigger drops. Another characteristic is the ease by which the metal mercury merges with other metals and dissolves them, changes them, even gold can be transformed by it. The planet Mercury has the quickest rotation of all the planets in the solar system and it is the closest planet to the sun (the sun is related to the metal gold).
The god Mercury is known as the messenger of the gods, since he travels ‘quick’ly with his winged feet from one place to another. Mercury is astrologically associated with travel, communication, speaking and writing, connection, all kinds of flows, and therefore god of boths traders and thieves, alteration, flexibility, rational thinking and knowledge. Please note that Mercury simply transmits whatever there is to transmit, he is the divine and playful child not hindered by any moral or emotional load: he simply brings you the message no matter what the content of that message is. Medical astrology states that Mercury rules all circulatory systems, the blood circulation, the breath and the transfers of the nervous system. Further Mercury rules the bodyly flexibility, the lungs, the arms and hands and the senses as organs of communication. So now we see that we can characterize all Mercuries in three words: swiftness, alteration, connection.
The homoeopathic remedy Mercury suits people with a weak immune-system, together with instability and inefficiency of functions. That’s why these people absorb all incoming body messages without sorting; they simply react on anything. Important to know in this remedy is that almost every circumstance aggravates their condition and that there are only a few things that make them feel better! Just like a human thermometer they react on heat, cold, being outside, wet weather, change of weather, bedwarmth, perspiration, exertion, and so on. They are very instable; for instance they want warmth, and next aggravate by that warmth. Also their emotions are instable, laughing alterates with crying, etc. Body functions work inefficient; perspiration for instance serves to cool down the body and therefore should ameliorate someones condition. Not with Mercury: in that case perspiration in itself is a reason for aggravation.
People who need this remedy are usually very closed (drops of mercury close themselves into round closed forms) but not always: I also know them as very communicative persons, but the main thing is that they dislike to talk about meaningless things or to have superficial relationships. The prefer to stay apart or to dissolve into each other and there’s nothing in between. Because of their sensitivity they are restless and tensed; very sensitive to criticism and opposition, with possible fits of temper.
The Greek homoeopath G. Vithoulkas has come to the following scheme of Mercurial stages: 1. Mentally slow; slow in answering and in understanding. Though hasty and restless they need more time to fulfill a task then you would expect. 2. Impulsive, there is for instant a desire to beat or destruct, but these impulses are controlled. There can also be a desire to kill, but this usually remains within the desire realm. Inwardly aggression felt as fear of suicide and fear of becoming insane. 3. Suspicion resulting from a feeling of vulnerability. Anyone can be regarded as enemy. They easily feel threatened. 4. Insanity.
Mercury-type children are very vivid and early mature, also sexually. They like to play with their genitals. They often stammer and loose saliva while laying in bed. Later on these children become mentally slow. On the other hand Mercury is a good remedy for children who learn slowly and lack concentration because they react on every impuls around them.
A physical keynote for Mercury is easily sweating, especially at night, but not feeling better by it! Another keynote is that most complaints aggravate at night. And that there is a great tendency to ulceration, yellowishgreen pus, ulcers and wounds that won’t heal, swollen glands, often returning infections, hard and inflamed body-parts, rheumatic inflammations of joints, swollen tongue and gums, stinking breath, throat complaints, and a lot of saliva. Mercury is well known as a great medicine for throat-nose and ear-complaints, especially inflammations. Other possible complaints are pains in the bones, problems with the digestion, tremors, trembling, burning pain of the ovaries or the womb, burning urine and itching genitals.
People who need this remedy very much like bread and butter and cold drinks. Usually they dislike sweets.
And ofcourse they like traveling.
I know that many people don’t feel much sympathy for this remedy picture. But please keep in mind that Mercury characters have a hard time with themselves, reacting on everything and having difficulties with recovering. They are simply too open and need more inner ‘grid’. In this way the homoeopathic Mercury can work wonders.
Article by Anja Heij
Witch's Well 