Hermes - God | Katie Todd TV

Hermes (Mercury) – God

Questions

Are you known as a gifted and persuasive communicator who loves to ‘wing it’ without a script?
Are you manic, most happy and passionate when engaged in a new dream venture or project?
Does the idea of living an ordinary, routine and mundane life appal you?
Have you always dreamed big and had unusual experiences and adventures?
Have you flirted with or attracted dangerous situations when lost or bored with life?
Have you always had a disruptive and rebellious nature that has been hard to manage?

Mythology of Hermes

Hermes was the herald and messenger of the gods, often travelling from the underworld to earth and to Olympus. Hermes was the son of Zeus and the nymph Maia. The myths say he was born in the morning, awoke and sought adventure. He was always on the go. He went out of his cave and killed a tortoise, using its shell as the sounding board of the lyre he invented on the spot. He was a gifted musician who was however, bored by nightfall. He wanted some meat and went and stole some of half-brother Apollo’s herd of cows. He sacrificed two for the gods and took fifty and cleverly hid them, taking care to hide his tracks. He then returned to his cave and swaddled himself in his baby rugs and fell asleep.

Apollo wasn’t fooled by his false innocence and demanded to know where his herd was. Maia defended her son and eventually Zeus was called in to mediate. He immediately saw through his young son though laughed at his guile. He insisted that Hermes show Apollo where his herd was hidden. There was competitive sibling rivalry from then on between the two half-brothers.

Hermes also invented the flute and he is the god of commerce, thieves, businessmen, athletes and travellers. He was also the guide to the underworld, taking people to Hades (the unconscious) and on occasion returning them. He is also credited with returning Persephone to her mother Demeter, (though Hecate has also been suggested to have taken this role). Hermes was also a great rescuer, saving Zeus and others many times and freeing the young Mars. He is associated with Mercury by the Romans, and mercury is a substance that only adheres to precious metal. Metaphorically Hermes is here to help us discover spiritual gold.

Hermes name means “he of the stone heap”. He provides signposts and landmarks (stone markers) for travellers to help them in their travels. The stones also symbolise gravestones, and Hermes provides us with signposts on our metaphysical travels as well, especially when we venture into new territory on any level. He is a god that appears when we’re at the crossroads of life, and being initiated into new realms of experience. Hermes is the father to the amoral Pan and Hermaphroditus born of Aphrodite and Hermes, among others. Hermaphroditus reflects Hermes bisexual and androgynous nature. He had many love affairs though lived mostly as a bachelor.
(Shinoda-Bolen, Gods In Everyman, p 162-5)

Description

Those with this archetype will be renowned as very gifted speakers. They were born with the gift of the gab and are known for their wit and quick thinking on their feet. They may be wonderful entertainers and have been involved in the arts world or media and can be writers. Standup comedians will often have this archetype. Hermes people certainly have an expressive ability and charisma that others envy. They can easily persuade people to engage in their latest ideas and projects. They are brilliant messengers with an entrepreneurial nature. They think big and view the mundane as pointless and a life not worth living. When bored they become disruptive and destructive at times. Their ingenuity is rarely neutral. They either use their creativity either for positive outcomes or deceptively to get ahead quickly. The laws of society do not concern them overly, and they are puzzled at others’ rigid adherence to what seems so arbitrary and meaningless to them. They have a naturally competitive nature and will use guile and cunning rather than force to achieve their ends.

Hermes brings luck to travellers, and those with Hermes are often seen as lucky.