Mercury Conjunct Mars

These two make a good pair and a dangerous one. Mercury supplies the words, Mars supplies the will to use them, and there is no interval between the two. The native thinks at speed, argues for pleasure, and is bored senseless by deliberation. Decisions are made early in a discussion and defended for the rest of it. They are excellent in an emergency and poor in a committee. Wit is the usual first accomplishment, and it is sharp before it is kind, because the reflex is quicker than the manners.

The behaviour is unmistakable. This native interrupts, and knows they interrupt, and does it again. They read fast and skim what bores them, which means they are formidably informed about a few things and confidently wrong about several others. Instructions are given as commands and taken badly. In a quarrel they escalate immediately to the strongest available formulation, win, and are surprised to find the other party still angry a week later, having themselves forgotten the whole business by lunchtime. Handwriting is quick and often illegible. Machinery, tools and driving are natural territory.

Directed, this is one of the most useful conjunctions available. Surgery, engineering, trial advocacy, journalism under deadline and any work requiring a decision made now and correctly all suit it, because the speed is genuine and not merely nervous. What has to be built is the pause, and it must be built deliberately, since nothing in the aspect supplies it. The rule that serves such natives best is mechanical rather than moral: write the reply, do not send it until the following morning. Most of the damage this contact does is done inside ten seconds.