Every queer knows what their Sun sign is, but are you familiar with your Mercury sign?
Mercury is all about communication. Your Mercury sign informs how you speak, think, and listen (especially on dates). When we’re swiping away on apps like Tinder or OKCupid, what we notice first about all these queer cuties isn’t their appearance or magnetism but their ability to captivate our attention beyond a simple “hey” DM. So, let’s talk about how your Mercury sign impacts your Tinder style. To find out your mercury sign, click here.
Mercury in Aries:
When you text someone, you’re looking for instant response time. Aries usually end up meeting IRL with whoever is online at the time of your Tinder browsing, not who is actually most compatible for you. If someone doesn’t see their message until a day after, then too bad. You only open the Tinder app itself when you’re already dressed for a date and simply looking for a random person to meet up with—the least important part of it all, of course. Aries dream date is when you already look amazing, open Tinder, swipe on someone super hot, and realize that they’re sitting next to you on the train.
Crush on an Aries Mercury? An Aries Mercury will send you a bunch of messages when they want to hang out but become a ghost when they’re busy doing something else. Just take it as it is. Don’t feel insulted if they suddenly decide they need a hiatus from Tinder. If they’re interested, they’ll suddenly call you four times a night when you least expect it. Just be ready when they are, and you’ll be the one for them.
Mercury in Taurus:
There’s a Chinese word mu that describes Mercury in Taurus perfectly. It literally means wood. When describing a person, it means that talking to that person is like talking to a piece of wood. Technically, there is life but it just takes forever for that person to respond. Talk to a tree and you might see growth in a year or two. Talk to a Mercury in Taurus and you might see a reaction way down the line. If you’re Mercury is in Taurus, you like to take your sweet time. You despise it when people rush into things or make you reply faster. Things happen as they happen.
Crush on a Taurus Mercury? Treat Mercury in Taurus’ gently. They may not get all your jokes or references, but more often than not, they’re hot AF. And they know this about themselves. They literally can’t keep up with more than one admirer so, if they’re replying consistently with you online, you’re probably the only person they’re flirting with. Proximity is key here. Taurus Mercury people don’t like to stray far from where they’re already comfortable. If you live close, then plan for some fantastic food in the neighborhood and don’t stress about having chemistry through texting.
Mercury in Gemini:
Geminis live for GOSSIP. You like it when someone you meet on Tinder has mutual friends, so you can trade whatever secrets together. If you don’t have friends in common with a Mercury in Gemini, talk sh*t about celebrities instead. Gemini is the information broker of the zodiac, and you like the meanest, juiciest scoop. Mercury in Gemini will never run out of stories to tell and investigate. The joke’s on you when you’re telling your latest Tinder crush about an ex of a friend who was “literally so weird” and suddenly you find out that the ex is actually your crush.
Crush on a Gemini Mercury? Just keep sending links when flirting with a Gemini Mercury. They won’t read them, but they’ll read the headline. Send them fake news and giggle over how fake it is and how you can’t believe people actually believe this stuff. Offer them inside information on something only you have. When taking them out, take them to some secret party or band that only five people have heard of. Avoid mainstream topics with them unless you’re using a tone of derision. Also, give them a riddle and tell them that you’ll only tell them the answer when you see them in person (if you want to keep them from flaking out on you).
Mercury in Cancer:
Cancer Mercury isn’t just talking to the person on Tinder—you’re googling them, looking for them on Facebook, LinkedIn, and even finding old Photobucket accounts they had when they were a teenager. Cancer Mercury is excavating their date’s old Livejournal. You’re doing this because you’re really interested in this person and when they talk about their school days, you want to ask the right questions. That’s why you’re looking for pictures of your Tinder crush from twenty years ago when they did some science bowl tournament in the tenth grade.
Crush on a Cancer Mercury? It’s impossible to be too open when talking with a Mercury in Cancer. Feel free to go into length at some small thing that happened years ago that hasn’t bothered you since. Feel free to go into the depths of your teenaged angst, about your mother, and about random thoughts you had on the train. The more ridiculously vulnerable you can be, the more Mercury in Cancer will continue to be fascinated. Had a bad dream due to a burrito you ate at midnight? Feel free to write a three-paragraph text message detailing this.
Mercury in Leo:
If you’re Leo Mercury, you’re more interested in receiving feedback about the really good selfies you’ve taken than anything else. Leos love it when they receive compliments from strangers about how cute they are. Of course, it wasn’t anything more than what Leo Mercury expected. And you like to have fun when initiating a conversation. Leos never run out of fun things to start with and ways to show off your charisma. Chances are, you most likely have the game of attracting someone with your good look and hilarious banter. If your Mercury is in Leo, just make sure that you actually hear what the other person has to say.
Crush on a Leo Mercury? Did you find a Mercury in Leo? MAKE SURE YOU COMPLIMENT THEM. This is not a sign that wants to divulge all your inner secrets before seeing pictures of one another. They know that you know what they look like and, if you don’t have anything good to say about that, then they don’t have anything to say to you at all. Start with the selfies on this one. Ask them where they were when they took the picture because it looks like they’re having just so much fun. Most of all, keep up. Don’t let more than three messages go by without replying because they will feel ignored. You’ll need a lot of energy for this one.
Mercury in Virgo:
When your Mercury is in Virgo, you’re extremely picky about who you swipe right on. You have an eye for details that will make you notice when the wording of some short bio seems slightly off, or if a photo seems to picture fan merch from that show you really can’t stand. Once you start talking with someone, you’re ready to go at length into any given topic. You can analyze the shit out of a recent TV show or talk circles around Husserl’s theory of phenomenology. Make sure that whatever you’re getting into is actually of interest to the other person.
Crush on a Virgo Mercury? If you’re already talking to Mercury in Virgo, you’ve already passed their criteria for good people. Now, prepare to get super intellectual. This person is not kidding around. Don’t just sit there to ooh and ahh over what they have to say. They will respect you if you give your opinions upfront, especially if you critique their existing positions so that they can constantly improve. Once you meet in person, it’ll be easy to keep the conversation going.
Mercury in Libra:
If someone is writing you long messages, it can be hard for you to respond because you always want to match the amount of time someone spends writing to you back. That’s why you like to keep things short and sweet. Even if you don’t like someone, you won’t tell them why. It’s almost impossible for you to not put a smiley face behind every message, even if the message is meant to be kind of mean. More often than not, you have a bunch of people you’re talking to at once on Tinder and, embarrassingly enough, sometimes you confuse who you’re actually talking to. Luckily, you’re the type to plan to meet up several times and flaking before finally seeing someone IRL.
Crush on a Libra Mercury? Don’t text your Mercury in Libra Tinder date during work hours. They are not able to ignore any incoming messages, so they feel that they must take time away from the job to reply back. This will be annoying to them, but they will not say anything. If they cancel your first meetup a couple of times, it’s most likely Libra indecision than anything else since they don’t even know you yet. This person probably goes on a lot of first dates. Don’t take anything too seriously until you’ve spent a good amount of time together.
Mercury in Scorpio:
You’re more interested in who has the upper hand in a convo than the actual content. Nine times out of ten, you’re paying careful attention to who was the last to reply to a conversation and who texted more than once. When you’re interested in someone, you can be rather intense. When you don’t like someone, you are a ghost. Scorpio Mercury is pretty selective about your swiping criteria, and it can be hard for you to get the ball rolling when you actually begin talking. Before you meet up with anyone, you put them through a lengthy trial of sussing them out.
Crush on a Scorpio Mercury? Flirting with a Mercury in Scorpio on Tinder can be kind of nerve-wracking. Just make sure you don’t mess up. Be respectful and don’t cross any of their boundaries. Let them retain complete secrecy while you tell them your deepest, darkest truths in detail. Don’t be obsessed with them but don’t not be obsessed with them either. Chances are, when you meet up, Mercury in Scorpio has already pegged you in some type of way. They think they know what you’re about. Show them that you’re full of surprises, and they will have to stick around to get to know you.
Mercury in Sagittarius:
Tinder is sort of a game where you can judge people with just a quick swipe. Sagittarius Mercury is not ashamed of telling someone exactly what you think of their profile. And the thing is, you have an opinion about everything and everyone. You’re probably sitting somewhere with a friend and flipping through Tinder with a short quip about the sea of unfamiliar (and sometimes familiar) faces. That’s why nothing bothers you as much as seeing someone you know on Tinder. You suddenly realize that there are also people judging you for your bio and pictures.
Crush on a Scorpio Mercury? Find a wild Mercury in Sagittarius through all your swiping? Ask to pick their brain about something. It could be a current event, some esoteric subject, or a conspiracy theory. These people love to teach, and they’ll enjoy teaching you something new, even if nothing else happens. No matter what happens with a Mercury in Sagittarius, you can always count on learning something new. For your first date, choose something risky.
Mercury in Capricorn:
OK, so you might be that person who absolutely hates Tinder and the like because you’re adamant that you’re shitty at texting. And you’re 100 percent right. Capricorn Mercury responses can sound a little like a person who’s never used the internet. You might be too dry, lack knowledge of what emojis to use, and incorrectly punctuate your texts for the right tone. You’re the type to text “looking forward to it” to your bae. (Who’s probably used to receiving messages like that from their boss, but not their girlfriend.)
Crush on a Capricorn Mercury? When you stumble across a Mercury in Capricorn on Tinder, don’t fret when their text messages are less than flirty or when they don’t respond to your subtle texting humor. Don’t try to use risky sarcasm before meeting in person. In fact, it’s best to just skip the texting phase altogether and just meet up. Mercury in Capricorn is much better IRL. Only when you meet them will you know whether this is the love of your life or not. And they’re usually more than geeked to meeting up in person.
Mercury in Aquarius:
When you message someone, you’re not just basing your assessment of what they’re like by the conversation itself, but scrolling through their linked Instagram and checking to see if you have any mutual friends. You’re more ready to get to know someone when you see that you already have some friends in common, or if you can socially place the person in your community. Do they like witchy things, are they a punk, or are they a freegan?
Crush on an Aquarius Mercury? If you find yourself chatting to a Mercury in Aquarius, just be yourself. If they can’t figure out how you operate socially and what group you’re part of, they might not be that interested. Plan your first meeting to be in a place with a lot of people, maybe as a group hangout if necessary. They want to see not only what you’re like one on one but who your friends are and where your usual hangouts are.
Mercury in Pisces:
You’re the type of person who leaves mid-conversation to take a nap and doesn’t reply until two months later. Tinder is hard for you. Sure, it’s easy enough to strike up a conversation, but it’s much harder to sustain one and to eventually commit to meeting up in the end. You tend to tailor your responses to fit every person you’re talking to. You just want the person in your company to feel comfortable. This can be very difficult when the person you’re talking to is a stranger from the internet.
Crush on a Pisces Mercury? If the person you’re talking to has a Mercury in Pisces, realize that it’s going to be almost next to impossible for them to commit to a date with you. The fastest way to their heart is to talk about their subcultural interests, have a several-hours-long texting conversation where you feel like you’re spilling your heart out to them, let them leave for s few months, then somehow run into each other at some random event. Mercury in Pisces will almost be ready for fate to work its magic.
