Mercury in Taurus: Since this sign is of an earthy nature according to medieval

sources, Mercury here indicates natives whose thinking and decision making are
based on practical common sense. They have shrewd business intellects and have a
talent for management. Intellectually, they are slow to come to decisions, but once
made, their minds will be difficult to change. They can also be stubborn and
opinionated. The cool/dry nature allows for great powers of concentration, since
cold, according to Aristotle, is what concentrates things into tighter spaces.

In a diurnal chart, the ability to make intellectual distinctions is increased

since the heat burns off impure/muddy ideas. The opinionated nature comes out more
completely and there is greater intellectual conservatism, though they are not
necessarily conformists. The dryness of the daytime prevents easy conformity, which
is something water/wetness does much better. These natives tend to be more
practical than their nocturnal counterparts.

In a nocturnal chart, intellectual reasoning is relational by nature. The mind asks

how situations and things are alike because the cool and moist of the night brings
together things of like and unlike nature and concentrates them in a way that makes
it more difficult to make distinctions. Therefore there is a higher degree of
tolerance and understanding, and the native is less opinionated. There can be a
higher degree of confusion as well and sometimes long held ideas end up being
changed through disillusionment.