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Guide

Mercury Retrograde Dates

Every Mercury retrograde period from 2026 through 2028, with its pre- and post-shadow, computed from real planetary positions and shown in your own time zone.

Mercury retrograde dates, 2024 to 2030

Exact station times calculated with Astronomy Engine, shown in your time zone. The shadow starts when Mercury first reaches the degree where it will later turn direct, and ends when it passes the degree where it turned retrograde.

Turns retrogradeTurns directSignsShadow
27°13′ Aries to 15°59′ Aries to
4°06′ Virgo to 21°24′ Leo to
22°40′ Sagittarius to 6°24′ Sagittarius to
9°35′ Aries to 26°50′ Pisces to
15°34′ Leo to 4°15′ Leo to
6°52′ Sagittarius to 20°42′ Scorpio to
22°34′ Pisces to 8°29′ Pisces to
26°15′ Cancer to 16°19′ Cancer to
20°59′ Scorpio to 5°02′ Scorpio to
5°59′ Pisces to 20°55′ Aquarius to
6°22′ Cancer to 27°28′ Gemini to
4°56′ Scorpio to 19°19′ Libra to
19°42′ Aquarius to 3°59′ Aquarius to
16°19′ Gemini to 7°45′ Gemini to
18°36′ Libra to 3°29′ Libra to
3°38′ Aquarius to 17°32′ Capricorn to
26°40′ Taurus to 17°34′ Taurus to
1°50′ Libra to 17°27′ Virgo to
17°42′ Capricorn to 1°26′ Capricorn to
7°48′ Taurus to 27°26′ Aries to
14°30′ Virgo to 1°06′ Virgo to
1°52′ Capricorn to 15°33′ Sagittarius to

Why Mercury seems to go backward

Mercury never actually reverses. It orbits the Sun much faster than Earth does, about four laps for each one of ours. When Mercury swings around the near side of its orbit and passes between Earth and the Sun, the angle of our view changes quickly, and for about three weeks Mercury appears to slide backward against the background stars.

This happens three or four times a year. Because Mercury stays within about 28 degrees of the Sun, each retrograde happens close to the Sun in the sky, usually when the planet is hard to see in twilight.

The periods from 2026 to 2028

In 2026, Mercury is retrograde from February 26 to March 20 in Pisces, from June 29 to July 23 in Cancer, and from October 24 to November 13 in Scorpio.

In 2027 the three periods are February 9 to March 3 (Pisces back into Aquarius), June 10 to July 4 (Cancer back into Gemini) and October 7 to October 28 (Scorpio back into Libra).

In 2028 they run January 24 to February 14 in Aquarius, May 21 to June 14 in Gemini, and September 19 to October 11 in Libra. These dates are in UTC; the tool on this page converts the exact station times to your time zone, which can move a date by one day.

What the shadow means

Before Mercury stations retrograde, it first moves forward over the degrees it will later retrace. That stretch is the pre-shadow. After it turns direct, it needs a couple of weeks to climb back to the degree where the retrograde began. That is the post-shadow.

For example, the October 2026 retrograde has a shadow from October 4 to November 30, and the October 2027 one has a shadow from September 17 to November 13. Many astrologers read the shadow as a softer lead-in and fade-out around the main period.

Themes the tradition links with it

Mercury rules communication, short trips, contracts, letters and in modern terms technology. So, in traditional readings, a retrograde Mercury would be a time when messages might be misread, plans might need revisiting, and older topics or people might come back up.

These are symbolic associations only. Astrology has no evidence that devices break more often or that agreements made during a retrograde turn out worse, and we do not suggest delaying or avoiding anything because of these dates.

Your natal Mercury

If Mercury was retrograde when you were born, the tradition reads it as an inward, reflective style of thinking. Check your placement with the Mercury sign calculator, see daily positions in the ephemeris, or compare the next long retrograde on our Mars retrograde 2027 page.

Questions

Is Mercury retrograde right now?

The tool on this page checks the current date against the periods listed and tells you whether Mercury is retrograde, in shadow or direct today.

How often does Mercury go retrograde?

Usually three times a year, occasionally four, each time for about three weeks. Over the three years on this page there are nine periods, three in each year.

Do the signs matter?

Astrologers often read a retrograde through the sign it falls in. A period in a water sign like Pisces or Scorpio is described in more emotional terms, one in an air sign like Gemini or Libra in more mental terms.

For entertainment and self-reflection. Astrology is not a science, and nothing on this page predicts your health, money or relationships.