Western astrology · reference
Mercury retrograde dates
Every Mercury retrograde from 2025 to 2028: the instants it turns retrograde and direct, the sign and degree at each station, and the pre- and post-shadow periods, in UTC+8. Stations are computed from an ephemeris — the moment Mercury's apparent motion along the ecliptic is zero. Venus and Mars follow below. Astronomy only; no forecasts.
Mercury retrograde 2025–2028
| Year | Turns retrograde | Turns direct | Days | Signs (degree) | Shadow (pre → post) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2025-03-15 14:47 | 2025-04-07 19:05 | 23 | Aries 9°35′ → Pisces 26°50′ | 2025-03-01 → 2025-04-26 |
| 2025 | 2025-07-18 12:38 | 2025-08-11 15:33 | 24 | Leo 15°34′ → Leo 4°15′ | 2025-06-30 → 2025-08-25 |
| 2025 | 2025-11-10 03:00 | 2025-11-30 01:38 | 20 | Sagittarius 6°52′ → Scorpio 20°42′ | 2025-10-21 → 2025-12-17 |
| 2026 | 2026-02-26 14:46 | 2026-03-21 03:34 | 23 | Pisces 22°34′ → Pisces 8°29′ | 2026-02-12 → 2026-04-09 |
| 2026 | 2026-06-30 01:37 | 2026-07-24 06:57 | 24 | Cancer 26°15′ → Cancer 16°19′ | 2026-06-13 → 2026-08-07 |
| 2026 | 2026-10-24 15:15 | 2026-11-13 23:52 | 20 | Scorpio 20°59′ → Scorpio 5°02′ | 2026-10-04 → 2026-11-30 |
| 2027 | 2027-02-10 01:35 | 2027-03-03 20:34 | 22 | Pisces 5°59′ → Aquarius 20°55′ | 2027-01-26 → 2027-03-23 |
| 2027 | 2027-06-11 02:18 | 2027-07-05 03:40 | 24 | Cancer 6°22′ → Gemini 27°28′ | 2027-05-26 → 2027-07-19 |
| 2027 | 2027-10-07 22:39 | 2027-10-28 22:10 | 21 | Scorpio 4°56′ → Libra 19°19′ | 2027-09-17 → 2027-11-13 |
| 2028 | 2028-01-24 19:04 | 2028-02-14 20:38 | 21 | Aquarius 19°42′ → Aquarius 3°59′ | 2028-01-09 → 2028-03-06 |
| 2028 | 2028-05-21 16:39 | 2028-06-14 14:07 | 24 | Gemini 16°19′ → Gemini 7°45′ | 2028-05-07 → 2028-06-29 |
| 2028 | 2028-09-20 00:31 | 2028-10-11 18:29 | 22 | Libra 18°36′ → Libra 3°29′ | 2028-08-30 → 2028-10-26 |
Venus retrograde 2025–2028
| Year | Turns retrograde | Turns direct | Days | Signs (degree) | Shadow (pre → post) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2025-03-02 08:32 | 2025-04-13 09:02 | 42 | Aries 10°50′ → Pisces 24°37′ | 2025-01-28 → 2025-05-16 |
| 2026 | 2026-10-03 15:09 | 2026-11-14 08:20 | 42 | Scorpio 8°29′ → Libra 22°52′ | 2026-08-31 → 2026-12-16 |
| 2028 | 2028-05-11 07:01 | 2028-06-23 06:12 | 43 | Gemini 19°41′ → Gemini 3°11′ | 2028-04-07 → 2028-07-27 |
Mars retrograde 2025–2028
| Year | Turns retrograde | Turns direct | Days | Signs (degree) | Shadow (pre → post) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | 2027-01-10 21:01 | 2027-04-01 22:10 | 81 | Virgo 10°26′ → Leo 20°56′ | 2026-11-05 → 2027-06-08 |
How it is computed
- Retrograde is apparent motion as seen from Earth. The times listed are the stations — where the rate of change of ecliptic longitude is zero — found from an ephemeris to the minute.
- Shadow: the pre-shadow starts when the planet first passes the degree of the coming direct station; the post-shadow ends when it returns to the degree of the retrograde station. An astrological convention with no astronomical counterpart.
- Times are UTC+8. In other zones a station near midnight can fall on the neighbouring date.
FAQ
- How often is Mercury retrograde?
- Usually three times a year, occasionally four, about three weeks each; with shadows included, roughly a third of the year falls under it.
- What does Mercury retrograde mean?
- Astronomically it is apparent motion; what astrology reads into it is a separate question, taken up here. What Mercury retrograde is
- Was Mercury retrograde when I was born?
- The natal chart lookup flags retrograde planets; for a birth year in the table above, compare the dates directly. Natal chart lookup
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