Jupiter Retrograde Calendar
The dates Jupiter turns retrograde, and how long each stretch lasts.
Direct now. Next retrograde:
How often is Jupiter retrograde? Roughly once a year, and each stretch runs about 120 days. That is four months, close to a third of the year, so if you pick a random date the odds of finding Jupiter moving backward are higher than most people expect.
Nothing out there actually reverses. Earth moves on the inside track and overtakes Jupiter every 397 days. Near that overtaking, Jupiter's steady march against the stars grows heavy, comes to a halt, runs the other way for about four months, then picks up its old course. Because 397 days is a month longer than a calendar year, the start date slides forward each time: 11 November 2025, then 13 December 2026, then 12 January 2028. Now and then a whole calendar year ends up with no new Jupiter station in it at all.
Jupiter is the planet of growth, meaning and belief. Classical astrology reads its retrograde as outward expansion turning inward. The question stops being how to get more and becomes whether what you have built actually holds. Tradition calls it a season for measuring rather than launching. What follows is an astronomical calendar of the real station dates, not a forecast of trouble.
Retrograde periods
| Retrograde begins | Turns direct | In |
|---|---|---|
| Leo | ||
| Virgo | ||
| Libra | ||
| Scorpio | ||
| Sagittarius | ||
| Aquarius / Capricorn | ||
| Pisces / Aquarius | ||
| Aries |
Dates are UTC-based; in your local zone a station can fall a day either side. Station times from the Swiss Ephemeris, given in UTC.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often does Jupiter go retrograde?
About once a year. Each retrograde period lasts around 120 days, roughly four months, and 397 days pass between the start of one and the start of the next.
Is Jupiter retrograde this year?
Yes. The next retrograde begins on 13 December 2026 and runs into April 2027. Note that no new Jupiter retrograde starts during 2027 itself, because the following one waits until 12 January 2028. Saturn keeps to roughly the same months every year, Jupiter does not, so a date that fell in November one year can fall in December the next. The calendar below gives the exact days.
What does Jupiter retrograde mean?
In classical astrology it marks a pause in outward growth. Plans and beliefs get tested for whether they really carry weight, and expansion is reviewed rather than pushed further. It is a measured stretch of time, not a bad omen, and the dates here are simply astronomy.