Mercury Retrograde Calendar

When is Mercury retrograde? Three or four times a year, for about three weeks, Mercury appears to move backward against the stars. It is an optical effect, not a real reversal: Mercury keeps orbiting the Sun, but because Earth and Mercury move at different speeds, the planet seems to slow, stop and trace backward for a while, then turn forward again. In classical astrology a retrograde planet is read as turned inward, asking for review rather than launch, which is why tradition links Mercury retrograde with rechecking messages, plans and agreements. This is an astronomical calendar of the real station dates, not a forecast of disaster. The list below gives the periods when Mercury is retrograde, so you can see at a glance when the next one begins and ends.

Mercury retrograde periods

Dates are UTC-based; in your local zone a station can fall a day either side.

What does Mercury retrograde mean?

Traditionally, a time to review, revise and reconnect rather than to start something brand new. It is a classical reading of a real astronomical event, not a prediction of bad luck.