Every Mercury retrograde, 2025–2027
All times are UTC. “Station retrograde” is the moment apparent motion turns backwards; “station direct” is when it resumes forward motion.
| Station retrograde | Station direct | Path |
|---|---|---|
| 15 March 2025, 06:46 UTC | 7 April 2025, 11:07 UTC | 9° Aries → 26° Pisces |
| 18 July 2025, 04:45 UTC | 11 August 2025, 07:29 UTC | 15° Leo → 4° Leo |
| 9 November 2025, 19:01 UTC | 29 November 2025, 17:38 UTC | 6° Sagittarius → 20° Scorpio |
| 26 February 2026, 06:48 UTC | 20 March 2026, 19:32 UTC | 22° Pisces → 8° Pisces |
| 29 June 2026, 17:35 UTC | 23 July 2026, 22:57 UTC | 26° Cancer → 16° Cancer |
| 24 October 2026, 07:12 UTC | 13 November 2026, 15:53 UTC | 20° Scorpio → 5° Scorpio |
| 9 February 2027, 17:36 UTC | 3 March 2027, 12:32 UTC | 5° Pisces → 20° Aquarius |
| 10 June 2027, 18:15 UTC | 4 July 2027, 19:39 UTC | 6° Cancer → 27° Gemini |
| 7 October 2027, 14:37 UTC | 28 October 2027, 14:10 UTC | 4° Scorpio → 19° Libra |
Reading the table
Each retrograde begins at the “station retrograde” moment and ends at “station direct” — about three weeks later. The path column shows where in the zodiac Mercury travels backwards: for example, a retrograde that starts in Scorpio and ends in Libra spends time in both signs, and astrologers read those spans differently.
What a given retrograde means for you — in the traditional reading — depends on which house of your natal chart that zodiac span occupies, and whether it crosses any of your natal planets. That part can’t live in a table; it needs your chart.
FAQ
How often is Mercury retrograde?
Three to four times a year, for about three weeks each time. Between 2025 and 2027 there are nine retrograde periods, all listed in the table above with exact station times.
What does Mercury retrograde actually mean astronomically?
Mercury never physically reverses. Because Earth and Mercury orbit at different speeds, Mercury periodically appears to move backwards against the zodiac from Earth's viewpoint. The 'station' moments — when its apparent motion flips — are what the exact times in this table mark.
How are these dates calculated?
With the Swiss Ephemeris, the same planetary engine that computes every natal chart on NatalChart.AI. The station moment is where Mercury's apparent ecliptic speed crosses zero, refined by bisection to sub-minute precision. Times are UTC.
What are the shadow periods?
The pre-shadow starts when Mercury first passes the degree it will later return to during retrograde; the post-shadow ends when it re-passes the station-retrograde degree moving forward. In practice: a couple of weeks on either side of the dates above at the degree spans shown in the table.
Does Mercury retrograde affect everyone the same way?
In traditional astrology, no — it depends on which house of your natal chart the retrograde falls in and how it aspects your natal planets. A retrograde in your 3rd house is read differently from one in your 10th. Your chart tells you which one it is.
Should I avoid signing contracts during Mercury retrograde?
That's the popular folklore. Astrologers traditionally read these weeks as a time to double-check communication, travel and paperwork rather than a ban on action. Nothing about a retrograde makes outcomes certain either way — treat any advice as reflective, not predictive.