Is Mercury in Retrograde Right Now?
Mercury Retrograde Dates (2026 & Beyond)
Every Mercury retrograde through 2031, with the sign it falls in and its shadow period. The current or next retrograde is highlighted.
2025
2026
2027
2028
2029
2030
2031
All dates in UTC; local dates may differ by a day.
What Is Mercury Retrograde?
Mercury retrograde is an optical illusion in which Mercury appears to move backward through the zodiac — it does not actually reverse direction.
Three or four times a year, Earth overtakes Mercury in its faster orbit, and from our viewpoint Mercury seems to slow, stop, and drift backward for about three weeks. It is the same illusion you get passing a slower car on the highway.
In astrology, the planet of communication, travel, and technology appearing to reverse is read as a time to slow down, review, and revisit — rather than to launch something brand new.
What Are the Shadow Periods?
The shadow (or "storm") periods bracket each retrograde. The pre-retrograde shadow begins when Mercury first passes the degree where it will later station direct; the post-retrograde shadow ends when Mercury finally passes the degree where it stationed retrograde.
Many people feel the retrograde themes building during the pre-shadow and lingering through the post-shadow — which is why the full window is longer than the three-week retrograde itself.
What to Do (and Avoid) During Mercury Retrograde
Do
- Review, revise, and finish what you already started.
- Back up your devices and double-check important messages.
- Reconnect with people and ideas from your past.
- Build in extra time for travel and confirm plans.
Avoid
- Signing major contracts without reading the fine print twice.
- Buying expensive electronics or a new car impulsively.
- Launching a brand-new project you can’t delay.
- Sending heated messages before you’ve slept on them.