Retrograde
Mercury retrograde — is it retrograde now, and every window
Mercury is not retrograde right now. The next retrograde begins on 24 October 2026 and ends on 13 November 2026.
Mercury appears to travel backwards against the stars three or four times a year, for about three weeks each time. It is an apparent motion, produced by Earth overtaking Mercury — the planet does not reverse.
- Stations are read from Mercury's own sidereal speed crossing zero
- Computed from Swiss Ephemeris, not copied from a published list
- Dates and instants are shown in Indian Standard Time
Right now
- Status
- Direct
- Next retrograde begins
- 24 October 2026, 12:42 PM IST
- and ends
- 13 November 2026, 9:24 PM IST
Every retrograde window
| Starts | Ends | Sign at station | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2024 | 2 January 2024 | Scorpio | 1.1 days |
| 2 April 2024 | 25 April 2024 | Aries | 23.6 days |
| 5 August 2024 | 29 August 2024 | Leo | 23.7 days |
| 26 November 2024 | 16 December 2024 | Scorpio | 19.8 days |
| 15 March 2025 | 7 April 2025 | Pisces | 23.2 days |
| 18 July 2025 | 11 August 2025 | Cancer | 24.1 days |
| 10 November 2025 | 29 November 2025 | Scorpio | 19.9 days |
| 26 February 2026 | 21 March 2026 | Aquarius | 22.5 days |
| 29 June 2026 | 24 July 2026 | Cancer | 24.2 days |
| 24 October 2026 | 13 November 2026 | Libra | 20.4 days |
| 9 February 2027 | 3 March 2027 | Aquarius | 21.8 days |
| 10 June 2027 | 5 July 2027 | Gemini | 24.1 days |
| 7 October 2027 | 28 October 2027 | Libra | 21.0 days |
| 24 January 2028 | 14 February 2028 | Capricorn | 21.1 days |
| 21 May 2028 | 14 June 2028 | Taurus | 23.9 days |
| 19 September 2028 | 11 October 2028 | Virgo | 21.7 days |
| 7 January 2029 | 28 January 2029 | Capricorn | 20.4 days |
| 2 May 2029 | 26 May 2029 | Taurus | 23.8 days |
| 2 September 2029 | 25 September 2029 | Virgo | 22.6 days |
| 22 December 2029 | 11 January 2030 | Sagittarius | 20.0 days |
| 13 April 2030 | 7 May 2030 | Aries | 23.7 days |
| 16 August 2030 | 8 September 2030 | Leo | 23.3 days |
| 6 December 2030 | 26 December 2030 | Sagittarius | 19.8 days |
| 26 March 2031 | 18 April 2031 | Pisces | 23.4 days |
| 29 July 2031 | 22 August 2031 | Leo | 23.9 days |
| 20 November 2031 | 9 December 2031 | Scorpio | 19.8 days |
| 7 March 2032 | 30 March 2032 | Pisces | 22.9 days |
| 10 July 2032 | 3 August 2032 | Cancer | 24.2 days |
| 2 November 2032 | 22 November 2032 | Scorpio | 20.1 days |
What retrograde is, and what it is not
The motion is real and the dates are exact. Mercury's apparent sidereal speed is a number the ephemeris computes; a station is the instant that number crosses zero, and this page bisects each crossing rather than rounding to a day.
What is not established is any effect. There is no evidence that Mercury's apparent direction changes anything on Earth, and this page will not imply otherwise. The tradition treats the window as a time for reviewing, re-reading and re-checking rather than launching — which is a reasonable habit on any day of the year, and worth keeping in proportion: Mercury is retrograde about 18% of the time.
Rahu and Ketu are a separate case that is often confused with this one. They are always retrograde — that is what a lunar node is, not a temporary condition — so they never station and never turn direct. Their gochar dates are here.
For the classical treatment of vakri (retrograde) planets, see the retrograde guide. To see where Mercury sits in your own chart, start with a free Kundli.
Transit guidance here is a traditional framework for reflection and planning, not medical, legal or financial advice. Nothing on this page predicts an event, and no timing is a reason to delay medical care.
Common questions
Is Mercury retrograde right now?
Mercury is not retrograde right now. The next retrograde begins on 24 October 2026 and ends on 13 November 2026.
What does retrograde actually mean?
Mercury appears to move backwards against the stars as seen from Earth. It is an apparent motion produced by the two planets' relative orbital speeds — Mercury does not reverse direction. The dates above are the instants its apparent sidereal speed crosses zero, read from the ephemeris.
How often does it happen?
Three or four times a year, for roughly three weeks each time. That is about 18% of the year, which is worth knowing before attributing anything unusual to it.
Should I avoid signing contracts or travelling?
There is no evidence that Mercury's apparent motion affects anything on Earth, and this page is not going to imply otherwise. The tradition treats it as a period for reviewing and re-checking rather than starting; that is a reasonable habit on any day. It is not a reason to delay medical care, a legal deadline or a financial obligation.