The next Mercury retrograde begins on Saturday, March 15 and ends on Monday, April 7, 2025. But what is mercury retrograde? Why and how often does it occur? Does it affect your travel plans and communication? What is retro “shade” and is there a bright side to Mercury retrograde? Here is everything you need to know, including Mercury retrograde 2025 dates and more.
What Is Mercury Retrograde?
The term retrograde comes from the Latin word retrogradus, which literally means “backward step.” As the name suggests, retrograde is when a planet appears to go backward in its orbit, as viewed from Earth. Astronomers refer to this as “apparent retrograde motion,” because it is an optical illusion. Watch this video for a short explanation:
The opposite of retrograde is direct or prograde motion. Prograde motion is the term astronomers prefer, while astrologers are more prone to use the term “direct” motion.
Upcoming Dates
Mercury Retrograde 2025
- March 15-April 7, 2025
- July 18-August 11, 2025
- November 9-29, 2025
Mercury Retrograde 2026
- February 26-March 20, 2026
- June 29-July 23, 2026
- October 24-November 13, 2026
Mercury Retrograde 2027
- February 9-March 3, 2027
- June 10-July 4, 2027
- October 7-28, 2027
Mercury Retrograde 2028
- January 24-February 24, 2028
- May 21-June 24, 2028
- September 19-October 11, 2028
Mercury Retrograde 2029
- January 7-27, 2029
- May 1-25, 2029
- September 2-24, 2029
- December 22, 2029-January 11, 2030
Mercury Retrograde 2030
- December 22, 2029-January 11, 2030
- April 12-May 6, 2030
- August 15-September 8, 2030
- December 5-25, 2030
Apparent Backward Motion
Every planet in our Solar System travels in the same direction in its journey around the Sun, and none of them ever pause and turn back in the opposite direction. Yet, all of them appear to do just that from time to time.
Because of the Earth’s daily rotation, the objects in the night sky appear to “move” from east to west in the night sky. While the location of the stars relative to the Earth is fixed, at least from our vantage point, the other planets in our Solar System all orbit the Sun at varying speeds.
The outer planets—Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune—take longer to orbit the Sun than the Earth does, because their orbits are larger. For this reason, the Earth often laps these planets in its journey around the Sun.
Related
When the Earth overtakes an outer planet, that planet appears to travel backward, as compared to the stars, for a time.
Picture two cars on the highway going in the same direction in different lanes. If one car is driving faster than the other, the slower car will appear to go backward from the perspective of a person in the faster car, even though the slower car is still going pretty fast in the same direction.
For the inner planets, Mercury and Venus, the mechanism that causes them to turn retrograde is the same, but in reverse. Mercury and Venus appear to go retrograde when they lap us.
Because Mercury completes its orbit around the Sun in only 88 days, the swift planet becomes retrograde three or four times in a calendar year, for about three weeks at a time. Outer planets have less frequent, but longer-lasting, periods of retrograde motion.
Why Dread It?
Astrologers believe that celestial bodies like the Moon, stars, planets, and Sun influence events on Earth. Each planet in our solar system is thought to govern a specific aspect of life. Learn more about this.
Mercury, named after the Greek messenger god, is associated with communication and transportation. When Mercury appears to move backward in its orbit, a phenomenon known as retrograde motion, astrologers believe its positive influence on these areas is diminished.
During Mercury retrograde, many people attribute various mishaps and challenges to its negative energy. These can include arguments, lost items, transportation delays, and technological difficulties. As a result, many choose to avoid important decisions and actions during this period.
Mercury Retrograde’s “Shadow Period”
The Mercury retrograde shadow period, occurring two weeks before and after the actual retrograde, is considered a time of energetic preparation and integration, respectively. As Mercury slows its orbit in anticipation of or recovery from its apparent backward motion, it’s believed to create an atmosphere of heightened introspection and potential challenges in communication, technology, and travel.
This period, referred to as “Mercury retro-shade” by some people, is thought to mirror the effects of the retrograde itself—though often in a milder form. Astrologers suggest that the pre-retrograde shadow period is an opportunity for early awareness of potential issues, allowing you to be proactive, while the post-retrograde shadow offers a chance to remember lessons learned and integrate new perspectives.
What do you think about Mercury retrograde? Share in the comments section below!
The Bright Side
Mercury retrograde gets a bad wrap, but some believe it is possible to use these time frames to learn more about yourself, your community, and others. According to astrology, each Mercury retrograde involves Mercury traveling backward through a different zodiac sign. Learn more about this.
Moon Deck
These astrological cards will teach you how to benefit from a retrograde!
Our “Moon Deck” consists of 52 beautiful watercolor cards that show how the planets, zodiac signs, and houses relate to each other.
You can also use them to understand the current position of planets or to decipher your natal chart.
The astrological information on the cards is kept simple with basic words and high-level themes. Great for beginners.
Join the Discussion!
Do you believe that retrograde causes disasters?
What is the wildest thing that happened to you during retrograde?
Let us know in the comments below!
It’s bad rap, not wrap
I’m Scorpio/Cancer/Scorpio-so every day is weird lol
Hey guys ? 14.07.2000 ♈️ Yeah this year has been weird for me too, so totally agree. Saturn has been in retrograde and it has really been affecting my judgement. The last few months I have just been feeling off and things haven’t been going my way. Is there a way to cancel out the effects of a retrograde? Would love any ideas and support ??
Lmao! No.. The point is to work with that energy shift. Macro affects the micro. You can get some crystals to help add some of the helpful vibrations to your life and hopefully you’ll tune into those and figure out what needs to shift for you and how to.. Or meditate regularly and see if that helps you be better in tune with what’s going on.
“Ignorance is bliss” the old ones say. Like black & red people, astrology is older than dirt.
The best well laid plans in travel and signing contracts seem to go awry during Mercury Retrograde. Things seem to not go right or the way you expect them to happen.
Astrology is a well-practiced science that’s existed for thousands of years (and no, I am not talking about ASTRONOMY). There are people who abuse it and make it sound all fantastical and mystical, but the original practice of astrology itself is a real science. The reason it’s seen as hedonistic or taboo today is actually because of early Christian movements that were trying to branch away from the practice, despite the fact that astrology is interlaced in the Bible as well as numerous religious texts around the globe (take the Hindu religion for example, astrology is still largely respected and practiced with this religion).
Anyone who scoffs at this stuff legitimately does not know religious world history or understand the concept and use of astrology at all. Period. I’m serious, you can look this stuff up. It’s well studied in Theology courses (how religion and astrology are actually intertwined).
“Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.” – A.E.
Some of this sounds correct. However, you’re blaming of Christians is incorrect. it’s a called “psychics” that have led to the sensationalizing of it in order to profit off of it.
its profit FROM it not off of it! Ugh.
It is a ‘pseudoscience’ but I completely agree. It can be very useful and as beneficial as the farmers almanac for predicting trends and maximizing success. There is no argument about the precision of the movement of the planets over time even the slight drift or precession of constellations over thousands of years. Some of these cycles last tens of thousands of years. Mayans charted these movements and their calendar laid out 28,000 year cycles of the solar system moving thru the milky way. All of that is fact but predicting what effect such things as retrograde motion will have on communication and transportation is not considered a proven fact by the scientific method. Like people say a full moon causes people to behave erratically and emergency rooms get very busy but statistically it is not true. I believe there is an element of chaos that gets loose during Mercury retrograde but it is not a proven scientific fact just because I believe it and others may also.
I’m ♑ born 1/1/85 @11:11pm. This year is already off to a weird start for me to say the least. I’m just hoping that things start looking up sometime soon.
Hello dear Capri ♥️ 18.01.94@20:45 here, I usually don’t leave comments but this time I feel the need to share my agreement with you! This year is strange so far – to say the least! Even covid attacks all over the world seemed to have more sense than what is going on currently in our private lives as well as globally!
Hi I want to share this with the peoples we’re all experiencing challenging times:
Put three candles in the highest place you have at home,
inside a plate with sugar all around the candles. Light
the candles. Ask for three wishes to your guardian angels
ST. RAFAEL, ST. MICHAEL, and ST. GABRIEL.
Ask one wish for business, one wish for love, and one
impossible wish.
Publish this on the third day after you requested
the wishes [by mailing it to another person, posting it
to a usenet newsgroup, or announcing your thanks to the
saints in a newspaper classified ad] and see what happens
on the fourth day….
I hope it helps someone.
Angels don’t grant wishes, they aren’t genies. It doesn’t work like that. Plus, angels take directives from God, not man. What you’re doing is simple witchcraft.
Urrrm, because you were there? Cast the first stone why don’t you at someone trying to be positive. Now “turn the other cheek” b.
Thanks for sharing!
It’s funny because you read this anyways. Then complained to get attention. How sad is that?
You don’t have to believe in it, but the only true “morons” are those who refuse to see things from other perspectives and instead resort to pitiable name calling to get thier narrow-minded opinion across. Just because you don’t understand something doesn’t mean it holds no value. Educate yourself on astrology, real astrology, before bashing a discipline you so clearly know nothing about. With love and peace!
Thanks for sharing
I’m interested