Mercury retrograde 2026: all the dates

Day 9 of 20 · 45%

October 24November 13
  • October 24, 2026

    Turns retrograde

  • November 13, 2026

    Turns direct

  • 20 days

    On now · 12 days left

  • How often

    3 to 4 times a year, for about three weeks

In short

Mercury turns backwards three or four times a year, and every time it hands back whatever stayed unfinished. Old messages, a conversation left hanging, someone who vanished without explaining: they find you now. Don't wave it off, these three weeks are the easiest window to close what has been dragging.

Mercury, the planet of connection and motion, turns retrograde again. This is when conversations tangle, plans backtrack, and details slip through cracks that did not exist yesterday. It is not rare, this window comes three or four times every year, lasting just under a month, but every time it lands with its own texture.

This period is for pressing pause so you can see what you keep missing in the rush. It opens the space to notice what needs fixing and to recover pieces of the story that lost their voice the first time around.

All the dates

  • February 26, 2026 – March 20, 2026Ended
  • June 29, 2026 – July 23, 2026Ended
  • October 24, 2026 – November 13, 2026On now · 12 days left

The sky is the same for everyone. Your chart is not.

Free to download. The app shows which of these events land on your own birth chart, and when exactly they reach you.

Frequently asked questions

  • When is Mercury retrograde 2026?

    In 2026 Mercury turns retrograde 3 times: February 26 – March 20; June 29 – July 23; October 24 – November 13. Each date is the day it stations, calculated from astronomical tables on US Eastern time; in another time zone a station can fall a day earlier or later.

  • How often does Mercury go retrograde?

    3 to 4 times a year, for about three weeks. A retrograde is an optical effect: seen from Earth, the planet seems to stop and move backwards against the stars. In astrology that slowdown turns its themes back for review instead of pushing them forward.

  • Does Mercury retrograde affect every sign?

    Yes, the same retrograde happens for everyone at once, which is why its meaning on this page is one for all signs. Where it lands in your own life depends on your birth chart. The Nua app shows which part of your chart it passes through and when.