When is the next Mercury retrograde? This calendar lists every retrograde period for Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn across any year you choose, with the start and end dates of each. It is the quick reference for anyone who plans around retrogrades or simply likes to know what the sky is doing.
What Retrograde Means
A planet is retrograde when it appears to move backwards through the zodiac as seen from Earth. It is an optical effect of the two planets' orbits, not a real reversal, but astrology reads these periods as a distinct influence, a time to review and revisit rather than push forward. Mercury, the planet of communication, is the most watched, turning retrograde three or four times a year.
Each Planet's Rhythm
The planets retrograde at their own pace. Mercury does so for about three weeks several times a year, Venus for around forty days every eighteen months, and Mars for a couple of months roughly every two years. The slower planets, Jupiter and Saturn, spend several months retrograde each year. The calendar shows them all so you can see how the periods overlap.
Using the Calendar
Mercury retrograde is traditionally a time to back up, double-check and avoid signing anything in a rush, while the other planets' retrogrades are read as periods to review the matters they rule, from love and money to drive and long-term plans. Take the calendar as a planning aid and a curiosity rather than a reason to put life on hold.
Why Planets Seem to Reverse
No planet actually stops and travels backward. Retrograde is an optical effect: as the faster Earth overtakes a slower outer planet, or as we watch an inner planet swing past, the body appears to drift backward against the stars for a while before moving on. Astrology reads that apparent pause as a turning inward of the planet's themes, but the motion itself is a trick of perspective, not a real change of course.
The Shadow Periods
A retrograde doesn't switch on and off cleanly. Astrologers mark a shadow zone on either side, the stretch of zodiac the planet covers before it turns back and again after it resumes, where the same degrees get worked over three times. The calendar focuses on the retrograde windows themselves, but it helps to know the effect is felt to build and fade around the dated period rather than starting sharply.
Planning Around the List
Mercury turns retrograde three or four times a year for about three weeks each, which is why it draws the most attention, while the outer planets stay retrograde for months at a stretch. The calendar lays out every period for the year you choose, so you can see which weeks carry a retrograde and plan launches, signings or travel around the ones you would rather avoid.
Retrograde Questions People Ask
What does retrograde mean?
A planet is retrograde when it appears to move backwards through the zodiac from Earth's viewpoint. It is an apparent motion caused by orbital geometry, not a real reversal, but astrology reads it as a distinct influence.
How often is Mercury retrograde?
Mercury turns retrograde three or four times a year, each time for about three weeks. The calendar lists the exact start and end dates for the year you choose.
Which planets does the calendar cover?
It covers Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, listing every retrograde period for each across the year, so you can see the dates and how they overlap.
Positions are computed with the Swiss Ephemeris. Astrological interpretations are traditional and are offered for reflection, not as guaranteed predictions.
Related calculators
You might also like these astrology calculators: Transit Calculator, Synastry Calculator, Composite Chart Calculator and Solar Return Calculator. Each one looks at things a little differently, and that contrast is half the value of using more than one. Explore the rest on the astrology calculators page, or open the full calculator list.