What does it mean for your zodiac sign when the first Mercury retrograde of 2022 ends on February 3? (Don’t forget about the two-week shadow period!)
Communication planet Mercury completes its first retrograde cycle on February 3, ending a three-week period of signal crossing that began on January 14. When the first Mercury retrograde of 2022 ends, you can more confidently make plans and fear less hiccups.
Of course there is the shadow period to consider: the two weeks of “retroshade” that can make you think the messenger planet is still in its backward spin. That phase lasts until February 17, as Mercury makes up for the distance it lost during the retrograde.
As frustrating as these periods can be, they are also essential “review periods.” As Mercury heads back in the right direction starting February 3, take time to crystallize the lessons of the past few weeks. Apply any changes and you’ll be running a much tighter ship!
Read on for your sign’s horoscope for tips on how to get back on track as Mercury turns direct.
And mark your calendar to plan for each of the Mercury retrogrades in 2022!
See your zodiac sign horoscope for when the first Mercury retrograde of 2022 ends:
Aries | Taurus | Gemini | Cancer | Leo | Virgo | Libra | Scorpio | Sagittarius | Capricorn | Aquarius | Pisces
ARIES (March 21 – April 19)
For the past three weeks, mental Mercury has been retrograde—and since January 25, it’s been backing up through your tenth house career zone, Aries. This has probably made you hesitant to take any major risks on the work front. But the misfires and mixed messages come to a halt as the articulate planet resumes forward motion when the first Mercury retrograde of 2022 ends on February 3. Refresh your professional profiles, upload that flattering photo to your LinkedIn. Make up for lost time by doubling down on your strategic socializing and pitching. Your prospects for advancement (or, if you’re seeking it, change) are excellent starting NOW!
TAURUS (April 20-May 20)
Good news comes from “on high” today, Taurus! After three frustrating weeks of spinning backward, communication planet Mercury straightens out. This will make it easier to get a handle on what’s really going on and how people truly feel. Things have been especially opaque since January 25, when Mercury slipped back into Capricorn and your ninth house of truth-telling. But take heart! Honesty and authentic expression are the order of the day once again. This will clear up all that confusion that’s been going on for you. When the first Mercury retrograde of 2022 ends on February 3, it’s safe to resume negotiations, move forward with a passion project or start researching a spring vacation in earnest.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20)
Is that a skeleton rattling in your closet—and are you ready to set it free? Think before you answer that question, though, because the impact could be long-lasting. Since retrograde Mercury turned retrograde on January 14—then slipped back into your eighth house sector of secrets and intense emotions on January 25—you’ve been uncharacteristically tight-lipped, Gemini. After three maddening weeks, the messenger planet resumes forward motion, bringing needed clarity to a certain relationship. Whether you’ve vibed that the other person has been holding things in or YOU’VE been the secretive one, when the first Mercury retrograde of 2022 ends on February 3, you can start to clear the air and get things back on a transparent track.
CANCER (June 21-July 22)
If relationships have been fraught with confusion lately, Cancer, you can “thank” messenger Mercury, which has been retrograde in your seventh house partnership zone since January 14. You might not have been able to get on the same page with bae or a new love interest. Or perhaps an ex reappeared, stoking the embers of desire only to pull a stunt reminiscent of their previous behavior. When the first Mercury retrograde of 2022 ends on February 3, you’ll be able to distinguish fantasy from reality. AND you’ll be able to articulate your own desires, the most important thing of all!
LEO (July 23-August 22)
Committing to healthy habits may have felt like an obstacle course ever since Mercury turned retrograde on January 14—and when it backed up in your sixth house wellness zone on January 25, all bets were off. But when the first Mercury retrograde of 2022 ends on February 3, Leo, the winged messenger straightens out. Your motivation may return with a vengeance! Sign up for a streaming boot camp, stock the fridge with healthy fare, test out a Peloton for a month. You’ve got a seat reserved on the wellness wagon, and you don’t want to miss your ride. More good news? Stalled projects and scheduling snafus will be a thing of the past as systematic Mercury gets back in sync.
VIRGO (August 23-September 22)
Festive vibes: incoming! If you’ve been hiding out in the bat cave for the last three weeks, hit Refresh and get some inspiring plans on the books, Virgo. Social Mercury resumes forward motion in your playful, creative and romantic fifth house after an exasperating three-week retrograde. You’ll be back to full-strength social butterfly in no time. You’ll be looking, acting—and feeling—like the life of the party wherever you go when the first Mercury retrograde of 2022 ends on February 3. Book those salon appointments, have a session with a stylist (and tattoo artist, maybe). When you look good, your confidence soars—and your love life responds in kind.
LIBRA (September 23-October 22)
For the past three weeks, analytical Mercury has been retrograde, and since January 25, it’s been backing up through your fourth house zone of home and family. This probably offered you an opportunity—or several—to consider whether your inner circle was lifting you up or dragging you down. These retrograde cycles aren’t exactly fun, Libra. But they do provide a chance to reflect, review and, once they end, make some necessary course corrections. The messenger planet straightens out on February 3, inviting you to institute some new policies. You might be starting 2022 with a leaner team, but at least you’ll know that they’ve earned their loyalty points.
SCORPIO (October 23-November 21)
In your quest to do the right thing, Scorpio, you sometimes struggle to make momentous decisions. For the past three weeks, analytical Mercury has been retrograde. And since January 25, it’s been back-spinning in your thoughtful third house. This has possibly kept you up late at night as you fried your own mental circuits. If your mind is still going in circles, try to break the gridlock by NOT thinking in black-or-white terms when the first Mercury retrograde of 2022 ends on February 3. Could you do a little of BOTH? Trying to pick just one thing doesn’t always lead to satisfaction. Play with your options, and don’t feel pressured to commit to anything until you’re 100 percent ready.
SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21)
Ready, set, exhale—and loosen that belt, Sagittarius! For the last 11 days of messenger Mercury’s three-week retrograde, the planet was off course in your second house money sector. In addition to serving up unexpected expenses, you may have put yourself on a bit of an austerity plan. But when the first Mercury retrograde of 2022 ends on February 3, the intrepid planet resumes forward motion, easing the fiscal tension. Hopefully during this time you’ve learned some vital lessons about the way you spend and save (or, er, DON’T save). Now, with the rest of 2022 ahead of you, you can reconfigure your budget. You can actually tuck funds away AND enjoy some of them!
CAPRICORN (December 21-January 19)
A bright new day dawns as thoughtful Mercury resumes forward motion after three frustrating weeks. Mercury, since January 25, has been spinning backward in YOUR sign. You may have kept a lower-than-usual profile since then. Or you may have spent a fair amount of time ruminating about your personal and professional goals. Well, when the first Mercury retrograde of 2022 ends on February 3! You can stop (over)analyzing and start putting some of those big ideas into motion. Even if you just take baby steps, this is how you’ll create genuine progress. As per usual with your savvy sign, trust your gut when it tells you that it’s time to make your move. Then, do it with all the clout that a Capricorn is famous for!
AQUARIUS (January 20-February 19)
The past three weeks may have been especially frustrating as thoughtful Mercury spun its wheels in backward motion. And since the messenger planet slipped into your foggy twelfth house on January 25, you may have struggled to discern truth from fiction and genuine supporters from haters in helpers’ clothing. But when the first Mercury retrograde of 2022 ends on February 3, the messenger planet resumes forward motion—and so can you! Remember: That wasn’t “lost time,” Aquarius; it was a valuable period for gaining clarity by taking a step back. Think about how you want to position yourself in 2022. When Mercury moves back into Aquarius on February 14, your “brand story” will practically rewrite itself.
PISCES (February 19-March 20)
You may have felt like things were moving in super-slow-mo over the past three weeks with messenger Mercury retrograde, Pisces. Hopefully you took advantage of this “forced downtime.” Maybe you did the necessary research for a personal or professional project, got your ducks in a row. When the first Mercury retrograde of 2022 ends on February 3, and Mercury resumes forward motion, you can blast ahead and make up for lost time. All digital ventures are favored now, from upgrading your software to buying a phone to launching your new and improved website. If your team’s been underperforming, you’ll soon see what was missing. Release the weak links before they break the chain.
Photo collage by Rosie Dienhart
