Is the planet of communication, technology and travel, in a messy Mercury retrograde cycle today?
Is Mercury in retrograde right now?
NO!
Sorry, it must be something else! Have you checked your horoscope?
Read your horoscope for today, here on Astrostyle
Okay, then, when is Mercury in retrograde next?
All the Mercury retrogrades in 2023
In Capricorn: December 29, 2022-January 18, 2023
Theme: Getting aligned around 2023 goals will take a few extra weeks.
Action: With Mercury retrograde until January 18, use the first part of 2023 to “rest and digest” instead of going full-speed into resolution mode. In fact, we recommend setting those in motion as “new moon intentions” with 2023’s first new moon, which arrives on January 21 in wishful, innovative Aquarius. In the meantime, you can use this three-week Mercury retrograde cycle to review your career trajectory and think about how you might tap into your past talents to design a more fulfilling workflow.
Since retrogrades rule the past, peruse LinkedIn and social media. Is a former colleague crushing it? And do you see an opening for a collaboration? Send a hello note or catch up over a cup of cheer. If nothing else, you’ll be inspired, with ideas you can apply to your own ambitious plans.
In Taurus: April 21 to May 14, 2023
Theme: Pause and go back to the basics, adjusting timelines and budgets during the Mercury retrograde April 2023 start (on April 21). Make sure your values are being reflected in the work that you do.
Action: The world plunges into a global state of stubbornness when Mercury turns retrograde in tenacious Taurus. Plans that were plodding along could sputter to a stop for these next three weeks as schedules clash and people dig in their heels about wanting things “just do.” Don’t go charging through barriers like a temperamental toro. Instead, use this slowdown to streamline your systems and catch up on “boring” busy work. You may not see the hidden blessing of this time-out just yet, but you will. Go easy on the spending, especially with luxury goods.
In Virgo: August 23-September 15, 2023
Theme: Review everything on the finest setting possible.
Action: With Mercury retrograde in persnickety Virgo, the devil is absolutely in the details. Enlist a third and fourth pair of eyes to edit documents before you hit “send.” Need to do more research? You’re in luck! This is one of the best times of the year to tumble down the search engine rabbit hole. Be an unapologetic purist when you go on your “sourcing missions.” Can you find a greener solution that not only saves you cash but is also environmentally responsible? Watch the judginess! Constructive feedback could come out sideways, so buffer it in a “praise sandwich,” starting and ending with the positives.
In Capricorn: December 13-23
In Sagittarius: December 23-January 1, 2024
Theme: With chaos and miscommunications rippling through the final weeks of 2023, leave absolutely nothing up to chance with holiday plans.
Action: The final Mercury retrograde of 2023 takes place in two of the zodiac’s most ambitious, high-flying signs, Capricorn and Sagittarius. While Mercury’s backing up through Capricorn until December 23, it’s spreadsheet central! Set up an online hub with addresses, timelines and dishes and drinks everyone should bring to the celebration. (And plan on sending about five follow-up texts.) If you’re jetting off to ring in the occasion, double check your luggage to make sure you’ve got the essentials—not to mention an extra phone charger and a Kindle. Delays will be likely, especially when Mercury backs into travel sign Sagittarius on December 23. Choose your fellow partygoers carefully. One divisive debater can ruin everything.
Is Mercury in retrograde? Here’s what it means
What happens when Mercury is in retrograde? Mercury retrograde occurs three times a year wreaking havoc on our:
- interpersonal communication (omg did I send that text to the wrong person?!)
- travel plans (it’s not considered obsessive to triple check itineraries during Mercury retrograde)
- the fine print (is my ticket for tonight’s Harry Styles show or tomorrow’s?)
Basically anything that ordinarily feels “easy” takes extra effort during a signal-scrambling Mercury retrograde. These are the main Mercury retrograde symptoms.
You’ve likely experienced the effects of Mercury retrograde, maybe without even realizing it!
Basically anything that ordinarily feels “easy” takes extra effort during a signal-scrambling Mercury retrograde. These are the main Mercury retrograde symptoms.
You’ve likely experienced the effects of Mercury retrograde, maybe without even realizing it!
Mercury retrograde meaning
Messenger planet Mercury is the ruler of information, communication and our intellectual processes.
The closest planet to the Sun, Mercury orbits all year long through each zodiac sign, staying in each one for approximately three weeks. These cycles shape our cultural interests. From the topics we buzz about to the ways we communicate, whatever sign Mercury is occupying plays a role.
Mercury retrograde facts:
• Mercury turns retrograde for three or four cycles each year
• During a Mercury retrograde, the planet appears to travel backward through the sky and it moves backward through the zodiac
• On Mercury’s reverse commutes, it lingers in one or two zodiac signs for approximately 10 weeks
What is Mercury retrograde spiritual meaning? In short, the flow of energy is reversed.
What can I do if the answer is yes to “is Mercury in retrograde?”
Is Mercury in retrograde? If so, there’s no need to panic! But pace yourself during these data-skewing, three-week cycles.
While the scrambled signals can be agonizing, we have a chance to dive into deeper discourse. People from the past may reappear, like old friends, estranged relatives and exes with unfinished business.
Is there a magic 8-ball to tell me what to do if Mercury is in retrograde?
We wish! But not really, although we ourselves may have turned over a magic 8 ball for fun, asking it to answer “yes or no?” to a burning question during a Mercury retrograde! But you’re better off going with what you can control. For example, try to focus on all things with the prefix “re” such as:
- revising
- reviewing
- redesigning
- reconsidering
Pay closer attention to your inner world and get in touch with your thoughts, which signal all your feelings. Is it time to update certain beliefs? Mercury retrograde can help!
Check out our article Mercury Retrograde: How to Survive a Three-Week Communication Crisis
What sign is Mercury in right now?
Head over to our friends at Astro-Seek.com for up-to-the minute info on what sign Mercury is transiting through. Remember, Mercury changes zodiac signs every one to three weeks.
So there’s more to knowing “is Mercury in retrograde?”—where is Mercury today?!
See Astro-Seek’s Today’s Current Planets positions and transits chart
What is Mercury retroshade?
So you think Mercury retrograde just ends? Guess again! Astrologers (including us) believe there is a shadow period before and after Mercury’s backspin. We coined the now-popular phrase retroshade to describe the two weeks before and the two weeks after Mercury retrograde.
It’s during retroshade that we feel the effects of Mercury, not just during the retrograde.
Was I born during Mercury retrograde?
Check your birth chart to see if you were born during a Mercury retrograde. If you don’t have a birth chart, you can do a free birth chart here by entering your time and place of birth.
Or if you need a refresher where Mercury is in your chart, just enter your details in our Was I Born During Mercury Retrograde Cosmic Calculator which includes links to explanations about where Mercury is in your birth chart.
Do other planets go retrograde?
Yes they do! Mercury isn’t the only planet that goes retrograde and can create hiccups in your daily movements. When things seem “off” ask yourself not only is Mercury in retrograde but what other planets are in retrograde.
Read what it means when other planets are retrograde in our article: Retrogrades in Astrology: What It Means When Planets Go “Backward”
So next time things are feeling a little off, your question after “is Mercury in retrograde?” might be “which other planets are in retrograde?” Always check your horoscope!
