Give your resolutions a once-over! Now that the first Mercury retrograde of 2023 is over, you can tweak them, scrap them or finally start them—with a clearer view than you had on January 1.

How about a year with two fresh starts? If you’re already crushing your New Year’s goals, congratulations, you may resume forward motion now that the First Mercury Retrograde of 2023 is over! But if you experienced a failure to launch, you can thank (or blame) Mercury retrograde for that.

Right before NYE—on December 29, 2022 to be exact, Mercury shifted into retrograde, turning our thoughts to the past just when tradition tells us to fixate on the future. Even more challenging? Mercury’s reverse-commute took place in Capricorn, the sign of goals and ambition.

If your best efforts to “start the year strong” made you feel like Sisyphus rolling a boulder up a hill, you’re not alone.

Fortunately, the terrain evens out on January 18, 2023, when the messenger planet corrects course and the first Mercury retrograde of 2023 is over…officially.

Beware the retroshade!

We’ll still feel a lingering effect (AKA the shadow period or “retroshade“) until February 7-8, 2023. But that heavenly hangover doesn’t have to stop you from forging ahead.

Tackle resolutions in a different way in 2023

Since Mercury rules our mental processes, its retrogrades tend to muddle our thinking. During these three-week backspins, it’s more productive to focus on past-based “re” activities, such as reviewing, revamping, revising, reuniting.

If you had a hard time starting your resolutions on January 1, reframe the past three weeks as a period in which you were crafting your plans.

Now that the first Mercury retrograde of 2023 is over, expect to have eye-opening realizations about how you’ve been standing in your own way. What habits, limiting beliefs or lacking structures that are preventing you from manifesting your dream life?

A little embarrassing? Maybe. But discovering these blocks can be a hidden blessing. Please don’t waste time berating yourself for your retrograde snafus. Instead, figure out ways to get back on track ASAP, then pick up the pieces and get your plan in place.

The first Mercury retrograde of 2023 is over…and the first new moon of the year is coming!

But don’t stop there! Three days later, on January 21, 2023, the first new moon of the year—in futurizing, team-spirited Aquarius—brings the perfect springboard for finally making your resolutions and enlisting accountability buddies to stay in the game with you.

The Aquarius new moon, on January 21, is an optimal date for setting (or resetting) your 2023 resolutions!

Want added insurance for success? Set an additional starting line for February 7, after the Mercury retrograde shadow period (AKA retroshade) ends.

When is the next Mercury retrograde in 2023?

After January 18 when the first Mercury retrograde of 2023 is over, we get a little breathing room from the retrogrades until Mercury reverse commutes through money-minded Taurus, from April 21 to May 14.

Other Mercury retrogrades in 2023

The other dates of Mercury retrograde in 2023:

August 23—September 15 (in Virgo)
December 13-23 (in Capricorn) and December 23-January 1, 2024 (in Sagittarius)

From August 23 to September 15, Mercury will be retrograde in Virgo—a good time to review your day-to-day systems and protect your important data.

The final retrograde of 2023 arrives like an unwelcome Grinch at the holiday festivities, on December 13, in Capricorn for the second time of the year, once again turning traditions on their ear! Then, on December 23, Mercury backs up one spot in the zodiac, rounding out its retrograde in unfiltered, hotheaded Sagittarius before correcting course on New Year’s Day 2024.

See this article for even more: All the 2023 Mercury Retrogrades: Plan Ahead to Ride Out the Storms

Mercury direct horoscopes for every zodiac sign

The first Mercury retrograde of 2023 is over on January 18. Here’s your horoscope for moving forward!

ARIES
TAURUS
GEMINI
CANCER
LEO
VIRGO
LIBRA
SCORPIO
SAGITTARIUS
CAPRICORN
AQUARIUS
PISCES

Aries (March 21-April 19)

Mercury retrograde in your career zone has made you hesitant to take any major risks on the work front since the New Year. But the misfires and mixed messages come to a halt on January 18 as the articulate planet resumes forward motion. 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 now that the first Mercury retrograde of 2023 is over!

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

After three frustrating weeks, the first Mercury retrograde of 2023 is over. As the communication planet Mercury straightens out on January 18, it’s easier to get a handle on what’s really going on and how people truly feel. Things have been especially opaque since December 29, when Mercury slipped back into Capricorn and your house of truth-telling. But take heart! Honesty and authentic expression are the order of the day once again—which will clear up all that confusion that’s been going on for you. Now 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)

Ready to deal with that pain point in a certain relationship now that the first Mercury retrograde of 2023 is over? Since the normally articulate planet turned retrograde on December 29, you’ve been uncharacteristically tight-lipped. On January 18, after three maddening weeks, your cosmic ruler resumes forward motion, bringing much-needed clarity to your communication. Whether you vibed that the other person has been holding things in or you’ve been the secretive one, 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, you can “thank” messenger Mercury, which has been retrograde in your partnership house since December 29. 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. But on January 18, as the mentally agile planet resumes forward motion and the first Mercury retrograde of 2023 is over you’ll be able to distinguish fantasy from reality AND 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 December 29. But on January 18, the winged messenger straightens out, and your motivation may return with a vengeance! Sign up for a streaming cardio challenge, stock the fridge with healthy fare, start researching yoga or dance retreats. 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 you tried to begin at the New Year will be a thing of the past as systematic Mercury gets back in sync.

Virgo (August 23-September 22)

Festive vibes: incoming! If your New Year’s celebration was more low-key than you’d have preferred—and even if it wasn’t—hit “refresh” and get some inspiring plans on the books. Social Mercury (your ruler) resumes forward motion in your playful, creative and romantic fifth house after an exasperating three-week retrograde that began on December 29. You’ll be back to full-strength social butterfly in no time, looking, acting—and feeling—like the life of the party wherever you go. Book those salon appointments, have a session with a stylist (and maybe tattoo artist) because when you look good, your confidence soars—and your love life responds in kind.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

Since December 29, analytical Mercury was retrograde, backing up through your zone of home and family. Like it or not, this offered you an opportunity—or several—to consider whether your inner circle was lifting you up or dragging you down. While retrograde cycles aren’t exactly fun, they do provide a chance to reflect, review and, now that the first Mercury retrograde of 2023 is over, make some necessary course corrections. On January 18, the messenger planet straightens out, inviting you to institute some new policies. You might be starting 2023 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, you sometimes struggle to make momentous decisions. Since December 29, analytical Mercury has been retrograde in your mentally active third house—and keeping you up late at night analyzing far too many details. If your mind is still going in circles, try to break the gridlock by NOT thinking in black-or-white terms. 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 are 100 percent ready, starting January 18 when the first Mercury retrograde of 2023 is over.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)

Ready, set, exhale—and loosen that belt! Since December 29, Mercury has been retrograde in your money sector. In addition to serving up unexpected expenses, you may have put yourself on a bit of an austerity plan. But on January 18 the first Mercury retrograde of 2023 is over; 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). With the rest of 2023 ahead of you, you can reconfigure your budget so you can actually tuck funds away AND enjoy some of them!

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

A bright new day dawns as thoughtful Mercury resumes forward motion after three frustrating weeks of spinning backward in your sign. You may have kept a lower-than-usual profile since December 29 or spent a fair amount of time ruminating about your personal and professional goals. Well, starting January 18, the first Mercury retrograde of 2023 is over! 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 18)

The past three weeks may have been especially frustrating as thoughtful Mercury spun retrograde in your foggy twelfth house. Since December 29, you may have struggled to discern truth from fiction and tell genuine supporters from folks with agendas. But now that the first Mercury retrograde of 2023 is over, 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 2023. When Mercury moves back into Aquarius on February 11, 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. Hopefully you took advantage of this “forced downtime” by doing the necessary research for a personal or professional project and getting your ducks in a row. On January 18 the first Mercury retrograde of 2023 is over! As the savvy planet 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.