Is Mercury in Retrograde?
Updated March 2, 2026
Retrograde & Shadow Planets
Mercury
L Pisces 20.8°
Mercury is retrograde. Time to review, reflect, and revise matters related to Mercury's domain.
Expect crossed wires. Slow down, re-read before sending, revisit unfinished conversations.
Jupiter
D Cancer 14.8°
Jupiter is retrograde. Time to review, reflect, and revise matters related to Jupiter's domain.
Reassess growth plans. Quiet expansion beats overreach.
Direct Planets
Venus
L Pisces 24.7°
Mars
K Aquarius 29.6°
Saturn
A Aries 1.5°
Uranus
B Taurus 27.4°
Neptune
A Aries 0.7°
Pluto
K Aquarius 4.2°
Chiron
A Aries 23.8°
Understanding planetary retrogrades
When a planet appears to move backward in the sky, it's called retrograde. This optical illusion occurs due to the relative orbital speeds of Earth and the other planet. In astrology, retrograde periods are times of review, reflection, and revision in the areas that planet governs.
Shadow periods (pre-shadow and post-shadow) mark the degrees the planet will retrace or has retraced during retrograde. Events and themes from these periods often connect to the retrograde itself. Our tracker shows real-time planetary motion states calculated with NASA's ANISE toolkit.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mercury in retrograde right now?
Check the status at the top of this page for today's answer. Mercury goes retrograde roughly 3-4 times per year, each lasting about 3 weeks. Our tracker shows the live motion state computed from real-time planetary positions.
What is a shadow period?
Shadow periods (pre-shadow and post-shadow) mark the zodiac degrees that a planet will retrace or has retraced during retrograde. Events and themes from the pre-shadow often resurface during retrograde, and the post-shadow is a period of integration as the planet clears those degrees moving forward.
What does retrograde actually mean?
Retrograde is an optical illusion where a planet appears to move backward in the sky due to relative orbital speeds between Earth and the planet. In astrology, retrograde periods invite review, reflection, and revision in the areas that planet governs. It's not inherently negative — it's a time to revisit and refine.