Mercury retrograde 2026: dates, shadow and signs

Three or four times a year Mercury seems to walk backwards in the sky for about three weeks. These are the periods of 2026, calculated on this site from the orbits of the planets (dates in UTC).

First: retrograde from February 26 to March 20 in Pisces, with the shadow from February 11 to April 9.

Second: retrograde from June 29 to July 23 in Cancer, with the shadow from June 13 to August 7.

Third: retrograde from October 24 to November 13 in Scorpio, with the shadow from October 4 to November 30.

Questions

When is Mercury retrograde in 2026?

First: retrograde from February 26 to March 20 in Pisces, with the shadow from February 11 to April 9. Second: retrograde from June 29 to July 23 in Cancer, with the shadow from June 13 to August 7. Third: retrograde from October 24 to November 13 in Scorpio, with the shadow from October 4 to November 30.

What is the Mercury retrograde shadow?

The shadow is the stretch around a retrograde: it begins when Mercury first reaches the degree where it will later turn direct, and ends when it passes again the degree where it turned back. Many people treat it as a time to slow down and review, symbolically.