Mercury retrograde dates in 2026
Mercury turns retrograde 3 times in 2026.
Mercury is the fastest planet and turns retrograde more often than any other, about three times a year. Each retrograde lasts between 20 and 24 days, and the start of one comes 108 to 125 days after the start of the last.
Mercury stays near the Sun in the sky, and its retrograde happens when it passes between the Earth and the Sun. In tradition Mercury stands for thinking, speech and travel, and astrologers who follow retrogrades read a Mercury retrograde as a time to revisit them. That is a tradition of interpretation, not a measured effect.
Stations in 2026
Turns retrograde
Thursday 26 February 2026, 08:47
Pisces 22°
Turns direct
Friday 20 March 2026, 21:35
Pisces 8°
Turns retrograde
Monday 29 June 2026, 20:37
Cancer 26°
Turns direct
Friday 24 July 2026, 01:57
Cancer 16°
Turns retrograde
Saturday 24 October 2026, 10:16
Scorpio 20°
Turns direct
Friday 13 November 2026, 17:52
Scorpio 5°
Stations are found by Astrely's own code from the planets' positions and are shown in Nicosia time. Mercury's stations are checked against NASA/JPL Horizons to within four minutes; the outer planets move so slowly around a station that their times are best read to the day. The method page has the details.
Astrology is a tradition of interpretation. What is written here is traditional, offered for reflection and entertainment, not advice and not a prediction.