Mercury Retrograde and Planetary Retrogrades

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mercury retrograde 2027

Mercury retrograde in 2027: calendar and sign changes

The 2027 calendar has the same three Mercury retrogrades, but in 2027 the first two cross a sign boundary: the February one runs from Pisces to Aquarius and the June one from Cancer to Gemini. That is why the year's ingress list has retrograde entries.

How Mercury crosses the signs in 2027

The first retrograde runs from February 9 (12:35 pm Eastern, at 5°59′ Pisces) to March 3 (7:34 am, at 20°55′ Aquarius). Since the total backward motion is 15°04′, the planet passes the 0° of Pisces backward. The ingress list tells the whole story: it enters Aquarius on January 13, Pisces on February 1 (UTC), moves back into Aquarius on February 18 at 7:17 am, and returns to Pisces on March 18 at 6:02 am. Between entering Pisces and returning to Pisces about a month and a half goes by, all because of a single boundary.
The second runs from June 10 (2:18 pm, at 6°22′ Cancer) to July 4 (3:40 pm, at 27°28′ Gemini). It moves back into Gemini on June 26 at 3:23 am and returns to Cancer on July 12 at 9:45 am. The third, October 7 to 28, sits in Scorpio and Libra: station retrograde at 10:39 am on October 7 at 4°56′ Scorpio, station direct at 10:10 am on October 28 at 19°19′ Libra. It enters Scorpio on September 27, moves back into Libra on October 16 and returns to Scorpio on November 9.
The 2027 numbers: 21.8, 24.1 and 21.0 days of retrograde, and 56.8, 54.1 and 57.1 days for the full cycle. The year has three cycles, not four: years with four Mercury retrogrades are less common, such as 2022 and 2029. In February 2027 Mercury's retrograde overlaps those of Mars (January 10 to April 1) and Jupiter (December 12, 2026 to April 12), so three planets are retrograde at the same time between February 9 and March 3.

Checked 2027 milestones (UTC)

February station retrograde

Input: ☿ 2027-02-09 17:35Z
Expected output: 5°59′ ♓

Starts in Pisces, 15 degrees before the shadow ends.

March station direct

Input: ☿ 2027-03-03 12:34Z
Expected output: 20°55′ ♒

Already in Aquarius: it crossed the Pisces boundary backward.

Back into Aquarius

Input: ☿ ♓→♒ 2027-02-18 12:17Z
Expected output: ℞

Retrograde ingress: 7:17 am in New York.

June station retrograde

Input: ☿ 2027-06-10 18:18Z
Expected output: 6°22′ ♋

Stations already in Cancer and backs into Gemini.

July station direct

Input: ☿ 2027-07-04 19:40Z
Expected output: 27°28′ ♊

The same degree as the May 26 pre-shadow.

October station retrograde

Input: ☿ 2027-10-07 14:39Z
Expected output: 4°56′ ♏

10:39 am in New York.

Full tool FAQ

How can I tell if Mercury is retrograde right now?

The panel at the top answers with the current phase. Retrograde means Mercury's ecliptic longitude is decreasing at this moment, between the station retrograde and the station direct. If it has not reached the station retrograde yet but has passed the degree where it will station direct, it is in the pre-shadow: still moving direct, and the panel shows when the retrograde starts. After the station direct comes the post-shadow, until it returns to the degree of the station retrograde. Outside those spans the motion is plain direct. In 2026 Mercury has three retrogrades: February 26 to March 20, June 29 to July 23, and October 24 to November 13, and on those dates New York and Brasília show the same day.

What are the pre-shadow and post-shadow, and how are they computed?

Why do the dates differ from one site to another?

How long does each planet's retrograde last?

How many times a year does Mercury go retrograde?

Is retrograde real or an optical illusion?

Do the Sun, the Moon, the nodes and Chiron go retrograde?

How accurate is it, and what years does it cover?

Can a planet change sign and then go back?

How do I use the .ics file and the link?

Frequently asked questions

When is Mercury retrograde in 2027?

February 9 to March 3, June 10 to July 4 and October 7 to 28. The shadow periods run from January 25 to March 23, May 26 to July 19 and September 17 to November 13.

Can Mercury go back to a sign it already left?

It can, and in 2027 it happens three times: Pisces to Aquarius on February 18, Cancer to Gemini on June 26 and Scorpio to Libra on October 16. Each return is followed by a new entry into the sign, days or weeks later, once the planet turns direct.

Which planets are retrograde together with Mercury in February 2027?

Mars and Jupiter. Uranus turned direct on February 8, one day before Mercury's station retrograde, and Saturn only starts moving backward again in August. The tool shows the state of every planet in the panel at the top.

Do the times change if I am in Portugal or Japan?

The instant is the same, the clock time changes. The February 9 station happens at 17:35 UTC, which is 5:35 pm in Lisbon and 2:35 am on the 10th in Tokyo. Pick the time zone in the tool to see the right date where you are.

Next steps

How Mercury crosses the signs in 2027

The first retrograde runs from February 9 (12:35 pm Eastern, at 5°59′ Pisces) to March 3 (7:34 am, at 20°55′ Aquarius). Since the total backward motion is 15°04′, the planet passes the 0° of Pisces backward. The ingress list tells the whole story: it enters Aquarius on January 13, Pisces on February 1 (UTC), moves back into Aquarius on February 18 at 7:17 am, and returns to Pisces on March 18 at 6:02 am. Between entering Pisces and returning to Pisces about a month and a half goes by, all because of a single boundary.

The second runs from June 10 (2:18 pm, at 6°22′ Cancer) to July 4 (3:40 pm, at 27°28′ Gemini). It moves back into Gemini on June 26 at 3:23 am and returns to Cancer on July 12 at 9:45 am. The third, October 7 to 28, sits in Scorpio and Libra: station retrograde at 10:39 am on October 7 at 4°56′ Scorpio, station direct at 10:10 am on October 28 at 19°19′ Libra. It enters Scorpio on September 27, moves back into Libra on October 16 and returns to Scorpio on November 9.

The 2027 numbers: 21.8, 24.1 and 21.0 days of retrograde, and 56.8, 54.1 and 57.1 days for the full cycle. The year has three cycles, not four: years with four Mercury retrogrades are less common, such as 2022 and 2029. In February 2027 Mercury's retrograde overlaps those of Mars (January 10 to April 1) and Jupiter (December 12, 2026 to April 12), so three planets are retrograde at the same time between February 9 and March 3.

Checked 2027 milestones (UTC)

February station retrograde

Input: ☿ 2027-02-09 17:35Z
Expected output: 5°59′ ♓

Starts in Pisces, 15 degrees before the shadow ends.

March station direct

Input: ☿ 2027-03-03 12:34Z
Expected output: 20°55′ ♒

Already in Aquarius: it crossed the Pisces boundary backward.

Back into Aquarius

Input: ☿ ♓→♒ 2027-02-18 12:17Z
Expected output: ℞

Retrograde ingress: 7:17 am in New York.

June station retrograde

Input: ☿ 2027-06-10 18:18Z
Expected output: 6°22′ ♋

Stations already in Cancer and backs into Gemini.

July station direct

Input: ☿ 2027-07-04 19:40Z
Expected output: 27°28′ ♊

The same degree as the May 26 pre-shadow.

October station retrograde

Input: ☿ 2027-10-07 14:39Z
Expected output: 4°56′ ♏

10:39 am in New York.

Full tool FAQ

How can I tell if Mercury is retrograde right now?

What are the pre-shadow and post-shadow, and how are they computed?

Why do the dates differ from one site to another?

How long does each planet's retrograde last?

How many times a year does Mercury go retrograde?

Is retrograde real or an optical illusion?

Do the Sun, the Moon, the nodes and Chiron go retrograde?

How accurate is it, and what years does it cover?

Can a planet change sign and then go back?

How do I use the .ics file and the link?

Frequently asked questions

When is Mercury retrograde in 2027?

February 9 to March 3, June 10 to July 4 and October 7 to 28. The shadow periods run from January 25 to March 23, May 26 to July 19 and September 17 to November 13.