Mercury Retrograde 2026: Exact Dates & Times
The short answer
Mercury stations retrograde in Pisces on 06:48 UTC on 26 February 2026 (retrograde) to 19:33 UTC on 20 March 2026 (direct); and 17:37 UTC on 29 June 2026 (retrograde) to 22:59 UTC on 23 July 2026 (direct); and 07:14 UTC on 24 October 2026 (retrograde) to 15:55 UTC on 13 November 2026 (direct).
Mercury stations retrograde in Pisces on 06:48 UTC on 26 February 2026 (retrograde) to 19:33 UTC on 20 March 2026 (direct); and 17:37 UTC on 29 June 2026 (retrograde) to 22:59 UTC on 23 July 2026 (direct); and 07:14 UTC on 24 October 2026 (retrograde) to 15:55 UTC on 13 November 2026 (direct).
Mercury retrograde in Pisces
Stations retrograde: 06:48 UTC on 26 February 2026, at 22.57° Pisces (06:48 UTC on 26 February 2026).
| City | Local time |
|---|---|
| Sydney | 5:48 PM GMT+11, Feb 26 |
| London | 6:48 AM GMT, Feb 26 |
| New York | 1:48 AM EST, Feb 26 |
| Los Angeles | 10:48 PM PST, Feb 25 |
| Mumbai | 12:18 PM GMT+5:30, Feb 26 |
| Tokyo | 3:48 PM GMT+9, Feb 26 |
Stations direct: 19:33 UTC on 20 March 2026, at 8.49° Pisces (19:33 UTC on 20 March 2026).
| City | Local time |
|---|---|
| Sydney | 6:33 AM GMT+11, Mar 21 |
| London | 7:33 PM GMT, Mar 20 |
| New York | 3:33 PM EDT, Mar 20 |
| Los Angeles | 12:33 PM PDT, Mar 20 |
| Mumbai | 1:03 AM GMT+5:30, Mar 21 |
| Tokyo | 4:33 AM GMT+9, Mar 21 |
Shadow begins: 22:14 UTC on 11 February 2026. Mercury first reaches, moving forward, the degree it will later retrograde back to.
Shadow clears: 11:44 UTC on 9 April 2026. Mercury moves past the degree where it originally turned retrograde.
Which house this touches by rising sign
| Rising sign | House |
|---|---|
| Aries | 12th |
| Taurus | 11th |
| Gemini | 10th |
| Cancer | 9th |
| Leo | 8th |
| Virgo | 7th |
| Libra | 6th |
| Scorpio | 5th |
| Sagittarius | 4th |
| Capricorn | 3rd |
| Aquarius | 2nd |
| Pisces | 1st |
Mercury retrograde in Cancer
Stations retrograde: 17:37 UTC on 29 June 2026, at 26.26° Cancer (17:37 UTC on 29 June 2026).
| City | Local time |
|---|---|
| Sydney | 3:37 AM GMT+10, Jun 30 |
| London | 6:37 PM GMT+1, Jun 29 |
| New York | 1:37 PM EDT, Jun 29 |
| Los Angeles | 10:37 AM PDT, Jun 29 |
| Mumbai | 11:07 PM GMT+5:30, Jun 29 |
| Tokyo | 2:37 AM GMT+9, Jun 30 |
Stations direct: 22:59 UTC on 23 July 2026, at 16.32° Cancer (22:59 UTC on 23 July 2026).
| City | Local time |
|---|---|
| Sydney | 8:59 AM GMT+10, Jul 24 |
| London | 11:59 PM GMT+1, Jul 23 |
| New York | 6:59 PM EDT, Jul 23 |
| Los Angeles | 3:59 PM PDT, Jul 23 |
| Mumbai | 4:29 AM GMT+5:30, Jul 24 |
| Tokyo | 7:59 AM GMT+9, Jul 24 |
Shadow begins: 00:55 UTC on 13 June 2026. Mercury first reaches, moving forward, the degree it will later retrograde back to.
Shadow clears: 03:39 UTC on 7 August 2026. Mercury moves past the degree where it originally turned retrograde.
Which house this touches by rising sign
| Rising sign | House |
|---|---|
| Aries | 4th |
| Taurus | 3rd |
| Gemini | 2nd |
| Cancer | 1st |
| Leo | 12th |
| Virgo | 11th |
| Libra | 10th |
| Scorpio | 9th |
| Sagittarius | 8th |
| Capricorn | 7th |
| Aquarius | 6th |
| Pisces | 5th |
Mercury retrograde in Scorpio
Stations retrograde: 07:14 UTC on 24 October 2026, at 20.98° Scorpio (07:14 UTC on 24 October 2026).
| City | Local time |
|---|---|
| Sydney | 6:14 PM GMT+11, Oct 24 |
| London | 8:14 AM GMT+1, Oct 24 |
| New York | 3:14 AM EDT, Oct 24 |
| Los Angeles | 12:14 AM PDT, Oct 24 |
| Mumbai | 12:44 PM GMT+5:30, Oct 24 |
| Tokyo | 4:14 PM GMT+9, Oct 24 |
Stations direct: 15:55 UTC on 13 November 2026, at 5.03° Scorpio (15:55 UTC on 13 November 2026).
| City | Local time |
|---|---|
| Sydney | 2:55 AM GMT+11, Nov 14 |
| London | 3:55 PM GMT, Nov 13 |
| New York | 10:55 AM EST, Nov 13 |
| Los Angeles | 7:55 AM PST, Nov 13 |
| Mumbai | 9:25 PM GMT+5:30, Nov 13 |
| Tokyo | 12:55 AM GMT+9, Nov 14 |
Shadow begins: 09:10 UTC on 4 October 2026. Mercury first reaches, moving forward, the degree it will later retrograde back to.
Shadow clears: 06:17 UTC on 30 November 2026. Mercury moves past the degree where it originally turned retrograde.
Which house this touches by rising sign
| Rising sign | House |
|---|---|
| Aries | 8th |
| Taurus | 7th |
| Gemini | 6th |
| Cancer | 5th |
| Leo | 4th |
| Virgo | 3rd |
| Libra | 2nd |
| Scorpio | 1st |
| Sagittarius | 12th |
| Capricorn | 11th |
| Aquarius | 10th |
| Pisces | 9th |
Where these times come from
Every station is the exact moment Mercury's apparent motion changes direction, found by scanning the real ephemeris and bisecting to the minute, the same engine that powers current transits and daily horoscopes. Positions are geocentric and tropical. Shadow dates mark when Mercury first reaches (and later clears) the degree range it retraces.
What this means for your chart
The house table above uses whole-sign counting from your rising sign. For an exact reading of how this retrograde lands against your own placements, cast your free birth chart first.