Mercury turns retrograde three times in 2026, each time in a water sign: Pisces, Cancer, then Scorpio. Here are the exact times, the degrees and the shadow periods.
Three times a year Mercury seems to stop, back up for about three weeks, and go forward again. The old conversations come back. So do the email you never answered and the plan you agreed to too fast. A retrograde is a good season for second drafts.
The shadow is the stretch of sky that Mercury crosses three times. It enters the shadow before it turns retrograde and leaves it after it turns direct. Many people feel the themes start in the pre-shadow and settle in the post-shadow.
All three retrogrades of 2026 stay inside one water sign. Water is feeling, memory and closeness. This year the reviews are about people: the apology you rehearsed in the shower, the friend you meant to call back in March.
Mercury crosses the shadow, 8°29′ Pisces to 22°33′ Pisces, three times: forward, back, then forward again.Turns retrograde 22°33′ Pisces, Feb 26Mercury slows, stands still and starts to move back over ground it has already crossed once.Turns direct 8°29′ Pisces, Mar 20Mercury stands still again and turns forward. It crosses the shadow a third time before it reaches new degrees.Mercury retrogradeMercury retrograde isn't a curse — it's a backward sweep through topics already on the table. Expect old conversations to resurface, technology to glitch, and second-guessing to come easy. Edit, don't initiate.
Mercury crosses the shadow, 16°18′ Cancer to 26°15′ Cancer, three times: forward, back, then forward again.Turns retrograde 26°15′ Cancer, Jun 29Mercury slows, stands still and starts to move back over ground it has already crossed once.Turns direct 16°18′ Cancer, Jul 23Mercury stands still again and turns forward. It crosses the shadow a third time before it reaches new degrees.Mercury retrogradeMercury retrograde isn't a curse — it's a backward sweep through topics already on the table. Expect old conversations to resurface, technology to glitch, and second-guessing to come easy. Edit, don't initiate.
Mercury crosses the shadow, 5°02′ Scorpio to 20°58′ Scorpio, three times: forward, back, then forward again.Turns retrograde 20°58′ Scorpio, Oct 24Mercury slows, stands still and starts to move back over ground it has already crossed once.Turns direct 5°02′ Scorpio, Nov 13Mercury stands still again and turns forward. It crosses the shadow a third time before it reaches new degrees.Mercury retrogradeMercury retrograde isn't a curse — it's a backward sweep through topics already on the table. Expect old conversations to resurface, technology to glitch, and second-guessing to come easy. Edit, don't initiate.
Exact time
Where
Shadow begins
5°02′ Scorpio
Turns retrograde
20°58′ Scorpio
Turns direct
5°02′ Scorpio
Shadow ends
20°58′ Scorpio
Times are in UTC.
Which retrograde touches you
The degrees in the tables are the part of the zodiac that Mercury goes over again. If a planet or angle in your birth chart sits in that range, that retrograde reaches you more directly than the others. Solstice checks this against your own chart and tells you which part of your life it reviews.
One thing to do
In the week Mercury turns retrograde, reread one message you sent in a hurry. Then answer it again, slowly. A retrograde rewards the second reply.
Calculated with the Swiss Ephemeris, tropical zodiac. Updated Nov 6, 2026.
Where does Mercury retrograde fall in your chart?
Each retrograde covers a short stretch of the zodiac. If that stretch crosses a planet in your chart, that is the one to watch. Solstice checks it for you.
