Order Your Almanac Today!

Mercury Retrograde Dates for 2024 and 2025

Mercury
Photo Credit
Parts of this image sourced from NASA

What Is Mercury Retrograde and What Does It Mean for You?

Catherine Boeckmann
Print Friendly and PDF
No content available.

Mercury Retrograde will begin once again on November 25, 2024. These periods of the year are thought to significantly influence your mood and actions. Learn more and find the 2024 and 2025 Mercury Retrograde dates.

What Is “Mercury Retrograde”?

Three to four times a year, the planet Mercury appears to travel backward across the sky. We refer to these periods as times when Mercury is in apparent retrograde motion or simply ”Mercury retrograde.” To those who practice astrology, these times were traditionally associated with confusion, delay, and frustration. Think undelivered love letters, email blunders, and frazzled travel plans! This is an excellent time to reflect on the past, however, and it’s said that intuition is high during these periods. Coincidences can be extraordinary.

What Is Retrograde Motion?

The astronomical explanation for retrograde motion starts with understanding that the planets in our solar system orbit the Sun at different distances and speeds. While we orbit the Sun ourselves, we can observe the other planets moving across our sky, following their own paths. 

Read Next

Sometimes, it can appear (from our perspective) that a planet has abruptly switched directions and has started to move in reverse across the sky. This is, of course, an illusion caused by the position of Earth in relation to that of the planet since a planet in orbit always travels in one set direction and can’t suddenly reverse course. This is why we call the phenomenon apparent retrograde motion, as it only looks like the planet is moving backward (“retrograde motion”)!

When Is Mercury in Retrograde in 2024?

In 2024, Mercury will be in apparent retrograde motion during the following ranges of dates: 

  • December 13, 2023, to January 1, 2024
  • April 1 to April 24
  • August 4 to August 27
  • November 25 to December 15

Please note that dates reflect Eastern Time U.S., not Universal Time.

When Is Mercury in Retrograde in 2025?

In 2025, Mercury will be in apparent retrograde motion during the following ranges of dates: 

  • March 14 to April 6
  • July 17 to August 10
  • November 9 to 29

Please note that dates reflect Eastern Time U.S., not Universal Time.

What You Should Do When Mercury is Retrograde

The planet Mercury rules communication in all forms—listening, writing, reading, speaking, and so on—as well as activities closely related to communication, like negotiations and contracts. It also rules travel, automobiles, shipping, and mail.

So, when Mercury is retrograde, try to remain flexible, patient, and understanding, allow extra time for travel, and avoid signing onto any new contracts that you’re unsure of. Double-check your email responses and check in with reservations before you take that trip. Take time to review projects and plans before making decisions.

You can’t stop your life, but plan ahead, have backup plans, and be prepared for people’s shorter fuses and miscommunication.

Take a Moment to Reflect

Some blame Mercury retrograde for all the chaos that happens in their lives. However, this is a good time to sit back and review what you put your energy toward.

For example, if family and faith are important to you, are you putting enough energy into them, or have you overextended in other areas such as your career or a hobby? Losing the balance between different parts of your life can cause them to suffer, so being aware of their connections—especially during Mercury retrograde—can help you maintain or at least better understand how that balance works.

Take a moment to reflect. Mercury retrograde can be an excellent time to take a step back and reanalyze who you are and what you are doing—but do refrain from making any drastic changes until after retrograde has ended.

When Retrograde Ends

When Mercury’s Retrograde ends, some astrologers believe there is a short “shadow period” of adjustment of a couple of weeks as Mercury moves forward again. Don’t rush. Let any miscommunication work itself out. Be prepared for electronic kinks to get resolved.

Stay calm, but start planning to move forward as well. Move into your routine and rhythm. Put the touches on that trip you want to take. Get the paperwork ready to sign contracts or sell your house. Use your energy towards intelligent changes.

Mercury and the Zodiac

The type of influence you feel also depends on which of the 12 zodiac signs Mercury is in when it goes retrograde.

What’s your Zodiac Sign? See here: “Mercury Retrograde and Zodiac Signs.”

Learn more about zodiac sign profiles in general, and check out our monthly horoscopes. Make sure that your gardening does not go awry when Mercury is in retrograde by reading your zodiac profile for gardening.

Astrology
About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website, and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana. Read More from Catherine Boeckmann
 

No content available.
More Like This

Comments

Rikki (not verified)

4 months 1 week ago

Re: The posters that disparage the Astrologist. You are 🦁 🦁, only the Negstive, supercritical, Arrogant Leo's
. Please 🙏 re-read your Sign.

Karen (not verified)

9 months 2 weeks ago

During the pandemic there was a tremendous force in my life. I had lost my husband to cancer in 2019. I remember in Spring, going into my backyard and feeling like everything or something big was off. This was before I heard of the pandemic.
I have several irises in various lo ations in my large yard. They had always bloomed every year. Not a single one bloomed that Spring. Also the milk weed was taking over with them growing over 2 feet tall. I had several things break in the house and i tried to plan a possible move to another state. Communication with people was very confusing. I almost lost $2000 on a moving van. They shouldn't have charged me ahead of the move. My realtor and I were in a whirlwind of non-productive emails and calls. I was so confused I decided not to move for the time being. I became aware of Mercury retrograde and it seemed these things were happening to me due to it. I was in mourning, but there were so many things going on I really couldn't sort it out. It may sound ridiculous, but this is unexplainable to me. I have never had anything like this ever happen to me. I am now 70, and not senile. lol

I believe you.I never knew what Retrograde meant until now. I'm taking cautions seriously, as I am facing major decisions involving $$$.

I did not include personal details as that would derange the entire subject and blow out of sorts I do that quite a lot , analysis every little detail of that topic , anonymous kind regards ..

Karen (not verified)

9 months 2 weeks ago

During the pandemic there was a tremendous force in my life. I had lost my husband to cancer in 2019. I remember in Spring, going into my backyard and feeling like everything or something big was off. This was before I heard of the pandemic.
I have several irises in various lo ations in my large yard. They had always bloomed every year. Not a single one bloomed that Spring. Also the milk weed was taking over with them growing over 2 feet tall. I had several things break in the house and i tried to plan a possible move to another state. Communication with people was very confusing. I almost lost $2000 on a moving van. They shouldn't have charged me ahead of the move. My realtor and I were in a whirlwind of non-productive emails and calls. I was so confused I decided not to move for the time being. I became aware of Mercury retrograde and it seemed these things were happening to me due to it. I was in mourning, but there were so many things going on I really couldn't sort it out. It may sound ridiculous, but this is unexplainable to me. I have never had anything like this ever happen to me. I am now 70, and not senile. lol

Darlene (not verified)

12 months ago

I just became a believer.Why?Because every thing is upsetting me and I am like a bear .My server is the pits and my stove is burning my cookies and I walk into my walls and cant think staight.I am usually easy going and not bothered by much.I think I should start following astronomy more.Thanks

Elana Howard (not verified)

1 year 1 month ago

“The type of influence you feel also depends on which of the 12 zodiac signs Earth is in when Mercury goes retrograde.”

I didn’t know Earth could be “in” a zodiac sign, since we are looking at the Zodiac (the sky) from our position ON Earth. How do we determine which sign Earth is in when Mercury goes retrograde, or any other time?

I think it might refer to what the current zodiac month is. For example Dec 13 th 2023 - Mercury retrograde in Sagittarius

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. It depends on which sign Mercury (not Earth) is in when it goes retrograde. We apologize for the error and have fixed the copy.