Mercury is retrograde from 6:15 pm on Saturday 24 October 2026 until 2:52 am on Saturday 14 November 2026, Sydney time. It starts at 21° Scorpio and turns direct at 5° Scorpio, a stretch of 21 days. Venus is retrograde at the same time, which does not happen often. Below you will find every 2026 and 2027 date, a read for each sign and some easy habits for the weeks ahead.
What Mercury retrograde actually is
Mercury never moves backwards. It is the closest planet to the Sun and races round its orbit in about 88 days, much faster than Earth manages. A few times a year, Mercury on the inside track laps us, and for a few weeks it appears to drift backwards against the background stars. It is an optical illusion, like a car you are overtaking seeming to slide back past the window. Astronomers call the effect apparent retrograde motion, and it happens to every planet at some point.
Astrologers read it differently. Mercury is the planet of thinking, talking, travel, tech and paperwork, so the tradition says these areas get bumpy while it looks like it is reversing. The advice is to review, revisit and double-check rather than launch something brand new. There is no scientific evidence that a retrograde breaks phones or cancels flights, and we do not claim it does. We treat it as a prompt to slow down and check the details, which is useful in any month.
Mercury retrograde in Scorpio, 24 October to 14 November 2026
This retrograde begins at 6:15 pm on Saturday 24 October 2026 in Sydney, with Mercury at 21° Scorpio. It backs up through the sign for three weeks and turns direct at 2:52 am on Saturday 14 November at 5° Scorpio. In the United States that same moment falls on Friday 13 November, because Sydney is many hours ahead. The station is one instant in time, so the calendar date depends on where you are standing. Every date on this page is in Sydney time.
Scorpio is the sign of depth, privacy and trust, and in the tradition it also covers shared resources like joint bills and loans between family. Astrologers expect old conversations to resurface, secrets to come up and tricky subjects to need a second go. Practically, that means revisiting the awkward chat you have been avoiding, tidying shared accounts and subscriptions, and giving big decisions extra time.
Venus is retrograde too, from 5:10 pm on Saturday 3 October in Scorpio until 11:20 am on Saturday 14 November, when it turns direct in Libra. It slips back into Libra at 9:30 pm on Sunday 25 October. Mercury and Venus being retrograde together is a relatively rare overlap. In astrology Venus covers relationships and what we value, so the same review mood stretches to friendships, family and how we treat ourselves.
The post-retrograde shadow, when Mercury is moving forward again over ground it has already covered, runs until it passes 21° Scorpio once more. That is around 29 November (approximate). Many astrologers say matters feel fully settled only once the shadow ends.
Mercury retrograde by sign: a quick read
Astrologers read a retrograde through the house it moves through in your chart. Using whole-sign houses, counted from your Sun sign, Mercury is in a different area of life for each of us this time. Here is a short read for every sign, with a link to your full weekly plan.
Aries, 8th house (shared money, debts). Old tangles around shared bills or promises resurface. Sort them out calmly and write down what you agree.
Taurus, 7th house (partners). Partners and close friends are in focus. Expect a second conversation about something you thought was settled.
Gemini, 6th house (routine, health). Daily routines wobble a little. Keep your sleep, meals and appointments simple and check the times twice.
Cancer, 5th house (fun, play). Hobbies and fun get a review. It suits a rewatch, a rematch or an old board game more than anything new.
Leo, 4th house (home). Home is the theme. Fix the thing you keep putting off, and tell the household before you rearrange anything.
Virgo, 3rd house (talk, short trips). Messages and short trips are the pressure points. Re-read before you send, and leave extra time for the drive.
Libra, 2nd house (money, values). Everyday spending and values get a second look. Check subscriptions and bank statements for anything odd.
Scorpio, 1st house (self). It’s your sign, so it lands personally. Slow down, say less, and give yourself time before big decisions.
Sagittarius, 12th house (rest, retreat). The 12th house suits quiet time. Treat it as permission to rest, sleep in and let old worries settle.
Capricorn, 11th house (friends, groups). Friends and group plans need clear details. Confirm who is bringing what, and when, before the day.
Aquarius, 10th house (career). Work is where you feel it. Back up files, reread emails and hold off on announcing big changes.
Pisces, 9th house (travel, big picture). Plans for travel or study may shift. Double-check bookings and keep your bigger plans flexible.
The retrograde rest-day kit
A retrograde is a handy excuse to slow down. You do not need rituals, only a few ordinary habits that make three weeks of mix-ups easier to live with.
- Set limits early. Decide how much time you will spend on screens each evening, and stick to it. If you play anything for fun, set a time limit and a budget before you start, not halfway through.
- Take breaks. Step outside every hour or so. A ten-minute walk around the block clears more mental clutter than another scroll.
- Double-check messages. Read texts and emails once more before you hit send, especially anything with a date, a number or a name in it.
- Confirm bookings. Flights, restaurant tables, tradie visits and school pick-ups all deserve a quick confirmation. Take a screenshot of the details.
- Back things up. Photos, documents and passwords are easier to protect now than to rebuild later.
- Plan a proper rest day. Kick the footy around, cook something slow, ring a mate you have not spoken to in a while, or have an early night. Rest days are a feature of this section, not a gap in it.
If you fancy a spin during the retrograde, the free pokies demos use play money only, so there is nothing at stake. They are optional entertainment, never a way to make the stars work for you. If gambling is no longer fun, our responsible gambling page and Gambling Help Online (1800 858 858) are there any time.
Does Mercury retrograde affect pokies?
No. Pokies run on a random number generator (RNG), which picks every outcome independently of the date, the planets and your star sign. Mercury cannot change a spin, and neither can a lucky colour or a rest day. Astrology is a fun lens for planning a week, and that is all we use it for here.
All Mercury retrograde dates, 2026 and 2027
Mercury turns retrograde three times a year, and each stretch lasts about three weeks. These are the exact station times for 2026 and 2027 in Sydney local time. The Scorpio retrograde is the one running now.
| Retrograde starts (Sydney) | Starts in | Direct again (Sydney) | Ends in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 26 Feb 2026, 5:47 pm | Pisces 22.6° | Sat 21 Mar 2026, 6:34 am | Pisces 8.5° |
| Tue 30 Jun 2026, 3:37 am | Cancer 26.3° | Fri 24 Jul 2026, 8:56 am | Cancer 16.3° |
| Sat 24 Oct 2026, 6:15 pm | Scorpio 21° | Sat 14 Nov 2026, 2:52 am | Scorpio 5° |
| Wed 10 Feb 2027, 4:35 am | Pisces 6° | Wed 3 Mar 2027, 11:34 pm | Aquarius 20.9° |
| Fri 11 Jun 2027, 4:18 am | Cancer 6.4° | Mon 5 Jul 2027, 5:40 am | Gemini 27.5° |
| Fri 8 Oct 2027, 1:40 am | Scorpio 4.9° | Fri 29 Oct 2027, 1:10 am | Libra 19.3° |
The next Mercury retrograde after this one starts on Wednesday 10 February 2027 and ends on Wednesday 3 March 2027, Sydney time. If you live in Perth, Brisbane or Adelaide, expect the clock times to differ slightly, and note that a station close to midnight can land on a different date.
Questions people ask
When is Mercury retrograde in 2026?
Mercury has three retrograde periods in 2026, in Sydney time: 26 February to 21 March (Pisces), 30 June to 24 July (Cancer) and 24 October to 14 November (Scorpio). The third one starts at 6:15 pm on Saturday 24 October 2026.
When does Mercury go direct?
Mercury goes direct at 2:52 am on Saturday 14 November 2026, Sydney time, at 5° Scorpio. In the US the same moment is Friday 13 November, because of the time difference. The shadow period runs to around 29 November (approximate).
What is the next Mercury retrograde after November 2026?
The next one runs from 4:35 am on Wednesday 10 February 2027 to 11:34 pm on Wednesday 3 March 2027, Sydney time. It starts in Pisces and ends in Aquarius.
Is Mercury retrograde real?
The apparent backwards motion is real in the sense that you can observe it from Earth, but it is an optical illusion. Mercury keeps orbiting forward while Earth’s different speed changes our viewing angle. The idea that it disrupts daily life comes from astrology, not astronomy.
What should I do during Mercury retrograde?
Double-check messages and bookings, back up important files, leave extra time for travel and build in a proper rest day or two. Traditionally people also hold off on signing big contracts if they can wait until Mercury is direct. Our rest-day kit above has more ideas.
Does Mercury retrograde change pokie results?
No. Pokies use a random number generator, so planets and star signs have no effect on outcomes. Play free demos for fun only, set a budget and time limit, and call Gambling Help Online on 1800 858 858 if gambling is no longer fun.
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