Retrogrades 2026: every planet's dates, calculated

In 2026, Mercury is retrograde three times (February 26 – March 20 in Pisces, June 29 – July 23 in Cancer, and October 24 – November 13 in Scorpio), Venus is retrograde from October 3 to November 13 (Scorpio into Libra), and Mars has no retrograde at all. Among the outer planets, Saturn is retrograde July 26 – December 10 in Aries, Pluto May 6 – October 15 in Aquarius, Neptune July 7 – December 12 in Aries, Uranus from September 10 into February 2027, and Jupiter from December 12 into 2027.

All dates were calculated with Astronomy Engine and are given in US Central Time. Degrees are rounded.

2026 retrograde calendar

What is a retrograde, really?

A retrograde is an optical effect. Earth and the other planets orbit the Sun at different speeds, so from our moving viewpoint, a planet sometimes appears to slow, stop, and drift backward against the stars before resuming its usual direction. The planet itself never reverses. The point where it appears to stop is called a station.

In astrological tradition, retrograde periods are times to review, revisit, and reflect on the themes that planet represents. Our Mercury retrograde guide explains this in more depth.

Mercury retrograde 2026

Mercury, the planet of communication, travel, and thinking, retrogrades three times this year, all in water signs:

February 26 – March 20: Pisces

From about 22° to 8° Pisces. Traditional themes: imagination, intuition, boundaries, and unfinished emotional business.

June 29 – July 23: Cancer

From about 26° to 16° Cancer. Themes: home, family, memory, and emotional communication.

October 24 – November 13: Scorpio

From about 20° to 5° Scorpio. Themes: honesty, secrets, shared money, and deep conversations. This one overlaps with Venus retrograde. See November 2026 astrology.

Venus retrograde 2026: October 3 – November 13

Venus retrogrades roughly every 18 months. In 2026 it stations retrograde at about 8° Scorpio, backs into Libra on October 25, and stations direct at about 22° Libra. Traditionally, Venus retrograde turns attention to relationships, values, self-worth, beauty, and money; many astrologers advise reconsidering big aesthetic or romantic decisions until it is over.

Mars: no retrograde in 2026

Mars retrogrades roughly every two years, and 2026 is an off year. Its next retrograde begins on January 10, 2027, at about 10° Virgo.

Jupiter retrograde 2026

Jupiter starts the year retrograde in Cancer and stations direct on March 10 at about 15° Cancer. It later moves into Leo and stations retrograde again on December 12 at about 27° Leo, a retrograde that continues into 2027. Traditional themes: growth, faith, luck, and where we overextend.

Saturn retrograde 2026: July 26 – December 10

Saturn, now in Aries (it entered on February 15, 2026), retrogrades from about 14° to 7° Aries. Traditionally, Saturn retrograde is a time to review structures, commitments, and responsibilities. For people born in the mid-1990s, when Saturn was last in Aries, 2026 is also part of their Saturn return.

Uranus retrograde 2026

Uranus stations direct in late Taurus on February 3, later moves into Gemini, and turns retrograde there on September 10 at about 5°. That retrograde lasts until February 8, 2027. Themes: change, innovation, and independence.

Neptune retrograde 2026: July 7 – December 12

Neptune, newly in Aries this year, retrogrades from about 4° to 1° Aries. Themes: dreams, ideals, spirituality, and illusions.

Pluto retrograde 2026: May 6 – October 15

Pluto retrogrades in early Aquarius, from about 5° to 3°. Themes: power, transformation, and collective change.

How many planets are retrograde at once in 2026?

The busiest stretch is autumn. Between October 24 and November 13, Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are all retrograde together, five planets, while Pluto has just turned direct.

How to use the 2026 retrograde calendar

• Plan reviews, not launches, for Mercury and Venus retrogrades, if you follow the tradition.
• Back up and double-check: Mercury retrograde is a good excuse to tidy files and confirm plans.
• Notice your houses. Each retrograde falls in a different area of your chart; see the 12 houses and look up your chart with the birth chart calculator.

Where each 2026 Mercury retrograde lands for your sign

Using whole-sign solar houses (counting your sun sign as the first house), here is the life area each 2026 Mercury retrograde touches:

Water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) each have one Mercury retrograde in their own sign this year, which tradition treats as a personal review period.

Retrograde shadow periods

Many astrologers also track a shadow: the stretch before a retrograde when the planet first crosses the degrees it will later retrace, and the stretch afterward when it moves forward over them again. For the October retrograde, that means Mercury is moving through the 5°–20° Scorpio stretch three times: once forward before October 24, once backward until November 13, and once forward again afterward. Themes that surface in the first pass are often said to come back for review.

Retrogrades in your birth chart

A planet that was retrograde when you were born is traditionally read as turned inward. Natal Venus retrograde can describe someone who reflects carefully on love and values; natal Saturn retrograde, someone who builds their own internal rules rather than accepting external ones. Outer-planet retrogrades are common, since they spend a large share of each year retrograde, so astrologers usually emphasize personal planets. Check yours in the birth chart calculator.

Common misconceptions

"Retrogrades are bad luck." Tradition frames them as times for review. Many people find them productive for editing, reconnecting, and resting.

"Outer-planet retrogrades affect everyone dramatically." Their effects are usually read as slow and generational unless they touch a personal point in your chart.

The takeaway

2026's retrogrades cluster in water signs for Mercury and in autumn overall, with no Mars retrograde all year. Save this table, and treat each retrograde as an invitation to revisit, not a reason to panic.