The moving sky · A Zodiaris field guide
Mercury retrograde 2026
The full 2026 calendar, from the first shadow crossing to the final one. Compare every cycle, then open the details for its stations and zodiac positions.
| Cycle | Pre-shadow begins | Retrograde begins | Direct station | Post-shadow ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cycle 1 | 8° Pisces 29′ | 22° Pisces 34′ | 8° Pisces 29′ | 22° Pisces 34′ |
| Cycle 2 | 16° Cancer 19′ | 26° Cancer 15′ | 16° Cancer 19′ | 26° Cancer 15′ |
| Cycle 3 | 5° Scorpio 02′ | 20° Scorpio 59′ | 5° Scorpio 02′ | 20° Scorpio 59′ |
A closer look at each cycle
Cycle 1 · Feb 26, 2026 – Mar 20, 2026Cycle details
Pre-shadow begins
8° Pisces 29′Direct motion · revisiting beginsRetrograde begins
22° Pisces 34′Apparent backward motion beginsDirect station
8° Pisces 29′Forward motion · post-shadow beginsPost-shadow ends
22° Pisces 34′Direct motion · shadow complete
Mercury stations retrograde at 22° Pisces 34′ and direct at 8° Pisces 29′. The pre-shadow starts at the direct station’s longitude; the post-shadow ends when Mercury returns to the retrograde station’s longitude.
Calculation version: retrogrades-v1-sky-calendar-v1.1-zodiaris-sky-v2.1-ae2.1.19Cycle 2 · Jun 29, 2026 – Jul 23, 2026Cycle details
Pre-shadow begins
16° Cancer 19′Direct motion · revisiting beginsRetrograde begins
26° Cancer 15′Apparent backward motion beginsDirect station
16° Cancer 19′Forward motion · post-shadow beginsPost-shadow ends
26° Cancer 15′Direct motion · shadow complete
Mercury stations retrograde at 26° Cancer 15′ and direct at 16° Cancer 19′. The pre-shadow starts at the direct station’s longitude; the post-shadow ends when Mercury returns to the retrograde station’s longitude.
Calculation version: retrogrades-v1-sky-calendar-v1.1-zodiaris-sky-v2.1-ae2.1.19Cycle 3 · Oct 24, 2026 – Nov 13, 2026Cycle details
Pre-shadow begins
5° Scorpio 02′Direct motion · revisiting beginsRetrograde begins
20° Scorpio 59′Apparent backward motion beginsDirect station
5° Scorpio 02′Forward motion · post-shadow beginsPost-shadow ends
20° Scorpio 59′Direct motion · shadow complete
Mercury stations retrograde at 20° Scorpio 59′ and direct at 5° Scorpio 02′. The pre-shadow starts at the direct station’s longitude; the post-shadow ends when Mercury returns to the retrograde station’s longitude.
Calculation version: retrogrades-v1-sky-calendar-v1.1-zodiaris-sky-v2.1-ae2.1.19Cycles are included when any part of their shadow interval overlaps 2026 in UTC. All four boundaries stay visible, including dates in neighboring years. Your time-zone choice changes the displayed dates and times, never the events themselves.
Reading this calendar
The retrograde interval starts at the retrograde station and ends at the direct station. Mercury is moving forward during both shadow periods. Each row gives the complete cycle, so a boundary in a neighboring year is kept with its other three dates.
The initial page uses UTC. After the page loads, the display uses your device’s time zone or your saved Sky preference; you can choose another zone at any time.
Calculation method & sources
Positions use the tropical zodiac and geocentric apparent ecliptic longitude calculated with Astronomy Engine 2.1.19. Stations are the same prepared events used by the Zodiaris Sky calendar. They are found from a sign change in longitude speed, sampled symmetrically one hour before and after the instant, with the time search narrowed to one second.
Shadow crossings use those station longitudes. Times are displayed to the minute; this display precision is not a claim of one-minute agreement with every ephemeris. Small differences can arise from the astronomical model, coordinate conventions and rounding.
Reference: Astronomy Engine documentation. Shadow convention and independent date checks: Cafe Astrology’s retrograde tables. No personal birth data is used.