⟳ Retrograde Planets
Every retrograde period from 2026 to 2028 for Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto — exact station dates and the signs each planet moves back through, from the same ephemeris that computes every chart on this site.
☿ Mercury retrograde 2026–2028
Three times a year for about three weeks. Read as a review of communication, contracts, travel and the small logistics of daily life: things sent, signed and scheduled come back for a second look. Not a time to launch, a time to re-check.
| Retrograde from | Direct again | Days | Sign(s) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 26, 2026 | Mar 21, 2026 | 23 | Pisces | Completed |
| Jun 30, 2026 | Jul 24, 2026 | 24 | Cancer | Completed |
| Oct 24, 2026 | Nov 14, 2026 | 21 | Scorpio | In 13 days |
| Feb 10, 2027 | Mar 4, 2027 | 22 | Aquarius/Pisces | In 122 days |
| Jun 11, 2027 | Jul 5, 2027 | 24 | Gemini/Cancer | In 243 days |
| Oct 8, 2027 | Oct 29, 2027 | 21 | Libra/Scorpio | In 362 days |
| Jan 24, 2028 | Feb 15, 2028 | 22 | Aquarius | In 470 days |
| May 21, 2028 | Jun 14, 2028 | 24 | Gemini | In 588 days |
| Sep 20, 2028 | Oct 11, 2028 | 21 | Libra | In 710 days |
Guides: What is Mercury retrograde? · Mercury retrograde 2026
♀ Venus retrograde 2026–2028
Every 18 months for about six weeks — the rarest of the personal-planet retrogrades. Read as a review of relationships, values and money: old connections resurface, tastes shift, and what something is worth gets reassessed.
| Retrograde from | Direct again | Days | Sign(s) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 3, 2026 | Nov 14, 2026 | 42 | Libra/Scorpio | Current — 34d left |
| May 11, 2028 | Jun 23, 2028 | 43 | Gemini | In 578 days |
♂ Mars retrograde 2026–2028
Every 26 months for two to two and a half months. Read as a stall in drive and initiative: efforts started now tend to be redone, conflicts simmer rather than resolve, and the useful work is finishing and repairing.
| Retrograde from | Direct again | Days | Sign(s) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 11, 2027 | Apr 2, 2027 | 81 | Leo/Virgo | In 92 days |
♃ Jupiter retrograde 2026–2028
Roughly four months every year. An inward turn for growth, belief and opportunity: plans are reconsidered rather than expanded, and the question is whether the direction is right, not how fast to go.
| Retrograde from | Direct again | Days | Sign(s) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 13, 2026 | Apr 13, 2027 | 121 | Leo | In 63 days |
| Jan 12, 2028 | May 14, 2028 | 123 | Virgo | In 458 days |
♄ Saturn retrograde 2026–2028
About four and a half months every year. Structures, commitments and long-term responsibilities are tested; what was built on weak foundations shows it. Discipline that was skipped comes due.
| Retrograde from | Direct again | Days | Sign(s) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 27, 2026 | Dec 11, 2026 | 137 | Aries | Current — 61d left |
| Aug 10, 2027 | Dec 24, 2027 | 136 | Aries | In 303 days |
| Aug 23, 2028 | Jan 5, 2029 | 135 | Taurus | In 682 days |
♅ Uranus retrograde 2026–2028
About five months every year. Change turns inward: rebellion and restlessness are felt more than acted on, and sudden shifts tend to be internal rather than external.
| Retrograde from | Direct again | Days | Sign(s) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 11, 2026 | Feb 9, 2027 | 151 | Gemini | Current — 121d left |
| Sep 15, 2027 | Feb 13, 2028 | 151 | Gemini | In 339 days |
| Sep 19, 2028 | Feb 16, 2029 | 150 | Gemini | In 709 days |
♆ Neptune retrograde 2026–2028
About five months every year. Illusions thin out; what was idealised is seen more plainly. A retrograde Neptune is usually easier on judgement than a direct one.
| Retrograde from | Direct again | Days | Sign(s) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 7, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | 159 | Aries | Current — 63d left |
| Jul 10, 2027 | Dec 15, 2027 | 158 | Aries | In 272 days |
| Jul 11, 2028 | Dec 17, 2028 | 159 | Aries | In 639 days |
♇ Pluto retrograde 2026–2028
About five months every year. Deep, slow transformation reviews its own progress; buried matters surface for the last time before they are released.
| Retrograde from | Direct again | Days | Sign(s) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 6, 2026 | Oct 16, 2026 | 163 | Aquarius | Current — 5d left |
| May 8, 2027 | Oct 18, 2027 | 163 | Aquarius | In 209 days |
| May 9, 2028 | Oct 19, 2028 | 163 | Aquarius | In 576 days |
Retrograde planets — questions
What is a retrograde? An apparent reversal of a planet's motion through the zodiac, seen from Earth. Nothing changes in the planet's orbit; Earth overtakes (or is overtaken by) it and, for a while, the planet appears to slide backward against the stars. Astrologically the period is read as a review of the matters that planet governs.
How often? Mercury three times a year for about three weeks; Venus every 18 months for about six weeks; Mars every 26 months for two months or more; Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto for four to five months every single year — so at any moment some outer planet is usually retrograde, and that alone means little.
What is the shadow period? The weeks before a retrograde when the planet first crosses the degrees it will later retrace, and the weeks after, while it passes them a third time at direct speed. The retrograde's theme is present at lower volume.
Does it affect me? Most directly when the retrograde crosses a planet or angle in your own chart. Calculate your chart and compare the degrees, or open Transits for the current sky against your natal positions. More on the meaning of each planet's retrograde: Planets in retrograde — what it actually means.