Mercury retrograde calendar

Mercury circles the Sun in 88 days, and the Earth takes 365 days. A few times a year, Mercury passes the Earth on the inside track. From the Earth, it then seems to move backward against the stars for about three weeks. This is an effect of our point of view. Mercury never turns around in its orbit.

Three or four times a year. Each retrograde lasts 20 to 24 days, and a new one starts every 108 to 125 days.

Astrologers link Mercury with communication, thinking, travel and technology. They say that during a retrograde these things are more likely to go wrong or to need a second look, so many people review plans instead of starting new ones. There is no scientific evidence that a retrograde affects events on Earth.

Yes. Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto all do. The Sun and the Moon never do. The second table lists Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Venus is retrograde about every 19 months, Mars about every 26 months, and Jupiter and Saturn about once a year.

The tropical zodiac, which Western astrology uses. Its first sign, Aries, starts at the March equinox. The signs are not the same as the constellations with the same names, which have shifted apart from them over the centuries.

We calculate the position of each planet for every day and find the minute when it stops. The dates agree with the Swiss Ephemeris to within an hour. Other websites may show a different day if they use another time zone.