Mercury retrograde 2026: Oct 24 – Nov 13 in Scorpio
Mercury retrograde 2026 runs from October 24 to November 13, all of it in Scorpio. The dates are the same for everyone. Which part of your life it touches depends on your birth chart: the house that 5°–21° Scorpio falls in, and any of your planets sitting there.
🌒 Shadow begins: Oct 4 ☿℞ Retrograde: Oct 24, 3:13 AM ET (20°59' Scorpio) ☿ Direct: Nov 13, 10:54 AM ET (5°02' Scorpio) 🌘 Shadow ends: Nov 30
Calculated for 2026. Same dates for everyone; the house it lands in is yours alone.
Find your house
Enter your birth data. Time matters: houses change about every two hours.
Mercury retrograde through the houses
Traditionally, a retrograde Mercury asks you to re-check rather than rush. Here is what that means in each house.
1st house: your own plans and how you come acrossRe-check personal plans and first impressions before you commit to a new look or direction.
2nd house: money and incomeDouble-check payments, invoices, subscriptions and prices. Keep receipts.
3rd house: communication and your inner circleRe-read messages before sending, confirm appointments and short trips, back up your phone.
4th house: home and familyHome repairs, family talks and property papers: revisit them rather than start them.
5th house: creativity, dating and childrenA good window to return to an old creative project, not to launch a new one.
6th house: daily work and health routinesWork processes, schedules, check-ups and the tech you use every day need a second look.
7th house: partners and agreementsAgreements with a partner or client: read twice before you sign, say it twice before you assume.
8th house: shared money, debts and taxesLoans, taxes, joint accounts and insurance papers: check the numbers and the fine print.
9th house: travel, study and legal mattersLong trips, visas, courses and legal paperwork: confirm bookings and deadlines twice.
10th house: career and reputationJob applications, decisions at work and messages to your boss: draft first, send later.
11th house: friends, groups and long-term plansGroup chats, team plans and long-term goals: revisit what was agreed and who does what.
12th house: rest and private mattersRest, sleep and things you keep to yourself: finish what is unfinished before adding more.
Questions
When is Mercury retrograde in 2026?Three times: Feb 26 – Mar 20 in Pisces, Jun 29 – Jul 23 in Cancer, and Oct 24 – Nov 13 in Scorpio.
What time does Mercury station retrograde on October 24, 2026?At 07:13 UTC (3:13 AM Eastern) at 20°59' Scorpio. It stations direct on November 13 at 15:54 UTC (10:54 AM Eastern) at 5°02' Scorpio.
When is the Mercury retrograde shadow in fall 2026?The pre-shadow starts on October 4, when Mercury first reaches 5°02' Scorpio. The post-shadow ends on November 30, when Mercury returns to 20°59' Scorpio.
Why does Mercury retrograde affect people differently?The dates and degrees are the same for everyone, but 5°–21° Scorpio falls in a different house of each birth chart, and only some charts have planets in that stretch. That is why a sun-sign forecast cannot tell you which area of your life it touches.
Does Mercury really move backward?No. Seen from Earth, Mercury appears to move backward for about three weeks, three or four times a year, because Earth and Mercury orbit the Sun at different speeds.
Other Mercury retrogrades this year: Feb 26 – Mar 20, 2026 in Pisces; Jun 29 – Jul 23, 2026 in Cancer.