Mercury Retrograde Predictions for Each Astrological Sign
How does Mercury Retrograde affect your zodiac sign? Here is a list of all 12 astrological signs, from Aquarius and Pisces to Sagittarius and Capricorn, and a brief summary of how the planet of communication and cognitive function will influence you and your life! Let’s answer the age-old question, “How Will the Mercury Retrograde Affect Me?”
What happens when Mercury is in retrograde? During Mercury Retrograde, the planet nearest the Sun appears to be spinning backward; ancient astrologers believed that the patterns of the cosmos influenced our own lives. Thankfully, Mercury Retrograde only happens a few times a year as part of your annual solar journey! Learn more about Mercury Retrograde and see this year’s Mercury Retrograde dates.
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Mercury Retrograde Effects by Zodiac Sign
When Mercury enters retrograde motion within the range of dates for a given astrological sign, be wary of the listed effects.
Note that the planet Mercury rules both Gemini and Virgo, so these two signs are most heavily affected.
IN AQUARIUS (Jan 20–Feb 18): With Mercury retrograde in Aquarius, the sign governing relationships and friendships are at risk. Petty squabbles, misunderstandings, and miscommunications abound. Know who your friends are.
IN PISCES (Feb 19–Mar 20): Foggy thinking, daydreams, and escapism are the norm; day-to-day realities confound otherwise clear heads when Mercury, the planet that rules logic, is in Pisces, which governs illusion. Practice creative pursuits—writing, dancing, photography, film, or painting.
IN ARIES (Mar 21–Apr 19): Expect to be frustrated and frazzled. Assertive, impulsive Aries wants to move ahead, and all of the energy is going backward. Watch what you say and how you say it. Pay attention to what people say; you might be pleasantly surprised.
IN TAURUS (Apr 20–May 20): Formulate your thoughts. Taurus, an unhurried sign, slows down the mental processes. He also governs banking, so delay money matters. Review financial matters and position yourself for growth.
IN GEMINI (May 21–Jun 20): Because Gemini rules communications, be prepared for miscommunications when Mercury is in this sign. Expect lots of phone calls or none, and lost or misplaced mail. You may not articulate clearly, and gossip abounds. Old friends may reconnect.
IN CANCER (Jun 21–Jul 22): Expect annoyances at home with baking, gardening, and household duties under domesticated Cancer. Complete repair projects that weren’t finished or done correctly.
IN LEO (Jul 23–Aug 22): Avoid speculative investments. It is not a good time to buy, sell, or trade. Instead, analyze your investment portfolio. Use your know-how and advisory skills to help friends and associates.
IN VIRGO (Aug 23–Sep 22): Challenging situations arise, especially in the workplace. Expect product delays, equipment breakdowns, and crankiness among coworkers under finicky, detail-oriented Virgo. Double-check your work before you call it finished.
IN LIBRA (Sep 23–Oct 22: Accept your physical attributes; do not have a makeover. Indecision reigns, so limit purchases—or risk returning them. Libra, representing beauty, grace, charm, and diplomacy, is out of balance. Refresh, relax, and rejuvenate.
IN SCORPIO (Oct 23–Nov 21): Emotions rule—not common sense—so beware. Avoid affairs of the heart. Passionate Scorpio is also secretive, and your secrets may seep out. Keep them in a diary.
IN SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22–Dec 21): It is not a time to travel, so reschedule or expect delays, lines, and lost directions. Instead, take care of local affairs. Patience and a sense of humor are needed.
IN CAPRICORN (Dec 22–Jan 19): Avoid buying, selling, or renting real estate under Capricorn, the sign that governs property matters. Expect problems with paperwork, packing, and movers. Reunite with family or vacation at home.
There is a time to let things happen and a time to make things happen.
–Hugh Prather, American writer (b. 1938)
Planet Mercury and Astrology
In astrology, all of the planet’s attributes are rooted in ancient mythology. (Mercury is the name the ancient Romans gave to the Greek mythological god Hermes.)
In mythology, Mercury was the official messenger of the ancient gods and goddesses and, as such, governed communications. Mercury is depicted as a male figure with winged sandals and a winged hat, indicating the ability to travel quickly. Correspondingly, Mercury has the fastest orbit of all the planets in the solar system, taking 88 days to orbit the Sun swiftly.
Mercury’s name is also translated as the “keeper of boundaries,” as he travels between the upper and lower worlds and often guides souls to the underworld. As well as communication and travel, Mercury represents mental quickness, cognitive function, and reasoning. The flipside of Mercury’s cleverness and wit is cunningness. He is also recognized as a trickster, prone to misbehavior.
In 1782, Mercury became the first symbol of the United States’ fledgling postal service. Today, he is recognized as an icon of an international floral delivery service as well as the official symbol of the postal service of Greece.
In medicine, Mercury is associated with the nervous system, the brain, the respiratory system, the thyroid, and the sense organs. See The Man of Signs—a representation of how each astrological sign affects a different body part.
Celeste Longacre
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Lady Libra here! I have a lipo and fat transfer procedure scheduled 11/6 ... With Mercury Rx, how bad can this be?
During Mercury Retrograde, I'm wondering if I should postpone starting an online store (no contracts, etc. - just listing products to sell).
I am scheduled to start schooling for a new profession. I just realized it will begin during Mercury Retrogade August 6 2018.
Do I delay beginning classes?
Thank you
Llewellyn has a book called Llewellyn’s 2018 Daily Planetary Guide. According to it, the last sign Mercury was in, is Taurus. Fortunately, we have the Almanac to tell us what that means, so that between the two, we can get a better idea of what’s happening. Good luck!
I have a question. What exactly does it mean by what sign the planet is in when it goes retrograde? I am not sure if I am interpreting that correctly. For example, the first Mercury Retrograde for 2018 is listed as March 23 thru April 15. The zodiac sign that covers those dates is Aries. So then Aries would be the sign that Mercury is in when it retrogrades the first time in 2018? If that is correct, then I would also like to know about the third time it goes retrograde which is November 17 thru December 6 which means it would be in two signs during that time frame (Scorpio and Sagittarius). Is that correct? Thank you!
I am not an astrologer, but if I understand things correctly, in western astrology, the signs refer to 30-degree segments along the ecliptic (Sun’s apparent path across the sky over the year at the same time each day). These increments originally referred to the constellations present at that location many years ago. But due to Earth’s slowly wobbling axis, the 30-degree increments no longer exactly align with the constellations; the segments still retain the original names, however. I believe that a planet’s sign refers to the location in relation to the ecliptic.
The dates listed in parentheses in the article above next to a sign are the sign that the Sun is in, not Mercury. We will revise the page so that this is clear—sorry for the confusion! I checked an ephemeris, and, if I am interpreting it correctly, it seems to agree with your data. However, the sign that Mercury is in won’t always agree with the sign that the Sun is in. You’d need to check an ephemeris each year for the particular planet that you are interested in. Mercury will be in the sign of Aries during March 23 through April 15 (actually, early March through mid May). Mercury will be in Scorpio from about mid October through the end of that month, then it goes into Sagittarius for November, then (due to retrograde motion that started in November) back into Scorpio in early December before going back into Sagittarius in mid December after it resumes direct motion. So from November 17 through about December 1, it is in Sagittarius, then goes to Scorpio around December 2, then back into Sagittarius around Dec 13 through the rest of the month. Hope this helps!
I started paperwork to get an equity loan before retrograde but am afraid to turn it in but they're waiting for it they said I was already approved what should I do
No need to wait if things had already been decided before Mercury went retrograde. You are good to go at this point. Just make sure nothing gets lost in the mail if the postal service is to be used. Get tracking if sent by mail and watch it closely.
My boyfriend broke up with me at the beginning of the mercury retrograde...it was really odd because we were happy and fine the day before. I read that people who usually break up during the retrograde usually get back when it goes direct. Do you think there's a chance will get back together after this retrograde?
ok, since mercury is going retrograde dec. 3, 2017, I would read the Sagittarius one, correct? my friend and I are not on the same page for this. she says I should read MY sign. thank you for clearing this up.
