Mercury retrograde · 2028
Mercury retrograde 2028: dates, degrees and what it means for each sign
Everything about Mercury retrograde in 2028 in one place: the exact station dates and degrees, the shadow periods, which other planets are retrograde at the same time, and a reading with practical advice for each of the twelve signs.
Mercury is retrograde three times in 2028: January 24 – February 14 (Aquarius), May 21 – June 14 (Gemini) and September 19 – October 11 (Libra). With the shadow periods, each cycle lasts about eight weeks. Astrologers read it as a time to re-read, back up and finish rather than to launch.
Mercury retrograde 2028: the dates
- January 24 – February 14, 2028 (21 days). Mercury stations retrograde on January 24, 2028 at 11:02 UTC, at 19°42′ Aquarius. Mercury stations direct on February 14, 2028 at 12:38 UTC, at 3°59′ Aquarius.
- May 21 – June 14, 2028 (23 days). Mercury stations retrograde on May 21, 2028 at 08:43 UTC, at 16°19′ Gemini. Mercury stations direct on June 14, 2028 at 06:06 UTC, at 7°45′ Gemini.
- September 19 – October 11, 2028 (21 days). Mercury stations retrograde on September 19, 2028 at 16:34 UTC, at 18°36′ Libra. Mercury stations direct on October 11, 2028 at 10:28 UTC, at 3°29′ Libra.
Mercury is retrograde three or four times a year, for about three weeks each time. In 2028 every one of them begins in an air sign.
Times are UTC. Nothing reverses in space: retrograde motion is the apparent backward drift a planet shows when Earth overtakes it (or, for Mercury and Venus, when the planet overtakes Earth).
Mercury retrograde 2028: all dates
| Retrograde (UTC dates) | From | To | Shadow period | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 24 – Feb 14, 2028 | 19° Aquarius | 3° Aquarius | Jan 8 – Mar 5, 2028 | 21 days |
| May 21 – Jun 14, 2028 | 16° Gemini | 7° Gemini | May 6 – Jun 29, 2028 | 23 days |
| Sep 19 – Oct 11, 2028 | 18° Libra | 3° Libra | Aug 30 – Oct 26, 2028 | 21 days |
Computed from NASA JPL Horizons (geocentric positions in the tropical zodiac). The shadow period runs from the day the planet first crosses the degree where it will turn direct to the day it passes the degree where it turned retrograde.
Mercury retrograde Jan 24 – Feb 14, 2028: key dates
| Date (UTC) | What happens |
|---|---|
| Jan 8, 2028 | Pre-retrograde shadow begins: Mercury first crosses 3°59′ Aquarius, the degree where it will later turn direct |
| Jan 24, 2028, 11:02 UTC | Mercury stations retrograde at 19°42′ Aquarius |
| Feb 14, 2028, 12:38 UTC | Mercury stations direct at 3°59′ Aquarius |
| Mar 5, 2028 | Post-retrograde shadow ends: Mercury passes 19°42′ Aquarius again and covers new ground |
Computed from NASA JPL Horizons. A station in the first hours of a UTC day falls on the previous evening in the Americas.
Mercury retrograde May 21 – Jun 14, 2028: key dates
| Date (UTC) | What happens |
|---|---|
| May 6, 2028 | Pre-retrograde shadow begins: Mercury first crosses 7°45′ Gemini, the degree where it will later turn direct |
| May 21, 2028, 08:43 UTC | Mercury stations retrograde at 16°19′ Gemini |
| Jun 14, 2028, 06:06 UTC | Mercury stations direct at 7°45′ Gemini |
| Jun 29, 2028 | Post-retrograde shadow ends: Mercury passes 16°19′ Gemini again and covers new ground |
Computed from NASA JPL Horizons. A station in the first hours of a UTC day falls on the previous evening in the Americas.
Mercury retrograde Sep 19 – Oct 11, 2028: key dates
| Date (UTC) | What happens |
|---|---|
| Aug 30, 2028 | Pre-retrograde shadow begins: Mercury first crosses 3°29′ Libra, the degree where it will later turn direct |
| Sep 19, 2028, 16:34 UTC | Mercury stations retrograde at 18°36′ Libra |
| Oct 11, 2028, 10:28 UTC | Mercury stations direct at 3°29′ Libra |
| Oct 26, 2028 | Post-retrograde shadow ends: Mercury passes 18°36′ Libra again and covers new ground |
Computed from NASA JPL Horizons. A station in the first hours of a UTC day falls on the previous evening in the Americas.
What else is retrograde at the same time
Retrogrades overlap, and astrologers read them together. These planets are also retrograde during at least part of each period:
- Jan 24 – Feb 14, 2028: Jupiter (Jan 12 – May 13, 2028), Uranus (Sep 15, 2027 – Feb 12, 2028).
- May 21 – Jun 14, 2028: Venus (May 10 – Jun 22, 2028), Pluto (May 9 – Oct 19, 2028).
- Sep 19 – Oct 11, 2028: Saturn (Aug 22, 2028 – Jan 5, 2029), Uranus (Sep 19, 2028 – Feb 16, 2029), Neptune (Jul 11 – Dec 16, 2028), Pluto (May 9 – Oct 19, 2028).
The whole year is on the retrograde calendar 2028.
What Mercury retrograde means in 2028
In astrology Mercury stands for communication, plans, travel, contracts and technology. Mercury retrograde is read as a review of how you think, talk and organise: messages cross, plans get revised, and people and conversations from the past return. In Aquarius the subject is groups, networks, technology and the balance between freedom and control. In Gemini the subject is information, conversation, learning and a restless mind. In Libra the subject is partnership, fairness, agreements and balance.
Who notices it most. For Jan 24 – Feb 14, 2028 astrologers look first at people with the Sun, Moon, rising sign or personal planets between 3° and 19° of Aquarius, and at the same degrees of Taurus, Leo and Scorpio. For May 21 – Jun 14, 2028 astrologers look first at people with the Sun, Moon, rising sign or personal planets between 7° and 16° of Gemini, and at the same degrees of Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces. For Sep 19 – Oct 11, 2028 astrologers look first at people with the Sun, Moon, rising sign or personal planets between 3° and 18° of Libra, and at the same degrees of Aries, Cancer and Capricorn. Everyone else can read it through the house it falls in, below.
What to do
Back up your devices, confirm times and bookings, and re-read before you sign or send. It is a good period for editing, repairing and finishing; brand-new contracts and big launches go more smoothly once Mercury is direct. The longer guide, with the astronomy and the reading of a natal Mercury retrograde, is on the Mercury retrograde page.
Mercury retrograde Jan 24 – Feb 14, 2028 for each sign
Read your rising sign first if you know it, since it sets the houses; then your Sun sign. Houses are counted from your sign in whole-sign style. The birthdays show whose Sun the retrograde touches directly: Mercury covers 3° Aquarius to 19° Aquarius, and the Sun moves about one degree a day, so the dates are approximate.
Aries: 11th house
Area of life: friends, groups and long-term hopes. Group chats misfire, plans with friends fall through, and old friends reappear. What to do: confirm arrangements twice, reconnect with one person you lost touch with, and review the goals you set a year ago.
Easier for Aries born around March 23 – April 9 (Sun at 3°–19°): Mercury sextiles your Sun.
Taurus: 10th house
Area of life: career, reputation and public role. Career conversations loop back: a delayed decision, a former boss, a public statement you want to rephrase. What to do: update your CV and portfolio, re-read before you publish, and follow up on an application you had given up on.
Strongest for Taurus born around April 23 – May 10 (Sun at 3°–19°): Mercury squares your Sun.
Gemini: 9th house
Area of life: travel, study, beliefs and publishing. Travel plans, courses, visas and publishing dates shift, and you revise an opinion you were sure of. What to do: recheck bookings and documents, leave slack in an itinerary, and return to a course or a text you left unfinished.
Easier for Gemini born around May 24 – June 10 (Sun at 3°–19°): Mercury trines your Sun.
Cancer: 8th house
Area of life: shared money, debts, intimacy and trust. Shared money, taxes, debts and insurance paperwork come back with corrections, and so do conversations about trust. What to do: go through joint accounts and old forms carefully, and have the honest talk in two calm parts.
Mercury makes no major angle to a Cancer Sun this time, so the house carries the reading.
Leo: 7th house
Area of life: partnerships, marriage and one-to-one relationships. Misunderstandings with a partner or a client; a past partner may get in touch, and agreements need rewording. What to do: ask what the other person actually meant, and re-read a contract with a partner or client before you sign.
Strongest for Leo born around July 25 – August 12 (Sun at 3°–19°): Mercury is opposite your Sun.
Virgo: 6th house
Area of life: daily work, routines and health habits. Work details slip: calendars, handovers, tools, and small errors that multiply. What to do: double-check deadlines and files, clean up your task list, and rebuild one routine that stopped working.
Mercury makes no major angle to a Virgo Sun this time, so the house carries the reading.
Libra: 5th house
Area of life: romance, creativity, children and fun. An old flame, an old hobby or an unfinished creative draft comes back, and plans for fun get rescheduled. What to do: edit the draft instead of starting a new one, and treat a returning romance as a conversation to finish, with the decision later.
Easier for Libra born around September 26 – October 13 (Sun at 3°–19°): Mercury trines your Sun.
Scorpio: 4th house
Area of life: home, family, roots and where you live. Home and family logistics get tangled: leases, repairs, a talk with a parent that you have had before. What to do: recheck the paperwork about where you live, finish the repair you started, and let a family conversation take two rounds.
Strongest for Scorpio born around October 26 – November 12 (Sun at 3°–19°): Mercury squares your Sun.
Sagittarius: 3rd house
Area of life: communication, learning, siblings and short trips. Messages cross, short trips change, and siblings or neighbours resurface with unfinished conversations. What to do: confirm times and addresses, back up your phone, and reply after a second read rather than at once.
Easier for Sagittarius born around November 25 – December 12 (Sun at 3°–19°): Mercury sextiles your Sun.
Capricorn: 2nd house
Area of life: money, income, possessions and self-worth. Bills, invoices, subscriptions and price quotes need a second look; a payment can arrive late or wrong. What to do: check statements line by line, chase what you are owed, and re-read the terms before any purchase you could postpone.
Mercury makes no major angle to a Capricorn Sun this time, so the house carries the reading.
Aquarius: 1st house
Area of life: your body, identity and how you come across. You rethink how you present yourself and what you say you want, and old statements get quoted back at you. What to do: re-read anything you send about yourself, from a bio to an application to a big announcement, and change your mind openly if you need to.
Strongest for Aquarius born around January 23 – February 9 (Sun at 3°–19°): Mercury retrogrades over your Sun.
Pisces: 12th house
Area of life: rest, solitude, endings and what you keep private. The noise is inside: overthinking, vivid dreams and things you never said. What to do: write it down before you say it, sleep more, and finish something privately before you announce it.
Mercury makes no major angle to a Pisces Sun this time, so the house carries the reading.
Mercury retrograde May 21 – Jun 14, 2028 for each sign
Read your rising sign first if you know it, since it sets the houses; then your Sun sign. Houses are counted from your sign in whole-sign style. The birthdays show whose Sun the retrograde touches directly: Mercury covers 7° Gemini to 16° Gemini, and the Sun moves about one degree a day, so the dates are approximate.
Aries: 3rd house
Area of life: communication, learning, siblings and short trips. Messages cross, short trips change, and siblings or neighbours resurface with unfinished conversations. What to do: confirm times and addresses, back up your phone, and reply after a second read rather than at once.
Easier for Aries born around March 27 – April 6 (Sun at 7°–16°): Mercury sextiles your Sun.
Taurus: 2nd house
Area of life: money, income, possessions and self-worth. Bills, invoices, subscriptions and price quotes need a second look; a payment can arrive late or wrong. What to do: check statements line by line, chase what you are owed, and re-read the terms before any purchase you could postpone.
Mercury makes no major angle to a Taurus Sun this time, so the house carries the reading.
Gemini: 1st house
Area of life: your body, identity and how you come across. You rethink how you present yourself and what you say you want, and old statements get quoted back at you. What to do: re-read anything you send about yourself, from a bio to an application to a big announcement, and change your mind openly if you need to.
Strongest for Gemini born around May 28 – June 7 (Sun at 7°–16°): Mercury retrogrades over your Sun.
Cancer: 12th house
Area of life: rest, solitude, endings and what you keep private. The noise is inside: overthinking, vivid dreams and things you never said. What to do: write it down before you say it, sleep more, and finish something privately before you announce it.
Mercury makes no major angle to a Cancer Sun this time, so the house carries the reading.
Leo: 11th house
Area of life: friends, groups and long-term hopes. Group chats misfire, plans with friends fall through, and old friends reappear. What to do: confirm arrangements twice, reconnect with one person you lost touch with, and review the goals you set a year ago.
Easier for Leo born around July 29 – August 9 (Sun at 7°–16°): Mercury sextiles your Sun.
Virgo: 10th house
Area of life: career, reputation and public role. Career conversations loop back: a delayed decision, a former boss, a public statement you want to rephrase. What to do: update your CV and portfolio, re-read before you publish, and follow up on an application you had given up on.
Strongest for Virgo born around August 30 – September 9 (Sun at 7°–16°): Mercury squares your Sun.
Libra: 9th house
Area of life: travel, study, beliefs and publishing. Travel plans, courses, visas and publishing dates shift, and you revise an opinion you were sure of. What to do: recheck bookings and documents, leave slack in an itinerary, and return to a course or a text you left unfinished.
Easier for Libra born around September 30 – October 10 (Sun at 7°–16°): Mercury trines your Sun.
Scorpio: 8th house
Area of life: shared money, debts, intimacy and trust. Shared money, taxes, debts and insurance paperwork come back with corrections, and so do conversations about trust. What to do: go through joint accounts and old forms carefully, and have the honest talk in two calm parts.
Mercury makes no major angle to a Scorpio Sun this time, so the house carries the reading.
Sagittarius: 7th house
Area of life: partnerships, marriage and one-to-one relationships. Misunderstandings with a partner or a client; a past partner may get in touch, and agreements need rewording. What to do: ask what the other person actually meant, and re-read a contract with a partner or client before you sign.
Strongest for Sagittarius born around November 29 – December 9 (Sun at 7°–16°): Mercury is opposite your Sun.
Capricorn: 6th house
Area of life: daily work, routines and health habits. Work details slip: calendars, handovers, tools, and small errors that multiply. What to do: double-check deadlines and files, clean up your task list, and rebuild one routine that stopped working.
Mercury makes no major angle to a Capricorn Sun this time, so the house carries the reading.
Aquarius: 5th house
Area of life: romance, creativity, children and fun. An old flame, an old hobby or an unfinished creative draft comes back, and plans for fun get rescheduled. What to do: edit the draft instead of starting a new one, and treat a returning romance as a conversation to finish, with the decision later.
Easier for Aquarius born around January 27 – February 6 (Sun at 7°–16°): Mercury trines your Sun.
Pisces: 4th house
Area of life: home, family, roots and where you live. Home and family logistics get tangled: leases, repairs, a talk with a parent that you have had before. What to do: recheck the paperwork about where you live, finish the repair you started, and let a family conversation take two rounds.
Strongest for Pisces born around February 25 – March 7 (Sun at 7°–16°): Mercury squares your Sun.
Mercury retrograde Sep 19 – Oct 11, 2028 for each sign
Read your rising sign first if you know it, since it sets the houses; then your Sun sign. Houses are counted from your sign in whole-sign style. The birthdays show whose Sun the retrograde touches directly: Mercury covers 3° Libra to 18° Libra, and the Sun moves about one degree a day, so the dates are approximate.
Aries: 7th house
Area of life: partnerships, marriage and one-to-one relationships. Misunderstandings with a partner or a client; a past partner may get in touch, and agreements need rewording. What to do: ask what the other person actually meant, and re-read a contract with a partner or client before you sign.
Strongest for Aries born around March 23 – April 8 (Sun at 3°–18°): Mercury is opposite your Sun.
Taurus: 6th house
Area of life: daily work, routines and health habits. Work details slip: calendars, handovers, tools, and small errors that multiply. What to do: double-check deadlines and files, clean up your task list, and rebuild one routine that stopped working.
Mercury makes no major angle to a Taurus Sun this time, so the house carries the reading.
Gemini: 5th house
Area of life: romance, creativity, children and fun. An old flame, an old hobby or an unfinished creative draft comes back, and plans for fun get rescheduled. What to do: edit the draft instead of starting a new one, and treat a returning romance as a conversation to finish, with the decision later.
Easier for Gemini born around May 24 – June 9 (Sun at 3°–18°): Mercury trines your Sun.
Cancer: 4th house
Area of life: home, family, roots and where you live. Home and family logistics get tangled: leases, repairs, a talk with a parent that you have had before. What to do: recheck the paperwork about where you live, finish the repair you started, and let a family conversation take two rounds.
Strongest for Cancer born around June 24 – July 10 (Sun at 3°–18°): Mercury squares your Sun.
Leo: 3rd house
Area of life: communication, learning, siblings and short trips. Messages cross, short trips change, and siblings or neighbours resurface with unfinished conversations. What to do: confirm times and addresses, back up your phone, and reply after a second read rather than at once.
Easier for Leo born around July 25 – August 11 (Sun at 3°–18°): Mercury sextiles your Sun.
Virgo: 2nd house
Area of life: money, income, possessions and self-worth. Bills, invoices, subscriptions and price quotes need a second look; a payment can arrive late or wrong. What to do: check statements line by line, chase what you are owed, and re-read the terms before any purchase you could postpone.
Mercury makes no major angle to a Virgo Sun this time, so the house carries the reading.
Libra: 1st house
Area of life: your body, identity and how you come across. You rethink how you present yourself and what you say you want, and old statements get quoted back at you. What to do: re-read anything you send about yourself, from a bio to an application to a big announcement, and change your mind openly if you need to.
Strongest for Libra born around September 26 – October 12 (Sun at 3°–18°): Mercury retrogrades over your Sun.
Scorpio: 12th house
Area of life: rest, solitude, endings and what you keep private. The noise is inside: overthinking, vivid dreams and things you never said. What to do: write it down before you say it, sleep more, and finish something privately before you announce it.
Mercury makes no major angle to a Scorpio Sun this time, so the house carries the reading.
Sagittarius: 11th house
Area of life: friends, groups and long-term hopes. Group chats misfire, plans with friends fall through, and old friends reappear. What to do: confirm arrangements twice, reconnect with one person you lost touch with, and review the goals you set a year ago.
Easier for Sagittarius born around November 25 – December 11 (Sun at 3°–18°): Mercury sextiles your Sun.
Capricorn: 10th house
Area of life: career, reputation and public role. Career conversations loop back: a delayed decision, a former boss, a public statement you want to rephrase. What to do: update your CV and portfolio, re-read before you publish, and follow up on an application you had given up on.
Strongest for Capricorn born around December 24 – January 10 (Sun at 3°–18°): Mercury squares your Sun.
Aquarius: 9th house
Area of life: travel, study, beliefs and publishing. Travel plans, courses, visas and publishing dates shift, and you revise an opinion you were sure of. What to do: recheck bookings and documents, leave slack in an itinerary, and return to a course or a text you left unfinished.
Easier for Aquarius born around January 23 – February 8 (Sun at 3°–18°): Mercury trines your Sun.
Pisces: 8th house
Area of life: shared money, debts, intimacy and trust. Shared money, taxes, debts and insurance paperwork come back with corrections, and so do conversations about trust. What to do: go through joint accounts and old forms carefully, and have the honest talk in two calm parts.
Mercury makes no major angle to a Pisces Sun this time, so the house carries the reading.
Mercury retrograde 2028: questions
When is Mercury retrograde in 2028?
In 2028: January 24 – February 14 (Aquarius); May 21 – June 14 (Gemini); September 19 – October 11 (Libra). Dates are UTC.
When does Mercury go direct in 2028?
Mercury stations direct on February 14, 2028 at 12:38 UTC, at 3°59′ Aquarius. Mercury stations direct on June 14, 2028 at 06:06 UTC, at 7°45′ Gemini. Mercury stations direct on October 11, 2028 at 10:28 UTC, at 3°29′ Libra.
Which sign is Mercury retrograde in during 2028?
Jan 24 – Feb 14, 2028: from 19°42′ Aquarius back to 3°59′ Aquarius. May 21 – Jun 14, 2028: from 16°19′ Gemini back to 7°45′ Gemini. Sep 19 – Oct 11, 2028: from 18°36′ Libra back to 3°29′ Libra.
When is the Mercury retrograde shadow period in 2028?
For the Jan 24 – Feb 14, 2028 retrograde the pre-shadow begins on January 8, 2028 and the post-shadow ends on March 5, 2028. For the May 21 – Jun 14, 2028 retrograde the pre-shadow begins on May 6, 2028 and the post-shadow ends on June 29, 2028. For the Sep 19 – Oct 11, 2028 retrograde the pre-shadow begins on August 30, 2028 and the post-shadow ends on October 26, 2028.
Who is most affected by Mercury retrograde in 2028?
For Jan 24 – Feb 14, 2028 astrologers look first at people with the Sun, Moon, rising sign or personal planets between 3° and 19° of Aquarius, and at the same degrees of Taurus, Leo and Scorpio. For May 21 – Jun 14, 2028 astrologers look first at people with the Sun, Moon, rising sign or personal planets between 7° and 16° of Gemini, and at the same degrees of Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces. For Sep 19 – Oct 11, 2028 astrologers look first at people with the Sun, Moon, rising sign or personal planets between 3° and 18° of Libra, and at the same degrees of Aries, Cancer and Capricorn. Others feel it through the house it falls in for their rising sign.
Is Mercury retrograde in 2029?
Yes: January 7 – January 27, 2029; May 1 – May 25, 2029; September 2 – September 25, 2029; December 22, 2029 – January 11, 2030.
Sources
The checkable facts on this page come from these external sources. The astrological interpretation is our own.
- Horizons System (planetary ephemeris service) · NASA Jet Propulsion LaboratoryMercury in 2028, computed from JPL Horizons positions: retrograde 2028-01-24 11:02 UTC at 19°42′ Aquarius, direct 2028-02-14 12:38 UTC at 3°59′ Aquarius; retrograde 2028-05-21 08:43 UTC at 16°19′ Gemini, direct 2028-06-14 06:06 UTC at 7°45′ Gemini; retrograde 2028-09-19 16:34 UTC at 18°36′ Libra, direct 2028-10-11 10:28 UTC at 3°29′ Libra
- Mercury Facts · NASAMercury orbits the Sun every 88 Earth days, faster than any other planet
- What does it mean for Mercury to be in retrograde? · NASARetrograde motion is an apparent change in a planet's movement through the sky; the planet does not physically move backwards in its orbit
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