Mercury Retrograde Dates for 2025
Updated 2024.12.08
As I type this, we’re in the middle of the last Mercury Retrograde of 2024. This period lasts from November 25 - December 15 in Sagittarius.
Yet, the big wheel in the sky keeps on turning, so it’s already time to start thinking about 2025’s astrological cycles - scroll down for the 2025 Mercury Retrograde dates!
When Mercury Retrograde happens, it means that the planet Mercury appears to travel backward in the sky. This “retrograde motion” is an optical illusion due to Earth’s motion and place in the solar system.
Astronomy.com equates planetary retrogrades, to a faster moving car passing a slower moving car on the highway, it appears as the slow moving car is going backward.
From an astrologer’s point of view, when a planet is moving retrograde, it can “slow down” all things spiritually governed by that planet and the God associated with that planet.
As a God, Mercury is thought to arrange the movement and exchange of all things - goods, ideas, words and people. This is why Mercury is often thought to govern commerce and merchants.
In Astrology, Mercury is primarily interpreted as the Divine messenger of the God. It is a planet that governs day-to-day expression and communication.
Spiritually, this means that when Mercury is in retrograde, communications and exchanges between people may be slowed or bungled. It’s a great time to hold a high level of conscious awareness of your communications and exchanges in trade.
When Mercury is in retrograde, anything exchanged between people, with emphasis on ideas and words, can be misconstrued, take longer to get where they are going and need additional attention to clear errors.
If you know when Mercury is in Retrograde, you can use this information for your benefit.
Be more aware of how you exchange words and ideas, ensure all thoughts and goods coming and going from you have integrity, and allow patience for ideas, words or goods to arrive at their destination.
A few common questions about Mercury Retrograde:
Does Mercury Retrograde affect everybody?
Yes, Mercury Retrograde impacts everyone that exchanges ideas, words and the tangible goods they create.
Can Mercury Retrograde affect you before it starts?
Yes. Anytime there is astrological movement, there is a wave-like ripple action called a pre and post event shadow period. During this shadow period, the known effects of the event can still be experienced.
Mercury Retrograde has a pre-retrograde shadow period of around 2.5 weeks, with the 4 days before and after, creating the strongest influence.
Can Mercury retrograde affect you positively?
Yes, Mercury Retrograde can have a positive impact on your life and be good for improving the integrity of your communications. It can help you slow down and be more intentional in your personal and commercial engagements.
You can use any Mercury Retrograde to consciously improve your communications. Practice mindful communication and become impeccable with your words. It can encourage more thoughtfulness and temperance when trading words, ideas or goods.
Now, the dates of Mercury Retrograde in 2025 in Eastern Time:
March 15th to April 7th, 2025, in Aries and Pisces
July 18th to August 11th, 2025, in Leo
November 9th to 29th, 2025, in Sagittarius and Scorpio
When a retrograde is “in Aries” or “in Leo,” this is where Mercury is in the zodiac chart when it is in Retrograde motion.
When a Mercury Retrograde is in your birth sign, this can be a cue to pay special attention to Mercury Retrograde’s effects in your life. Be very mindful about any trading you do, communications you send and agree to during this retrograde.
To reap the positive benefits of Mercury Retrograde - think mindfully about communications before they’re sent, including how they may be perceived by and impact others, make sure all your I’s are dotted and T’s are crossed when trading any words or material goods and give careful review to any binding agreements made during this time.
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