Mercury retrograde, October 24 to November 13
The next Mercury retrograde begins in Scorpio. Here are the exact dates, the shadow period on either side, and what it touches in your own chart.
| Shadow begins | Sun, Oct 4, 2026 | Mercury first crosses 5° Scorpio |
|---|---|---|
| Turns retrograde | Sat, Oct 24, 2026 | 20° Scorpio |
| Turns direct | Fri, Nov 13, 2026 | 5° Scorpio |
| Shadow ends | Mon, Nov 30, 2026 | Mercury returns to 20° Scorpio |
Also retrograde during this period: Venus, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. See every retrograde date.
What Mercury retrograde in Scorpio is about
Mercury rules thinking, talking, messages, travel and technology. Scorpio is a sign of depth and transformation. You may think strategically and notice what goes unsaid; you may keep your own counsel. When Mercury retrogrades here, tradition reads it as a time to look again at these themes: what is under the surface, what you have not said, and what you share with others.
What to do
- Review before you sign. Reread contracts, terms and offers; ask the extra question.
- Back up. Phones, photos and files, before October 24.
- Double-check travel. Times, bookings and addresses.
- Finish, repair, return. Edit the draft, fix the system, reply to the old message.
- Sleep on big decisions. Many astrologers prefer to launch new things after November 13, or after the shadow ends on November 30.
Mercury retrograde by rising sign
Where this retrograde lands depends on your rising sign: it moves through one house of your chart. Find yours (whole-sign houses):
Aries rising
Your 8th house: shared money, trust and intimacy. Review joint finances, debts and agreements.
Taurus rising
Your 7th house: partners and close one-to-one ties. Conversations may circle back to unfinished business.
Gemini rising
Your 6th house: daily work, routines and health habits. A good time to fix systems that keep slipping.
Cancer rising
Your 5th house: romance, creativity and play. An old creative project or an old flame may return to be looked at.
Leo rising
Your 4th house: home and family. Old family topics may resurface; repairs and moves deserve a second check.
Virgo rising
Your 3rd house: conversations, siblings, short trips and paperwork. Reread messages before you send them.
Libra rising
Your 2nd house: money you earn and what you value. Review budgets, prices and subscriptions before you commit.
Scorpio rising
Your 1st house: how you come across, your body and first impressions. A time to rethink how you present yourself.
Sagittarius rising
Your 12th house: rest, the inner life and what is hidden. A time to slow down, reflect and sleep on decisions.
Capricorn rising
Your 11th house: friends, groups and hopes. Reconnect with people you lost touch with.
Aquarius rising
Your 10th house: career and public role. Revise plans and applications before you launch them.
Pisces rising
Your 9th house: study, travel and beliefs. Double-check bookings; revisit a course or idea you set aside.
Don’t know your rising sign? It needs your birth time. Within works it out in seconds, then shows the exact degree this retrograde touches in your chart and the dates that matter for you.
See this retrograde in your chart
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Questions
When is Mercury retrograde in October 2026?
Mercury turns retrograde on Sat, Oct 24, 2026 at 20° Scorpio and turns direct on Fri, Nov 13, 2026 at 5° Scorpio. The shadow period runs from Sun, Oct 4, 2026 to Mon, Nov 30, 2026.
What is the Mercury retrograde shadow?
The shadow is the stretch of sky Mercury crosses three times. It enters on October 4, before the retrograde, and leaves on November 30, once Mercury has made up the ground it retraced. Tradition reads the pre-shadow as a preview and the post-shadow as the time to finish what the retrograde brought up.
Is Mercury retrograde real?
Mercury does not reverse. Seen from Earth, it appears to move backward for about three weeks, three or four times a year, because Earth and Mercury move at different speeds. The dates on this page are calculated from astronomical data.
What should I avoid during Mercury retrograde?
Tradition advises care rather than fear: back up your phone, reread contracts, double-check travel and messages, and give big decisions an extra day. It favors the “re-” words: review, revise, repair, reconnect.
What does Mercury retrograde in Scorpio mean?
Scorpio is a sign of depth and transformation. You may think strategically and notice what goes unsaid; you may keep your own counsel. With Mercury retrograde here, tradition reads it as a time to look again at these themes.
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