Retrograde now
What planets are in retrograde right now?
By Emily Hart, professional astrologerRetrograde right now
- Mercury
- Venus
- Saturn
This list is recalculated every night from the Swiss Ephemeris — the same tables professional astrologers use. A retrograde is an optical illusion: the planet never moves backward, Earth simply overtakes it (or is overtaken). Astrology reads these periods as «re-» seasons: review, repair, reconsider — annoying for launches, excellent for edits.
What each retrograde means
Mercury
communication, tech and paperwork ask for double-checking — the classic «re-» period: review, revise, reconnect
Venus
relationships and finances turn reflective: exes resurface, purchases want a second thought
Saturn
structures get stress-tested: review commitments instead of adding new ones
Every retrograde, explained in one line
For reference — what each planet's retrograde traditionally means, how often it happens and how long it runs. Retrogrades of the slow planets are annual routine, not an event; the personal planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars) are the ones people actually feel.
Mercury
retrograde nowcommunication, tech and paperwork ask for double-checking — the classic «re-» period: review, revise, reconnect
- How often
- 3-4 times a year
- How long
- about 3 weeks
Venus
retrograde nowrelationships and finances turn reflective: exes resurface, purchases want a second thought
- How often
- every 19 months
- How long
- about 6 weeks
Mars
drive turns inward — pushing harder works worse than redirecting effort
- How often
- every 26 months
- How long
- about 10 weeks
Jupiter
growth goes internal: beliefs and plans get audited rather than expanded
- How often
- once a year
- How long
- about 4 months
Saturn
retrograde nowstructures get stress-tested: review commitments instead of adding new ones
- How often
- once a year
- How long
- about 4.5 months
Uranus
changes rehearse before they land — inner revolutions ahead of outer ones
- How often
- once a year
- How long
- about 5 months
Neptune
ideals sober up: useful for seeing through illusions, foggy for big promises
- How often
- once a year
- How long
- about 5-6 months
Pluto
deep transformations digest — power dynamics surface for review
- How often
- once a year
- How long
- about 5-6 months
Chiron
old wounds report for healing — gentler with yourself is the strategy
- How often
- once a year
- How long
- about 5 months
What to do — and skip — during any retrograde
Retrogrades reward
- Everything starting with «re-»: reviewing, revising, repairing, reconnecting, renegotiating
- Finishing old projects — they close unusually well in review seasons
- Backing up files and double-checking bookings, contracts and addresses
- Conversations that pick up old threads: former colleagues, old friends, unfinished topics
Retrogrades tax
- Signing major contracts without a second read — not banned, just double-checked
- Launching brand-new ventures expecting instant traction
- Buying big-ticket tech on impulse during Mercury retrograde — the classic
- Reading every delay as an omen: most «retrograde disasters» are ordinary life with a label
Frequently asked questions
How many planets are retrograde right now?+
The live count is at the top of this page — it updates nightly. Several planets retrograde at once is normal, not an omen: the slow outer planets spend 4-5 months of every year retrograde.
Is retrograde motion real?+
It's real as an observation and an illusion as physics: planets never reverse course. Retrograde is perspective — like a slower train seeming to roll backward as yours passes it. Astrology works with the symbol, not the mechanics.
Should I fear retrogrades?+
No. Mercury retrograde breaks nothing by itself — it's a statistical nudge toward double-checking. Slow-planet retrogrades run for months every single year; life goes on. Honest astrology treats them as review seasons, not disasters.
See also
Page updated