Which planets are in retrograde right now?
Five planets are retrograde today: Venus, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. Mercury is direct; its next retrograde starts on 24 October 2026. Status as of Saturday, 10 October 2026.
Last updated 10 October 2026
| Planet | Today | Tropical position | Sidereal sign | Current or next retrograde |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury | Direct | 12°02′ Scorpio | Libra | 24 October to 13 November 2026 |
| Venus | Retrograde | 7°29′ Scorpio | Libra | 3 October to 13 November 2026 |
| Mars | Direct | 7°04′ Leo | Cancer | 10 January to 1 April 2027 |
| Jupiter | Direct | 21°12′ Leo | Cancer | 12 December 2026 to 12 April 2027 |
| Saturn | Retrograde | 10°50′ Aries | Pisces | 26 July to 10 December 2026 |
| Uranus | Retrograde | 5°20′ Gemini | Taurus | 10 September 2026 to 8 February 2027 |
| Neptune | Retrograde | 2°36′ Aries | Pisces | 7 July to 12 December 2026 |
| Pluto | Retrograde | 3°04′ Aquarius | Capricorn | 6 May to 15 October 2026 |
Is Mercury in retrograde? Dates and meaning
Retrograde planets in 2026
Each bar is a calculated retrograde period; Mercury and Venus also show their shadow. Each year’s page has the full table: dates, signs and a calendar file, with station times for Mercury, Venus and Mars.
Retrograde planets 2026: every date · Retrograde planets 2027
Each planet’s retrograde, explained
Is Mercury in retrograde?
No. Mercury is direct today at 12°02′ Scorpio. Its next retrograde runs from 24 October 2026 to 13 November 2026, in Scorpio. In astrology Mercury is read for communication, travel, contracts and the small machinery of daily life; tradition reads its retrograde as a time to re-read, re-check and revisit rather than sign and launch. Mercury retrograde dates, shadow and signs affected.
Is Venus in retrograde?
Yes. Venus is retrograde today at 7°29′ Scorpio. This retrograde began on 3 October 2026 and ends on 13 November 2026, moving from Scorpio back to Libra. In astrology Venus is read for relationships, money and what you value; tradition reads its retrograde as a review of who and what you are drawn to.
Is Mars in retrograde?
No. Mars is direct today at 7°04′ Leo. Its next retrograde runs from 10 January 2027 to 1 April 2027, in Virgo and Leo. In astrology Mars is read for effort, drive and conflict; tradition reads its retrograde as energy turned inward or delayed.
Is Jupiter in retrograde?
No. Jupiter is direct today at 21°12′ Leo. Its next retrograde runs from 12 December 2026 to 12 April 2027, in Leo. In astrology Jupiter is read for growth, belief and opportunity; its long retrogrades are read as inner rather than outer expansion.
Is Saturn in retrograde?
Yes. Saturn is retrograde today at 10°50′ Aries. This retrograde began on 26 July 2026 and ends on 10 December 2026, in Aries. In astrology Saturn is read for structure, responsibility and limits; its retrograde is read as reworking foundations.
Is Uranus in retrograde?
Yes. Uranus is retrograde today at 5°20′ Gemini. This retrograde began on 10 September 2026 and ends on 8 February 2027, in Gemini. In astrology Uranus is read for change and disruption; its yearly retrograde is read as change internalised.
Is Neptune in retrograde?
Yes. Neptune is retrograde today at 2°36′ Aries. This retrograde began on 7 July 2026 and ends on 12 December 2026, in Aries. In astrology Neptune is read for imagination and dissolving boundaries; its retrograde is read as clearer sight.
Is Pluto in retrograde?
Yes. Pluto is retrograde today at 3°04′ Aquarius. This retrograde began on 6 May 2026 and ends on 15 October 2026, in Aquarius. In astrology Pluto is read for power and transformation; its retrograde is read as slow, deep review.
What does retrograde mean, and does the planet really move backwards?
No planet reverses its orbit. Retrograde is an effect of perspective. Earth overtakes the outer planets on its faster inside track, and while it passes, the slower planet appears to drift backwards against the stars, the way a car you pass seems to slide back in your window. Mercury and Venus orbit faster than Earth, so they do the overtaking, and they turn retrograde as they swing between us and the Sun. Mercury does this three or four times a year for about three weeks; the planets beyond Mars do it about once a year for roughly four to five and a half months. The dates on this page are the moments the planet’s apparent motion along the ecliptic changes direction.
What is a retrograde shadow period?
A retrograde planet crosses the same stretch of the zodiac three times: forward, backward, then forward again. The pre-shadow is the first forward pass over the degrees it will later revisit; the post-shadow is the final pass out. Astrologers mostly quote shadows for Mercury and Venus, so those are the two shown here. The Mercury shadow, with a day-by-day chart.
Is retrograde different in Vedic and Western astrology?
The motion is identical; only the sign labels differ, because the sidereal zodiac used in Vedic astrology sits about 24 degrees behind the tropical one. A retrograde that starts in tropical Scorpio can start in sidereal Libra. Both signs are shown in the tables. Vedic tradition calls a retrograde planet vakri and often reads it as strengthened rather than weakened, another reason the two schools describe the same period differently. Why the zodiacs differ.
What does a retrograde planet mean in a birth chart?
Most people are born with at least one of the slow planets from Jupiter to Pluto retrograde, and about one person in five with Mercury retrograde. Tradition reads a natal retrograde as the planet’s themes turned inward: considered before spoken, learned by revisiting. Kendraya marks Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn as retrograde in your planet details and placement table when they were at your birth. See which of my planets were retrograde
Stations are found by scanning Kendraya Engine’s apparent geocentric positions, calculated from NASA/JPL DE440s orbital data, at 12-hour steps and bisecting to the minute (how the positions are calculated). Mercury, Venus and Mars stations are timed to the minute. Jupiter to Pluto barely move as they turn, so their stations are given to the day. Mean Rahu and Ketu always move backwards and are not listed. Terms: retrograde, direct motion, sidereal zodiac. Today’s readings by sign are on the horoscope page.