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♒︎ Aquarius, ♊︎ Gemini and ♎︎ Libra

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Mercury retrograde 2028

Mercury is retrograde three times in 2028: January 24 – February 14, 2028 (Aquarius); May 21 – June 14, 2028 (Gemini); September 19 – October 11, 2028 (Libra). Each period has a shadow on either side. Messages, plans, travel, paperwork and devices need a second look then — a good time to revise, reconnect and double-check rather than launch.

Where does it land in your chart?What it means for your rising sign ↓

Timeline

Jan 24 – Feb 14 · Aquarius

  1. Pre-shadow begins

    3°59′ Aquarius

  2. Stations retrograde

    19°42′ Aquarius

  3. Stations direct

    3°59′ Aquarius

  4. Shadow ends

    19°42′ Aquarius

May 21 – Jun 14 · Gemini

  1. Pre-shadow begins

    7°45′ Gemini

  2. Stations retrograde

    16°19′ Gemini

  3. Stations direct

    7°45′ Gemini

  4. Shadow ends

    16°19′ Gemini

Sep 19 – Oct 11 · Libra

  1. Pre-shadow begins

    3°29′ Libra

  2. Stations retrograde

    18°36′ Libra

  3. Stations direct

    3°29′ Libra

  4. Shadow ends

    18°36′ Libra

What it means

Mercury is the fastest planet, and three or four times a year it appears to slow down, stop and run backwards for about three weeks as the Earth passes it. In 2028 the periods last 21, 24 and 22 days from station to station. Mercury describes how we think, talk, learn, travel and trade, so its retrograde is famous for delays, crossed wires and second thoughts. The more useful reading is simpler: it is a built-in review period for anything that runs on information.

January 24 – February 14, 2028: In Aquarius, technology, group projects and future plans need a second look. Old friends and networks reconnect.

May 21 – June 14, 2028: In Gemini, its own sign, Mercury retrograde is at full strength: scattered schedules, mixed messages, siblings and neighbours, and a flood of ideas that need sorting.

September 19 – October 11, 2028: In Libra, agreements and relationship conversations are revisited. Decisions that depend on someone else's yes tend to wait.

Mercury retrograde does not break phones or doom contracts. It tends to expose what was already unclear. If you plan buffers, read the small print and expect a few reruns of old conversations, it is one of the most productive editing windows of the year.

Mercury retrograde 2028

Where does it land in your chart?

Enter your birth details. We calculate your chart on the spot and show the house this event moves through and any of your planets it touches.

Birth time
Birth place

What it means for your rising sign

Read your rising sign (Ascendant) first — it sets which area of life the event moves through. Whole-sign houses; the chart check above uses your exact houses.

Aries rising

11th house → 3rd house → 7th house

Jan 24 – Feb 14 · 11th house.Friends, groups and online communities are the theme. Reconnect with old friends and review your commitments to groups.

May 21 – Jun 14 · 3rd house.Everyday messages, short trips and siblings are in focus. Reread texts, leave early, and expect old contacts to reach out.

Sep 19 – Oct 11 · 7th house.Partners and agreements: renegotiate terms, clarify expectations, and give important conversations a second round.

Taurus rising

10th house → 2nd house → 6th house

Jan 24 – Feb 14 · 10th house.Career messages and public plans need care. Proofread anything your boss or clients will see; past opportunities can reopen.

May 21 – Jun 14 · 2nd house.Money conversations, invoices and purchases need a second look. Check statements and avoid buying gadgets on impulse.

Sep 19 – Oct 11 · 6th house.Work routines, to-do lists and health habits are in review. Back up files, fix the process, not just the symptom.

Gemini rising

9th house → 1st house → 5th house

Jan 24 – Feb 14 · 9th house.Travel, study and publishing slow down. Check bookings twice and return to a course or text you left unfinished.

May 21 – Jun 14 · 1st house.Your self-presentation and personal plans are in review — update how you introduce yourself and finish what you started for yourself.

Sep 19 – Oct 11 · 5th house.Creative projects, dating and play come back around. An old idea or an old flame may return; edit before you publish.

Cancer rising

8th house → 12th house → 4th house

Jan 24 – Feb 14 · 8th house.Shared money, debts, taxes and private talks are revisited. Read contracts slowly and say the hard thing kindly.

May 21 – Jun 14 · 12th house.Rest, privacy and inner work help most. Journaling and quiet reflection beat big announcements during this one.

Sep 19 – Oct 11 · 4th house.Home and family logistics get tangled: repairs, moves, family talks. Revisit the plan before you sign or pack.

Leo rising

7th house → 11th house → 3rd house

Jan 24 – Feb 14 · 7th house.Partners and agreements: renegotiate terms, clarify expectations, and give important conversations a second round.

May 21 – Jun 14 · 11th house.Friends, groups and online communities are the theme. Reconnect with old friends and review your commitments to groups.

Sep 19 – Oct 11 · 3rd house.Everyday messages, short trips and siblings are in focus. Reread texts, leave early, and expect old contacts to reach out.

Virgo rising

6th house → 10th house → 2nd house

Jan 24 – Feb 14 · 6th house.Work routines, to-do lists and health habits are in review. Back up files, fix the process, not just the symptom.

May 21 – Jun 14 · 10th house.Career messages and public plans need care. Proofread anything your boss or clients will see; past opportunities can reopen.

Sep 19 – Oct 11 · 2nd house.Money conversations, invoices and purchases need a second look. Check statements and avoid buying gadgets on impulse.

Libra rising

5th house → 9th house → 1st house

Jan 24 – Feb 14 · 5th house.Creative projects, dating and play come back around. An old idea or an old flame may return; edit before you publish.

May 21 – Jun 14 · 9th house.Travel, study and publishing slow down. Check bookings twice and return to a course or text you left unfinished.

Sep 19 – Oct 11 · 1st house.Your self-presentation and personal plans are in review — update how you introduce yourself and finish what you started for yourself.

Scorpio rising

4th house → 8th house → 12th house

Jan 24 – Feb 14 · 4th house.Home and family logistics get tangled: repairs, moves, family talks. Revisit the plan before you sign or pack.

May 21 – Jun 14 · 8th house.Shared money, debts, taxes and private talks are revisited. Read contracts slowly and say the hard thing kindly.

Sep 19 – Oct 11 · 12th house.Rest, privacy and inner work help most. Journaling and quiet reflection beat big announcements during this one.

Sagittarius rising

3rd house → 7th house → 11th house

Jan 24 – Feb 14 · 3rd house.Everyday messages, short trips and siblings are in focus. Reread texts, leave early, and expect old contacts to reach out.

May 21 – Jun 14 · 7th house.Partners and agreements: renegotiate terms, clarify expectations, and give important conversations a second round.

Sep 19 – Oct 11 · 11th house.Friends, groups and online communities are the theme. Reconnect with old friends and review your commitments to groups.

Capricorn rising

2nd house → 6th house → 10th house

Jan 24 – Feb 14 · 2nd house.Money conversations, invoices and purchases need a second look. Check statements and avoid buying gadgets on impulse.

May 21 – Jun 14 · 6th house.Work routines, to-do lists and health habits are in review. Back up files, fix the process, not just the symptom.

Sep 19 – Oct 11 · 10th house.Career messages and public plans need care. Proofread anything your boss or clients will see; past opportunities can reopen.

Aquarius rising

1st house → 5th house → 9th house

Jan 24 – Feb 14 · 1st house.Your self-presentation and personal plans are in review — update how you introduce yourself and finish what you started for yourself.

May 21 – Jun 14 · 5th house.Creative projects, dating and play come back around. An old idea or an old flame may return; edit before you publish.

Sep 19 – Oct 11 · 9th house.Travel, study and publishing slow down. Check bookings twice and return to a course or text you left unfinished.

Pisces rising

12th house → 4th house → 8th house

Jan 24 – Feb 14 · 12th house.Rest, privacy and inner work help most. Journaling and quiet reflection beat big announcements during this one.

May 21 – Jun 14 · 4th house.Home and family logistics get tangled: repairs, moves, family talks. Revisit the plan before you sign or pack.

Sep 19 – Oct 11 · 8th house.Shared money, debts, taxes and private talks are revisited. Read contracts slowly and say the hard thing kindly.

What to do, what to avoid

Good use of this time

  • Revise, edit and finish — drafts, plans, applications.
  • Back up your phone and computer before the station.
  • Leave buffers in travel plans and confirm bookings twice.
  • Reconnect with people you lost touch with.
  • Read contracts slowly and ask questions before signing.

Go easy on

  • Launching brand-new projects on the day of a station.
  • Signing important contracts without a careful read.
  • Assuming everyone understood your message the same way.
  • Treating every glitch as a sign — most are just glitches.

Questions people ask

When is Mercury retrograde in 2028?

Three times: January 24 – February 14, 2028, 19°42′ Aquarius to 3°59′ Aquarius; May 21 – June 14, 2028, 16°19′ Gemini to 7°45′ Gemini; September 19 – October 11, 2028, 18°36′ Libra to 3°29′ Libra. Dates are US Eastern; the table above shows your local times.

When is the Mercury retrograde shadow?

Jan 8 – March 5, 2028 (pre-shadow from 3°59′, post-shadow until Mercury regains 19°42′ Aquarius); May 6 – June 29, 2028 (pre-shadow from 7°45′, post-shadow until Mercury regains 16°19′ Gemini); Aug 30 – October 26, 2028 (pre-shadow from 3°29′, post-shadow until Mercury regains 18°36′ Libra).

What should you not do during Mercury retrograde?

Nothing is forbidden. It helps not to rush signatures, big tech purchases or brand-new launches, and to double-check travel and messages. Finishing, fixing and reviewing work well.

Does Mercury retrograde affect everyone?

Everyone lives under the same sky, but it is felt most in the house it moves through in your chart and by people with planets close to the station degrees. The chart check on this page shows yours.

More dates to know

Free birth chart calculatorRising sign, houses and every planet — no sign-upPersonal transitsWhat today's sky does to your own chartAstro calendarMoon phases, stations and ingresses, day by day

Terms on this page

How this page was made: every date, time, degree and sign is calculated by Astraly's ephemeris engine (VSOP87 planetary theory, Meeus algorithms for lunations and eclipses) and refined to the minute. The interpretation was written by the Astraly editorial team with AI assistance and reviewed by a person. Astrology is a reflective tool, not a prediction of events, and nothing here is medical, legal or financial advice. Updated October 15, 2026.