Retrogrades Across the Zodiac

The cosmos don't always move forward. Sometimes, it slows. Spins backward. Asks us to pause, reflect, and revisit what we thought was settled. Retrogrades aren’t cosmic punishment—they’re invitations. To rewrite. To remember. To reclaim.

Whether it’s Mercury tangling your words, Venus stirring up old love wounds, or Saturn dragging you back through karmic lessons, each retrograde carries its own medicine. And if you know how to listen, you’ll find that the backspin is often where the real magic lives.

This post is your guide to navigating planetary retrogrades with intention, ritual, and a little bit of grace. Because sometimes, going backward is how we find our way forward.

We have all heard it "must be because mercury is in retrograde" and typically it comes with a negative undertone. But is this really the case? Actually not always, retrogrades can be complicated and sometimes its hard to keep up. Mercury isn't the only planet that goes into retrograde either, all planets can.

What is a retrograde?

There are two definitions but they essentially say the same thing: in astronomy they describe a retrograde as, a phenomenon that occurs when Earth passes or is passed by another planet, creating an illusion of backward movement due to the relative difference in speed.

In astrology, retrograde literally means "moving backward" and is often associated with periods of reflection and reevaluation.

How does it affect you?

Well that depends greatly on your birth or natal chart. Retrogrades aren't uncommon and you will go through many during your entire life, some will go by and you won't even notice while other will completely throw everything off. And no two retrogrades will be the same, each one will affect you differently even if there are multiple of the same planets in a year. I believe Mercury goes into retrograde 3 times a year!

Lets talk birth/ natal charts for a second. A natal chart, also known as a birth chart, is a map of the sky at the exact moment of your birth. It is calculated based on your date, time, and location of birth, providing insights into your personality, strengths, challenges, and life purpose. Essentially, it serves as a blueprint of your astrological influences, detailing the positions of the planets and zodiac signs at that specific time. Everyone knows their Sun sign (main zodiac) but not everyone knows that you have many other signs that influence your life. Your birth chart is made up of the following categories;

Sun

Moon

Ascendant/Rising

Mercury

Venus

Mars

Jupiter

Saturn

Uranus

Neptune

Pluto

Chiron

Quick note here, all these planets can go intro retrograde except the sun and moon.

Each planets retrograde

Mercury: The most well known and most talked about among the planetary retrogrades and for good reason. Mercury retrograde affects communication, electronics, the mail, and the mind. This is a time where miscommunications and misunderstandings happen, some people choose to not sign contracts or make major purchases and decisions during this time. Not all is negative because this is a time for reflection. Mercury retrograde invites reflection—a potent time to tune into both the conscious and subconscious mind, since Mercury governs thought and communication. Old wounds, lingering doubts, and mental clutter may surface, offering a chance to sort, sift, and release. Whether it’s an ex or a story you’ve outgrown, this is a season for letting go with intention. Misunderstandings may ripple through relationships, so speak with care. Patience and forgiveness become sacred tools—gentle bridges back to clarity.

Venus: The planet of love and money, this planet retrogrades every 1.5 years for about a month and a half at a time.

Mars: Happening roughly every 2 to 2½ years and lasting for about 2 to 2½ , this planetary slowdown lasts for several weeks—and in 2025, it begins in bold, expressive Leo, where passion and playfulness may feel tangled or misdirected. Quickly, Mars slips back into Cancer, shifting the heat inward and igniting emotional tension.

Jupiter: helps us find blocks that have kept us from expanding, exploring, experiencing life, and pursuing opportunities.

Saturn: more restrictive than usual but exposes karmic issues to work on.

Uranus: slows down the big changes, which can help with stability and increase impatience and rebellion.

Neptune: makes reality more difficult to grasp, and strong intuition becomes more important.

Pluto: provides an opportunity to adjust to massive transformations.

Chiron: makes us more introspective and reflective so we can remove blocks to healing.

All the retrogrades this year

Pluto retrograde: May 4th-October 13th 2025

Starts: 3 degrees Aquarius

Ends: 1 degree Aquarius

Signs most affected: Scorpio and Aquarius.

For the first time, this deep, slow-moving planet is fully rooted in Aquarius—a sign of future-thinking, rebellion, and collective evolution. With Pluto here for nearly two decades, the changes we make now ripple far beyond the present.

Retrograde slows Pluto’s intensity, offering space to breathe, reflect, and recalibrate. It’s a powerful time to revisit the shifts we’ve already made, refine our visions, and reshape the dreams we’re daring to believe in. Aquarius reminds us: transformation isn’t just personal—it’s communal, electric, and full of possibility.

Neptune Retrograde: July 4th-December 10th 2025

Starts: 2 degrees Aries

Enters Pisces: October 22nd

Ends: 29 degrees Pisces

Signs most affected: Aries and Pisces

As Neptune drifts into Aries on March 30th, the tides of spirit and identity begin to churn. Aries demands action, but Neptune whispers dreams. This retrograde asks us to take initiative with our intuition, to move through the mist with courage, and to confront the internal blocks that keep us from our truest selves.

Yet clarity is elusive. Neptune retrograde is infamous for its fog—and in Aries, that fog wraps itself around our impulses, our sense of self, our drive. What do we really want? What are we really doing? The answers won’t come from the outside. They live in the quiet, in the pause, in the mirror.

And then, the tide turns again. Neptune slips back into Pisces, its home sign, but not gently. It returns to the anaretic degree—the final, fated point of a sign—where endings feel eternal and beginnings blur. This is the same degree where Neptune retrograde began in 2024. Look back to midyear. What was unraveling? What was awakening?

With Mercury and Venus both retrograding over this point, the echoes will linger. What begins now may stretch through the rest of the year. So lean into empathy. Protect your boundaries. Rest. Dream. Create. Let your imagination be your compass, even if the stars seem hidden.

Saturn Retrograde: July 12th-November 27th 2025

Starts: 1 degree Aries

Enters Pisces: September 1st

Ends: 25 degrees Pisces

Signs most affected: Aries, Capricorn, Pisces

Saturn begins its retrograde in Aries, following Neptune’s path from Pisces into the realm of identity, action, and initiation. The overlap is no coincidence—Mercury, Venus, Neptune, and Saturn are all stirring the same pot. And Saturn? Saturn brings the consequences.

This retrograde is a karmic checkpoint. If we’ve ignored the call to release spiritual baggage, neglected our boundaries, or refused to reckon with who we truly are, Saturn may deliver swift lessons—especially in Aries, where the energy is direct, sharp, and unforgiving.

When Saturn slips back into Pisces, the clarity fades. Restrictions tighten. Answers feel just out of reach. It’s easy to feel lost, cut off, or overwhelmed by the weight of what we didn’t face. But Saturn doesn’t punish without purpose. It teaches. It tests. And if we meet it with integrity, responsibility, and a willingness to do the work, the rewards come—slowly, surely, and often right as the retrograde ends.

Chiron Retrograde: July 30th 2025-January 2nd 2026

Starts: 27 degrees Aries

Ends: 22 degrees Aries

Signs most affected: Aries

As 2025 winds down, Chiron retrograde settles into Aries—a final, introspective chapter in a year steeped in identity work. Chiron, the wounded healer, doesn’t shout. It whispers. It guides us inward, toward the places we’ve buried pain, shame, and the stories we tell ourselves to survive. This retrograde is not about fixing everything. It’s about facing it. The blocks to healing. The resistance to growth. The fear of becoming who we truly are.

In Aries, Chiron asks: Who are you beneath the armor? What wounds shaped your fire? And are you ready to lead yourself out of the dark? With Saturn and Neptune also shifting into Aries, and Mercury and Venus retrogrades beginning there too, 2025 becomes a crucible for identity. The cosmos is conspiring to strip away illusion, ignite self-awareness, and demand authenticity.

This is the year we stop hiding. We bring the inward outward. We become the healer and the healed.

Mercury Retrograde: July 18th- August 11th 2025

Starts: 15 degrees Leo

Ends: 4 degrees Leo

Signs most affected: Gemini, Leo, Virgo

This retrograde occurs completely in the fire sign Leo, so for all the Leos out there it this retrograde may make it difficult for you to focus on things. You'll probably need more time to get things done.

Not all is negative because this is a time for reflection. Mercury retrograde invites reflection—a potent time to tune into both the conscious and subconscious mind, since Mercury governs thought and communication. Old wounds, lingering doubts, and mental clutter may surface, offering a chance to sort, sift, and release.

Uranus Retrograde: September 6th 2025- February 3rd 2026

Starts: 1 degree Gemini

Enters Taurus: November 7th 2025

Ends: 27 degrees Taurus

Signs most affected: Taurus, Gemini, Aquarius

Uranus—the cosmic wild card, the awakener, the rebel—slows its roll in retrograde. Change doesn’t stop, but it stutters. And for those of us itching to leap forward, this pause can feel like static in the soul. Uranus begins its retrograde in Gemini, the sign of ideas, communication, and curiosity. Our visions for the future may stall. Plans unravel. The blueprint blurs. But this isn’t failure—it’s recalibration. We’re meant to gather, question, and refine. The revolution needs a strategy.

Then Uranus slips back into Taurus, where it’s been shaking the foundations of our values, resources, and sense of stability. This final revisit is no gentle farewell. From November 7th to December 2nd, Uranus becomes anaretic in Taurus—sitting at the last, most karmic degree. Expect seismic shifts. Last-minute revelations. A reckoning with what we truly value, and what must be released.

And remember: 2026 begins with Uranus still retrograde in Taurus until January 30th. The year opens with echoes of the past and whispers of the future. We’re not just watching change—we’re becoming it.

Jupiter Retrograde: November 11th 2025- March 10th 2026

Starts: 25 degrees Cancer

Ends: 15 degrees Cancer

Signs most affected: Cancer, Sagittarius

Jupiter retrograde settles into Cancer for its entire journey, turning our gaze inward—toward home, family, memory, and the emotional foundations we build upon. This is a time to seek growth from the ground up, to nurture what’s tender, and to rediscover strength in softness.

But expansion through emotion can blur the lines. We may get swept up in personal tides, losing perspective or becoming overly subjective. The key is balance: honoring our emotional needs without eclipsing the needs of others.

Mercury Retrograde: November 9th- 29th

Starts: 6 degrees Sagittarius

Enters Scorpio: November 18th

Ends: 20 degrees Scorpio

Signs most affected: Gemini, Virgo, Scorpio, Sagittarius

The final Mercury retrograde of 2025 begins in Sagittarius, stirring a restless hunger for freedom, expansion, and escape. We may feel the urge to run—toward adventure, away from confinement, into the wild unknown. But the lesson here isn’t flight. It’s spaciousness within limitation. Wisdom within the walls. Can you stretch your mind without abandoning your center?

This retrograde opens at the exact degree where Mercury ended its December 2024 cycle. Look back to mid-December: what questions were whispering then? What truths were too shy to speak? They return now, louder, bolder, demanding resolution.

On November 18th, Mercury slips back into Scorpio’s underworld, dragging us into the depths of what’s hidden, feared, or long buried. The shadows speak. Transformation beckons. This is not a time to flinch—it’s a time to reclaim power from the places we’ve abandoned it.

The Scorpio New Moon on November 20th conjuncts Mercury retrograde, while Mercury opposes Uranus in Taurus on November 19th—both at the anaretic degree, the final, fated point of a sign. This is volatile magic. A crossroads. We may feel the pressure to fix everything fast, to leap before we’ve looked. But Uranus demands disruption, and Scorpio demands control. The tension is real.

Astrology isn’t just personal—it’s communal. Retrogrades remind us that none of us are moving forward in a straight line. We’re all spiraling, stumbling, syncing with celestial rhythms that ask us to pause, reflect, and realign.

In this shared sky, we find each other. We swap stories of missed texts, broken tech, and emotional echoes. We laugh, we cry, we light candles and pull cards. We hold space for the mess and the meaning. So when the planets rewind, let it be a reminder: You’re not alone in the orbit. We’re all dancing with the stars—together.

“What patterns are resurfacing for you this retrograde? Share your story in the comments—or light a candle and write it in your journal as an offering to your future self.”

Signed, your favorite emotionally unstable cryptid <3