What you need to know about Mercury retrograde
It’s that time of year again, when posts about “Mercury in retrograde” or "Mercury retrograde" start appearing on socials.
In 2026, Mercury retrograde commences on 26 February until 20 March. You might have seen posts about it flash across your fyp, but what are they actually talking about? Well, here at BBC Bitesize, we've put together this guide to break down some of the biggest questions around Mercury retrograde: What is it? How can you see it? And what effect will it have on your life?
What does Mercury retrograde mean?
'Mercury retrograde' refers to a period when, due to an optical illusion, the planet Mercury appears to move backwards across the sky as seen from Earth.
Usually, planets move from west to east across the night sky - meaning if you look at the sky two nights in a row, the planets should have moved a little further east.
However, during periods of apparent retrograde motion, planets appear to do the opposite. So, when people refer to Mercury in retrograde, they're referring to the period when Mercury appears to move from east to west across the sky. During this time, the planet appears to be moving backwards, though this isn't actually the case…
What causes Mercury retrograde?
All planets actually have periods of retrograde motion, caused by the different speeds at which they move around the sun.
You see, planets are never actually moving backwards, it simply looks like they are (which is why some prefer the term apparent retrograde motion). Think of two cars on the motorway, as one speeds past the other, the slower car appears to be going backwards, this is similar to planets in retrograde.
Mercury orbits the sun, completing a loop every 88 days. The Earth, on the other hand, takes 365.25 days to orbit the sun - meaning Mercury overtakes us three to four times per year.
During these periods, it can appear as though Mercury is going backwards - giving rise to the phrase Mercury retrograde.
More of a visual person?This BBC News article has a handy visual guide to Mercury retrograde!
Why does Mercury retrograde appear on socials?
Mercury retrograde has been observed and documented by humans for thousands of years, but recent years have seen it take on new life across social media.
Mercury takes its name from the Roman God - you guessed it - Mercury. In mythology, Mercury was a messenger god responsible for communication between the divine and mortal realms. As a result, the planet Mercury has taken on a strong astrological significance in matters of communication.
Astrologists believe that in periods of Mercury retrograde, communication technologies (like phones) are more likely to break, miscommunication is more likely, and relationships are liable to break down. Astrology followers view Mercury retrograde as a period of turbulence that should be approached with caution.
Astrology, which is the pseudoscientific belief that the position of stars and planets can affect events on Earth, is pretty popular on socials - which probably accounts for the spike in posts you might see around Mercury retrograde.
And it doesn't just end at posts, you can get Mercury retrograde T-shirts, tote bags and even pillows!
The term, if not the belief, has also spread beyond normal astrological circles - with celebs like Taylor Swift mentioning the phenomena in past interviews.
When can you see Mercury retrograde?
Mercury overtakes Earth in its orbit around the Sun about three or four times a year, which means Mercury appears in retrograde the same number of times.
2025 brought with it three instances of Mercury retrograde, two of which have already occurred. Mercury will enter retrograde for the last time this year on 9 November, before returning to 'normal' a few weeks later on 29 November.
In 2026 Mercury will enter retrograde three times:
- 26 February - 20 March
- 29 June - 23 July
- 24 October - 13 November
How does Mercury retrograde affect you?
For the most part, unless you're an avid astronomer, it won't have any effect!
Despite popular myths in astrology saying that Mercury retrograde can have all sorts of negative effects - like grounding planes and breaking smartphones - there's no scientific backing for this.
Astrology itself is a pseudoscience, functioning more as a system of belief than anything else. So, we wouldn't waste too much time worrying about Mercury retrograde, as there's no scientific evidence that the position of Mercury - or any other planet, for that matter - has any predictable effect on human behaviour.
