On Tuesday, 11/09, Mercury enters its third retrograde cycle of 2025. This retrograde runs from 06° Sagittarius to 20° Scorpio, crossing the line from a mutable sign back into a fixed sign. During its retrograde, Mercury will conjunct the Sun, Venus, and Mars, form a grand water trine with Jupiter in Cancer and Saturn in Pisces, and make several aspects to our outer planets. This will be a complicated and meaningful retrograde as all of our personal planets are involved.
The Basics
Mercury, the planet of communication, technology, and travel, is the fastest-moving planet in our solar system and retrogrades three to four times every year. This means that Mercury’s retrograde cycle is “business as usual” and isn’t something that should be feared. However, it is a change in the energy signature of one of our personal planets, so it’s worth paying attention to and making adjustments where necessary.
Retrogrades don’t mean that the planet ACTUALLY is moving backward, of course. It is a shift in our perception of the planetary movement through our skies. In this way, our perspectives and perceptions can become slightly twisted during these times, making it easy to miss key details or communicate ineffectively.
During Mercury’s retrograde, Mercury traces its path backward in our skies, and it is considered better to go over your work rather than start something new. Mercury passes over these degrees in the sky thrice: the first time during its pre-retrograde shadow, the second time while it moves backward during its retrograde, and again a third time while it moves forward in its post-retrograde shadow. Because of this, we all get the cosmic opportunity to relearn and refocus on certain things that are going awry in our lives.
By comparing the degrees of Mercury’s retrograde to your birth chart, you can understand how Mercury’s retrograde cycle might affect you.
Mercury retrogrades affect some people more than others. By order of significance, these people are most likely to be affected by a Mercury retrograde:
- If you have Sun, Moon, or Ascendant in Gemini and Virgo, or Mercury closely conjunct (within 2°) to your Sun, Moon, or Ascendant
- If your natal Mercury was in retrograde or out of bounds
- If the current retrograde crosses over your Sun, Moon, or Ascendant (in conjunction) or makes a square or opposition
- If the current retrograde crosses over your Mercury, Venus, or Mars, or makes a square or opposition with them
- If the current retrograde makes a trine with one of your personal planets or a sextile to your Sun, Moon, or Ascendant
- If you work in a job that involves technology, communication, or travel, or are currently undergoing a task that involves one of these domains during this retrograde cycle
- If you live with, are in a relationship with, or closely work with a person who meets the above criteria
One can assume that the more of these factors in play, the stronger you may experience the effects of a Mercury retrograde cycle. This isn’t to say that what you experience will be bad or wrong – some people experience a lot of freedom from Mercury’s journey. The more open you are to giving up control and staying open to the ever-changing landscape of a Mercury cycle, the easier it will be.
The Nitty Gritty
This is a complicated retrograde, as it involves both the mutable (Sagittarius) and fixed (Scorpio) signs. Most of the time, we move through the horoscope wheel in a particular order, constantly going from Cardinal -> Fixed -> Mutable -> Cardinal. We can consider this the natural ordering of life: things are made (cardinal), they gain substance (fixed), and they encounter entropy and are unmade (mutable). When planets retrograde, they temporarily reverse their path, undoing (some) of the work already done. During this retrograde, we will have completed the fixed phase of Scorpio and moved on into Sagittarius, but now we will have to go back and redo/rethink/reconsider in some way.
The standard adage is: you’ve made your bed, now you have to lie in it. This is something different. This is more like, you’ve unmade your bed, but now you need it again. Apply that as metaphorically as you need to in your life.
Retrogrades can be seen as cosmic lessons; this cosmic lesson is mostly strongly designed for those born with the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, or Mars (and somewhat Saturn) from 00°-06° of the mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces) and 20°-29° of the fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius). That said, with all of our personal planets involved, it will be in our lives and in our houses. Nobody will likely be able to opt out of this retrograde entirely; even if you’re not feeling it, it’s likely the people around you are. We don’t exist in a vacuum, after all.
Sitting so close to the Sun, Mercury is our most personal planet, controlling the domains of thoughts, communication, travel, and technology. All of these things are altered during their retrograde cycle. This can look like miscommunications, typos, people speaking without thinking first, travel delays, detours, intrusive thoughts, and technological difficulty; all generally considered “bad things”. But it can also look like deep thoughts, realizations, meaningful conversations, directed change, and intense problem-solving.
Mercury retrogrades are very much in the eye of the beholder. Mercury retrogrades can vary much in the eye of the beholder.
I know that’s not grammatically correct. That’s the point, here. (Mercury’s not going to retrograde in Virgo, so we shouldn’t worry about “correctness”)
The point is that you get the choice in how you greet and move through a Mercury retrograde. Inevitably, some things will go wrong. Especially if there’s technology involved —so, you know, pretty much everything these days. It’s not about you, it’s not personal.
Mercury retrogrades are the antithesis of modern capitalist society. They are all about the journey. Mercury is one of the great travellers – Hermes (one of Mercury’s many faces) was one of the few beings who was able to walk into the land of the dead and leave again. When Mercury retrogrades, the paths shift. We can view this as liminal — a fallow phase — but it can also be a time of great adventure and opportunity. You will find that different retrogrades will bring up various themes, based upon your current life experiences and how the retrograde interlocks with your own birth chart.
This isn’t the time to force things; it’s the time to read the currents and go with the flow (or step out of the way!).
If Mercury prograde (direct) is the in breath, Mercury’s retrograde is the inevitable exhale that must follow. We weave in and out of Mercury retrogrades all year long, which is why I call this a business-as-usual aspect. The problem is the “Out to Lunch” sign on the door, even though it’s only 9 am. Or maybe “On Vacation”. This is a problem specifically because we live in a Hustle Culture that demands constant effort and often immediate results.
Mercury retrogrades are the perfect time to schedule a staycation and use your PTO, or a for-real getaway if you can handle a bit of uncertainty in your travel itinerary. Expect major airline delays and road closures, though. It’s time best spent editing and refining. Sometimes, it’s best spent in the solitude of your bed, catching up on sleep, or out puttering around in your garden.
Mercury is in its exile in fiery Sagittarius, opposite sign to its domain, Gemini. The Sag half of this retrograde will have us speaking without thinking, or speaking out of turn altogether. This may feel like a great unravelling; miscommunications and lies may be revealed during this time. Things will get darker and quieter as Mercury transits watery Scorpio. Watch out for vindictiveness during this time.
Mercury’s thrice-repeated journey can be likened to a hole in the ground.
There’s a hole in the ground, and you fall in it. No big deal, you didn’t see it. It might hurt a little bit. You get out of the hole.
There’s a hole in the ground, and you fall in it. Wait a second! It’s the same hole! How did you get turned around?
There’s a hole in the ground, but you recognize it! It’s the same hole! You know better than to fall in it, and you walk around it.
That’s the best-case scenario, of course. We’re all human, and we all have times that we can’t (or don’t) learn from our own mistakes. Personal planet retrogrades give us many opportunities to learn, but sometimes there’s too much. Sometimes we’re overwhelmed. Sometimes we’re too tired, too overworked, too blocked up, too distracted. This isn’t about perfection. Sometimes we can’t do, and if that’s you right now, know that I am not blaming you.
That’s not what this is about at all. That’s never what this is about.
When shit is at its worst, blame it on Mercury retrograde if you’ve gotta. Just make sure to blame the good stuff on Mercury, too. If you don’t think there is any good stuff, look again.
Mercury conjuncts the Sun and Venus on its journey, which are our expected aspects. Notably, retrograde Mercury is part of an exact stellium with the Sun and Moon during our new moon at 28° Scorpio on 11/20. This is a powerful day to tap into the unknown, pierce the veil, cross the hedge, or reveal anything that has been hidden from you. Mercury also conjuncts Mars in Sagittarius, which is uncommon, but not groundbreaking – it could be used to invigorate a new idea; use fire magic for any spells cast during this time.
What is most notable to me is that Mercury forms a water grand trine with Jupiter in Cancer and Saturn in Pisces three times over the course of its retrograde. This feels like a bit of an impasse; trines are typically favorable transits but Jupiter and Saturn are opposing forces and mostly cancel each other out. It’s also interesting that Jupiter stations retrograde within this timeframe, and Saturn stations direct. (This will immediately apply pressure to 29° Pisces/00° Aries as Saturn starts moving towards it once more for those who’ve been working with these degrees this year)
There is likely a lesson during these transits (10/24-10/25, 11/22, and 12/06-12/07) about understanding when to stop and when to go. We can only carry so much; if we are holding on to things from the past, they can weigh us down so much that we can’t pick up things that lead us forward. 2025 is a “9” year; concerned on a greater level with completing cycles. This retrograde cycle strongly contributed to this overall theme.
If you’re really holding on to things, this may trigger you. Scorpio, as a fixed sign, needs to learn to let the fuck go. If you’re feeling that way, know that you are right on time.
On the other hand, mutable Sagittarius sometimes needs to learn to hold onto things more tightly. We’ve got Jupiter urging us to blind trust, much like a Sagittarius would, and Saturn demanding we be suspicious and controlling like a Scorpio. If there’s a middle ground, most people won’t be able to find it.
Mercury is the eternal in-between—the switch hitter.
If anyone can walk the tightrope between Jupiter and Saturn, it is them. They inhabit “yes/and” and “both is good.”
This retrograde looks like it will sit pretty awkwardly on our shoulders, too restricting at times and too lenient at others. If you like restrictions, you’ll enjoy those parts more, and vice versa. If you can handle both, go to town.
This retrograde aligns pretty strongly with the Hollows and with what my friend Crow has lovingly called Fallowtide. Watch out for the SADs; it’s okay to come up for air if you’re getting too deep. Mercury won’t hold it against you or get offended if it’s too much and you can’t do the work. They would rather you take care of yourself.
If that’s what you accomplish during this retrograde, it is more than enough.
The Details
10/21 – Mercury enters its pre-retrograde shadow 20° Scorpio
10/23 – Moon conjunct Mercury 22° Scorpio
10/24 – Mercury in Scorpio trine Jupiter in Cancer (1) (water grand trine)
10/25 – Mercury in Scorpio trine retrograde Saturn in Pisces (1) (water grand trine)
10/29 – Mercury in Scorpio trine retrograde Neptune in Pisces (1), Mercury enters Sagittarius, Mercury in Sagittarius opposed retrograde Uranus in Gemini (1)
10/30 – Mercury in Sagittarius sextile Pluto in Aquarius (1)
11/09 – Mercury retrogrades 06° Sagittarius
11/11 – Jupiter stations retrograde 25° Cancer
11/12 – Retrograde Mercury conjunct Mars 06° Sagittarius
11/17 – Retrograde Mercury in Sagittarius sextile Pluto in Aquarius (2)
11/18 – Retrograde Mercury enters Scorpio
11/19 – Retrograde Mercury in Scorpio trine retrograde Neptune in Pisces (2), retrograde Mercury in Scorpio opposed retrograde Uranus in Taurus (2)
11/20 – New moon 28° Scorpio, Sun and Moon conjunct retrograde Mercury 28° Scorpio
11/22 – Retrograde Mercury in Scorpio trine retrograde Jupiter in Cancer (2), Retrograde Mercury in Scorpio trine retrograde Saturn in Pisces (2) (water grand trine, retrograded)
11/24 – Retrograde Mercury conjunct Venus 22° Scorpio
11/27 – Saturn stations direct 25° Pisces
11/29 – Mercury stations direct 20° Scorpio
12/06 – Mercury in Scorpio trine retrograde Jupiter in Cancer (3) (water grand trine)
12/07 – Mercury in Scorpio trine Saturn in Pisces (3) (water grand trine)
12/10 – Mercury in Scorpio opposed retrograde Uranus in Taurus (3)
12/11 – Mercury in Scorpio trine retrograde Neptune in Pisces, Mercury enters Sagittarius
12/13 – Mercury in Sagittarius sextile Pluto in Aquarius
12/16 – Mercury exits its post-retrograde shadow 06° Sagittarius