What retrograde actually is
A retrograde is an optical effect. Every planet keeps orbiting the Sun in the same direction, but we watch from a moving platform. When Earth catches up with a slower outer planet and passes it, that planet seems to slide backward for a while, much like a car you overtake on the motorway appears to drift back against the scenery.
Mercury and Venus work the other way round. They orbit inside our own orbit, so they appear to reverse when they swing between Earth and the Sun. The day a planet seems to stand still before changing direction is called a station, and each retrograde has two: one when it turns backward and one when it turns forward again.
The five planets compared
The closer a planet is to the Sun, the quicker it laps us, so the rhythm differs a lot from planet to planet. Each page below covers one planet in more detail.
- Mercury retrograde. The frequent one: about three times a year, for roughly three weeks each.
- Venus retrograde. About every 18 months, lasting around six weeks.
- Mars retrograde. About every 26 months, and it can last two months or more.
- Jupiter retrograde. Once a year, for about four months.
- Saturn retrograde. Once a year, for about four and a half months.
How to read the table
The table near the top gives the start and end of each retrograde, calculated from planetary positions and shown in New York time (US Eastern). Because of that, a station can fall on a different calendar day than a source using another time zone, and a few hours of difference is normal.
Astrologers also talk about a "shadow" period, the stretch before and after a retrograde when the planet is already slowing or still moving at the same degrees. That is an astrological convention rather than an astronomical event, so it is not part of the table.
Retrograde in astrology
Traditional astrology treats a retrograde as a time to revisit rather than to launch: re-check, redo, reconsider. Which area that touches depends on the planet, from communication for Mercury to responsibilities for Saturn.
This is a symbolic tradition. There is no scientific evidence that a retrograde changes events in people's lives, and the pages here keep the advice practical and calm. To see how each planet behaves in your own chart, browse the planet-in-sign pages from the zodiac hub.
Questions people ask
Do planets really go backward?
No. Their orbits always run the same way. The reversal is a line-of-sight effect caused by the changing positions of Earth and the other planet.
Which planet is retrograde most often?
Mercury, about three times a year. Its short orbit means it lines up with Earth far more often than any other planet does.
Can the Sun or Moon be retrograde?
Not in this sense. The Sun and Moon always appear to move forward through the zodiac, and astrologers do not count them as retrograde.
Should I postpone things during a retrograde?
You do not have to. If the tradition appeals to you, use the time to double-check details, but nothing in science says plans will go wrong.