Mercury Retrograde in Scorpio: Key Dates for October 2026

Mercury retrograde in Scorpio starts on October 24, 2026, at 12:12 a.m. PT, when Mercury stations at 20 degrees 58 minutes of Scorpio, and ends on November 13, 2026, at 7:53 a.m. PT, according to Chani. Venus has been retrograde since October 3, 2026.

Two planets retrograde at once

This is not Mercury's retrograde alone. Venus is retrograde from October 3 to November 13, 2026, according to Cafe Astrology. In the tradition, Mercury governs communication and Venus governs love and money, so the one takeaway from the overlap is this: reread before sending, and revisit before restarting, in conversations and in relationships both.

What "on or about October 24" means, astronomically and in the tradition

Mercury does not reverse its orbit. From Earth, its apparent path against the background stars briefly loops backward near every one of its closer passes by the Sun, an effect of the two bodies' relative speeds. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory Horizons system shows Mercury's geocentric ecliptic longitude reaching a high point of about 230.98 degrees during October 24, 2026, then declining, the pattern astronomers call a retrograde station. That longitude works out to 20 degrees 58 minutes of Scorpio, the same degree Chani's astrological calendar and Astro-Seek's own retrograde calendar both give for the station.

Mercury stays retrograde until on or about November 13, 2026, when it turns direct at 5 degrees 2 minutes of Scorpio, according to Chani, without ever crossing back into Libra. Farmers' Almanac confirms the retrograde runs in the sign of Scorpio from start to finish, and calls it the third and final Mercury retrograde of 2026. In the tradition, a Scorpio retrograde is read as sharper than most, since the sign is already tied to what people would rather not say.

What to do about it, and when

The tradition's reading favors patience with words over speed. Through on or about November 13, 2026, the tradition's advice is to read a text or an email again before sending it, wait a day on a big conversation rather than force it, and treat a delayed reply or a crossed wire as ordinary friction rather than a sign of anything larger. Because Venus is also retrograde until November 13, 2026, the same patience applies to a decision about a relationship, not only to what gets said about it. Readers can check the love horoscope for how a given day inside the retrograde reads, or see how Mercury lines up with a partner's placements on the birth chart compatibility page.

What to watch, in order

1. On or about October 24, 2026: Mercury stations retrograde at 20 degrees 58 minutes of Scorpio.
2. October 24 to November 13, 2026: Mercury is retrograde in Scorpio.
3. On or about November 13, 2026: Mercury turns direct at 5 degrees 2 minutes of Scorpio, still inside the sign it started in.
4. Late November 2026: Mercury keeps retracing the degrees it crossed during the retrograde before it reaches new ground.

Mercury's station dates were checked against NASA's JPL Horizons system, which shows its geocentric ecliptic longitude turning direction within the stated windows, matching Chani's and Astro-Seek's published calendars. More timely astrology explainers like this one are collected on the site's news section.