from February 23 to March 17
Stops and turns back on February 23 at 09:41, at 19°52' Pisces
Moves forward again on March 17 at 20:02, at 5°37' Pisces
Shadow: from February 8 to April 6; the planet crosses the same degrees three times.
Retrogrades
Retrograde planets in 2013
In 2013, Mercury is retrograde 3 times: from February 23 to March 17, from June 26 to July 20, from October 21 to November 10. Venus: from December 21 to January 31, 2014. Mars does not go retrograde this year. London time.
Mercury
from June 26 to July 20
Stops and turns back on June 26 at 14:07, at 23°06' Cancer
Moves forward again on July 20 at 19:22, at 13°21' Cancer
Shadow: from June 10 to August 4; the planet crosses the same degrees three times.
from October 21 to November 10
Stops and turns back on October 21 at 11:28, at 18°23' Scorpio
Moves forward again on November 10 at 21:11, at 2°29' Scorpio
Shadow: from October 1 to November 27; the planet crosses the same degrees three times.
Venus
from December 21 to January 31, 2014
Stops and turns back on December 21 at 21:53, at 28°58' Capricorn
Moves forward again on January 31, 2014 at 20:48, at 13°33' Capricorn
Shadow: from November 20 to March 4, 2014; the planet crosses the same degrees three times.
Mars
No retrograde this year.
Jupiter
from October 4, 2012 to January 30
Stops and turns back on October 4, 2012 at 14:18, at 16°22' Gemini
Moves forward again on January 30 at 11:37, at 6°19' Gemini
from November 7 to March 6, 2014
Stops and turns back on November 7 at 05:03, at 20°30' Cancer
Moves forward again on March 6, 2014 at 10:42, at 10°26' Cancer
Saturn
from February 18 to July 8
Stops and turns back on February 18 at 17:02, at 11°31' Scorpio
Moves forward again on July 8 at 06:11, at 4°49' Scorpio
Uranus
from July 17 to December 17
Stops and turns back on July 17 at 18:19, at 12°31' Aries
Moves forward again on December 17 at 17:39, at 8°35' Aries
Neptune
from June 7 to November 13
Stops and turns back on June 7 at 09:24, at 5°22' Pisces
Moves forward again on November 13 at 18:42, at 2°34' Pisces
Pluto
from April 12 to September 20
Stops and turns back on April 12 at 20:34, at 11°35' Capricorn
Moves forward again on September 20 at 16:28, at 8°59' Capricorn
Frequently asked questions
When is Mercury retrograde in 2013?
In 2013, Mercury is retrograde 3 times: from February 23 to March 17, from June 26 to July 20, from October 21 to November 10. London time.
Is Venus retrograde in 2013?
Yes: from December 21 to January 31, 2014. London time.
Is Mars retrograde in 2013?
Mars does not go retrograde this year.
What it is
A planet never moves backwards. But Earth and the planet orbit the Sun at different speeds: when one overtakes the other, the planet, seen from here, seems to slow down, stop, back up for a few weeks, then move forward again. It's a perspective effect, regular and predictable centuries in advance.
In astrology, a retrograde planet invites you to go back over what it stands for: for Mercury, the planet of communication, it's a time to reread, review and repair rather than start something new. It's a symbolic reading: nothing proves that Mercury retrograde makes devices break down, but the advice to reread before you hit send always helps.
The shadow, for Mercury, Venus and Mars: the planet covers the same degrees three times, moving forward, backward, then forward again. Some astrologers already see the retrograde's theme in the shadow: a build-up before, a wrap-up after.
How it is calculated
A station is the moment the planet seems to stop in the sky, before backing up or moving forward again. We look for it day by day, then refine it to the second with the Swiss Ephemeris (NASA ephemerides); the dates are checked against a second, independent calculation (Skyfield).