from March 23 to April 15
Stops and turns back on March 23 at 00:18, at 16°54' Aries
Moves forward again on April 15 at 10:20, at 4°46' Aries
Shadow: from March 9 to May 3; the planet crosses the same degrees three times.
Retrogrades
Retrograde planets in 2018
In 2018, Mercury is retrograde 3 times: from March 23 to April 15, from July 26 to August 19, from November 17 to December 6. Venus: from October 5 to November 16. Mars: from June 26 to August 27. London time.
Mercury
from July 26 to August 19
Stops and turns back on July 26 at 06:02, at 23°27' Leo
Moves forward again on August 19 at 05:24, at 11°31' Leo
Shadow: from July 7 to September 2; the planet crosses the same degrees three times.
from November 17 to December 6
Stops and turns back on November 17 at 01:33, at 13°29' Sagittarius
Moves forward again on December 6 at 21:22, at 27°16' Scorpio
Shadow: from October 29 to December 24; the planet crosses the same degrees three times.
Venus
from October 5 to November 16
Stops and turns back on October 5 at 20:04, at 10°50' Scorpio
Moves forward again on November 16 at 10:51, at 25°14' Libra
Shadow: from September 3 to December 18; the planet crosses the same degrees three times.
Mars
from June 26 to August 27
Stops and turns back on June 26 at 22:04, at 9°13' Aquarius
Moves forward again on August 27 at 15:04, at 28°36' Capricorn
Shadow: from May 12 to October 8; the planet crosses the same degrees three times.
Jupiter
from March 9 to July 10
Stops and turns back on March 9 at 04:45, at 23°13' Scorpio
Moves forward again on July 10 at 18:02, at 13°20' Scorpio
Saturn
from April 18 to September 6
Stops and turns back on April 18 at 02:46, at 9°08' Capricorn
Moves forward again on September 6 at 12:08, at 2°32' Capricorn
Uranus
from August 3, 2017 to January 2
Stops and turns back on August 3, 2017 at 06:30, at 28°31' Aries
Moves forward again on January 2 at 14:10, at 24°34' Aries
from August 7 to January 6, 2019
Stops and turns back on August 7 at 17:49, at 2°33' Taurus
Moves forward again on January 6, 2019 at 20:26, at 28°36' Aries
Neptune
from June 19 to November 25
Stops and turns back on June 19 at 00:26, at 16°29' Pisces
Moves forward again on November 25 at 01:08, at 13°41' Pisces
Pluto
from April 22 to October 1
Stops and turns back on April 22 at 16:25, at 21°17' Capricorn
Moves forward again on October 1 at 03:03, at 18°45' Capricorn
Frequently asked questions
When is Mercury retrograde in 2018?
In 2018, Mercury is retrograde 3 times: from March 23 to April 15, from July 26 to August 19, from November 17 to December 6. London time.
Is Venus retrograde in 2018?
Yes: from October 5 to November 16. London time.
Is Mars retrograde in 2018?
Yes: from June 26 to August 27. London time.
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).