from January 30 to February 21
Stops and turns back on January 30 at 15:51, at 26°29' Aquarius
Moves forward again on February 21 at 00:51, at 11°01' Aquarius
Shadow: from January 15 to March 13; the planet crosses the same degrees three times.
Retrogrades
Retrograde planets in 2021
In 2021, Mercury is retrograde 3 times: from January 30 to February 21, from May 29 to June 22, from September 27 to October 18. Venus: from December 19 to January 29, 2022. Mars does not go retrograde this year. London time.
Mercury
from May 29 to June 22
Stops and turns back on May 29 at 23:34, at 24°43' Gemini
Moves forward again on June 22 at 23:00, at 16°07' Gemini
Shadow: from May 15 to July 7; the planet crosses the same degrees three times.
from September 27 to October 18
Stops and turns back on September 27 at 06:10, at 25°28' Libra
Moves forward again on October 18 at 16:16, at 10°07' Libra
Shadow: from September 6 to November 3; the planet crosses the same degrees three times.
Venus
from December 19 to January 29, 2022
Stops and turns back on December 19 at 10:35, at 26°29' Capricorn
Moves forward again on January 29, 2022 at 08:45, at 11°04' Capricorn
Shadow: from November 17 to March 2, 2022; the planet crosses the same degrees three times.
Mars
No retrograde this year.
Jupiter
from June 20 to October 18
Stops and turns back on June 20 at 16:04, at 2°11' Pisces
Moves forward again on October 18 at 06:30, at 22°19' Aquarius
Saturn
from May 23 to October 11
Stops and turns back on May 23 at 10:18, at 13°31' Aquarius
Moves forward again on October 11 at 03:17, at 6°52' Aquarius
Uranus
from August 15, 2020 to January 14
Stops and turns back on August 15, 2020 at 15:26, at 10°41' Taurus
Moves forward again on January 14 at 08:35, at 6°43' Taurus
from August 20 to January 18, 2022
Stops and turns back on August 20 at 02:40, at 14°47' Taurus
Moves forward again on January 18, 2022 at 15:25, at 10°49' Taurus
Neptune
from June 25 to December 1
Stops and turns back on June 25 at 20:21, at 23°11' Pisces
Moves forward again on December 1 at 13:22, at 20°24' Pisces
Pluto
from April 27 to October 6
Stops and turns back on April 27 at 21:01, at 26°48' Capricorn
Moves forward again on October 6 at 19:28, at 24°18' Capricorn
Frequently asked questions
When is Mercury retrograde in 2021?
In 2021, Mercury is retrograde 3 times: from January 30 to February 21, from May 29 to June 22, from September 27 to October 18. London time.
Is Venus retrograde in 2021?
Yes: from December 19 to January 29, 2022. London time.
Is Mars retrograde in 2021?
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).