Is Mercury Retrograde Right Now?

Retrograde motion is an optical effect: as Earth and another planet round the Sun at different speeds, the planet appears to reverse course against the stars for a stretch — Mercury three or four times a year for about three weeks each. Astrological tradition (Western and Vedic alike) reads retrograde periods as times when the planet's significations turn inward: for Mercury — communication, contracts, travel, and technology — the classic advice is to review, revise, and double-confirm rather than launch.

In Jyotish, retrogression (vakri) is weighed planet by planet against your own chart — a retrograde benefic in its own sign, for instance, can be among a chart's greatest strengths. See where every planet stands today on our live transits page, or check what the current sky means for you with your free kundli.