Mercury retrograde · Leo
Mercury Retrograde July 2025: Jul 18 – Aug 11
- Turns retrograde
- Jul 18, 2025 04:39Leo 15°34′
- Turns direct
- Aug 11, 2025 07:33Leo 4°15′
- Shadow period
- Jun 30 – Aug 25, 2025
Times in UTC, to the minute, from the astronomical ephemeris.
The second Mercury retrograde of 2025 starts at Jul 18, 2025 04:39 and ends at Aug 11, 2025 07:33 (UTC), all of it in Leo, from 15°34′ back to 4°15′. With the shadow periods (Jun 30 – Aug 25, 2025), Mercury crosses this stretch of the zodiac three times: forward, back, and forward again. The calculator below finds which house of your chart the stretch falls in and which of your planets it touches.
Which house does this retrograde fall in for you?
The same retrograde lands in a different place in everyone's chart. Enter your birth details to see which area of your life it passes through and which of your planets it touches.
This retrograde in Leo
Mercury in Leo is about expressing yourself and being seen. Retrograde, rework what you make, ask what you really want to say, and listen once more before you speak.
Astrology reads a retrograde as a time to look back: reread, renegotiate, repair, double-check. It is not bad luck and it does not make things go wrong. The useful question is which things are worth a second look right now.
What to look back at, house by house
- 1st House
how you present yourself and how you talk
- 2nd House
income, spending habits, what you value
- 3rd House
communication, paperwork, short trips, siblings
- 4th House
home, family, where you live
- 5th House
romance, creativity, play
- 6th House
daily work, routines, health habits
- 7th House
partners, collaborations, contracts
- 8th House
shared money, trust, intimacy
- 9th House
study, long journeys, beliefs
- 10th House
career direction, your public image
- 11th House
friends, communities, hopes
- 12th House
rest, solitude, what goes unsaid
By rising sign
Don't know your houses? By rising sign (whole-sign houses), this retrograde falls in your:
- Aries Rising
5th House: romance, creativity, play
- Taurus Rising
4th House: home, family, where you live
- Gemini Rising
3rd House: communication, paperwork, short trips, siblings
- Cancer Rising
2nd House: income, spending habits, what you value
- Leo Rising
1st House: how you present yourself and how you talk
- Virgo Rising
12th House: rest, solitude, what goes unsaid
- Libra Rising
11th House: friends, communities, hopes
- Scorpio Rising
10th House: career direction, your public image
- Sagittarius Rising
9th House: study, long journeys, beliefs
- Capricorn Rising
8th House: shared money, trust, intimacy
- Aquarius Rising
7th House: partners, collaborations, contracts
- Pisces Rising
6th House: daily work, routines, health habits
FAQ
When is the July 2025 Mercury retrograde?
Mercury turns retrograde at Jul 18, 2025 04:39 and direct at Aug 11, 2025 07:33 (UTC), all of it in Leo, from 15°34′ back to 4°15′. The times come from the astronomical ephemeris, to the minute.
When is the shadow period, and does it matter?
This time the shadow runs Jun 30 – Aug 25, 2025. The pre-shadow is a prelude, when things that will need a second look first show up; the post-shadow is the wrap-up. Both are milder than the retrograde itself.
Why do sites give different dates?
Mercury turns at one exact moment, which can fall on different dates in different time zones. This page uses UTC; the Chinese pages use Beijing time.
Can I sign a contract or change jobs during Mercury retrograde?
Astrology doesn't decide for you. Life and work go on as usual; it is simply a good time to double-check the details and give conversations more room. Whether to do it depends on the thing itself, not on Mercury.
When is the next Mercury retrograde?
The next one starts at Nov 9, 2025. See the full Mercury retrograde calendar for every date.