Mercury retrograde · Aquarius
Mercury Retrograde January 2028: Jan 24 – Feb 14
- Turns retrograde
- Jan 24, 2028 11:04Aquarius 19°42′
- Turns direct
- Feb 14, 2028 12:38Aquarius 3°59′
- Shadow period
- Jan 8 – Mar 5, 2028
Times in UTC, to the minute, from the astronomical ephemeris.
The first Mercury retrograde of 2028 starts at Jan 24, 2028 11:04 and ends at Feb 14, 2028 12:38 (UTC), all of it in Aquarius, from 19°42′ back to 3°59′. With the shadow periods (Jan 8 – Mar 5, 2028), 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 Aquarius
Mercury in Aquarius is about friends, groups and new ideas. Retrograde, get back in touch with old friends, look at your place in a group, and turn your new ideas over once more.
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
11th House: friends, communities, hopes
- Taurus Rising
10th House: career direction, your public image
- Gemini Rising
9th House: study, long journeys, beliefs
- Cancer Rising
8th House: shared money, trust, intimacy
- Leo Rising
7th House: partners, collaborations, contracts
- Virgo Rising
6th House: daily work, routines, health habits
- Libra Rising
5th House: romance, creativity, play
- Scorpio Rising
4th House: home, family, where you live
- Sagittarius Rising
3rd House: communication, paperwork, short trips, siblings
- Capricorn Rising
2nd House: income, spending habits, what you value
- Aquarius Rising
1st House: how you present yourself and how you talk
- Pisces Rising
12th House: rest, solitude, what goes unsaid
FAQ
When is the January 2028 Mercury retrograde?
Mercury turns retrograde at Jan 24, 2028 11:04 and direct at Feb 14, 2028 12:38 (UTC), all of it in Aquarius, from 19°42′ back to 3°59′. The times come from the astronomical ephemeris, to the minute.
When is the shadow period, and does it matter?
This time the shadow runs Jan 8 – Mar 5, 2028. 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 May 21, 2028. See the full Mercury retrograde calendar for every date.