Planetary events · Mercury
Mercury (Budh) signifies thinking, speech, learning, writing, trade and everyday communication. Here is every Mercury event of 2026 and 2027 in the sidereal zodiac used in Vedic astrology, with exact times in IST.
All times are Indian Standard Time (IST).
Mercury stays close to the Sun and usually spends two to four weeks in a sign. When it turns retrograde near a sign boundary it can step back into the previous sign and enter again, which is why some years list a sign twice.
Mercury turns retrograde three times a year for about three weeks each time. Nothing in the sky reverses: seen from Earth, Mercury appears to move backward as Earth overtakes it on the inner track. Tradition reads a vakri Mercury as a time to review, revise and finish, and many people use it to re-check plans, documents and messages. Jyotish also counts a retrograde graha as strong in motion (cheshta bala), so this is a period of a different kind of focus, not a period to stop living.
The shadow is the stretch of sky the planet covers three times: before turning retrograde it first passes the degree where it will later turn direct, and after turning direct it walks forward again to the degree where it turned retrograde.
On 1 January 2026, Mercury is in Sagittarius.
| Date and time (IST) | Enters | Motion | Stays until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capricorn (Makara) | Forward | ||
| Aquarius (Kumbha) | Forward | ||
| Pisces (Meena) | Forward | ||
| Aries (Mesha) | Forward | ||
| Taurus (Vrishabha) | Forward | ||
| Gemini (Mithuna) | Forward | ||
| Cancer (Karka) | Forward | ||
| Gemini (Mithuna) | Back, while retrograde | ||
| Cancer (Karka) | Forward | ||
| Leo (Simha) | Forward | ||
| Virgo (Kanya) | Forward | ||
| Libra (Tula) | Forward | ||
| Scorpio (Vrishchika) | Forward | ||
| Sagittarius (Dhanu) | Forward |
On 1 January 2027, Mercury is in Sagittarius.
| Date and time (IST) | Enters | Motion | Stays until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capricorn (Makara) | Forward | ||
| Aquarius (Kumbha) | Forward | ||
| Capricorn (Makara) | Back, while retrograde | ||
| Aquarius (Kumbha) | Forward | ||
| Pisces (Meena) | Forward | ||
| Aries (Mesha) | Forward | ||
| Taurus (Vrishabha) | Forward | ||
| Gemini (Mithuna) | Forward | ||
| Cancer (Karka) | Forward | ||
| Leo (Simha) | Forward | ||
| Virgo (Kanya) | Forward | ||
| Libra (Tula) | Forward | ||
| Virgo (Kanya) | Back, while retrograde | ||
| Libra (Tula) | Forward | ||
| Scorpio (Vrishchika) | Forward | ||
| Sagittarius (Dhanu) | Forward |
Whether a Mercury retrograde touches your studies, your work, your writing or your conversations depends on which houses Mercury rules and occupies in your own chart, and on your dasha. Someone born with Mercury retrograde often finds these periods easy.
See today's transits on your chartGet your full readingFind your Moon sign
Mercury is retrograde three times during 2026: from 26 Feb 2026, 12:18 PM to 21 Mar 2026, 1:03 AM; from 29 Jun 2026, 11:06 PM to 24 Jul 2026, 4:28 AM; from 24 Oct 2026, 12:43 PM to 13 Nov 2026, 9:24 PM. Times are IST.
Mercury is retrograde three times during 2027: from 9 Feb 2027, 11:06 PM to 3 Mar 2027, 6:02 PM; from 10 Jun 2027, 11:46 PM to 5 Jul 2027, 1:09 AM; from 7 Oct 2027, 8:07 PM to 28 Oct 2027, 7:41 PM. Times are IST.
Every date and time here is worked out the way Indian panchangs give planetary events: the Lahiri ayanamsa on the sidereal zodiac, applied to the apparent position of each planet, the place it is seen in the sky. A station (the moment a planet turns vakri or margi) is timed from its apparent motion. Times are Indian Standard Time, rounded to the minute.
