Mercury turns retrograde on October 24, and if your group chats are anything like ours, someone has already blamed it for a dead phone battery.
Mercury retrograde has a reputation as the season when emails vanish, plans fall through and old exes text out of nowhere. Some of that is fun folklore, and some of it is a useful reminder to slow down. Either way, there's no need to dread it. With a little preparation and a few simple bits of magick, these three weeks can be calm, thoughtful and even productive.
This guide covers what Mercury retrograde is, the dates for 2026 and 2027, what to do before it starts, the kinds of Mercury retrograde witchcraft that work best, two easy spells, the crystals and herbs that help, and why this autumn's retrograde lands right on top of Samhain.
How to Get Through Mercury Retrograde in 5 Steps
- Mark the dates. Note when Mercury stations retrograde and direct (see the table below), plus the shadow weeks on either side.
- Prepare a few days before. Back up your devices, confirm travel plans and clear your inbox and altar.
- Protect your words and tech. Light a candle for clear communication and keep a small charm bag by your devices.
- Keep calming stones and herbs close. Fluorite, blue lace agate, lavender and peppermint are favorites.
- Use the slowdown. Finish old projects, journal, and save brand-new launches for after Mercury goes direct when you can.
What Is Mercury Retrograde?
Mercury doesn't actually turn around and fly backward. Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun and laps it in about 88 days, so it regularly passes Earth on the inside track. For a few weeks during each pass, it looks from here as if it's moving backward against the stars. Astronomers call this apparent retrograde motion. It happens three or four times a year, for about three weeks each time.
In astrology, though, how a planet appears from Earth is what counts. When a planet seems to move backward, its energy is said to turn inward, so the things it rules ask to be reviewed rather than pushed forward. If you'd like the bigger picture, including what the other planets' retrogrades mean, read our guide What Is Retrograde?
What Does Mercury Rule?
Mercury takes its name from the Roman messenger god, the swift-footed patron of travelers, merchants and anyone who lives by their wits. His Greek counterpart, Hermes, also guided souls to the underworld, which will matter in a moment. In astrology, the planet Mercury rules Gemini and Virgo and looks after the everyday machinery of life:
- Communication: conversations, texts, emails, letters and the things we say without thinking.
- The mind: learning, memory, decisions and paperwork.
- Travel: short trips, commutes, deliveries and directions.
- Trade: contracts, purchases, signatures and negotiations.
- Technology: a modern addition, since phones and computers are really just messengers.
So when Mercury slows and appears to back up, these are the areas where people tend to notice crossed wires. Most of the time, the cure is simply paying a bit more attention than usual.
Mercury Retrograde Dates for Autumn 2026
This retrograde happens entirely in Scorpio. Here are the dates to mark in your Book of Shadows or calendar:
- October 4: the pre-shadow begins. Mercury crosses the degree (5° Scorpio) it will later back up to. Many astrologers treat this as the time to prepare.
- October 24: Mercury stations retrograde at 20° Scorpio. This is the start of the retrograde proper.
- November 13: Mercury stations direct at 5° Scorpio. Things begin to move forward again, though slowly.
- November 30: the post-shadow ends when Mercury returns to 20° Scorpio. Now it's fully clear.
The days right around each station, when Mercury seems to stand still, are often felt the most strongly. Be extra gentle with yourself around October 24 and November 13.
Mercury Retrograde Dates for 2026 and 2027
Planning ahead? Here are all the Mercury retrograde periods for this year and next, with the signs Mercury moves through. Dates are in Universal Time, so a station may fall a day earlier or later where you live.
| Mercury retrograde | Starts (stations retrograde) | Ends (stations direct) | Sign |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st of 2026 | February 26, 2026 | March 20, 2026 | Pisces |
| 2nd of 2026 | June 29, 2026 | July 23, 2026 | Cancer |
| 3rd of 2026 | October 24, 2026 | November 13, 2026 | Scorpio |
| 1st of 2027 | February 9, 2027 | March 3, 2027 | Pisces into Aquarius |
| 2nd of 2027 | June 10, 2027 | July 4, 2027 | Cancer into Gemini |
| 3rd of 2027 | October 7, 2027 | October 28, 2027 | Scorpio into Libra |
Line these up with the moon calendar too. A retrograde that overlaps a waning moon is a lovely time for releasing and banishing work.
How to Prepare Before October 24
The best retrograde magick is practical. A few days of tidying now saves a lot of frustration later. Here's a simple checklist:
- Back up your devices. Photos, documents and your digital Book of Shadows. It takes ten minutes and it's the single most useful thing on this list.
- Update your software and charge the things you'll need, so nothing surprises you mid-month.
- Confirm travel plans. Double-check bookings, times and addresses, and leave a little extra time on travel days.
- Sign important papers early if you can. If you can't, read everything twice, and that's fine too. Life doesn't stop for three weeks.
- Clear your inbox and your altar. A quick spiritual cleansing of your workspace sets a calm tone.
Notice that none of this says "don't do anything." You can still buy things, start jobs and fall in love during a retrograde. You just do it with your eyes a little wider open.
Mercury Retrograde Witchcraft: What Magick Works Best
Retrograde energy turns inward, so magick that looks back and clears out tends to flow easily, while big new beginnings can feel like swimming upstream. Many witches lean into:
- Review and repair: revisit old spells, mend a friendship, or finish a half-written Book of Shadows page.
- Divination: tarot, runes or a pendulum to ask what from the past needs attention. Our guide to types of divination has ideas.
- Banishing and cord-cutting: letting go of habits, worries or ties that no longer serve you.
- Protection and cleansing: charms for your devices and home, and a cleansing for yourself.
- Ancestor and dream work: remembering, honoring and listening.
This isn't a rule. If a love spell or a new job spell can't wait, go ahead. Just be extra clear in your wording, and read it back twice, the way you would an important email.
A Candle Spell for Clear Communication
This is a gentle bit of candle magick to keep your words kind and your messages clear. Light blue is a classic color for calm, honest speech; our guide to candle color meanings has more options if you'd rather use yellow, Mercury's other color.
You will need:
- A light blue or yellow chime candle and a heat-safe holder
- A pinch of dried lavender (or dill seed)
- A small slip of paper, a pen and a piece of blue thread
- A blue lace agate or clear quartz (optional)
Steps:
- Sit quietly for a minute and breathe until your mind settles.
- On the paper, write the name of a person you need to talk to, or a situation where you want to be understood. Roll it up and tie it with the thread.
- Sprinkle the lavender in a circle around the base of the candle. Set the paper and stone beside it.
- Light the candle and say: Swift Mercury, messenger of the gods, let my words be true and my meaning clear. What I send arrives as I intend. So mote it be.
- Let the candle burn down while you stay in the room. Keep the little scroll in your bag or near your phone until Mercury stations direct.
A Tech Protection Charm
If your laptop always seems to sulk during a retrograde, make it a little charm bag. Peppermint, lavender and dill are all traditionally ruled by Mercury in Scott Cunningham's herbal, so they're a natural fit.
- Put a pinch of dried peppermint and a pinch of dill seed into a small cloth pouch. Add a hematite or black tourmaline for grounding.
- Hold the pouch and picture a steady, calm light around your devices.
- Say: Mercury, keep my messages moving and my machines steady. What is saved stays safe.
- Tie the pouch closed with three knots (a little knot magick) and keep it near your desk or in your laptop bag.
Of course, the charm works best alongside that backup you made last week.
Crystals and Herbs for Mercury Retrograde
You don't need all of these. Pick one or two that you already own and keep them close.
- Fluorite: for focus and an organized mind when your thoughts feel scattered.
- Blue lace agate: for calm, gentle communication. Hold it before a difficult conversation.
- Amethyst: for patience and a quieter mind at bedtime.
- Hematite or black tourmaline: for grounding when everything feels chaotic.
- Lavender: for calm. Tuck a sprig by your bed or in your pillowcase.
- Peppermint: for a clear head. A cup of peppermint tea is a lovely morning ritual; our beginner's guide to tea spells shows how to stir an intention into it.
Cleanse your stones before you start. Our crystal cleansing guide covers the easiest methods.
Mercury Retrograde in Scorpio and Samhain
Scorpio is a deep water sign, connected with secrets, endings, intensity and transformation. A Mercury retrograde here tends to bring hidden things to the surface: old feelings, unfinished business and truths that need saying.
And this year, Samhain falls on October 31, right in the middle of it. That's a fitting overlap. Remember that Hermes was a guide of souls, and Samhain is when the veil between the worlds is thin. The "re-" words of a retrograde (review, remember, reconnect) are exactly what this sabbat is about.
Try leaning into it. Write a letter to an ancestor and leave it on your altar, using the ideas in our article on honoring your ancestors at Samhain. Or pull out the tarot cards for one of these Samhain divination methods and ask what from the past year still needs your attention.
Turn the Retrograde Into Reflection
Instead of fighting the slowdown, use it. A retrograde is a great time to finish things rather than start them. Here are a few journal prompts to keep by your bed until mid-November:
- What conversation have I been putting off, and what do I want to say?
- Which unfinished project deserves another look?
- What have I been telling myself that may not be true?
- Who from my past comes to mind, and what lesson did they leave me?
If these bring up heavy feelings, be kind to yourself. Our gentle guide to shadow work for witches is a good companion for this kind of reflection.
A Few Gentle Cautions
- Candle safety: never leave a burning candle unattended, and keep it away from curtains, pets and little ones.
- Herbs and pets: keep loose herbs and charm bags out of reach of cats and dogs, and don't use peppermint essential oil around cats.
- Keep perspective: not every glitch is the planets. If something important goes wrong, deal with it practically first, and use magick for support.
Final Thoughts
Mercury retrograde doesn't have to be something to survive through gritted teeth. Back up your phone, read things twice, light a candle for clear words, and let the slower pace give you room to think. By the time Mercury stations direct on November 13, you may find you've finished more than you expected.
How do you usually get through Mercury retrograde? Tell us in the comments!
Sources
Cunningham, Scott. Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs. Llewellyn Publications, 1985.
Hall, Judy. The Crystal Bible. Godsfield Press, 2003.
Check out our other articles:
What Is Retrograde?
Samhain Divination: 7 Ways to Glimpse the Year Ahead
Candle Color Meanings
Shadow Work for Witches: A Beginner's Guide
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Mercury Retrograde FAQs
How long does Mercury retrograde last?
Each Mercury retrograde lasts about three weeks, usually 21 to 24 days. Many astrologers also watch the shadow periods of about two weeks before and after, when Mercury passes over the same part of the sky.
How often does Mercury go retrograde?
Mercury goes retrograde three times in most years, and occasionally four. In 2026 the retrogrades fall in late February, late June and late October, and in 2027 in February, June and October.
What should you not do during Mercury retrograde?
Many people try not to sign contracts, buy new electronics or book big trips without double-checking the details. You don't have to put life on hold. Back up your files, leave extra travel time and read important messages twice.
Can you do spells during Mercury retrograde?
Yes. Mercury retrograde is a good time for reflection, divination, cleansing, protection, banishing and ancestor work. Many witches save brand-new beginnings for after Mercury goes direct, but that is a guideline rather than a rule.
What crystals help with Mercury retrograde?
Fluorite helps with focus, blue lace agate with calm communication, amethyst with patience, and hematite or black tourmaline with grounding. Cleanse them before you start and keep one or two close.
Is Mercury retrograde real?
Mercury never actually moves backward. It only appears to from Earth because it overtakes us on its faster, inner orbit. In astrology that apparent backward motion is treated as a meaningful time to slow down and review.
