Retrogrades › Mercury › 1988
New to shadow dates? Read how Mercury’s pre-shadow and post-shadow are calculated.
Mercury is retrograde three times in 1988: Feb 2 – Feb 23 in Aquarius; May 31 – Jun 24 in Gemini; Sep 28 – Oct 20 in Libra.
| Pre-shadow begins | Retrograde | Direct | Post-shadow ends | Signs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 17, 1988 | Feb 2, 1988, 1:17 AM ET | Feb 23, 1988, 12:33 PM ET | Mar 14, 1988 | 28°04′ ♒︎ Aquarius 12°41′ |
| May 16, 1988 | May 31, 1988, 6:37 PM ET | Jun 24, 1988, 6:47 PM ET | Jul 9, 1988 | 26°47′ ♊︎ Gemini 18°09′ |
| Sep 8, 1988 | Sep 28, 1988, 5:36 PM ET | Oct 20, 1988, 1:22 AM ET | Nov 4, 1988 | 27°03′ ♎︎ Libra 11°39′ |
Feb 2, 1988 – Feb 23, 1988 · 21 days
Mercury turns retrograde at 28°04′ Aquarius on Feb 2, 1988, 1:17 AM ET (1988-02-02 06:17 UTC) and direct at 12°41′ Aquarius on Feb 23, 1988, 12:33 PM ET (1988-02-23 17:33 UTC).
Astrologers link this retrograde to friends, groups and future goals.
Shadow: Jan 17, 1988 – Mar 14, 1988.
May 31, 1988 – Jun 24, 1988 · 24 days
Mercury turns retrograde at 26°47′ Gemini on May 31, 1988, 6:37 PM ET (1988-05-31 22:37 UTC) and direct at 18°09′ Gemini on Jun 24, 1988, 6:47 PM ET (1988-06-24 22:47 UTC).
Astrologers link this retrograde to everyday communication, siblings and short trips.
Shadow: May 16, 1988 – Jul 9, 1988.
Sep 28, 1988 – Oct 20, 1988 · 21 days
Mercury turns retrograde at 27°03′ Libra on Sep 28, 1988, 5:36 PM ET (1988-09-28 21:36 UTC) and direct at 11°39′ Libra on Oct 20, 1988, 1:22 AM ET (1988-10-20 05:22 UTC).
Astrologers link this retrograde to partnerships, agreements and fairness.
Shadow: Sep 8, 1988 – Nov 4, 1988.
Mercury rules communication, travel, technology and contracts. During its retrograde astrologers advise reviewing rather than launching: double-check messages and bookings, back up devices, and revisit old plans or conversations.
Retrograde motion is an optical effect: Earth and Mercury move at different speeds, so Mercury appears to drift backward against the stars for a while. Our dates are station times — when the apparent motion reverses — calculated with Astronomy Engine; see the methodology.
Same year: Venus retrograde 1988 · Mars retrograde 1988 · Jupiter retrograde 1988 · Saturn retrograde 1988 · All planets now
Mercury is retrograde three times in 1988: Feb 2 – Feb 23 in Aquarius; May 31 – Jun 24 in Gemini; Sep 28 – Oct 20 in Libra.
About 67 days in total during 1988; each retrograde lasts 21 days, 24 days and 21 days. Including the pre- and post-shadow, each cycle spans roughly 57 days.
The pre-shadow starts when Mercury first reaches the degree where it will turn direct; the post-shadow ends when it passes the degree where it turned retrograde. The dates are in the table above.
Astrology is a symbolic and cultural tradition. The planetary positions on this site are calculated with astronomical accuracy; the interpretations describe what astrologers associate with them and are not scientifically validated predictions about personality, relationships or the future.