Retrogrades › Mercury › 2012
Mercury is retrograde three times in 2012: Mar 12 – Apr 4 in Aries and Pisces; Jul 14 – Aug 8 in Leo; Nov 6 – Nov 26 in Sagittarius and Scorpio.
| Pre-shadow begins | Retrograde | Direct | Post-shadow ends | Signs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 27, 2012 | Mar 12, 2012, 3:51 AM ET | Apr 4, 2012, 6:10 AM ET | Apr 23, 2012 | 6°49′ ♈︎ Aries → ♓︎ Pisces 23°51′ |
| Jun 27, 2012 | Jul 14, 2012, 10:09 PM ET | Aug 8, 2012, 1:45 AM ET | Aug 22, 2012 | 12°33′ ♌︎ Leo 1°26′ |
| Oct 18, 2012 | Nov 6, 2012, 6:01 PM ET | Nov 26, 2012, 5:47 PM ET | Dec 14, 2012 | 4°18′ ♐︎ Sagittarius → ♏︎ Scorpio 18°10′ |
Mar 12, 2012 – Apr 4, 2012 · 23 days
Mercury turns retrograde at 6°49′ Aries on Mar 12, 2012, 3:51 AM ET (2012-03-12 07:51 UTC) and direct at 23°51′ Pisces on Apr 4, 2012, 6:10 AM ET (2012-04-04 10:10 UTC).
Astrologers link this retrograde to impulsive decisions, independence and new starts, then intuition, dreams and endings.
Shadow: Feb 27, 2012 – Apr 23, 2012.
Jul 14, 2012 – Aug 8, 2012 · 24 days
Mercury turns retrograde at 12°33′ Leo on Jul 14, 2012, 10:09 PM ET (2012-07-15 02:09 UTC) and direct at 1°26′ Leo on Aug 8, 2012, 1:45 AM ET (2012-08-08 05:45 UTC).
Astrologers link this retrograde to creativity, romance and self-expression.
Shadow: Jun 27, 2012 – Aug 22, 2012.
Nov 6, 2012 – Nov 26, 2012 · 20 days
Mercury turns retrograde at 4°18′ Sagittarius on Nov 6, 2012, 6:01 PM ET (2012-11-06 23:01 UTC) and direct at 18°10′ Scorpio on Nov 26, 2012, 5:47 PM ET (2012-11-26 22:47 UTC).
Astrologers link this retrograde to travel, education and beliefs, then shared money, secrets and emotional depth.
Shadow: Oct 18, 2012 – Dec 14, 2012.
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 2012 · Mars retrograde 2012 · Jupiter retrograde 2012 · Saturn retrograde 2012 · All planets now
Mercury is retrograde three times in 2012: Mar 12 – Apr 4 in Aries and Pisces; Jul 14 – Aug 8 in Leo; Nov 6 – Nov 26 in Sagittarius and Scorpio.
About 67 days in total during 2012; each retrograde lasts 23 days, 24 days and 20 days. Including the pre- and post-shadow, each cycle spans roughly 56 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.