Mercury retrograde 1938: 4 periods, 76 days inside the year — 20.7% of 1938. Mercury turned direct at 7:30 PM UTC on January 9 at 29°20′ Sagittarius and turned retrograde at 2:12 PM UTC on April 11 at 5°36′ Taurus. The other 5 stations are in the table below.
Turns direct
Jan 9 7:30 PM UTC
Loops in 1938
4 retrograde periods
Retrograde in 1938
76 days 20.7% of the year
Signs
Capricorn, Taurus, Virgo, Sagittarius last loop retreats 16.3°
Mercury’s path through 1938, day by day
Apparent position of Mercury against the zodiac, Dec 14, 1937 – Dec 31, 1938
RetrogradeShadowR — stations retrograde · D — stations direct
Mercury starts 1938 at 4°36′ Capricorn and ends it at 16°16′ Sagittarius — 341.7° of net progress: 387.8° forward, 46.1° given back. Its four loops retrace 16.27°, 10.43°, 13.34° and 16.3° (20, 24, 23 and 20 days). Fastest day: Jun 21, 2.19° forward; fastest backward: Dec 14, 1.38°. Counting the shadows, 185 days of 1938 sit inside a retrograde window.
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Exact times
Mercury retrograde 1938: exact times in your city
Mercury turned direct at 7:30 PM UTC on January 9, 1938 at 29°20′ Sagittarius — 3:30 PM in Santiago, 2:30 PM in New York, 7:30 PM in London and 4:30 AM on January 10 in Tokyo.
Stations from the NASA JPL DE440 ephemeris. Swiss Ephemeris agrees on every Mercury station 1900–2050: all within a minute. Local times: IANA time zones, to the minute.
20 days · retreats 16.27°
· crosses the year boundary
December 20, 1937 → January 9, 1938 in Capricorn
Stations retrograde
Dec 20, 1937, 7:55 PM UTC at
15°37′ Capricorn
Stations direct
Jan 9, 1938, 7:30 PM UTC at
29°20′ Sagittarius
Shadow opens
Dec 3, 1937, 12:33 PM UTC
(17 days before)
Shadow closes
Jan 29, 1938, 4:56 AM UTC
(19 days after)
Full window including shadows57 days
The December loop up close, shadow to shadow
Mercury crosses the 16.27° between 29°20′ Sagittarius and 15°37′ Capricorn three times: forward in the pre-shadow (17 days), back while retrograde (20 days), forward again in the post-shadow (19 days).
Mercury retrograde in Capricorn
In Capricorn the retrograde hits career plans, authority and long-term structures. Deadlines slip, approvals are delayed and managers change their minds. It is traditionally used for reviewing goals and reorganizing rather than for starting new ventures.
…and back into Sagittarius
In Sagittarius the retrograde affects travel, study and beliefs. Journeys are delayed, paperwork for visas or courses gets stuck, and opinions stated too confidently need walking back. It suits revisiting plans for the bigger picture before committing to them.
It begins in Sagittarius season and ends in
Capricorn season.
Also retrograde at the same time
Uranus
in Taurus —
Dec 20 to Jan 9, 1938 (20 days of overlap)
Pluto
in Leo —
Dec 20 to Jan 9, 1938 (20 days of overlap)
Neptune
in Virgo —
Dec 23 to Jan 9, 1938 (17 days of overlap)
Stations retrograde
Apr 11, 1938, 2:12 PM UTC at
5°36′ Taurus
Stations direct
May 5, 1938, 7:54 AM UTC at
25°10′ Aries
Shadow opens
Mar 28, 1938, 7:33 PM UTC
(14 days before)
Shadow closes
May 22, 1938, 1:29 PM UTC
(17 days after)
Full window including shadows55 days
The April loop up close, shadow to shadow
Mercury crosses the 10.43° between 25°10′ Aries and 5°36′ Taurus three times: forward in the pre-shadow (14 days), back while retrograde (24 days), forward again in the post-shadow (17 days).
Mercury retrograde in Taurus
In Taurus the retrograde lands on money, possessions and practical plans. Purchases get returned, payments are delayed, and decisions about property or savings are revisited. It is traditionally a good window for reviewing budgets rather than making large new commitments.
…and back into Aries
In Aries the retrograde tends to show up as hasty words and rushed decisions coming back for review. Messages sent in anger, plans launched without checking and arguments started on impulse are the classic material. The useful version is slower starts: finish the draft, reread it, then press send.
It begins in Aries season and ends in
Taurus season.
Also retrograde at the same time
Neptune
in Virgo —
Apr 11 to May 5, 1938 (24 days of overlap)
Stations retrograde
Aug 14, 1938, 1:52 PM UTC at
12°19′ Virgo
Stations direct
Sep 6, 1938, 10:40 PM UTC at
28°58′ Leo
Shadow opens
Jul 26, 1938, 2:07 AM UTC
(19 days before)
Shadow closes
Sep 21, 1938, 3:53 AM UTC
(14 days after)
Full window including shadows57 days
The August loop up close, shadow to shadow
Mercury crosses the 13.34° between 28°58′ Leo and 12°19′ Virgo three times: forward in the pre-shadow (19 days), back while retrograde (23 days), forward again in the post-shadow (14 days).
Mercury retrograde in Virgo
In Virgo, Mercury's other home sign, the retrograde focuses on work routines, health and detail. Schedules unravel, small errors multiply, and systems that seemed fine reveal flaws. It is ideal for audits, decluttering and fixing processes before starting anything new.
…and back into Leo
In Leo the retrograde touches creative projects, self-expression and romance. Work you shelved asks to be finished, performances need rehearsing again, and an old flame may reappear. It is a good window for revising creative work rather than launching it.
It begins in Leo season and ends in
Virgo season.
Also retrograde at the same time
Jupiter
in Pisces —
Aug 14 to Sep 6, 1938 (23 days of overlap)
Saturn
in Aries —
Aug 14 to Sep 6, 1938 (23 days of overlap)
Uranus
in Taurus —
Aug 24 to Sep 6, 1938 (14 days of overlap)
Stations retrograde
Dec 4, 1938, 4:46 PM UTC at
29°46′ Sagittarius
Stations direct
Dec 24, 1938, 11:10 AM UTC at
13°28′ Sagittarius
Shadow opens
Nov 16, 1938, 1:09 PM UTC
(18 days before)
Shadow closes
Jan 12, 1939, 3:51 AM UTC
(19 days after)
Full window including shadows57 days
The December loop up close, shadow to shadow
Mercury crosses the 16.3° between 13°28′ Sagittarius and 29°46′ Sagittarius three times: forward in the pre-shadow (18 days), back while retrograde (20 days), forward again in the post-shadow (19 days).
Mercury retrograde in Sagittarius
In Sagittarius the retrograde affects travel, study and beliefs. Journeys are delayed, paperwork for visas or courses gets stuck, and opinions stated too confidently need walking back. It suits revisiting plans for the bigger picture before committing to them.
It begins in Sagittarius season and ends in
Capricorn season.
Also retrograde at the same time
Venus
in Sagittarius —
Dec 4 to Dec 10, 1938 (6 days of overlap)
Saturn
in Aries —
Dec 4 to Dec 14, 1938 (10 days of overlap)
Uranus
in Taurus —
Dec 4 to Dec 24, 1938 (20 days of overlap)
Pluto
in Leo —
Dec 4 to Dec 24, 1938 (20 days of overlap)
Both dates are computed from the planet’s apparent motion, not taken from a
table. A retrograde begins the moment its daily movement against the stars turns
negative, and that moment is findable to the hour.
Computed for 1938
Mercury through the zodiac in 1938
Every sign Mercury occupies during 1938, with the dates it enters and leaves. A sign that
appears twice means the planet backed into the previous sign during a retrograde and crossed again.
AstroHot. “Mercury Retrograde 1938: Until Jan 9, Apr 11, Aug 14, Dec 4.” Accessed November 1, 2026. https://astrohot.com/retrograde/mercury/1938/
For Wikipedia{{cite web |title=Mercury Retrograde 1938: Until Jan 9, Apr 11, Aug 14, Dec 4 |url=https://astrohot.com/retrograde/mercury/1938/ |website=AstroHot |access-date=2026-11-01}}
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