Mercury retrograde 1951: 4 periods, 78 days inside the year — 21.5% of 1951. Mercury turned direct at 3:35 PM UTC on January 12 at 1°55′ Capricorn and turned retrograde at 5:51 PM UTC on April 14 at 8°33′ Taurus. The other 5 stations are in the table below.
Turns direct
Jan 12 3:35 PM UTC
Loops in 1951
4 retrograde periods
Retrograde in 1951
78 days 21.5% of the year
Signs
Capricorn, Taurus, Virgo last loop retreats 16.31°
Mercury’s path through 1951, day by day
Apparent position of Mercury against the zodiac, Dec 17, 1950 – Jan 2, 1952
RetrogradeShadowR — stations retrograde · D — stations direct
Mercury starts 1951 at 11°05′ Capricorn and ends it at 16°53′ Sagittarius — 335.8° of net progress: 385.6° forward, 49.8° given back. Its four loops retrace 16.26°, 10.21°, 13.51° and 16.31° (20, 24, 23 and 20 days). Fastest day: Jun 24, 2.19° forward; fastest backward: Dec 17, 1.38°. Counting the shadows, 185 days of 1951 sit inside a retrograde window.
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Exact times
Mercury retrograde 1951: exact times in your city
Mercury turned direct at 3:35 PM UTC on January 12, 1951 at 1°55′ Capricorn — 11:35 AM in Santiago, 10:35 AM in New York, 3:35 PM in London and 12:35 AM on January 13 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 16.26°
· crosses the year boundary
December 23, 1950 → January 12, 1951 in Capricorn
Stations retrograde
Dec 23, 1950, 2:49 PM UTC at
18°10′ Capricorn
Stations direct
Jan 12, 1951, 3:35 PM UTC at
1°55′ Capricorn
Shadow opens
Dec 6, 1950, 10:27 AM UTC
(17 days before)
Shadow closes
Feb 1, 1951, 3:18 AM UTC
(19 days after)
Full window including shadows57 days
The December loop up close, shadow to shadow
Mercury crosses the 16.26° between 1°55′ Capricorn and 18°10′ 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.
It begins and ends within Capricorn season.
Also retrograde at the same time
Uranus
in Cancer —
Dec 23 to Jan 12, 1951 (20 days of overlap)
Pluto
in Leo —
Dec 23 to Jan 12, 1951 (20 days of overlap)
Stations retrograde
Apr 14, 1951, 5:51 PM UTC at
8°33′ Taurus
Stations direct
May 8, 1951, 11:51 AM UTC at
28°21′ Aries
Shadow opens
Mar 31, 1951, 10:44 PM UTC
(14 days before)
Shadow closes
May 25, 1951, 1:18 PM UTC
(17 days after)
Full window including shadows55 days
The April loop up close, shadow to shadow
Mercury crosses the 10.21° between 28°21′ Aries and 8°33′ 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
Saturn
in Libra —
Apr 14 to May 8, 1951 (24 days of overlap)
Neptune
in Libra —
Apr 14 to May 8, 1951 (24 days of overlap)
Pluto
in Leo —
Apr 14 to Apr 30, 1951 (15 days of overlap)
Stations retrograde
Aug 17, 1951, 2:05 PM UTC at
15°08′ Virgo
Stations direct
Sep 9, 1951, 8:23 PM UTC at
1°38′ Virgo
Shadow opens
Jul 28, 1951, 11:38 PM UTC
(20 days before)
Shadow closes
Sep 24, 1951, 2:41 AM UTC
(14 days after)
Full window including shadows57 days
The August loop up close, shadow to shadow
Mercury crosses the 13.51° between 1°38′ Virgo and 15°08′ Virgo three times: forward in the pre-shadow (20 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.
It begins in Leo season and ends in
Virgo season.
Also retrograde at the same time
Venus
in Virgo —
Aug 17 to Sep 9, 1951 (23 days of overlap)
Jupiter
in Aries —
Aug 17 to Sep 9, 1951 (23 days of overlap)
Stations retrograde
Dec 7, 1951, 11:57 AM UTC at
2°19′ Capricorn
Stations direct
Dec 27, 1951, 6:39 AM UTC at
16°01′ Sagittarius
Shadow opens
Nov 19, 1951, 11:14 AM UTC
(18 days before)
Shadow closes
Jan 15, 1952, 2:07 AM UTC
(19 days after)
Full window including shadows57 days
The December loop up close, shadow to shadow
Mercury crosses the 16.31° between 16°01′ Sagittarius and 2°19′ Capricorn 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 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 Cancer —
Dec 7 to Dec 27, 1951 (20 days of overlap)
Pluto
in Leo —
Dec 7 to Dec 27, 1951 (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 1951
Mercury through the zodiac in 1951
Every sign Mercury occupies during 1951, 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 1951: Until Jan 12, Apr 14, Aug 17, Dec 7.” Accessed October 31, 2026. https://astrohot.com/retrograde/mercury/1951/
For Wikipedia{{cite web |title=Mercury Retrograde 1951: Until Jan 12, Apr 14, Aug 17, Dec 7 |url=https://astrohot.com/retrograde/mercury/1951/ |website=AstroHot |access-date=2026-10-31}}
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