Mercury retrograde 1961: 3 periods, 67 days inside the year — 18.3% of 1961. Mercury turned retrograde at 11:33 PM UTC on February 12 at 9°10′ Pisces and turned direct at 11:16 PM UTC on March 6 at 24°20′ Aquarius. The other four stations are in the table below.
Turns retrograde
Feb 12 11:33 PM UTC
Loops in 1961
3 retrograde periods
Retrograde in 1961
67 days 18.3% of the year
Signs
Pisces, Cancer, Scorpio last loop retreats 15.71°
Mercury’s path through 1961, day by day
Apparent position of Mercury against the zodiac, 1961
RetrogradeShadowR — stations retrograde · D — stations direct
Mercury starts 1961 at 6°52′ Capricorn and ends it at 18°40′ Capricorn — a full lap of the zodiac plus 11.8°: 411.5° forward, 39.6° given back. Its three loops retrace 14.84°, 9.11° and 15.71° (22, 24 and 21 days). Fastest day: May 4, 2.17° forward; fastest backward: Oct 22, 1.26°. Counting the shadows, 168 days of 1961 sit inside a retrograde window.
18 pages · printable
The 2027 Sky Calendar — free PDF
Every retrograde, eclipse, new and full moon of 2027 to the minute,
already converted to your city. A month to a page, ready to print.
Exact times
Mercury retrograde 1961: exact times in your city
Mercury turned retrograde at 11:33 PM UTC on February 12, 1961 at 9°10′ Pisces — 7:33 PM in Santiago, 6:33 PM in New York, 11:33 PM in London and 8:33 AM on February 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.
22 days · retreats 14.84°
February 12 → March 6, 1961 in Pisces
Stations retrograde
Feb 12, 1961, 11:33 PM UTC at
9°10′ Pisces
Stations direct
Mar 6, 1961, 11:16 PM UTC at
24°20′ Aquarius
Shadow opens
Jan 29, 1961, 4:48 AM UTC
(15 days before)
Shadow closes
Mar 26, 1961, 11:41 PM UTC
(20 days after)
Full window including shadows57 days
The February loop up close, shadow to shadow
Mercury crosses the 14.84° between 24°20′ Aquarius and 9°10′ Pisces three times: forward in the pre-shadow (15 days), back while retrograde (22 days), forward again in the post-shadow (20 days).
Mercury retrograde in Pisces
In Pisces the retrograde blurs details and heightens intuition. Instructions are misread, dates are forgotten and communication relies on feeling rather than fact. It favors rest, creative reflection and double-checking anything that must be exact.
…and back into Aquarius
In Aquarius the retrograde falls on technology, groups and future plans. Software glitches, group chats full of misunderstandings and stalled community projects are typical. It suits updating systems, reconnecting with old friends and rethinking long-range ideas.
It begins in Aquarius season and ends in
Pisces season.
Also retrograde at the same time
Uranus
in Leo —
Feb 12 to Mar 6, 1961 (22 days of overlap)
Neptune
in Scorpio —
Feb 12 to Mar 6, 1961 (22 days of overlap)
Pluto
in Virgo —
Feb 12 to Mar 6, 1961 (22 days of overlap)
Stations retrograde
Jun 14, 1961, 5:07 PM UTC at
10°26′ Cancer
Stations direct
Jul 8, 1961, 7:37 PM UTC at
1°21′ Cancer
Shadow opens
May 29, 1961, 9:46 PM UTC
(16 days before)
Shadow closes
Jul 23, 1961, 6:00 AM UTC
(14 days after)
Full window including shadows54 days
The June loop up close, shadow to shadow
Mercury crosses the 9.11° between 1°21′ Cancer and 10°26′ Cancer three times: forward in the pre-shadow (16 days), back while retrograde (24 days), forward again in the post-shadow (14 days).
Mercury retrograde in Cancer
In Cancer the retrograde turns toward home, family and memory. Old family conversations resurface, house moves hit snags, and people revisit the past more than usual. It suits sorting photographs, repairing the home and having the talk you postponed with a relative.
It begins in Gemini season and ends in
Cancer season.
Also retrograde at the same time
Jupiter
in Aquarius —
Jun 14 to Jul 8, 1961 (24 days of overlap)
Saturn
in Capricorn —
Jun 14 to Jul 8, 1961 (24 days of overlap)
Neptune
in Scorpio —
Jun 14 to Jul 8, 1961 (24 days of overlap)
Stations retrograde
Oct 10, 1961, 10:43 PM UTC at
8°01′ Scorpio
Stations direct
Oct 31, 1961, 6:02 PM UTC at
22°18′ Libra
Shadow opens
Sep 20, 1961, 5:07 PM UTC
(20 days before)
Shadow closes
Nov 16, 1961, 6:14 PM UTC
(16 days after)
Full window including shadows57 days
The October loop up close, shadow to shadow
Mercury crosses the 15.71° between 22°18′ Libra and 8°01′ Scorpio three times: forward in the pre-shadow (20 days), back while retrograde (21 days), forward again in the post-shadow (16 days).
Mercury retrograde in Scorpio
In Scorpio the retrograde goes digging. Secrets surface, shared finances need re-examining, and conversations turn intense. It suits research, therapy and honest reckonings, and it punishes suspicion that runs ahead of the facts.
…and back into Libra
In Libra the retrograde centers on relationships, agreements and contracts. Negotiations stall or reopen, misunderstandings arise in partnerships, and people from the past reappear. It favors renegotiating terms and clarifying what was assumed rather than signing new deals.
It begins in Libra season and ends in
Scorpio season.
No other planet is retrograde during this period, which is unusual.
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 1961
Mercury through the zodiac in 1961
Every sign Mercury occupies during 1961, 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 1961 Dates: Feb 12, Jun 14, Oct 10.” Accessed October 31, 2026. https://astrohot.com/retrograde/mercury/1961/
For Wikipedia{{cite web |title=Mercury Retrograde 1961 Dates: Feb 12, Jun 14, Oct 10 |url=https://astrohot.com/retrograde/mercury/1961/ |website=AstroHot |access-date=2026-10-31}}
Free · PDF · 18 pages
The 2027 Sky Calendar
Every retrograde, eclipse, new and full moon of 2027 — to the minute, printed in your own time zone.
