Mercury retrograde 1970: 4 periods, 80 days inside the year — 21.8% of 1970. Mercury turned retrograde at 8:10 AM UTC on January 4 at 0°00′ Aquarius and turned direct at 4:38 PM UTC on January 24 at 13°52′ Capricorn. The other 6 stations are in the table below.
Turns retrograde
Jan 4 8:10 AM UTC
Loops in 1970
4 retrograde periods
Retrograde in 1970
80 days 21.8% of the year
Signs
Aquarius, Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn last loop retreats 16.28°
Mercury’s path through 1970, day by day
Apparent position of Mercury against the zodiac, Dec 29, 1969 – Jan 14, 1971
RetrogradeShadowR — stations retrograde · D — stations direct
Mercury starts 1970 at 28°36′ Capricorn and ends it at 1°35′ Capricorn — 333° of net progress: 384.7° forward, 51.7° given back. Its four loops retrace 16.14°, 9.29°, 14.24° and 16.28° (20, 24, 23 and 20 days). Fastest day: Jul 5, 2.17° forward; fastest backward: Dec 28, 1.37°. Counting the shadows, 185 days of 1970 sit inside a retrograde window.
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Exact times
Mercury retrograde 1970: exact times in your city
Mercury turned retrograde at 8:10 AM UTC on January 4, 1970 at 0°00′ Aquarius — 5:10 AM in Santiago, 3:10 AM in New York, 9:10 AM in London and 5:10 PM 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 16.14°
January 4 → January 24, 1970 in Aquarius
Stations retrograde
Jan 4, 1970, 8:10 AM UTC at
0°00′ Aquarius
Stations direct
Jan 24, 1970, 4:38 PM UTC at
13°52′ Capricorn
Shadow opens
Dec 18, 1969, 6:13 PM UTC
(17 days before)
Shadow closes
Feb 13, 1970, 1:11 PM UTC
(20 days after)
Full window including shadows57 days
The January loop up close, shadow to shadow
Mercury crosses the 16.14° between 13°52′ Capricorn and 0°00′ Aquarius three times: forward in the pre-shadow (17 days), back while retrograde (20 days), forward again in the post-shadow (20 days).
Mercury retrograde in 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.
…and back into 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 in Capricorn season and ends in
Aquarius season.
Also retrograde at the same time
Pluto
in Virgo —
Jan 4 to Jan 24, 1970 (20 days of overlap)
Uranus
in Libra —
Jan 13 to Jan 24, 1970 (11 days of overlap)
Stations retrograde
Apr 28, 1970, 10:51 AM UTC at
22°29′ Taurus
Stations direct
May 22, 1970, 6:47 AM UTC at
13°11′ Taurus
Shadow opens
Apr 14, 1970, 11:48 AM UTC
(14 days before)
Shadow closes
Jun 7, 1970, 11:46 AM UTC
(16 days after)
Full window including shadows54 days
The April loop up close, shadow to shadow
Mercury crosses the 9.29° between 13°11′ Taurus and 22°29′ Taurus three times: forward in the pre-shadow (14 days), back while retrograde (24 days), forward again in the post-shadow (16 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.
It begins in Taurus season and ends in
Gemini season.
Also retrograde at the same time
Jupiter
in Scorpio —
Apr 28 to May 22, 1970 (24 days of overlap)
Uranus
in Libra —
Apr 28 to May 22, 1970 (24 days of overlap)
Neptune
in Sagittarius —
Apr 28 to May 22, 1970 (24 days of overlap)
Pluto
in Virgo —
Apr 28 to May 22, 1970 (24 days of overlap)
Stations retrograde
Aug 30, 1970, 7:28 AM UTC at
28°00′ Virgo
Stations direct
Sep 22, 1970, 12:17 AM UTC at
13°46′ Virgo
Shadow opens
Aug 10, 1970, 6:02 AM UTC
(20 days before)
Shadow closes
Oct 6, 1970, 12:54 PM UTC
(15 days after)
Full window including shadows57 days
The August loop up close, shadow to shadow
Mercury crosses the 14.24° between 13°46′ Virgo and 28°00′ Virgo three times: forward in the pre-shadow (20 days), back while retrograde (23 days), forward again in the post-shadow (15 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 and ends within Virgo season.
Also retrograde at the same time
Saturn
in Taurus —
Sep 4 to Sep 22, 1970 (17 days of overlap)
20 days · retreats 16.28°
· crosses the year boundary
December 19, 1970 → January 8, 1971 in Capricorn
Stations retrograde
Dec 19, 1970, 5:59 AM UTC at
14°05′ Capricorn
Stations direct
Jan 8, 1971, 4:36 AM UTC at
27°48′ Sagittarius
Shadow opens
Dec 1, 1970, 7:57 PM UTC
(17 days before)
Shadow closes
Jan 27, 1971, 12:02 PM UTC
(19 days after)
Full window including shadows57 days
The December loop up close, shadow to shadow
Mercury crosses the 16.28° between 27°48′ Sagittarius and 14°05′ 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
Saturn
in Taurus —
Dec 19 to Jan 8, 1971 (20 days of overlap)
Pluto
in Virgo —
Jan 1 to Jan 8, 1971 (6 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 1970
Mercury through the zodiac in 1970
Every sign Mercury occupies during 1970, 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 1970 Dates: Jan 4, Apr 28, Aug 30, Dec 19.” Accessed October 31, 2026. https://astrohot.com/retrograde/mercury/1970/
For Wikipedia{{cite web |title=Mercury Retrograde 1970 Dates: Jan 4, Apr 28, Aug 30, Dec 19 |url=https://astrohot.com/retrograde/mercury/1970/ |website=AstroHot |access-date=2026-10-31}}
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