Mercury retrograde 1972: 3 periods, 67 days inside the year — 18.4% of 1972. Mercury turned retrograde at 6:38 PM UTC on March 21 at 15°51′ Aries and turned direct at 3:29 AM UTC on April 14 at 3°40′ Aries. The other four stations are in the table below.
Turns retrograde
Mar 21 6:38 PM UTC
Loops in 1972
3 retrograde periods
Retrograde in 1972
67 days 18.4% of the year
Signs
Aries, Leo, Sagittarius last loop retreats 16.22°
Mercury’s path through 1972, day by day
Apparent position of Mercury against the zodiac, 1972
RetrogradeShadowR — stations retrograde · D — stations direct
Mercury starts 1972 at 16°44′ Sagittarius and ends it at 24°14′ Sagittarius — a full lap of the zodiac plus 7.5°: 407.8° forward, 40.3° given back. Its three loops retrace 12.16°, 11.9° and 16.22° (23, 24 and 20 days). Fastest day: Jun 5, 2.2° forward; fastest backward: Nov 26, 1.37°. Counting the shadows, 178 days of 1972 sit inside a retrograde window.
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Exact times
Mercury retrograde 1972: exact times in your city
Mercury turned retrograde at 6:38 PM UTC on March 21, 1972 at 15°51′ Aries — 2:38 PM in Santiago, 1:38 PM in New York, 7:38 PM in London and 3:38 AM on March 22 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.
23 days · retreats 12.16°
March 21 → April 14, 1972 in Aries
Stations retrograde
Mar 21, 1972, 6:38 PM UTC at
15°51′ Aries
Stations direct
Apr 14, 1972, 3:29 AM UTC at
3°40′ Aries
Shadow opens
Mar 7, 1972, 10:10 PM UTC
(14 days before)
Shadow closes
May 2, 1972, 3:41 PM UTC
(19 days after)
Full window including shadows56 days
The March loop up close, shadow to shadow
Mercury crosses the 12.16° between 3°40′ Aries and 15°51′ Aries three times: forward in the pre-shadow (14 days), back while retrograde (23 days), forward again in the post-shadow (19 days).
Mercury retrograde in 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 and ends within Aries season.
Also retrograde at the same time
Uranus
in Libra —
Mar 21 to Apr 14, 1972 (23 days of overlap)
Neptune
in Sagittarius —
Mar 21 to Apr 14, 1972 (23 days of overlap)
Pluto
in Libra —
Mar 21 to Apr 14, 1972 (23 days of overlap)
Stations retrograde
Jul 24, 1972, 11:02 PM UTC at
22°21′ Leo
Stations direct
Aug 17, 1972, 10:38 PM UTC at
10°27′ Leo
Shadow opens
Jul 6, 1972, 1:10 PM UTC
(18 days before)
Shadow closes
Aug 31, 1972, 11:51 PM UTC
(14 days after)
Full window including shadows56 days
The July loop up close, shadow to shadow
Mercury crosses the 11.9° between 10°27′ Leo and 22°21′ Leo three times: forward in the pre-shadow (18 days), back while retrograde (24 days), forward again in the post-shadow (14 days).
Mercury retrograde in 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 and ends within Leo season.
Also retrograde at the same time
Jupiter
in Capricorn —
Jul 24 to Aug 17, 1972 (24 days of overlap)
Neptune
in Sagittarius —
Jul 24 to Aug 14, 1972 (20 days of overlap)
Stations retrograde
Nov 15, 1972, 8:27 PM UTC at
12°27′ Sagittarius
Stations direct
Dec 5, 1972, 4:22 PM UTC at
26°14′ Scorpio
Shadow opens
Oct 27, 1972, 7:25 PM UTC
(19 days before)
Shadow closes
Dec 23, 1972, 11:01 AM UTC
(18 days after)
Full window including shadows57 days
The November loop up close, shadow to shadow
Mercury crosses the 16.22° between 26°14′ Scorpio and 12°27′ Sagittarius three times: forward in the pre-shadow (19 days), back while retrograde (20 days), forward again in the post-shadow (18 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.
…and back into 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.
It begins in Scorpio season and ends in
Sagittarius season.
Also retrograde at the same time
Saturn
in Gemini —
Nov 15 to Dec 5, 1972 (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 1972
Mercury through the zodiac in 1972
Every sign Mercury occupies during 1972, 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 1972 Dates: Mar 21, Jul 24, Nov 15.” Accessed October 31, 2026. https://astrohot.com/retrograde/mercury/1972/
For Wikipedia{{cite web |title=Mercury Retrograde 1972 Dates: Mar 21, Jul 24, Nov 15 |url=https://astrohot.com/retrograde/mercury/1972/ |website=AstroHot |access-date=2026-10-31}}
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