Mercury retrograde 1978: 3 periods, 67 days inside the year — 18.4% of 1978. Mercury turned retrograde at 4:17 PM UTC on April 1 at 26°07′ Aries and turned direct at 6:48 AM UTC on April 25 at 14°51′ Aries. The other four stations are in the table below.
Turns retrograde
Apr 1 4:17 PM UTC
Loops in 1978
3 retrograde periods
Retrograde in 1978
67 days 18.4% of the year
Signs
Aries, Virgo, Sagittarius last loop retreats 16.27°
Mercury’s path through 1978, day by day
Apparent position of Mercury against the zodiac, 1978
RetrogradeShadowR — stations retrograde · D — stations direct
Mercury starts 1978 at 20°50′ Sagittarius and ends it at 18°49′ Sagittarius — 358° of net progress: 398.2° forward, 40.2° given back. Its three loops retrace 11.27°, 12.67° and 16.27° (24, 24 and 20 days). Fastest day: Jun 14, 2.2° forward; fastest backward: Dec 5, 1.38°. Counting the shadows, 186 days of 1978 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 1978: exact times in your city
Mercury turned retrograde at 4:17 PM UTC on April 1, 1978 at 26°07′ Aries — 12:17 PM in Santiago, 11:17 AM in New York, 5:17 PM in London and 1:17 AM on April 2 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.
24 days · retreats 11.27°
April 1 → April 25, 1978 in Aries
Stations retrograde
Apr 1, 1978, 4:17 PM UTC at
26°07′ Aries
Stations direct
Apr 25, 1978, 6:48 AM UTC at
14°51′ Aries
Shadow opens
Mar 18, 1978, 9:36 PM UTC
(14 days before)
Shadow closes
May 13, 1978, 3:33 AM UTC
(18 days after)
Full window including shadows55 days
The April loop up close, shadow to shadow
Mercury crosses the 11.27° between 14°51′ Aries and 26°07′ Aries three times: forward in the pre-shadow (14 days), back while retrograde (24 days), forward again in the post-shadow (18 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 in Aries season and ends in
Taurus season.
Also retrograde at the same time
Saturn
in Virgo —
Apr 1 to Apr 25, 1978 (24 days of overlap)
Uranus
in Scorpio —
Apr 1 to Apr 25, 1978 (24 days of overlap)
Neptune
in Sagittarius —
Apr 1 to Apr 25, 1978 (24 days of overlap)
Pluto
in Libra —
Apr 1 to Apr 25, 1978 (24 days of overlap)
Stations retrograde
Aug 4, 1978, 11:07 PM UTC at
3°00′ Virgo
Stations direct
Aug 28, 1978, 3:41 PM UTC at
20°20′ Leo
Shadow opens
Jul 16, 1978, 10:33 PM UTC
(19 days before)
Shadow closes
Sep 11, 1978, 6:15 PM UTC
(14 days after)
Full window including shadows57 days
The August loop up close, shadow to shadow
Mercury crosses the 12.67° between 20°20′ Leo and 3°00′ Virgo three times: forward in the pre-shadow (19 days), back while retrograde (24 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
Neptune
in Sagittarius —
Aug 4 to Aug 28, 1978 (23 days of overlap)
Stations retrograde
Nov 25, 1978, 9:42 PM UTC at
21°37′ Sagittarius
Stations direct
Dec 15, 1978, 3:56 PM UTC at
5°21′ Sagittarius
Shadow opens
Nov 7, 1978, 7:06 AM UTC
(19 days before)
Shadow closes
Jan 2, 1979, 9:50 PM UTC
(18 days after)
Full window including shadows57 days
The November loop up close, shadow to shadow
Mercury crosses the 16.27° between 5°21′ Sagittarius and 21°37′ 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.
It begins and ends within Sagittarius season.
Also retrograde at the same time
Venus
in Scorpio —
Nov 25 to Nov 28, 1978 (3 days of overlap)
Jupiter
in Leo —
Nov 25 to Dec 15, 1978 (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 1978
Mercury through the zodiac in 1978
Every sign Mercury occupies during 1978, 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 1978 Dates: Apr 1, Aug 4, Nov 25.” Accessed October 31, 2026. https://astrohot.com/retrograde/mercury/1978/
For Wikipedia{{cite web |title=Mercury Retrograde 1978 Dates: Apr 1, Aug 4, Nov 25 |url=https://astrohot.com/retrograde/mercury/1978/ |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.
