Mercury retrograde 1983: 4 periods, 77 days inside the year — 21% of 1983. Mercury turned retrograde at 3:00 AM UTC on January 7 at 2°34′ Aquarius and turned direct at 1:25 PM UTC on January 27 at 16°28′ Capricorn. The other 6 stations are in the table below.
Turns retrograde
Jan 7 3:00 AM UTC
Loops in 1983
4 retrograde periods
Retrograde in 1983
77 days 21% of the year
Signs
Aquarius, Taurus, Libra, Capricorn last loop retreats 16.27°
Mercury’s path through 1983, day by day
Apparent position of Mercury against the zodiac, Jan 1, 1983 – Jan 17, 1984
RetrogradeShadowR — stations retrograde · D — stations direct
Mercury starts 1983 at 29°15′ Capricorn and ends it at 7°53′ Capricorn — 338.6° of net progress: 386.7° forward, 48.1° given back. Its four loops retrace 16.1°, 9.13°, 14.37° and 16.27° (20, 24, 23 and 20 days). Fastest day: Jul 7, 2.17° forward; fastest backward: Dec 31, 1.36°. Counting the shadows, 185 days of 1983 sit inside a retrograde window.
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Exact times
Mercury retrograde 1983: exact times in your city
Mercury turned retrograde at 3:00 AM UTC on January 7, 1983 at 2°34′ Aquarius — 12:00 AM in Santiago, 10:00 PM on January 6 in New York, 3:00 AM in London and 12:00 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 16.1°
January 7 → January 27, 1983 in Aquarius
Stations retrograde
Jan 7, 1983, 3:00 AM UTC at
2°34′ Aquarius
Stations direct
Jan 27, 1983, 1:25 PM UTC at
16°28′ Capricorn
Shadow opens
Dec 21, 1982, 4:03 PM UTC
(16 days before)
Shadow closes
Feb 16, 1983, 11:24 AM UTC
(20 days after)
Full window including shadows57 days
The January loop up close, shadow to shadow
Mercury crosses the 16.1° between 16°28′ Capricorn and 2°34′ Aquarius three times: forward in the pre-shadow (16 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.
No other planet is retrograde during this period, which is unusual.
Stations retrograde
May 1, 1983, 4:37 PM UTC at
25°33′ Taurus
Stations direct
May 25, 1983, 12:48 PM UTC at
16°25′ Taurus
Shadow opens
Apr 17, 1983, 4:26 PM UTC
(14 days before)
Shadow closes
Jun 10, 1983, 1:55 PM UTC
(16 days after)
Full window including shadows54 days
The May loop up close, shadow to shadow
Mercury crosses the 9.13° between 16°25′ Taurus and 25°33′ 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.
Stations retrograde
Sep 2, 1983, 6:41 AM UTC at
0°45′ Libra
Stations direct
Sep 24, 1983, 8:49 PM UTC at
16°22′ Virgo
Shadow opens
Aug 13, 1983, 3:42 AM UTC
(20 days before)
Shadow closes
Oct 9, 1983, 10:56 AM UTC
(15 days after)
Full window including shadows57 days
The September loop up close, shadow to shadow
Mercury crosses the 14.37° between 16°22′ Virgo and 0°45′ Libra 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 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.
…and back into 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 Virgo season and ends in
Libra season.
Also retrograde at the same time
Venus
in Virgo —
Sep 2 to Sep 15, 1983 (13 days of overlap)
Neptune
in Sagittarius —
Sep 2 to Sep 8, 1983 (6 days of overlap)
20 days · retreats 16.27°
· crosses the year boundary
December 22, 1983 → January 11, 1984 in Capricorn
Stations retrograde
Dec 22, 1983, 12:53 AM UTC at
16°38′ Capricorn
Stations direct
Jan 11, 1984, 12:37 AM UTC at
0°22′ Capricorn
Shadow opens
Dec 4, 1983, 5:57 PM UTC
(17 days before)
Shadow closes
Jan 30, 1984, 10:23 AM UTC
(19 days after)
Full window including shadows57 days
The December loop up close, shadow to shadow
Mercury crosses the 16.27° between 0°22′ Capricorn and 16°38′ 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 in Sagittarius season and ends in
Capricorn 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 1983
Mercury through the zodiac in 1983
Every sign Mercury occupies during 1983, 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 1983 Dates: Jan 7, May 1, Sep 2, Dec 22.” Accessed October 31, 2026. https://astrohot.com/retrograde/mercury/1983/
For Wikipedia{{cite web |title=Mercury Retrograde 1983 Dates: Jan 7, May 1, Sep 2, Dec 22 |url=https://astrohot.com/retrograde/mercury/1983/ |website=AstroHot |access-date=2026-10-31}}
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