Mercury retrograde 1991: 4 periods, 70 days inside the year — 19.1% of 1991. Mercury turned direct at 5:51 PM UTC on January 3 at 23°42′ Sagittarius and turned retrograde at 6:09 PM UTC on April 4 at 29°01′ Aries. The other 5 stations are in the table below.
Turns direct
Jan 3 5:51 PM UTC
Loops in 1991
4 retrograde periods
Retrograde in 1991
70 days 19.1% of the year
Signs
Capricorn, Aries, Virgo, Sagittarius last loop retreats 16.28°
Mercury’s path through 1991, day by day
Apparent position of Mercury against the zodiac, Dec 8, 1990 – Dec 31, 1991
RetrogradeShadowR — stations retrograde · D — stations direct
Mercury starts 1991 at 24°11′ Sagittarius and ends it at 17°56′ Sagittarius — 353.8° of net progress: 394.5° forward, 40.7° given back. Its four loops retrace 16.3°, 11.04°, 12.86° and 16.28° (20, 24, 24 and 20 days). Fastest day: Jun 16, 2.2° forward; fastest backward: Dec 8, 1.38°. Counting the shadows, 186 days of 1991 sit inside a retrograde window.
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Exact times
Mercury retrograde 1991: exact times in your city
Mercury turned direct at 5:51 PM UTC on January 3, 1991 at 23°42′ Sagittarius — 2:51 PM in Santiago, 12:51 PM in New York, 5:51 PM in London and 2:51 AM on January 4 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 16.3°
· crosses the year boundary
December 14, 1990 → January 3, 1991 in Capricorn
Stations retrograde
Dec 14, 1990, 9:09 PM UTC at
10°00′ Capricorn
Stations direct
Jan 3, 1991, 5:51 PM UTC at
23°42′ Sagittarius
Shadow opens
Nov 27, 1990, 5:17 AM UTC
(18 days before)
Shadow closes
Jan 22, 1991, 8:52 PM UTC
(19 days after)
Full window including shadows57 days
The December loop up close, shadow to shadow
Mercury crosses the 16.3° between 23°42′ Sagittarius and 10°00′ Capricorn three times: forward in the pre-shadow (18 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
Mars
in Gemini —
Dec 14 to Jan 1, 1991 (18 days of overlap)
Jupiter
in Leo —
Dec 14 to Jan 3, 1991 (20 days of overlap)
Stations retrograde
Apr 4, 1991, 6:09 PM UTC at
29°01′ Aries
Stations direct
Apr 28, 1991, 9:49 AM UTC at
17°58′ Aries
Shadow opens
Mar 21, 1991, 11:45 PM UTC
(14 days before)
Shadow closes
May 16, 1991, 2:24 AM UTC
(18 days after)
Full window including shadows55 days
The April loop up close, shadow to shadow
Mercury crosses the 11.04° between 17°58′ Aries and 29°01′ 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
Pluto
in Scorpio —
Apr 4 to Apr 28, 1991 (24 days of overlap)
Uranus
in Capricorn —
Apr 18 to Apr 28, 1991 (10 days of overlap)
Neptune
in Capricorn —
Apr 19 to Apr 28, 1991 (9 days of overlap)
Stations retrograde
Aug 7, 1991, 11:58 PM UTC at
5°54′ Virgo
Stations direct
Aug 31, 1991, 2:35 PM UTC at
23°03′ Leo
Shadow opens
Jul 19, 1991, 8:03 PM UTC
(19 days before)
Shadow closes
Sep 14, 1991, 5:40 PM UTC
(14 days after)
Full window including shadows57 days
The August loop up close, shadow to shadow
Mercury crosses the 12.86° between 23°03′ Leo and 5°54′ 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
Venus
in Virgo —
Aug 7 to Aug 31, 1991 (24 days of overlap)
Saturn
in Aquarius —
Aug 7 to Aug 31, 1991 (24 days of overlap)
Uranus
in Capricorn —
Aug 7 to Aug 31, 1991 (24 days of overlap)
Neptune
in Capricorn —
Aug 7 to Aug 31, 1991 (24 days of overlap)
Stations retrograde
Nov 28, 1991, 5:01 PM UTC at
24°11′ Sagittarius
Stations direct
Dec 18, 1991, 11:12 AM UTC at
7°54′ Sagittarius
Shadow opens
Nov 10, 1991, 5:23 AM UTC
(18 days before)
Shadow closes
Jan 5, 1992, 8:00 PM UTC
(18 days after)
Full window including shadows57 days
The November loop up close, shadow to shadow
Mercury crosses the 16.28° between 7°54′ Sagittarius and 24°11′ Sagittarius three times: forward in the pre-shadow (18 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.
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 1991
Mercury through the zodiac in 1991
Every sign Mercury occupies during 1991, 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 1991: Until Jan 3, Apr 4, Aug 7, Nov 28.” Accessed October 31, 2026. https://astrohot.com/retrograde/mercury/1991/
For Wikipedia{{cite web |title=Mercury Retrograde 1991: Until Jan 3, Apr 4, Aug 7, Nov 28 |url=https://astrohot.com/retrograde/mercury/1991/ |website=AstroHot |access-date=2026-10-31}}
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