Mercury retrograde 2022: 4 periods, 69 days inside the year — 19% of 2022. Mercury turned retrograde at 11:42 AM UTC on January 14 at 10°20′ Aquarius and turned direct at 4:13 AM UTC on February 4 at 24°22′ Capricorn. The other 6 stations are in the table below.
Turns retrograde
Jan 14 11:42 AM UTC
Loops in 2022
4 retrograde periods
Retrograde in 2022
69 days 19% of the year
Signs
Aquarius, Gemini, Libra, Capricorn last loop retreats 16.22°
Mercury’s path through 2022, day by day
Apparent position of Mercury against the zodiac, Jan 1, 2022 – Jan 24, 2023
RetrogradeShadowR — stations retrograde · D — stations direct
Mercury starts 2022 at 28°10′ Capricorn and ends it at 23°42′ Capricorn — 355.5° of net progress: 395.6° forward, 40° given back. Its four loops retrace 15.96°, 8.77°, 14.73° and 16.22° (21, 24, 22 and 20 days). Fastest day: Jul 12, 2.15° forward; fastest backward: Jan 24, 1.28°. Counting the shadows, 185 days of 2022 sit inside a retrograde window.
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Exact times
Mercury retrograde 2022: exact times in your city
Mercury turned retrograde at 11:42 AM UTC on January 14, 2022 at 10°20′ Aquarius — 8:42 AM in Santiago, 6:42 AM in New York, 11:42 AM in London and 8:42 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.
21 days · retreats 15.96°
January 14 → February 4, 2022 in Aquarius
Stations retrograde
Jan 14, 2022, 11:42 AM UTC at
10°20′ Aquarius
Stations direct
Feb 4, 2022, 4:13 AM UTC at
24°22′ Capricorn
Shadow opens
Dec 29, 2021, 9:29 AM UTC
(16 days before)
Shadow closes
Feb 24, 2022, 6:00 AM UTC
(20 days after)
Full window including shadows57 days
The January loop up close, shadow to shadow
Mercury crosses the 15.96° between 24°22′ Capricorn and 10°20′ Aquarius three times: forward in the pre-shadow (16 days), back while retrograde (21 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
Venus
in Capricorn —
Jan 14 to Jan 29, 2022 (15 days of overlap)
Uranus
in Taurus —
Jan 14 to Jan 18, 2022 (4 days of overlap)
Stations retrograde
May 10, 2022, 11:48 AM UTC at
4°51′ Gemini
Stations direct
Jun 3, 2022, 8:00 AM UTC at
26°05′ Taurus
Shadow opens
Apr 26, 2022, 6:47 AM UTC
(14 days before)
Shadow closes
Jun 18, 2022, 10:46 PM UTC
(16 days after)
Full window including shadows54 days
The May loop up close, shadow to shadow
Mercury crosses the 8.77° between 26°05′ Taurus and 4°51′ Gemini 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 Gemini
In Gemini, one of Mercury's own signs, the retrograde is at its most talkative and scattered: crossed wires, double-booked diaries, lost chargers and conversations that go round in circles. It rewards editing, rereading and catching up with people you lost touch with.
…and back into 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
Pluto
in Capricorn —
May 10 to Jun 3, 2022 (24 days of overlap)
Stations retrograde
Sep 10, 2022, 3:38 AM UTC at
8°55′ Libra
Stations direct
Oct 2, 2022, 9:07 AM UTC at
24°12′ Virgo
Shadow opens
Aug 20, 2022, 9:09 PM UTC
(20 days before)
Shadow closes
Oct 17, 2022, 4:40 AM UTC
(15 days after)
Full window including shadows57 days
The September loop up close, shadow to shadow
Mercury crosses the 14.72° between 24°12′ Virgo and 8°55′ Libra three times: forward in the pre-shadow (20 days), back while retrograde (22 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
Jupiter
in Aries —
Sep 10 to Oct 2, 2022 (22 days of overlap)
Saturn
in Aquarius —
Sep 10 to Oct 2, 2022 (22 days of overlap)
Uranus
in Taurus —
Sep 10 to Oct 2, 2022 (22 days of overlap)
Neptune
in Pisces —
Sep 10 to Oct 2, 2022 (22 days of overlap)
Pluto
in Capricorn —
Sep 10 to Oct 2, 2022 (22 days of overlap)
20 days · retreats 16.22°
· crosses the year boundary
December 29, 2022 → January 18, 2023 in Capricorn
Stations retrograde
Dec 29, 2022, 9:32 AM UTC at
24°21′ Capricorn
Stations direct
Jan 18, 2023, 1:12 PM UTC at
8°08′ Capricorn
Shadow opens
Dec 12, 2022, 11:26 AM UTC
(17 days before)
Shadow closes
Feb 7, 2023, 5:21 AM UTC
(20 days after)
Full window including shadows57 days
Only 3 of its 20 days fall in 2022 — the loop
belongs mostly to 2023. The reading of the sign, the season and the
other planets retrograde alongside it is on
Mercury retrograde 2023.
Computed from the actual motion
The nearest Mercury retrogrades either side of 2022
Previous
2021
Ended October 18, 2021 after
21 days, moving back
15.35° through the zodiac.
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 2022
Mercury through the zodiac in 2022
Every sign Mercury occupies during 2022, 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 2022: Jan 14, May 10, Sep 10, Dec 29.” Accessed October 28, 2026. https://astrohot.com/retrograde/mercury/2022/
For Wikipedia{{cite web |title=Mercury Retrograde 2022: Jan 14, May 10, Sep 10, Dec 29 |url=https://astrohot.com/retrograde/mercury/2022/ |website=AstroHot |access-date=2026-10-28}}
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