The Mercury retrogrades in 2025 are in the fire and water elements.
The fire element signs (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius) open your enthusiasm, spirituality and creativity. Passionate ideas can be brought into form. The water element has to do with emotions, empathy and intuition. It is important to set deadlines to be accountable for accomplishing projects when water and fire are around. It is easy to get too busy and not get around to what you actually wanted to do. During Mercury retrograde, do behind the scenes preparation for new projects or make adjustments and repairs to existing projects.
Mercury Retrograde
November 25, 2024 – December 15, 2024
23 degrees Sagittarius back to 6 degrees Sagittarius
Although communications planet Mercury is not comfortable in Sagittarius, there is a sense of openness to new ideas. Sagittarius is associated with long distance travel, higher philosophy and education, publishing, and mentoring. More than anything, Mercury opens your mind and Sagittarius expands your belief system by taking you to a higher viewpoint. You must think big, but don’t believe everything you hear. People will share big ideas, plans, and the desire to travel, but you will have to wait and see which ideas get grounded. an interesting thing about this Mercury retrograde is that there is a triple harmony Grand Fire Trine between the life-giving Sun in Sagittarius, aggressive Mars in Leo, and the spiritual destiny north node in pioneering Aries. There is a lot of help in opening to new paths if you are enthusiastic and passionate about what you want to create. Needless to say, if your heart isn’t in it, why are you doing it!? As a side note, Mars is now in the shadow of his coming retrograde (see below). Perhaps this Mercury retrograde will help you get clear on where your heart is engaged, and where you are just going through the motions.
Venus Retrograde
March 1, 2025 to April 12, 2025
11 degrees Aries back to 24 degrees Pisces
Venus turns retrograde less often than all the planets. This retrograde cycle is or particular interest because Mercury is retrograde during this cycle, and both start in Aries and end in Pisces. Venus is associated with love, marriage, money, art, beauty and diplomacy. The goddess of love is not particularly comfortable in Aries. Plan to re-balance your relationship needs with your Aries independence needs. Make behind the scenes plans to open to new relationships, re-align existing relationships, and/or work on your financial plan.
Another interesting connection is that both Venus and Mercury will be moving backwards across Neptune. The planet of intuition, spirituality and bursting illusions is at the end of Pisces where it has been since 2011. On March 30, Neptune will move into Aries for the first time since the Civil War. Many people have felt stuck on hold for some time now, so this shift along with other outer planets changing signs in the coming months will stimulate movement and change.
For now, take stock of what you value and what (or who) no longer holds your interest. Consider options for moving in a new direction while taking steps to dissolve old beliefs and behaviors.
Mercury Retrograde
March 14, 2025 to April 7, 2025
10 degrees Aries back to 26 degrees Pisces
This Mercury retrograde takes place within the Venus retrograde cycle. Be careful of mental impatience, so think before you shoot off that text or email. Communicating a new path in relationships and/or business is strong now, but remember that Mercury retrograde is about researching new possibilities. In other words, don’t carve your plans in stone as adjustment will be needed. Esoteric Mercury in Aries communicates right action.
By March 28, Mercury is temporarily moving backwards into Pisces. It would be nice to take a short retreat to a watery location to meditate or journal a vision for your future. Do share your vision with others, but be clear because what you think you said may not be what they heard. With both Mercury and Venus moving retrograde across Neptune as he makes a 14 year shift from Pisces to Aries, look for hints of a new vision or path for yourself. However, Neptune is just teasing you as it temporarily tests Aries, as the god of higher vision will not be fully into “I’m ready for something new” Aries until late January 2026.
Mercury Retrograde
July 17, 2025-August 11, 2025
16 degrees Leo back to 4 degrees Leo
Details coming:
Mars Retrograde
December 6, 2024 – February 23, 2025
6 degrees Leo back to 17 degrees Cancer
Ambitious Mars turns retrograde less often than all the other planets except Venus, about every 18-20 months. Retrograde Mars reviews where you are putting your energy. Leo asks if your actions and your heart are in alignment. Mars is the planet of athletics, assertiveness and putting your plans into action. Leo wants you to open your heart and be creative. Retrograde Mars helps you take action to release those activities that do not have heart-centered drives. Some form of letting go will be involved here because Mars will oppose death & rebirth Pluto three times between early November 2024 and late April 2025. This can be a rude, angry and violent energy, so hopefully domestic terrorists will not disrupt the USA Presidential Inauguration as they did at the Capitol Building on January 6, 2021. The positive perspective is to get a detached perspective on what actions need to stay or go in your life.
By January 7, 2025, Mars moves backwards into home, family and food sign Cancer. Some people will start a New Year’s diet, others will fix up their home for a future property sale. Mainly, Cancer wants to be safe and secure. This is a good time to research where you want to live next.
Mercury Retrograde
November 9, 2025 at 6 degrees Sagittarius to November 29, 2025
6 degrees Sagittarius back to 20 degrees Scorpio
Details coming:
Retrograde dates for outer planets in 2024-2025
Because outer planets spend so much time retrograde, it is most important to pay attention on the days surrounding when they go retrograde and direct. Also, if a planet turns retrograde or direct on a planet or angle (cusp of houses 1, 4. 7 and 10) of your natal chart, that makes the cycle more important personally. Dates are for USA time zones.
2025 dates will be coming soon. Below is 2024
Jupiter
In 2024, Jupiter begins the year in manifesting Taurus where he has been in since May 2023. On May 25, 2024, Jupiter begins a year-long visit into Gemini. The last time Jupiter was in Gemini was June 2012-June 2013. Where were you called to expand your thinking then? Gemini is the sign of adapting to new ways of thinking. Are you ready for the next Astromark group trip to sacred sites?
Jupiter begins his retrograde cycle on October 9, 2024 until February 4, 2025 (21 degrees back to 11 degrees Gemini). Although “keep it light” Gemini is not a comfortable sign for philosophical Jupiter, use this cycle to expand your belief system to open to numerous new possibilities. It is a bigger world with more options than you currently see. Be willing to try new things and meet new people. Jupiter begins 2024 in practical Taurus until May 25. Tend to practical goals and ambitions until May 25. Taurus is pragmatic and Jupiter can help you manifest in a big way. Then get ready to travel, learn new things, and explore new places.
Saturn
Saturn is retrograde from July 12 to November 27, 2025 moving backwards from 2 degrees Aries to 25 degrees Pisces. Saturn, along with Neptune, are dipping their toes into Aries in 2025, and will be fully in Aries in 2026. The previous time Saturn was in Aries was April 1996 to February 1999. Where were you restructuring your life in order to pioneer a new path then? It’s coming back but likely in a different way since you are not the same person you were then. Saturn is finishing his 2+ year run in Pisces from January to May 24, 2025, then again September 1, 2025 until mid-February 2026. Pisces is excellent for going off on a vision quest in order to tune into the Aries new path it is time to bring forth.
Uranus
Uranus continues to travel through earthy Taurus in 2024. (May 2018 into first quarter 2026). The revolutionary planet started 2024 retrograde, turning direct at 19 degrees Taurus on January 26, 2024. He turns retrograde again September 1, 2024 until January 30, 2025 (28 degrees Taurus back to 23 degrees Taurus). During Uranus retrograde, work on ways that you can set yourself free. At the core, Taurus is about your values and Uranus says it is time for a change. Astrologers classify Taurus as a “fixed” sign (along with Scorpio, Aquarius and Leo). Fixed signs are good at enduring and persevering. They don’t quit on you. However, the flip side is that they have trouble letting go when it is time to release. We have seen the negative side of “my way or the highway” in politics, both USA and global. On a personal level, have a personal pragmatic revolution. Where can you create greater freedom in your life while still paying your bills? Is it time to learn something new, or let someone/something go that needs to be released? If you know your astrology chart, look to the houses containing 19-28 degrees of Taurus to see where the revolution is going on in your life. (7th house relationships, 10th house career. See house meanings in the free astrology primer).
NOTE: On April 20, Jupiter and Uranus align at 22 degrees Taurus.This happens only every 13.8 years.A sacred Sabian Symbol for this alignment degree is “White dove traveling over troubled water.” Mediate on this for personal meaning. Jupiter is international and speaks higher truth. Uranus is a revolitionary.
Neptune
In 2024, Neptune is in the beginning of the end of his run through psychic Pisces (since April 2011). Plagues like COVID and the Black Plague have been a signature of Neptune in Pisces. As the ruler of drugs, both legal and not, we have seen legalization of marijuana, fentanyl deaths, the growing trend of magic mushrooms for PTSD treatments, and the battle to provide pharmaceutical drugs at fair costs. Compassion, forgiveness, higher vision and intuition are also characteristics of this 14 year cycle.
Pay attention when spiritual Neptune turns retrograde September 1st at the last degree of Pisces (30 degrees Pisces retrograde to 27 degrees Pisces on December 7, 2024). This gives you insight into what needs to be completed since 2011. It also gives you a hint about what is coming in spring 2025 when he enters pioneering Aries. The ancients called the last degree of Pisces the degree of death because it was the last degree of the zodiac before entering a fresh cycle in Aries.
Pluto
Pluto turns retrograde May 4 ,2025 through October 13, 2025. It is retrograde between 4 and 1 degrees Aquarius. The planet of death & rebirth was moving back and forth between Aquarius and Capricorn over the past two years. Now, the planet of deep transformation is in the sign of innovation until 2044. The last time Pluto was in Aquarius was 1778-1798 when the early stages of the USA was forming during the Revolutionary War. Technology will increase at a lightening pace. Although Aquarius can often be brilliant, it can also think it knows better than everyone else. It can hold the higher ideal for society to step into, or be hard-headed lacking compassion for those who are not prepared or desiring the new way.
