The Mercury retrogrades in 2024 are in the earth and fire elements.
Earth element signs ( Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn) urge you to tend to practical matters to make certain you are working from a solid foundation and putting unobstructed effort into manifesting your values and desires. The fire element signs (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius) open your enthusiasm, spirituality and creativity. Passionate ideas can be brought into form. During Mercury retrograde, do behind the scenes preparation for new projects or make adjustments and repairs to existing projects.
Mercury Retrograde
December 12, 2023 – January 1, 2024
9 degrees Capricorn back to 22 degrees Sagittarius
Here comes the shift from Mercury retrograde in the earth element in 2023 and beginning to move into the fire element in 2024. The year started with Mercury retrograde in practical-minded Capricorn and ends the year the same way. Tend to unfinished pragmatic matters as 2023 comes to a close. But also make room for fiery Sagittarius. This can include reconnecting with old friends in a social atmosphere. It can include sneaking away for a short trip to a sunny place (fire elements like the sun).
The new moon in Sagittarius ties into this Mercury retrograde, so December is truly an out with the old and in with the new transition. The challenge is that the Sagittarius new moon and the place Mercury will end his retrograde phase on January 1, 2024 is set up in a challenging 90-degree square configuration to dazed and confused Neptune. It is kind of an “all dressed up and uncertain where to go now” combination. Neptune brings up your trust issues. It asks you to suspend logic and tune in from your intuition. Yet Mercury believes in logic, planning and being on schedule. Pull back from the world and allow your higher vision to help you, then make your plans. But do keep those plans adaptable as is always the case in Mercury retrograde.
Mercury Retrograde
April 1 – April 25, 2024
28 degrees Aries back to 15 degrees Aries
This Mercury retrograde is action packed in fiery Aries. It is likely to be a very interesting April Fool’s Day. A total solar eclipse on April 8 gives this cycle a kick, especially if you have natal planets in Aries (and Pisces too). The path of the eclipse starts near Hawaii and passes through Mexico into Texas, Arkansas, Ohio and Burlington Vermont. Watch the news for border issues with Mexico. Aries Mercury retrograde is urging you to begin work on a new path. If your exercise program fell by the wayside, this is a good time to reinvigorate yourself. There is an added revolutionary energy which will have good and not so good results. Jupiter and Uranus align during this retrograde (April 20th). This occurs about every 13-14 years, the last time being in late 2010 and early 2011. Examples of what happened then are the massive WikiLeaks secret document dump, revolution ion Tunisia, and the United Nations Climate Change Conference. Have courage to prepare for something new in your life, and this cycle helps you with behind the scenes preparation.
Mercury Retrograde
August 4 to August 28, 2024
4 degrees Virgo back to 21 degrees Leo
Details coming soon…
Mercury Retrograde
November 25 – December 15, 2024
22 degrees Sagittarius back to 6 degrees Sagittarius
Details coming soon…
Mars Retrograde
December 6, 2024 – February 23, 2025
6 degrees Leo back to 17 degrees Cancer
Mars is the planet of ambition, athletics, assertiveness. Leo wants you to open your heart and be creative. Cancer wants to be safe and secure. Details coming …
Retrograde dates for outer planets in 2023-2024
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.
Jupiter
Jupiter’s begins the year in a powerful position, called perihelion, when it is at its closest position to the sun on January 20, 2023. It will be in Aries which supports new starts (although Mercury will be retrograde until January 18 and Mars is retrograde until January 12, suggesting a slow start with pioneering a new path nevertheless.) Jupiter is retrograde September 4 until December 30, 2023 (16 back to 5 degrees Taurus). The god of abundance begins 2023 in Aries until he moves into Taurus on May 16. View this as getting your body and projects moving forward, and then getting more grounded when do-it-big Jupiter moves into manifesting Taurus. When Jupiter is retrograde, you are reworking some of your projects and ideas so they will work better in the pragmatic world.
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 June 29 to November 15, 2024 moving backwards from 19 degrees to 12 degrees Pisces. Re-visioning government and bureaucratic structures is going on in the bigger world. Astrologers use the word “dissolve” with Pisces as the restrictive and/or comfortable boundaries of your life melt away like a clock in a Salvador Dali painting. Use this retrograde cycle to pull back from your mundane world to envision the life you would like to live next. Let aspects of your life that are done, be done. Saturn takes about 2 1/2 years to move through a sign, so this is a cycle of bringing your spiritual vision into use on the earth plane. Think back to 1994-96, the last time Saturn was in Pisces. How did you restructure your life then?
Uranus
In 2023, Uranus turns retrograde August 28 until January 26, 2024 (24 back to 19 degrees Taurus). Uranus spends about seven years in each sign, so we have seen Uranus-ruled technology changing money (banking on your phone, cryptocurrency, Zoom, rich people going to space, and robotics). During Uranus retrograde, work on ways that you can set yourself free. It will be interesting to watch revolutionary changes coming to the forefront. Pity the people who want to return to the world that was! Expansive Jupiter moves into Taurus in May 2023, but will not actually align with Uranus until April 2024. that means that we shall start to see the energy building in 2023 and reaching a peak in 2024.
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). 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).
Neptune
Neptune is retrograde June 30 to December 6, 2023 (28 degrees back to 24 degrees Pisces). The planet of escapism and spirituality has been in Pisces since April 2011, and nearing the end of its run before moving into Aries in 2025. When Neptune is retrograde, it is a good time to go off on a vision quest, enhance intuitive and spiritual healing abilities, or simply make more time to pull back and strengthen your connection to Great Spirit. Neptune likes meditation, music, retreats, watery places, and a good movie. Both Neptune and Pisces rule dreams and your feet. Journal your dreams and buy new shoes!
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 2 ,2024 through October 10/11, 2024. The planet of death & rebirth begins the year in Capricorn, where it has been since 2008. This represents a new year with out with the old and in with the new. Pluto then moves into Aquarius on January 20 and will be in the sign of technology and revolutions until 2044 (with a short clean-up return to Capricorn in September-November 2024). The last time Pluto was in Aquarius was 1778-1798 when the early stages of the USA was forming during the Revolutionary War. The retrograde cycle goes from 3 degrees Aquarius to 28 degrees Capricorn. If you have natal planets at those degrees, this will be a significant time of transformation for you. Is it time to upgrade your technology, meet new friends, explore new groups or organizations?
