With the new year comes a whole set of retrograde dates. From Mars to Venus, Mercury to Saturn, when planets are in retrograde it can affect people in all sorts of ways.
Mercury spends more time in retrograde than any other planet, with astrology suggesting that Mercury retrograde begins a pattern of bad luck and negativity, but what does it really mean and what dates should you look out for?
What is Mercury retrograde?
When something is in retrograde, it means it is moving backwards or out of its normal flow. So when we say that Mercury appears in retrograde, we mean it appears to travel backwards across the sky, orbiting the sun in reverse.
This period is said to affect anything from communication, our relationships and even how we feel emotionally as Mercury passes the earth in its orbit.
Despite the appearance, Mercury doesn’t actually move backwards, it is merely an optical illusion. According to Astrology Zone, after 3 and a half weeks, Mercury will appear to move normally again.
When is Mercury in retrograde in 2023?
According to Astrology Zone, here are all the dates Mercury will be in retrograde this year.
- Dec 29, 2022 – Jan 18, 2023
- April 21 – May 14
- August 23 – September 15
- December 13, 2023
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