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CALCULATED SKY REFERENCE · UTC

Mercury retrograde shadow calendar

Browse the four calculated dates of each Mercury cycle: first degree crossing, retrograde station, direct station, and final degree crossing.

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THREE CYCLESMercury in 2026Station dates and degree-based shadow crossings →THREE CYCLESMercury in 2027Station dates and degree-based shadow crossings →

Why shadow dates differ from retrograde dates

Before the first station, Mercury crosses the degree where it will later station direct. After the direct station, it recrosses the degree of the earlier retrograde station. Those two crossings bookend the astrological “shadow” convention. The planet is moving forward at both shadow boundaries; its measured retrograde motion lies between the station dates.

These pages are a UTC sky reference, not a personal forecast. The calculation guide explains the two longitude targets and what happens near a sign boundary.

Next calculated cycles

PERIOD 1 · 20272027-02-09 – 2027-03-03
Retrograde station 5°59′ PiscesDirect station 20°55′ Aquarius
  1. 01 · DEGREE RETURNPre-shadow begins
  2. 02 · MOTION REVERSALStations retrograde
  3. 03 · MOTION RESUMESStations direct
  4. 04 · DEGREE RETURNPost-shadow ends
PERIOD 2 · 20272027-06-10 – 2027-07-04
Retrograde station 6°22′ CancerDirect station 27°28′ Gemini
  1. 01 · DEGREE RETURNPre-shadow begins
  2. 02 · MOTION REVERSALStations retrograde
  3. 03 · MOTION RESUMESStations direct
  4. 04 · DEGREE RETURNPost-shadow ends
PERIOD 3 · 20272027-10-07 – 2027-10-28
Retrograde station 4°56′ ScorpioDirect station 19°19′ Libra
  1. 01 · DEGREE RETURNPre-shadow begins
  2. 02 · MOTION REVERSALStations retrograde
  3. 03 · MOTION RESUMESStations direct
  4. 04 · DEGREE RETURNPost-shadow ends

Sources and boundaries

Station instants come from the site's independently calculated sky calendar; shadow dates are new longitude searches using the same Astronomy Engine 2.1.19 positions. NASA explains apparent retrograde motion. “Shadow” is an astrologers' degree-based label, not a separate physical event. All results use apparent geocentric tropical ecliptic longitude and UTC. Station inputs are rounded to the minute, and degree crossings to the second; another ephemeris may differ slightly.