Mercury Retrograde ☿ Spring 2025

artist: Eliot Greenwald

Mercury in Pisces: Feb 14 – Mar 3

Mercury in Aries: Mar 3-15

Mercury Retrograde in Aries: Mar 15-29

Mercury Retrograde in Pisces: Mar 29 – Apr 7

Mercury in Pisces: Apr 7-16

Mercury in Aries: Apr 16 – May 10

Planets in retrograde are not spinning backwards. Retrograde motion is an optical illusion. In astrology, this illusion manifests as a “backwards” functioning of the planets in their respective roles. Click here to learn more about retrograde.

Mercury turns retrograde three times a year, more frequently than any other planet. Mercury represents communication, travel, and technology. These realms are therefore most affected by Mercury Retrograde. Watch for delays, cancellations, and sudden changes; technological failures, especially with cell phones, laptops, or automobiles; miscommunication; lost/stolen items; general malfunction and wtf moments. I do not recommend starting a new job, buying a car, moving to a new place, or signing any contracts/documents. This is not a good time for travel, life-altering commitments, or investments.

All Mercury Retrograde cycles have positive things in common, too. One wonderful aspect of Mercury Retrograde is how it circles back to finish projects that were started but then forgotten or ignored. Mercury also highlights communication.

This spring the retrograde cycle takes place in both Pisces and Aries with the first two weeks falling in Aries and the last week in Pisces. Venus Retrograde will fall in these exact same constellations from Mar 1 – Apr 12, meaning that these planets will be retrograde concurrently in the same signs! Mercury was also retrograde in Aries last year during nearly all of April 2024. Think back to this time to understand what’s coming next.

Mercury erupts like a volcano in Aries. The ram is the first sign in the zodiac, representing rebirth and all things new. This retrograde will catapult us into the astrological new year with a fiery boom and blast. 

With Mercury Retrograde in Aries, we return to self-love and self-empowerment. Take the wounded inner child, hold her in your arms. We need to be awake and alert here. In these flames, not everything can or will be communicated properly. Aries has a sharp tongue and spouts off in moments of anger. What action can we take so that we feel better internally?

It will be difficult to make space for what is new if we know that we are heading back to Pisces. We may feel confused, transiting from Aries back to Pisces back to Aries again, teetering precariously on the demarcator of 0 degrees Aries, the rebirth point.

Mercury (+ Venus!) Retrograde in Pisces will honestly be such a scattered, undisciplined time. In Pisces, life slows and flows in mysterious directions. Dreams and reality blur. I feel concerned because cycles like these have the power to submerge humanity in an opaque ocean of delusion. In other words, people are very easily manipulated and brainwashed during Pisces times, especially with Saturn and Neptune still in Pisces.

How to stay grounded when our hearts and minds are swirling together in a blender of confusion? Pisces suppresses everything and then masterfully ignores the mounting inward pressure with all kinds of escapist behaviors, avoidance, denial, and deceit. We will have to wander softly to the past, to dreamscapes, to other dimensions. We may not be able to act, but we can at least address our thoughts and feelings, especially those internalized over the last year. Lean into intuition.

Mercury Retrograde in Pisces makes communication strange and complicated. There will be some pain and passive aggressive acts. We’re at the end of the zodiac wheel and it’s a mess, let’s be real. Energy levels are low, immune systems suppressed, anxiety and depression running rampant. The message is clear: we have to take care of ourselves.

Pisces gives until nothing remains. This leaves the fish chronically depleted in mind, body, and spirit. Spend time alone, doing whatever you need. Choose music, dance, creativity, hydration, and time near water if possible. Mercury Retrograde in Pisces is a proverbial death. Meditate on the slippery frog, hibernating at the bottom of the pond, waiting patiently for spring to come.

If you were born with Mercury in Pisces or Aries, you’re in for an interesting Mercury Return. To determine your Mercury sign and whether this planet was direct or retrograde at the time of your birth, click here.