Saturday 24 October 2026. Mercury turns back.

Mercury appears to stop and turn back. Until it turns direct, re-read messages, contracts and plans before you send them. Where it lands depends on your chart: the same degree is someone’s 10th house and someone else’s 4th.

In the sky on this date

London dates · tropical

What today means for your work

The math is real. The meaning is reflective.

  1. 01 · In the sky

    Mercury pauses, then seems to reverse

    From Earth, Mercury looks like it's moving backwards from 24 October until 13 November. It starts at 20° Scorpio and turns direct at 5° Scorpio. Venus is retrograde too. The dates and the degrees are calculated.

  2. 02 · At work

    Emails, contracts and what you meant to say

    Mercury is about messages, plans and paperwork. In Scorpio, the focus is what sits between the lines. While it's retrograde, it's a prompt to reread and check before you send or sign.

  3. 03 · One move

    Reread before you send

    Pick one email, proposal or contract that matters this month. Read it again slowly before 13 November, when Mercury turns direct, and fix one thing you'd missed.

Mercury stays in Scorpio

Mercury retrograde 2026 · 24 Oct to 13 Nov · 20 days

  1. 24 Oct · Day 0Mercury goes retrograde at 20° Scorpio
  2. 13 Nov · Day 20Mercury turns direct at 5° Scorpio
Venus is retrograde too, 24 Oct to 13 Nov

  • 24 Oct to 13 Nov · Mercury in Scorpio

    What are you not saying at work?

    Scorpio is about depth, strategy and trust. While Mercury moves backwards here, look at the questions you haven't asked, the feedback you held back and the details in what you sign.

    Scorpio Midheaven: career and best roles

Where 20° Scorpio lands in your chart

Your chart has twelve houses, and 20° Scorpio sits in one of them. For one person that’s the money house. For someone else it’s daily work, or home. Your birth date, time and place decide which.

Each house ties the date to a different part of your work. Houses 2, 6 and 10 are the work houses: income, daily work and your public role.

  • If it’s your 2nd houseWork house

    Income and self-worth

    Invoices, rates and the money conversations you put off.

  • If it’s your 6th houseWork house

    Daily work and craft

    Your tools, your to-do list and your daily messages.

  • If it’s your 10th houseWork house

    Public leadership and reputation

    What your manager or clients heard you say.

See the other nine houses

  • If it’s your 1st house

    Identity and personal visibility

    How you introduce yourself and your work, in person and online.

  • If it’s your 3rd house

    Communication and teaching

    Emails, pitches and how clearly you explain what you do.

  • If it’s your 4th house

    Foundations and inner ground

    Admin at home and the work messages that follow you there.

  • If it’s your 5th house

    Creative risk and authorship

    Drafts, ideas and side projects you'd like to revisit.

  • If it’s your 7th house

    Clients and partnerships

    Contracts, client terms and what you agreed to in writing.

  • If it’s your 8th house

    Shared resources and depth work

    Shared budgets, fine print and joint deals.

  • If it’s your 9th house

    Publishing and bigger frameworks

    Courses, applications and plans that involve travel.

  • If it’s your 11th house

    Community and networks

    Group chats, your network and who you haven't replied to.

  • If it’s your 12th house

    Rest and behind-the-scenes work

    The notes you keep to yourself and never send.

Start with your chart

What is 20° Scorpio in your chart?

Read my chart for free

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  • If it’s your 1st house

    Identity and personal visibility

    How you introduce yourself and your work, in person and online.

  • If it’s your 2nd houseWork house

    Income and self-worth

    Invoices, rates and the money conversations you put off.

  • If it’s your 3rd house

    Communication and teaching

    Emails, pitches and how clearly you explain what you do.

  • If it’s your 4th house

    Foundations and inner ground

    Admin at home and the work messages that follow you there.

  • If it’s your 5th house

    Creative risk and authorship

    Drafts, ideas and side projects you'd like to revisit.

  • If it’s your 6th houseWork house

    Daily work and craft

    Your tools, your to-do list and your daily messages.

  • If it’s your 7th house

    Clients and partnerships

    Contracts, client terms and what you agreed to in writing.

  • If it’s your 8th house

    Shared resources and depth work

    Shared budgets, fine print and joint deals.

  • If it’s your 9th house

    Publishing and bigger frameworks

    Courses, applications and plans that involve travel.

  • If it’s your 10th houseWork house

    Public leadership and reputation

    What your manager or clients heard you say.

  • If it’s your 11th house

    Community and networks

    Group chats, your network and who you haven't replied to.

  • If it’s your 12th house

    Rest and behind-the-scenes work

    The notes you keep to yourself and never send.

Related answer: Does Mercury retrograde affect my job search?

Not a prediction. The chart locates the question. You still make the decision.

Mercury retrograde 2026: quick answers

From 24 October to 13 November 2026 (London dates).

Scorpio the whole time. It starts at 20° Scorpio on 24 October and turns direct at 5° Scorpio on 13 November.

Mercury is about messages, plans and paperwork. While it's retrograde, it's a prompt to reread, check and follow up before you send or sign anything big. Not a prediction.

Yes. Venus is retrograde from 3 October to 14 November, so both are retrograde from 24 October to 13 November.

Coming up after 24 October

The whole tree

Every date from 1 September to 31 December has a page. Empty days show what is active and what comes next.

Find out what 20° Scorpio is in your chart.

Read my chart for free

Free, about 2 minutes, no card.