Each row is the exact moment Mercury changes sidereal sign. The Status column shows whether the planet was moving direct or retrograde at that precise ingress moment — not whether it spent time retrograde during the sign. For the full list of retrograde periods, see the table below. All times are local clock for Mumbai, Maharashtra, India (UTC offset +05:30).
| Date & Time (Local · Mumbai, Maharashtra, India) | From Sign | To Sign | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 17 Jan 2026 · 10:09 | Sagittarius | Capricorn | Direct |
| Tuesday, 03 Feb 2026 · 21:37 | Capricorn | Aquarius | Retrograde |
| Saturday, 11 Apr 2026 · 00:57 | Aquarius | Pisces | Direct |
| Thursday, 30 Apr 2026 · 06:36 | Pisces | Aries | Direct |
| Friday, 15 May 2026 · 00:17 | Aries | Taurus | Direct |
| Friday, 29 May 2026 · 10:58 | Taurus | Gemini | Direct |
| Monday, 22 Jun 2026 · 15:12 | Gemini | Cancer | Retrograde |
| Tuesday, 07 Jul 2026 · 11:14 | Cancer | Gemini | Retrograde |
| Wednesday, 05 Aug 2026 · 19:40 | Gemini | Cancer | Direct |
| Saturday, 22 Aug 2026 · 19:21 | Cancer | Leo | Direct |
| Monday, 07 Sep 2026 · 13:20 | Leo | Virgo | Direct |
| Saturday, 26 Sep 2026 · 12:28 | Virgo | Libra | Retrograde |
| Wednesday, 02 Dec 2026 · 17:13 | Libra | Scorpio | Direct |
| Tuesday, 22 Dec 2026 · 07:26 | Scorpio | Sagittarius | Direct |
| Retrograde Starts (Local · Mumbai, Maharashtra, India) | Retrograde Ends (Local) | Sign (Start) | Sign (End) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, 26 Feb 2026 · 13:00 | Saturday, 21 Mar 2026 · 01:45 | Aquarius | Aquarius |
| Monday, 29 Jun 2026 · 23:30 | Friday, 24 Jul 2026 · 04:45 | Cancer | Gemini |
| Saturday, 24 Oct 2026 · 13:00 | Friday, 13 Nov 2026 · 22:00 | Libra | Libra |
See your birth chart, Vimshottari Dasha, Sade Sati period, Mercury nakshatra transit and the all-planet retrograde calendar.
Mercury (Budha) is intellect, communication, commerce and analytical reasoning — karaka of the 10th house (one of four), signifying speech, writing, education, trade, technology and short-distance travel. Budha rules Gemini and Virgo, is exalted in Virgo (15°) and debilitated in Pisces. Mercury moves quickly through each sidereal sign (~25 days) but its retrograde periods (3-4 per year, lasting ~22 days each) are the most-watched of any planet — communications garbled, contracts re-signed, technology glitches. Education, negotiations, contracts, public speaking, writing projects and small-business decisions all follow Budha's transits through your natal chart.