Is Mercury Retrograde over? Yes, and so is Venus Retrograde
If you’ve been asking whether Mercury retrograde and Venus retrograde are over, the answer is yes.
Both retrogrades are officially over.
Mercury stations direct at 5° Scorpio on Friday, November 13 at 10:53 AM EST, and Venus stations direct at 22° Libra on Friday, November 13 at 7:27 PM EST, soon after Mercury.
The astrology of October was about slowing down and looking back. November is about moving forward again.
In birth chart readings over the past few weeks, the same themes kept coming up: questioning a relationship cycle, money conversations, and second-guessing something you felt sure about in September.
Keep in mind: the shift won’t happen overnight. Mercury and Venus are both still in their post-retrograde shadows until December. Think of November 13 as the first day back on the road, not the finish line.
When does Mercury retrograde end in 2026?
Mercury retrograde ends on Friday, November 13, 2026, when Mercury stations direct at 5° Scorpio.
This retrograde began on October 24 at 20° Scorpio and stayed in Scorpio the whole time. That kept the focus on what sits below the surface: private conversations, complicated feelings, secrets, shared money, contracts, and the gap between what people say and what they mean. Mercury met the Sun at 12° Scorpio on November 4, the midpoint of the retrograde, something started to make more sense.
If something has felt stalled, confusing, or hard to get off the ground over the past few weeks, don’t force it.
Now that Mercury is direct, energy starts to flow. You might finally send the message, sign the contract you needed to look over again, pick back up something you put on hold, or have the conversation you’ve been rehearsing in your head for three weeks.
Mercury retrograde is over, but the post-retrograde shadow runs from November 13 to November 30, 2026, while Mercury moves forward over the same stretch of Scorpio (5° to 20°) a final time. It leaves the shadow at 20° Scorpio on November 30 at 1:17 AM EST.
When does Venus retrograde end in 2026?
Venus retrograde ends on Friday, November 13.
Venus stationed retrograde in Scorpio and turns direct in Libra. Venus retrograde began on October 3 at 8° Scorpio and moved back into Libra on October 25, so it had two distinct chapters.
The Scorpio chapter was more intense, with questions of control and what was said or left unsaid. The Libra chapter was about diplomacy, seeing another perspective, relationships, and reciprocity.
Venus’s post-retrograde shadow lasts until December 15, with a return to Scorpio on December 4. Familiar themes may come back around in December. That doesn’t mean another difficult stretch, though. It’s more of a final chance to integrate what you learned and put it into practice.
Read your horoscope
Aries Rising
The retrogrades are finally over.
Something that’s felt confusing in a close relationship or shared financial situation starts making more sense. You get clarity on a shared expense, a financial arrangement, a relationship decision, or a money dynamic that needs another look.
A conversation you’ve been putting off may finally happen, a commitment may become easier to make, or you can finally move forward with a clearer sense of an emotionally charged situation.
In your relationships, something you’ve been trying to understand, whether it’s why a dynamic keeps repeating, what you actually need from someone close, or what you’ve been afraid to say or ask for directly, finally comes into sharper focus. You may finally see a boundary that needs to be set or an unspoken issue that needs to be addressed.
Taurus Sun or Rising
What needs to change?
Mercury and Venus station direct on the same day, bringing retrograde lessons full circle.
A relationship situation that’s been unclear, unresolved, or quietly tense for the past few weeks may finally become easier to address, whether that’s with a partner, a sibling, a friend, a coworker or boss, or anyone where something has been left unspoken between you.
Maybe you’ve noticed the same argument coming up, the same issue going unaddressed, or a relationship pattern leaving you frustrated.
Now that you’ve had time to sit with it, you probably have a clearer sense of what’s actually bothering you and what you need from another person. Rather than biting your tongue, have the conversation that moves things forward — not the careful, controlled version, but the real one.
Gemini Sun or Rising
Get your daily life back on track.
After a period of frustration, delays, low energy, or trial and error, this feels like a relief. Both Mercury and Venus retrograde are finally over.
Both planets’ direct motion clarifies work, routines, and the everyday wellness habits that shape how you feel and function.
A stalled project may finally get moving, your workload may become easier to manage, or you may resolve an ongoing issue with a coworker or close collaborator. You could find a better way to balance work and personal commitments, sort out a scheduling conflict, or book the appointment you’ve rescheduled twice.
If a routine hasn’t been working, try a different approach — whether that means adjusting your sleep schedule, finding an exercise routine you can maintain, or asking for more support at work.
You’re moving from recognizing what isn’t working to making changes that help your daily life run more smoothly.
Cancer Sun or Rising
Both retrogrades end on the same day, calling for reflection.
With Mercury and Venus direct, you feel ready to create, flirt, take an emotional risk, or put yourself out there again after weeks of uncertainty, self-doubt, or frustration.
A creative project may finally start coming together. You could find a new direction, figure out how to finish it, or feel ready to share your work instead of endlessly editing it.
In romance, you could realize you’re more interested in someone than you’ve admitted, come to understand why a dynamic hasn’t been working, or decide a potential relationship isn’t worth pursuing after all.
You could feel the spark returning with another person and feel inspired to plan a date, try something new together, or make more time for each other.
Putting yourself out there feels easier now — whether that’s sharing your work or making the first move with someone you’ve met recently and want to get closer to.
Leo Sun or Rising
Both retrogrades are over.
You’ve been feeling stuck or frustrated with your home life, routines, or living situation. Maybe you’ve been unsure when to move, renew your lease, or make changes to your current space.
You could have dealt with tension with a family member or someone you live with, such as repeating the same disagreements or picking up on unspoken feelings. Retrograde may have brought emotional issues to the surface, along with complex emotions about home and family that have been difficult to put into words.
You feel ready to make a decision, have a conversation you’ve been putting off, or channel fresh energy into your space.
What do you want your home life to actually feel like? Now is a good time to start building toward that.
Virgo Sun or Rising
Get back into your rhythm.
Over the past few weeks, your chart ruler Mercury has been retrograde in Scorpio. You may have been feeling a little “off” lately, second-guessing yourself, or struggling to feel as sharp or confident as usual.
Venus retrograde may have brought up questions around relationships, self-worth, confidence, and what makes you feel grounded and good about yourself.
You may have run into delays around a relationship decision, a money decision, or an agreement. You may also have found yourself questioning where you stand with someone, or where you want to invest your time, energy, and resources.
With Mercury and Venus direct, you’re feeling an atmospheric shift this week. You can start to trust your judgment again and feel more confident expressing yourself and making decisions.
A project that hit delays — something you were writing, pitching, or trying to get off the ground — may also start moving again.
Libra Sun or Rising
Your confidence is coming back online.
Over the past few weeks, Venus, your chart ruler, has been retrograde in Scorpio and Libra.
You may have been feeling a little off, second-guessing yourself, or struggling to feel as confident and magnetic as usual. Venus retrograde may have brought up questions around relationships, self-worth, and what makes you feel good about yourself.
You may have found yourself questioning where you stand with someone or wondering whether a relationship, partnership, or collaboration is meeting your needs.
With Mercury and Venus direct, money and self-worth questions that surfaced over the past month may start to make more sense.
You might finally have an important conversation with someone you work with, send the proposal with your rates, or make a financial decision you’ve been going back and forth on. You may also feel more confident asking for what you want and recognizing your value.
Scorpio Sun or Rising
Have you felt a little off lately?
With Mercury and Venus retrograde in your sign, you may have been second-guessing yourself, feeling less confident, or falling out of the routines that help you feel your best.
The past resurfaced in some way: maybe an ex reached out, you started missing a past interest or an old version of your life, or a familiar dynamic came up again with someone in your inner circle or at work.
It’s also possible you began recognizing a pattern in how you respond to stress or emotionally charged situations.
These past few weeks have given you a chance to see yourself — and your life — differently.
Finally, both retrogrades are over. After a month of reflecting, start making choices based on what you’ve learned and what you’ve outgrown. You might stop repeating a dynamic with a partner, set a boundary with a friend or close collaborator, approach a difficult conversation differently, or feel more comfortable saying what you actually want.
Sagittarius Sun or Rising
Have you been working through something emotionally, or are you ready now?
Reflect on the past few weeks of retrograde: what’s been triggering you, frustrating you, or leaving you feeling misunderstood?
Both retrogrades may have brought up feelings you haven’t fully dealt with, whether that’s resentment or quiet anger toward someone, anxiety about a situation, or frustration you’ve been trying to push aside.
Maybe you realized you’re still hurt by something you thought you’d moved on from, or noticed that a particular person or situation keeps bringing up the same reaction.
A conversation with a therapist, journaling, or talking honestly with someone you trust may have helped you understand why it’s affecting you so deeply.
With Mercury and Venus direct, there’s an atmospheric shift this week. You may feel ready to have a conversation you’ve been putting off or make a change that helps you stop carrying the same heavy emotions forward.
Capricorn Sun or Rising
Have you been questioning a friendship dynamic lately?
This week, you feel a shift.
Mercury and Venus moving direct can help you address a friendship that’s felt awkward, make a decision about a relationship that’s been confusing you, schedule quality time with friends, or reconnect with someone you’ve been thinking about. You might finally have a conversation you’ve been avoiding or decide to stop putting effort into a relationship that has felt one-sided.
A group project or collaboration that felt blocked may also start moving again, especially if communication has been the thing holding it up.
Pay attention to which relationships feel easy, reciprocal, and enjoyable and which ones consistently leave you frustrated.
You don’t have to make a dramatic exit from every friendship that has changed. You may simply find yourself reaching out more to the people you genuinely miss, making plans with the friends you feel most yourself around, and letting some connections become less central to your life.
Aquarius Sun or Rising
You’re ready to make your next career move.
A job application that stalled, a conversation with your boss that kept getting pushed, or a project stuck in limbo might finally start moving forward again.
Mercury and Venus station direct, helping you make progress on the career situations that have felt uncertain or frustrating over the past few weeks.
Maybe you hear back about something you’ve been waiting on.
Maybe a tense work dynamic becomes easier to navigate.
Or maybe you finally know enough to take the next step: updating your résumé, reaching out to someone, pitching the idea, or having a conversation about your role, your compensation, or an upcoming project.
Pisces Sun or Rising
Where do you go from here?
Mercury and Venus station direct, helping you make decisions about your future that you’ve been going back and forth on.
Maybe you’ve been putting off booking a trip, signing up for a course, or committing to a plan because you weren’t sure it was the right move.
You may also be returning to a creative or spiritual practice, writing or journaling again, realizing a path you once wanted no longer fits, or considering a different direction altogether.
You likely spent October questioning your options and rethinking some of your plans. Now, you may feel more ready to commit to a decision and start putting it into action.
FAQ
Is Mercury retrograde over?
Yes. Mercury retrograde ended on November 13, 2026, when Mercury stationed direct at 5° Scorpio at 10:53 AM EST.
Is Venus retrograde over?
Yes. Venus retrograde ended on November 13, 2026, when Venus stationed direct at 22° Libra at 7:27 PM EST.
What is the retrograde shadow period?
The shadow period is the stretch of the zodiac a planet covers three times: once moving forward before the retrograde (the pre-shadow), once moving backward during it, and once moving forward again after it (the post-retrograde shadow). The cycle is fully complete when the planet passes the degree where it first turned retrograde.
When does Mercury's post-retrograde shadow end?
November 30, 2026, when Mercury returns to 20° Scorpio.
When does Venus's post-retrograde shadow end?
December 15, 2026, when Venus returns to 8° Scorpio.
Is it safe to sign contracts or start a relationship now?
Mercury and Venus are direct, so it feels easier to move forward on things that felt stuck. Still, I wouldn’t rush into big commitments right away. If you can, wait until Mercury leaves its post-retrograde shadow on November 30 and Venus leaves its post-shadow phase on December 15 before signing a contract, making a big purchase, or making a major relationship decision.
Personally, I’ve been holding off on hiring and signing contracts.
That goes for work, where I’m looking for a social media video editor, and for my wedding, where I’m searching for a planner.
I did sign the contract for our wedding venue during Venus retrograde. I took my time with it on purpose, asked every question I could think of, and read everything twice before I signed. Retrograde doesn’t mean you can’t make decisions. It means you slow down and look closer before you commit.