Mercury is retrograde. Several planets appear to 'step back,' and here's what that means.

Mercury will retrograde from Dec. 13 through Jan. 2 in the last of four times it appears to move backward in the sky this year.

Every planet has in our solar system has retrograded for at least part of 2023. In retrograde, a planet appears move in the opposite direction of other planets.

What is retrograde?

The term "retrograde" comes from the Latin word "retrogradus," which combines "retro," which means "backward," and "gradus," which means "step." The ancient Greeks used the word "anapodizō," meaning "to step or go back."

What does it mean when Mercury is retrograde?

Mercury completes its orbit in about 88 days, which is why we typically experience three to four Mercury retrogrades each year.

According to astrologers, Mercury rules the mind and communication as well as travel, commerce and technology. That's why Mercury can be blamed for travel delays, technology problems and people from your past coming back into the picture, they say.

• Dec. 29, 2022-Jan. 18, 2023 – In Capricorn (completed)
• April 21-May 14 – In Taurus (completed)
• Aug. 23-Sept. 15 – In Virgo (completed)
• Dec. 13-Jan. 2, 2024 – In Capricorn and Sagittarius

Planets experiencing retrogrades in December 2023

This year, every planet in our solar system will have retrograded, including the dwarf planet Pluto. That excludes the Earth, because the planets are retrograding from Earth's perspective.

Retrograde calendars for 2023 and 2024

Ancient history of noting retrogrades

Claudius Ptolemy, an ancient Greek astronomer, had one of the first written records of explaining retrograde motion in the second century A.D. The Ptolemaic model depicted planets moving around Earth in a big circle, known as a deferent, then going around a smaller circle while retrograding, called an epicycle.

Though ancient astronomers didn't fully understand the solar system's movements, astrologers assigned meaning to the planets and how they moved through the skies, including their speed and direction.

In about the same era as Ptolemy, Hellenistic astrologer Vettius Valens wrote "The Anthology," the longest, most detailed treatise on astrology from that time period. Valens wrote, "If the star is setting or proceeding with a retrograde motion, it will be harmful and hazardous."

Abraham ben Meir Ibn Ezra, a medieval astrologer, wrote "The Beginning of Wisdom" in 1148 A.D. as a basic introduction to astrology. In it he wrote, "A planet about to turn retrograde is like a frightened person, fearing adversities that are coming to him."

Modern astrologers have a more benign approach to describing planetary retrogrades, calling them "an internalization of that planetary function." Because Mercury rules the mind and communication, Mercury's retrograde can be a time for reflection.

Jupiter retrograde

Jupiter takes about 12 years to orbit the sun and retrogrades once every nine months for about four months. 

According to astrologers, Jupiter rules luck, expansion, philosophy and spirituality. While in retrograde, it can be a time to pause and examine how you're aligning with the big-picture goals of your life.

• Sept. 4 through Dec. 31 – In Taurus

Uranus retrograde

Uranus takes about 84 years to orbit the sun and retrogrades once every year for five to six months.

According to astrologers, Uranus rules disruption, revolution and innovation. It may be more difficult to come up with new ideas during its retrograde.

Because Uranus spends about half the year in retrograde like Neptune and Pluto, its retrograde effects may not be felt as strongly as those of the planets closer to Earth. 

• Aug. 29 through Jan. 27, 2024 – In Taurus