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Retrograde calendar 2016

Every retrograde of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn — the dates each planet turns back and turns forward again, and the signs it moves through, in the sidereal (Vedic) zodiac.

The year at a glance

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
☿︎ Mercury
♀︎ Venus
♂︎ Mars
♃︎ Jupiter
♄︎ Saturn

Each bar runs from the day a planet turns retrograde to the day it turns direct.

Every retrograde in 2016

☿︎ Mercury retrograde 2016

  • 5 Jan – 25 Jan · 20 daysCapricorn 6°58′ back into Sagittarius 20°50′
  • 28 Apr – 22 May · 24 daysAries 29°31′ back to 20°15′
  • 30 Aug – 22 Sep · 23 daysVirgo 4°59′ back into Leo 20°44′
  • 19 Dec – 8 Jan 2017 · 20 daysSagittarius 21°02′ back to 4°46′

♀︎ Venus retrograde 2016

Venus doesn't go retrograde in 2016.

♂︎ Mars retrograde 2016

  • 17 Apr – 29 Jun · 73 daysScorpio 14°49′ back into Libra 28°58′

♃︎ Jupiter retrograde 2016

  • 8 Jan – 9 May · 122 daysLeo 29°10′ back to 19°10′

♄︎ Saturn retrograde 2016

  • 25 Mar – 13 Aug · 141 daysScorpio 22°19′ back to 15°41′

Sidereal zodiac (lahiri ayanāṁśa), computed with the Swiss Ephemeris; stations to the minute in UT, so the local date can differ by a day. Periods that start in the year before or end in the year after are included. Rāhu and Ketu always move backwards.

Questions about retrogrades

When is Mercury retrograde in 2016?

4 times: 5 Jan – 25 Jan (in Capricorn back into Sagittarius); 28 Apr – 22 May (in Aries); 30 Aug – 22 Sep (in Virgo back into Leo); 19 Dec – 8 Jan 2017 (in Sagittarius). Dates are UT.

Which planets go retrograde in 2016?

Mercury 4×, Venus — none, Mars 1×, Jupiter 1×, Saturn 1×.

What does retrograde mean?

Seen from Earth, a planet sometimes appears to slow down, stop and move backwards through the zodiac for a while, then turn forward again. The two turning points are its stations. Classically, a retrograde planet's matters tend to come through review, delay or second attempts — tendencies, not verdicts.

Why are the signs different from Western retrograde calendars, but not the dates?

The stations are the same instants in any zodiac. Vedic astrology uses the sidereal zodiac (here with the Lahiri ayanāṁśa), about 24° behind the tropical one, so the sign named is often the one before.

Do Rahu and Ketu go retrograde?

They always move backwards — that is their normal motion — so they have no retrograde periods to list.

How often does each planet go retrograde?

Mercury three or four times a year for about three weeks; Venus every 18 months for about six weeks; Mars every 26 months for two to three months; Jupiter and Saturn about once a year for four to five months.