Ahoy, star seeds!

The second Mercury retrograde of 2025 is happening, ushering in a period of slowdowns within Leo, a sign famous for its attention-seeking energy, grand displays, theatrical performances, and dramatic departures.

When does Mercury go into retrograde?

This retrograde will see our planet of communication, information, and social interactions take a pause, moving backward on Friday, July 18th, 2025, starting at 12:45 AM EST at 15°34 of Leo.

Mercury will remain in retrograde until August 11th at 3:29 a.m. when it will station direct at 4°14 Leo.

The planet will clear its post-retrograde shadow, or retroshade, on August 25th.

What happens during Mercury retrograde?

Mercury takes its name from the Roman trickster god associated with thievery, communication, and commerce. This wing-footed deity was known for his persuasive speech and served as a guide for souls to the underworld while delivering messages far and wide.

In astrology, Mercury governs cognition and communication, how we gather, process and disperse knowledge, and exchange ideas with others.

When a planet is retrograde, its energy works in the opposite direction, not necessarily against us, but certainly not as a trusted sidekick. Because Mercury governs the mind, its retrograde triggers challenges in organizing, expressing, and creating order.

An astrological PSA: Planets do not ever move backward in space; they merely slow their proverbial rolls, a deceleration that looks like a reversal from our vantage here on beautiful, broken planet Earth.

Retrogrades invite us to lean hard and clean into the prefix “re”: reimagine, revise, repent, reflect, review, renew, reconcile, resolve, and reorganize so that when the planet moves forward, so, too, can we.

This summons to reflect and restrain is especially arduous when Leo is holding court, as the sign is more interested in the expression than contemplation and more likely to roar than ruminate.

Mercury in Leo

Leo is the home of the ham, and Mercury is the planet of exchange. When these two energies meet, communication is a bold blend of gregariousness, galvanization, and self-aggrandizement.

When Mercury is moving forward in Leo, the energy oscillates between precocious child star and coercive dictator, wherein charm and expertly timed tantrums are used to yield desired results.

Yet, when Mercury retrogrades in Leo, we’re asked to examine why and when we express to impress and how we can lead with listening and temper our tempers with compassion.

At its brightest expression, Mercury in Leo is a lion-hearted, creative, and stalwart steward of the inner child.

While words are a tripwire and tempers a flare gun during Mercury retrograde, channeling this fire into the healthy outlet of creative expression can be a beautiful redirect; think dancing over rage texting, painting over pontificating, and hugging yourself tightly versus hurling hurt at others.

How often does Mercury go into retrograde?

Mercury goes retrograde three to four times a year, typically for about three weeks.

Mercury retrograde in July

Common symptoms of Mercury’s retrograde include travel delays, brain fog, unexpected or renewed conflict, sexts sent to the wrong recipient, general malaise, and frequent misunderstandings.

In a recent episode of “The Bear,” one character assures another, “Honesty is sanity,” and never is the parable more applicable than during a Mercury retrograde.

That being said, and if you’ll excuse the platitude, timing is everything.

In tandem, the ethos of this retrograde is to speak true but sit tight.

Is there a Mercury retrograde right now?

Because Mercury retrograde is going down — or back, as it were—in fixed sign, those with personal planets falling in Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius will feel these effects most acutely — particularly those with planets or angles between 4 and 15 degrees.

Mercury’s retrograde is hitting team Taurus in the trigger-rich realm of family origins.

It would be easy, and in keeping with tradition, for you to meet challenging family dynamics with bitterness, stoicism, or seething resentment.

However, Mercury retrograde presents an opportunity to defy expectations and revise strategy. The last thing they’ll see coming and the quickest route to shock and awe? An apology.

Allow me to clarify with the sage advice of author Mark Matthews, “Apologizing does not always mean you’re wrong and the other person is right. It just means you value your relationship more than your ego.”

Ahoy Leo! Mercury is retrograding in your first house, which represents the self.

You may feel more like a dented tin cup than a shiny penny during this transit as the planet’s backpedal makes you question your identity, usually unshakable confidence, and conversational prowess.

However, it is precisely this kind of self-inquiry that can help you evolve in the way you communicate, teaching you to deepen your listening skills and approach each interaction as an opportunity to understand, rather than respond.

Merry retrograde parade to you, Scorpio.

This one is rounding the backstroke bases in your tenth house of legacy and personal purpose.

Where do you want to be, and are you making moves that support that course? As Mercury retrograde encourages us to review and revise, use this time to determine whether your idea of success is inborn or born of outside influence. Who are you trying to please, and does your ladder have a limit?

What messages, verbal, psychic, and physical, are you sending to your nearest and dearest, Aquarius? Further, what communicative currents are picking up on that you have thus far failed to address?

Mercury retrograde is coming correct for your seventh house of trusted partnerships, a summons to review what you spew and meditate on how you reciprocate.

You are not only capable but divinely designed to exchange with others in ways that serve your better angels and the principles of equality.

Astrologer Reda Wigle researches and irreverently reports on planetary configurations and their effect on each zodiac sign. Her horoscopes integrate history, poetry, pop culture, and personal experience. To book a reading, visit her website.