The first day of 2023 was the tail end of the previous Mercury retrograde, and since then Mercury has been direct, until just now. Mercury retrograde April 2023 reminds us that proper preparation prevents poor performance.
It's crazy to imagine that the second Mercury retrograde 2023 is upon us again, with the Mercury retrograde shadow period already in full swing. Mercury is the planet of communication.
This time around, the retrograde kicks off just after the New Moon April 2023 and the Solar Eclipse April 2023. No, we're not kidding, of all the months in your astrology 2023 calendar - April is about to shake a lot of things up.
In the heavenly realms of astrology, it rules everything around thinking patterns, reasoning, mentality, and adaptability.
Careers linked with Mercury are journalism and publishing, and any career around communication – the print press, books, TV work, and radio. Editing and producing within those industries. Teaching is also a Mercurial job, as is negotiating, like in sales and marketing.
In mythology, Mercury is the messenger of the Gods and so in modern times it is associated with all our communication technology – phones, tablets, and computers big and small. Headphones, printers, streaming devices, and broadcasting devices too.
Mercury rules two star signs – neat and tidy Virgo and fun-loving chaotic Gemini.
What happens when Mercury is in retrograde?
When the planet Mercury appears to be going backward in the sky, we say that Mercury is retrograde. Understandably, the planet of communication turning backward can cause mayhem.
It happens 3-4 times a year, for 3-4 weeks each time.
When Mercury goes retrograde, all the above behaviors, industries, and tools can be affected. Our TV, phones, and headsets. Cousin Jen who works in radio, and Uncle Saeed the teacher. Not to mention every Gemini we know.
All those Mercurial connections run into trouble during the retrograde period, so turn your auto-save on, and take a deep breath.
When is Mercury retrograde?
- April 7 – The pre-retrograde shadow starts here. Some pockets of misunderstanding will bubble up here and there, but nothing dramatic should happen before the planet takes that backspin.
- April 21 – Mercury is now retrograde and this will be the case for the next three and a half weeks. Take everything with a pinch of salt, from job offers to exes coming back. We’re in a period of surreal existence, and inexplicable things are likely to take place a few times a week. Especially anything around your tech, like your phone refusing to charge or your laptop trackpad going on strike – this is Mercury’s doing.
- May 14 - The main event is over for now. You did great. Survival is an achievement and here we are! We can start trying to restore anything missing from our cloud storage and reestablish friendships that have taken a hit, but the shadow period isn’t over for another couple of weeks.
- May 31 – Mopping up the last of the Mercury issues, the post-retrograde shadow is now ending. August 23 sees Mercury station retrograde again, this time in Virgo.
Mercury retrograde April 2023 horoscope
Read on to discover how Mercury retrograde April 2023 will affect you, depending on your star sign. For the most accurate reading, look at your sun sign moon sign, or rising sign according to your astrology birth chart.
Aries
In one sense, you feel as if the worst of Mercury retrograde 2023 has missed you this time. It arrives a couple of days after Aries season 2023 is over, and the Aries Moon is done too. Mercury itself was in Aries at the start of April but that’s changed, so a part of you feels like you got away scot-free and this will be an easy ride. But on the other hand…generous Jupiter is in your sign, so impressive job offers may be presented to you. And your ruling planet Mars is in loving Cancer, so you feel that your love life may be on the up for once – and then Mercury retrograde comes and shuffles the whole deck for you. Don’t let the panic get to you – you are handling it just fine, and the worst that the retrograde can do to you, is mess with stuff that you don’t really worry about anyway.
Taurus
The moment you’ve not been waiting for has arrived, Taurus. Mercury retrograde April 2023 is all yours. For three whole weeks and a little longer, Mercury is retrograde in Taurus. Your sign loves peace, predictability, and routine. With the Mercury retrograde in your very sign, you’re likely to receive the opposite - so be warned. The good news is, that it’s not all day and it’s not every day – just enough to throw you off balance here and there.
Gemini
You and Virgo are the two signs that are ruled by Mercury, which means that the retrograde can send you into a tailspin and it feels kind of personal. The lucky thing for you, however, is that whereas Virgos like their organized spaces, Geminis thrive in chaos, and chaos is exactly what Mercury retrograde April 2023 brings, so you don’t feel too out-of-alignment when it appears. Venus, the planet of love and beauty, is in your sign during most of the Mercury retro, so perhaps work meetings go unattended, and business emails go unanswered, but on the other hand, you’re a big hit romantically. One of the weird things that the retrograde does is bring old lovers back from the ashes – and you’ll have several surprising friend requests.
Cancer
This retrograde starts immediately following the New Moon in Aries. The second this year actually - which is rare. As the Moon grows, your sense of destiny grows. The Moon is your ruler and its rise and wane is something you feel in your very being. However, the Moon grows while Mercury is in chaos, which makes it harder for you to decide what direction you want to take. Introverted or extroverted, you can’t choose which. As it reaches its zenith on May 5, your sensitivity peaks and the remainder of the retrograde period is not so bad for you. The Moon wanes, and with it your concern for big decisions.
Leo
The whole retrograde happens when Mercury is in Taurus. Interestingly, the entire retrograde also occurs when the Sun is in Taurus. You are ruled by the Sun, so even though the retrograde can be a bit of a messy period for a pristine, dominant person such as yourself, the Taurus connection makes Mercury retrograde April 2023 much less intimidating for you. Each day, as you’re living the reality of Taurus season, Mercury throws some Taurean spanners in the works. You can handle them all because they are predictable to you and familiar.
Virgo
Mercury is your ruling planet, which makes the retrogrades a little harder on you. Furthermore, Mercury retrograde April 2023 is in Taurus, which is an Earth sign like you – so it will impact Earth signs harder, because it will touch on communication hubs that are important to the Earth element. A messy desktop is one of your worst nightmares, and this retrograde could hit you where it hurts. Avoid the heartbreak of having to tidy up your apps again and again, by letting them get as chaotic as they like, until after Mercury’s done reversing. Leave the tidying up till then.
Libra
Libra and Taurus have many common traits. Both are ruled by the planet Venus, which is the goddess of love and beauty, and the planet of relationships and the home. Both Libra and Taurus value calm and stability, true love, and minimal drama. An attack on one of them is an attack on both, and so when Mercury is retrograde in Taurus, it’s not just Taurus that’s struggling with their postal deliveries and lost diary. Libra feels it too. Seek each other out for comfort and support.
Scorpio
Taurus and Scorpio sit opposite each other on the zodiacal wheel. This means that they complete each other, and are a perfect case of opposites attract. Where Taurus is straightforward, Scorpio likes to be complicated. If Taurus is the most traditional sign, Scorpio breaks all the rules. This opposition means that when Mercury is retrograde in Taurus, wreaking havoc on every Taurean sensibility, that’s exactly the time that Scorpio feels more at home in the world like things are going exactly your way.
Sagittarius
Your biggest gift is knowing how to laugh in the face of danger. Mercury retrograde isn’t exactly dangerous but it is certainly annoying. Your ability to laugh in the face of annoyance will be tested. Your free spirit and adventurous nature mean that you roll with the punches and don’t let anything get you down – and do you know who could use this kind of attitude during the retrograde? Literally everyone. Get out there, laugh a lot, and call your friends. Their phones may be broken but their hearts are with you.
Capricorn
The previous Mercury retrograde was in your sign, Capricorn, and it felt kind of personal. This one isn’t yours – but it’s in Taurus, which is another Earth sign, so it’s still annoying. Earth signs like stability and security, and with the retrograde hitting you in the Earth, it will take away your sense of being on top of things. You, of all the Earth signs, have a special gift, of knowing how to navigate unexpected situations and switch them to your advantage. Use this gift, and ride the Mercury retrograde April 2023 all the way to the finish line.
Aquarius
It’s not Mercury retrograde April 2023 that’s stressing you - it’s Pluto. Mercury, planet of communication, stations retrograde on April 21 and doesn’t upset you at all. You’re a flexible character, and a broken phone screen doesn’t slow you down, nor does a missed call from the lottery office. However, another retrograde soon joins the chaos. Pluto, planet of death and rebirth has entered your sign in March for the first time in over 200 years. In May, Pluto goes retrograde, which, combined with Mercury, can create all sorts of havoc around you. Focus on holding on to your hat in terms of staying true to your values and humanitarian worth, and assess every situation from your own perspective, not anyone else’s, and you’ll survive both Mercury and the Pluto retrogrades.
Pisces
The weeks of Mercury retrograde April 2023 are fairly calm for you – your ruling planet Neptune is in your own sign, Pisces, and so you don’t expect a lot of surprises in terms of personal life, financial stability, or career path. However, since your interactions with others are central to your life, you’re a fan of communication, and so you’re bound to feel the shift in Mercury, planet of communication. Conversations taken out of context will feel ‘off’ to you. When you try to give a compliment and it is taken as an insult, or when you try to make plans with others and they misunderstand and do not show up – those events make you feel very out of alignment and stress you out. Be ready by planning to take time for yourself during the retrograde period.
