Whenever Mercury goes retrograde, the three-week transit calls us to prioritize introspection over plowing forward. Given how wired we are to move ahead at lightning speed, being nudged to slow down and go inward can be frustrating. But as the author of Mercury Magic: How to Thrive During Retrogrades and Tap Into the Power of the Messenger Planet All Year Long, I can assure you that given how frequently the transit occurs (three or four times a year), it can pay to lean into what this particular celestial weather asks of us — not to mention the opportunities we’re presented with — while the messenger planet moves backward.
For the third and final time in 2026, Mercury is currently retrograde, having kicked off the transit on Sunday, October 24 at 3:13 a.m. ET/12:13 a.m. PT. Now, a few days into Mercury’s backtrack through deeply feeling, intense fixed water sign Scorpio, there are several silver linings to consider and strive to make the most of.
Mercury’s presence in Scorpio serves to intensify our thinking and communication, which can make its time there ideal for having hard-hitting conversations around taboo or challenging topics. That said, when it’s retrograde there, we have even more cerebral energy to put toward facing the shadow side of our emotions and addressing wounds from the past. You might be compelled to reach out to someone from your past to clear the air once and for all or to revisit a tense topic with your significant other or dearest friend.
It does bear noting that with not only Mercury retrograde in Scorpio but so many other planetary players in fixed signs — the sun, Mars, Pluto, the North and South Nodes — we’ll all be inclined toward black-and-white thinking and obstinance. With everyone more prone to digging their heels in when drudging up and through past hurts, embrace the Scorpionic drive for transformation and intimacy over maintaining power and control.
On October 30, Mercury will square off against aggressive Mars in Leo, which typically sets the stage for head butting and volatility. But this planetary clash won’t be felt as externally as it would if Mercury was direct. Instead, you can express and navigate difficult emotions and thoughts by pouring extra, Mars-fueled mental energy into creative, introspective outlets, like journaling or making up your own yoga flow.
Because Scorpio’s associated with the Eighth House of Shared Resources, Mercury’s backward turn through the sign primes this season for reviewing, reassessing, and revising financial projects and investments that involve money you share with someone else, such as a partner or family members. Some of these conversations could be downright uncomfortable, but that’s the point. You’ll find talks you previously put a pin in now take off. Or you could use this period to do research and reflection necessary ahead of having a big talk once Mercury moves forward on November 13 (think: discussing how to pay off debt or the best way to fund an aging loved one’s senior care, or how to tackle wills, estates, or inheritances).
Scorpio cares deeply about family as well as spiritual traditions that have been woven throughout time and generations, so as the messenger planet asks us to look in the rearview mirror, you have a unique chance to explore your family tree. You might be compelled to discuss generational trauma in therapy, interview senior relatives, or dig up information about ancestors that adds more texture to your understanding of your lineage.
On November 4, an especially gorgeous silver lining presents itself when Mercury is cazimi with the sun, illuminating epiphanies, realizations, and paths that have been developing over the course of the retrograde. Because this Mercury cazimi is in Scorpio, you could come across pertinent information in an intuitive way, perhaps in a dream or by connecting with spirit guides. Realizations might also come through in a way that feels intensely, honestly emotional versus pragmatic and direct. Try to be open to whatever comes up, and don’t put too much pressure on yourself to immediately combine various puzzle pieces into a complete picture, because Scorpio energy works at its own unhurried pace.