Mercury Retrograde August 2024

The second Mercury retrograde phase of 2024 lasts from August 5 to 28, moving from 4° Virgo to 21° Leo.

Mercury retrograde causes problems with thinking and communication, which can negatively impact relationships and even travel. Mercury retrograde in August 2024 aligns with Venus, the planet of love, peace and money.

While Venus may have a harmonizing influence on communications, Mercury retrograde could complicate relationships, delay peace negotiations and cause financial stress. Venus is also influenced by a fixed star that favors war over peace.

Mercury Retrograde Meaning

From Earth, Mercury appears to move backward in the sky (retrograde motion) three or four times a year for about 24 days. Mercury in retrograde is generally problematic, affecting your thinking and communication. However, there are also positives, such as recalling fond memories or unexpectedly meeting up with people from your past.

However, the most common effects include confusion, anxiety, disagreement, technology breakdowns, lousy news, travel delays and lost items. Business negotiations may be in a state of flux. Some crucial details may not yet be available, and others may be unreliable or dishonest. For more information, see Mercury Retrograde Natal and Transit.

Shadow Phases

The retrograde phase is just one part of the retrograde cycle. Mercury travels direct, retrograde, and direct again over the same degrees, or “the retrograde zone.” The riskiest times for decision-making, negotiations, communication, and transport are the few days on either side of the exact retrograde and direct stations.

1st shadow phase	July 16 to August 5	21° Leo to 4° Virgo
Retrograde phase	August 5 to 28	4° Virgo to 21° Leo
2nd shadow phase	August 28 to September 11	21° Leo to 4° Virgo

Mercury stations retrograde on August 5, 2024, at 04°06′ Virgo. The only aspect to Mercury is the conjunction to Venus.

Mercury Retrograde August 2024

Mercury conjunct Venus encourages personal interaction, making communications more harmonious and pleasant. It helps you share your love and affection, which is ideal for socializing, making friends and dating. It usually brings people together and encourages cooperation by giving diplomatic and negotiating skills to resolve conflicts, find peaceful settlements to disputes, and break down barriers to progress.

However, Mercury’s retrograde influence may cause tension in relationships as differences in ideas or plans become more apparent. Carelessness with words and a tendency to be opinionated could lead to disagreements or conflict. Financial stress is also possible.

Mercury Retrograde August 2024 Constellation

Mercury stations retrograde is in the Sign of Virgo, but as the star map below shows, it is located in Constellation Leo. The Signs and the Constellations do not match up. Over the last 2000 years, the Constellations have moved nearly 30° out of alignment with the Signs because of the precession of the equinoxes.

The Zodiac was invented only as a measuring device. The degrees on the ecliptic line in the image below equate to those in the Mercury retrograde horoscope. I use the Fixed Star and Constellation like the ancient astrologers, not the Signs and Houses of modern astrology.

Mercury Retrograde August 2024

Mercury in Leo Constellation gives optimism, persistence, ambition, determination, self-confidence, organizing ability, a tendency to ‘lead and direct,’ high ideals, and a strong, positive and persevering intellect. It can make you impressionable, strong-minded, appreciative, witty, entertaining and dramatically eloquent but sometimes blunt and outspoken.

However, with Mercury retrograde, it can give a tendency to brag and make you too abrupt, rude, crude, prejudiced, demanding, tactless, officious, arrogant, fickle, blunt in speech, overbearing in attitude, of a low sensual nature and inconstant in affections. ^[1]

Mercury retrograde does not align with any major fixed stars, but it is affected by Venus conjunct fixed star Regulus at 00°09′ Virgo.

Regulus gives violence, destructiveness, military honor of short duration, with ultimate failure, imprisonment, violent death, success, high and lofty ideals and strength of spirit, and makes its natives magnanimous, grandly liberal, generous, ambitious, fond of power, desirous of command, high-spirited and independent.

With Venus: Many disappointments, unexpected happenings, violent attachments and trouble through love affairs. ^[2]

Summary

Mercury entered the retrograde zone on July 16, 2024, at 21°24′ Leo.
Mercury stations retrograde on August 5, 2024, at 04°06′ Virgo.
Mercury stations direct on August 28, 2024, at 21°24′ Leo [see chart].
Mercury leaves the retrograde zone on September 11, 2024, at 04°06′ Virgo.
See Mercury Transits for more detail on how Mercury retrograde April 2024 affects your birth chart.