Transits · Mercury
Mercury transit and Mercury retrograde 2026 to 2028: Budh gochar dates
When Mercury (Budh) enters each sign from 2026 to 2028, with the hour in IST, and every Mercury retrograde period.
In short
Mercury (Budh) is in Tula (Libra) on 18 Oct 2026 and enters Vrishchika (Scorpio) on 2 Dec 2026, between 5 pm and 6 pm IST. The tables give every sign change and retrograde from 2026 to 2028, from Astrojar's engine (sidereal zodiac, Lahiri ayanamsa).
Mercury transit dates 2026 to 2028
| Date | Leaves | Enters | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Jan 2026 | Dhanu (Sagittarius) | Makara (Capricorn) | between 10 am and 11 am IST |
| 3 Feb 2026 | Makara (Capricorn) | Kumbha (Aquarius) | between 9 pm and 10 pm IST |
| 11 Apr 2026 | Kumbha (Aquarius) | Meena (Pisces) | between 1 am and 2 am IST |
| 30 Apr 2026 | Meena (Pisces) | Mesha (Aries) | between 6 am and 7 am IST |
| 15 May 2026 | Mesha (Aries) | Vrishabha (Taurus) | between midnight and 1 am IST |
| 29 May 2026 | Vrishabha (Taurus) | Mithuna (Gemini) | between 11 am and noon IST |
| 22 Jun 2026 | Mithuna (Gemini) | Karka (Cancer) | between 3 pm and 4 pm IST |
| 7 Jul 2026 | Karka (Cancer) | Mithuna (Gemini) | between 10 am and 11 am IST |
| 5 Aug 2026 | Mithuna (Gemini) | Karka (Cancer) | between 7 pm and 8 pm IST |
| 22 Aug 2026 | Karka (Cancer) | Simha (Leo) | between 7 pm and 8 pm IST |
| 7 Sep 2026 | Simha (Leo) | Kanya (Virgo) | between 1 pm and 2 pm IST |
| 26 Sep 2026 | Kanya (Virgo) | Tula (Libra) | between noon and 1 pm IST |
| 2 Dec 2026 | Tula (Libra) | Vrishchika (Scorpio) | between 5 pm and 6 pm IST |
| 22 Dec 2026 | Vrishchika (Scorpio) | Dhanu (Sagittarius) | between 7 am and 8 am IST |
| 10 Jan 2027 | Dhanu (Sagittarius) | Makara (Capricorn) | between midnight and 1 am IST |
| 28 Jan 2027 | Makara (Capricorn) | Kumbha (Aquarius) | between 3 am and 4 am IST |
| 24 Feb 2027 | Kumbha (Aquarius) | Makara (Capricorn) | between 4 am and 5 am IST |
| 12 Mar 2027 | Makara (Capricorn) | Kumbha (Aquarius) | between 5 am and 6 am IST |
| 5 Apr 2027 | Kumbha (Aquarius) | Meena (Pisces) | between 4 pm and 5 pm IST |
| 22 Apr 2027 | Meena (Pisces) | Mesha (Aries) | between 8 am and 9 am IST |
| 6 May 2027 | Mesha (Aries) | Vrishabha (Taurus) | between noon and 1 pm IST |
| 23 May 2027 | Vrishabha (Taurus) | Mithuna (Gemini) | between 6 pm and 7 pm IST |
| 30 Jul 2027 | Mithuna (Gemini) | Karka (Cancer) | between 6 pm and 7 pm IST |
| 14 Aug 2027 | Karka (Cancer) | Simha (Leo) | between 11 am and noon IST |
| 31 Aug 2027 | Simha (Leo) | Kanya (Virgo) | between 2 am and 3 am IST |
| 21 Sep 2027 | Kanya (Virgo) | Tula (Libra) | between 6 pm and 7 pm IST |
| 21 Oct 2027 | Tula (Libra) | Kanya (Virgo) | between 8 am and 9 am IST |
| 5 Nov 2027 | Kanya (Virgo) | Tula (Libra) | between 5 pm and 6 pm IST |
| 26 Nov 2027 | Tula (Libra) | Vrishchika (Scorpio) | between midnight and 1 am IST |
| 15 Dec 2027 | Vrishchika (Scorpio) | Dhanu (Sagittarius) | between 2 am and 3 am IST |
| 2 Jan 2028 | Dhanu (Sagittarius) | Makara (Capricorn) | between 8 pm and 9 pm IST |
| 9 Mar 2028 | Makara (Capricorn) | Kumbha (Aquarius) | between 10 am and 11 am IST |
| 28 Mar 2028 | Kumbha (Aquarius) | Meena (Pisces) | between 1 pm and 2 pm IST |
| 13 Apr 2028 | Meena (Pisces) | Mesha (Aries) | between 11 pm and midnight IST |
| 27 Apr 2028 | Mesha (Aries) | Vrishabha (Taurus) | between 8 pm and 9 pm IST |
| 5 Jul 2028 | Vrishabha (Taurus) | Mithuna (Gemini) | between 5 pm and 6 pm IST |
| 21 Jul 2028 | Mithuna (Gemini) | Karka (Cancer) | between 2 pm and 3 pm IST |
| 5 Aug 2028 | Karka (Cancer) | Simha (Leo) | between 7 am and 8 am IST |
| 23 Aug 2028 | Simha (Leo) | Kanya (Virgo) | between 1 pm and 2 pm IST |
| 30 Oct 2028 | Kanya (Virgo) | Tula (Libra) | between 8 am and 9 am IST |
| 17 Nov 2028 | Tula (Libra) | Vrishchika (Scorpio) | between 6 pm and 7 pm IST |
| 6 Dec 2028 | Vrishchika (Scorpio) | Dhanu (Sagittarius) | between 10 pm and 11 pm IST |
| 26 Dec 2028 | Dhanu (Sagittarius) | Makara (Capricorn) | between 10 pm and 11 pm IST |
Each date is when Mercury enters the sign, in Indian time; the hour is the window in which Astrojar's engine shows the change.
Mercury retrograde 2026 to 2028
| Turns retrograde | In | Turns direct | In |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Feb 2026 | Kumbha (Aquarius) | 21 Mar 2026 | Kumbha (Aquarius) |
| 29 Jun 2026 | Karka (Cancer) | 24 Jul 2026 | Mithuna (Gemini) |
| 24 Oct 2026 | Tula (Libra) | 13 Nov 2026 | Tula (Libra) |
| 9 Feb 2027 | Kumbha (Aquarius) | 3 Mar 2027 | Makara (Capricorn) |
| 10 Jun 2027 | Mithuna (Gemini) | 5 Jul 2027 | Mithuna (Gemini) |
| 7 Oct 2027 | Tula (Libra) | 28 Oct 2027 | Kanya (Virgo) |
| 24 Jan 2028 | Makara (Capricorn) | 14 Feb 2028 | Makara (Capricorn) |
| 21 May 2028 | Vrishabha (Taurus) | 14 Jun 2028 | Vrishabha (Taurus) |
| 19 Sep 2028 | Kanya (Virgo) | 11 Oct 2028 | Kanya (Virgo) |
Retrograde dates are the same in Vedic and Western astrology; only the signs differ, because the sidereal zodiac used here is about 24° behind the tropical one.
Questions about Mercury's transit
How often is Mercury retrograde?
Three or four times a year, for about three weeks each time.
Are Mercury retrograde dates the same everywhere?
The day can differ by one across time zones; the dates here are in Indian time. Vedic and Western astrology agree on them; only the signs differ.
Sources
- Dates and positions: Astrojar's chart engine (Lahiri ayanamsa, sidereal zodiac, true lunar node), sampled at noon IST and refined to the hour for each sign change and retrograde station.
- Good houses from the Moon sign for Jupiter (2, 5, 7, 9, 11) and for Saturn, Rahu and Ketu (3, 6, 11); Sade Sati, Ashtama and Kantaka Shani: Phaladeepika ch. 26 (gochara), as Astrojar's transit rules use it.
This is the traditional reading of the classical texts, given for learning and reflection. It is not a prediction for you, and not medical, legal or financial advice.
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