A Dramatic Mercury Retrograde Kicks Off Today—What It Means for Your Zodiac Sign
- - - A Dramatic Mercury Retrograde Kicks Off Today—What It Means for Your Zodiac Sign
Maressa BrownJuly 17, 2025 at 9:01 AM
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The Gist -
Mercury is going into retrograde in Leo on July 17.
This Mercury season fuels your inner fire and implores you to step into your power,
The signs that will feel Mercury’s retrograde in Leo are the fixed signs: Taurus (fixed earth), Leo (fixed fire), Scorpio (fixed water), and Aquarius (fixed air).
If it feels like the planets have been wreaking nonstop havoc nonstop so far in 2025, that’s because this year’s astrology is uniquely wild. Summertime might seem like the perfect time to catch a break—and, in a sense, that’s exactly what you’ll be urged to do for the next few weeks, thanks to Mercury retrograde.
Mercury, the planet of communication, is going retrograde in Leo, the action-oriented, spotlight-loving fire sign, on July 17-18 (depending on your time zone). In turn, you’ll have to slow down, revise, reimagine, and reinvent a particular area of your life (more on that in a moment). And it’s all for the greater purpose of bolstering your self-image, confidence, and even romantic life, all of which are Leo themes.
Mercury retrogrades tend to get a bad rap, and though they do come with their challenges, there are bright spots to every Mercury backspin. Here’s what to hold in mind to make the most of the second Mercury retrograde of 2025.
When is Mercury retrograde in Leo?
Although you may feel like Mercury retrograde is in full effect well before it technically is, thanks to the retroshade or pre-Mercury retrograde shadow, this Mercury retrograde officially begins on Thursday, July 17 at 9:45 p.m. PT/Friday, July 18 at 12:45 a.m. ET. It’ll move back through the fixed fire sign Leo until Monday, August 11 at 3:30 a.m. ET/12:30 a.m. PT.
What Mercury retrograde in Leo brings
To get a sense of how Mercury behaves when it’s retrograde in Leo, it can help to understand how it functions when it’s moving forward in the dynamic, charismatic, fiercely loyal fire sign. When the planet of communication is in the sign of the Lion, we’re all driven to be more assertive, direct, action-oriented, and even aggressive to fulfill our desires and claim center stage. Even if you tend to be more reserved, this Mercury season fuels your inner fire and implores you to step into your power, to own your voice, and to hone your confidence in order to stake your claim on whatever your heart wants. Leo, associated with the Fifth House of Romance and Self-Expression, adores creativity, pleasure, and the most spirited aspects of love and sex, like flirting and dating. So all of these themes are front and center while the messenger planet is direct in Leo.
And when Mercury—or any planet for that matter—goes retrograde, we’re tasked with doing more self-work and introspection around the themes of the planet and the sign it’s moving backward through. In this case, that means meditating on your self-image and identity. Are you showing up in the world as the most authentic version of yourself? What experiences, relationships, and projects inspire you to express yourself in the most genuine, empowered way possible, and how can you infuse your life with more of that energy?
Leo’s also concerned with being the star of your own life and making bold moves to turn even your loftiest goals into reality. That said, you have the chance, during this Mercury retrograde, to reflect on what you’ve been doing and what you might still need to do to get where you need to go.
As fast as we want to plow through life and check all those endless to-dos off a never ending list, Mercury retrograde insists that we slow down, and in Leo, slowing down could mean indulging in a luxurious spa day with a loved one, tapping into your artistic impulses to reorganize your wardrobe or jewelry collection, or going back to the drawing board on a creative endeavor you previously hit pause on. And given how head-over-heels Leo is for breathless, dramatic romance, this retrograde could deliver fireworks-inducing chemistry with your significant other or someone special, whether you’re revisiting a beloved getaway spot or recreating a memorable date night.
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What signs will Mercury retrograde in Leo affect the most?
The signs that will feel Mercury’s retrograde in Leo the most are the fixed signs: Taurus (fixed earth), Leo (fixed fire), Scorpio (fixed water), and Aquarius (fixed air). If you have major placements (meaning your sun, moon, rising, Mercury, etc.) in any of these signs, you’ll feel Mercury’s backspin through Leo more than others, especially if those placements fall between 4 to 15 degrees of a fixed sign. (That’s something you can pinpoint in your birth chart.)
It also bears noting that no matter what sign Mercury is retrograde in, the two signs ruled by the planet of communication tend to experience the transit more intensely—and that’s Gemini and Virgo.
Read on to learn how this Mercury retrograde in Leo will affect you based on your sign. (Be sure to read both your sun and your rising sign, which you can learn from your birth chart or by using this CafeAstrology calculator.)
Aries
Mercury retrograde has a rep for spurring hauntings from ghosty ex-flings and texts from exes, and that could actually be the case for you this time around, because it is activating your fifth house of romance. It’s important to bear in mind that Mercury is the trickster planet, so not every run-in with someone from your romantic past is a green light to rewrite history. On the contrary, it could be an invite to reflect on how far you’ve come since that previous chapter. This sector also oversees your creative self-expression, so consider revisiting a beloved artistic outlet to make your heart happy over the course of this transit.
Taurus
If you’re feeling like no matter what you say, you’re being misunderstood by family members or tech around the house seems to be glitching out all of a sudden, that’s because Mercury’s backspin is happening in your fourth house of home life. Headaches like these are enough to frustrate you, even with your long fuse, but take heart that there’s a silver lining, too. The message you’re being sent now is to slow down and take stock of everyday issues at home as well as your inner, emotional life overall. You have a chance to heal old wounds, to smooth over ongoing conflicts with loved ones, and redecorate or renovate your surroundings to bolster your sense of comfort and security.
Gemini
Prepare for a Mercury retrograde that’s pretty much as stereotypical as they come, replete with glitchy tech, crossed wires, confusing communication, and delays galore, because your ruler is moving backward through your third house of communication. This sector oversees learning, technology, short-distance travel, and interactions with friends, neighbors, and siblings, so any of these aspects of life are fair game for slowdowns and mix-ups. While this could inevitably test your patience, adopting a less frenzied, more chill pace can lead to personal growth. You could also find success from going back to the drawing board on a collaborative endeavor with your social circle.
Cancer
You’re being nudged to reflect on how you’ve been bringing your skills to the table to earn, invest, save, and otherwise attract money, because Mercury will be retrograde in your second house of income. It’s possible that your daily work and how you bring home a paycheck isn’t as aligned with your values as you would hope it to be, and now, you have an opportunity to reimagine this important component of your life. You could be inspired to reconnect with old colleagues or pull out previously backburnered proposals, either of which could serve to boost your bottom line. You’ll also have a chance to reflect on and nurture your self-worth, which also goes hand-in-hand with the rewards you manifest.
Leo
With Mercury moving backward in your sign and first house of self, you can’t help but really feel the weight of this slowdown — mentally and physically. You could be craving more downtime and a respite from your usual hustle, and you could be feeling a little resentful if it’s a struggle to fit it in. But you’ll do well to trust that taking your pace down a notch can actually serve to help you make even more impressive strides in the long-run. This is an opportunity to reinvent yourself — and your relationship to yourself. By diving into challenging but rewarding self-work, you could strengthen your self-image, identity, and personal style and claim the spotlight in a truly satisfying, lasting way.
Virgo
Mercury, your ruling planet, is moving backward in your twelfth house of spirituality, which can’t help but make your dreams more vivid. This could be a wonderful opportunity to revisit a meditation practice that you previously put a pin in or even start keeping a dream journal. You’ll be more in touch with your intuition than usual, so working on tuning into your inner voice — and trusting it over your often super-active mental chatter — is a super-productive use of this transit. At the same time, letting go of the need to be so productive is key now, too. You have the go-ahead to rest, recover, and reflect on how you’ve been caring for your mental well-being — which can ultimately help you take that approach to the next level.
Libra
Cue plenty of chances to reconnect and reunite with friends and coworkers from the past while Mercury moves back through your eleventh house of friendships. You could find that it’s easier than usual to catch up with your college besties or follow up on that communal experience you were interested in months back. You can also pick up where you left off on a team effort. And because this sector also oversees long-term wishes, you can revise your game plan for achieving a certain goal you’ve been working toward over the years. Of course talking it through with your social circle or trusted colleagues now can help, too.
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Scorpio
While Mercury moves back through your tenth house of career, you can reassess your strategy for achieving your professional aspirations. Perhaps it’s time to redefine success or rethink how you’re going to bat for your big picture goals. This Mercury retrograde is perfect for circling back on a major proposal that was put on the backburner or for revisiting a conversation with a higher-up related to advancing your position. And if you used to hold a certain kind of leadership position, you might also find you can reclaim the spotlight now.
Sagittarius
As Mercury moves back through your ninth house of higher learning, you’ll be even more aware of your wanderlust than usual and stirred to get out of your comfort zone — but it may be a little bit tougher than usual, thanks to the typical delays and confusion that can’t be helped this season. In turn, your best bet is to prioritize adventures that you enjoyed in the past but could build on now. If you’ve been itching to travel, consider a destination that’s familiar or even tied to a summertime tradition, and if you want to soak up knowledge, reconnecting with a mentor from the past could be especially fulfilling now.
Capricorn
With Mercury retrograde in your eighth house of intimacy, you’ll be nudged to reflect on your comfort level within your closest relationship. Are there emotional challenges you’ve been sweeping under the rug? If so, you could find you’re empowered to address these issues head-on. Wearing your heart on your sleeve could be especially challenging, but you’ll find that embracing the pull to do just that can prove even more rewarding than usual now. And because this sector also deals with shared resources, you can join forces with a loved one or a significant other to edit your game plan for achieving financial aspirations that ultimately benefit you both.
Aquarius
You’re being presented with a chance to heal any old or ongoing rockiness with a dear friend, loved one, significant other, or even business partner, thanks to Mercury moving back through your seventh house of partnership. Sure, you could feel as though you’re speaking a different language than your partner at times over the course of this transit, but having to work a bit harder to get on the same page can lead to even more satisfying results. And the romantic silver lining: If you’re attached, you can take walks down memory lane that are sure to relight the spark with someone special, and if you're single, you could reconnect with someone from the past whose company inspires a helpful breakthrough tied to your one-on-one bonds.
Pisces
What’s old is new again when it comes to your everyday hustle and fitness routine, given that Mercury’s retrograde in your sixth house of wellness. Sure, this transit could resurrect chores, errands, projects, and other everyday business that you have to deal with, because it’s a loose end that requires tying up now. But you could also infuse your self-care plan with a dreamier, more meditative vibe. You might jump back into a yoga, meditation, or other mind-body practice you hit pause on months or even years ago. And the urge to do less is also something to pay attention to. You could find that saying “no” to to-dos that aren’t top priority opens the door for feeling more centered and vital overall.
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