Expect delays, tech issues. First Mercury retrograde of 2026 is upon us.

Get ready, Mercury will enter its first retrograde period this year from Feb. 26 through March 20.

As the planet of communication appears to move backward in the sky, expect delays or glitches in areas like travel, contracts, conversations and technology.

What is retrograde?

A planetary retrograde is when a planet appears to be moving backward in the sky from our perspective here on Earth, even though it's traveling straight in its orbit.

"Retrograde" comes from the Latin word "retrogradus," which combines the words "retro," which means "backward," and "gradus," which means "step." The word "anapodizō," which means "to step or go back," was used by the ancient Greeks.

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When Mercury is retrograde, what does it mean?

Because Mercury takes about 88 days to complete its orbit, we usually see three or four Mercury retrogrades a year. This year, Mercury will also retrograde from Jun. 29 - Jul. 23 and Oct. 24 - Nov. 13.

Astrologers say Mercury regulates travel, business, technology and communication, as well as the mind. That's why Mercury can be blamed for travel delays, technology problems and people from your past coming back into the picture, they say.

During this retrograde, Mercury will transit in the sign of Pisces where astrologers ascertain it to be in both its detriment and fall – meaning that Mercurial topics like data and analysis don't excel as much in a sign known for emotions and abstraction.

What other planets will retrograde this year?

The Milky Way's outer planets, including Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, retrograde annually. Venus retrogrades once every 18 months and Mars retrogrades once every 26 months.

In 2026, every planet in our solar system besides Mars (and obviously Earth) will retrograde.

2026 retrograde calendar

Facts about Mercury

Mercury is the first planet in our solar system, closest to the sun, so its daytime temperatures can rise to 800 degrees Fahrenheit. It has no atmosphere, so nighttime temperatures can drop as low as minus 290 degrees, according to NASA.

• It's the tiniest planet in our system, just a little larger than Earth's moon.
• It's fast, too: Mercury can orbit the sun in just 88 Earth days. Earth takes 365 days, 6 hours and 9 minutes to circle the sun.
• Mercury was created about 4.5 billion years ago as gravity drew spinning gas and dust together.

Astrological history of noting retrogrades

Claudius Ptolemy, an ancient Greek astronomer, had one of the first written records of explaining retrograde motion in the second century A.D. The Ptolemaic model depicted planets moving around Earth in a big circle, known as a deferent, then going around a smaller circle while retrograding, called an epicycle.

Though ancient astronomers didn't fully understand the solar system's movements, astrologers assigned meaning to the planets and how they moved through the skies, including their speed and direction.

In about the same era as Ptolemy, Hellenistic astrologer Vettius Valens wrote "The Anthology," the longest, most detailed treatise on astrology from that time period. Valens wrote, "If the star is setting or proceeding with a retrograde motion, it will be harmful and hazardous."

Abraham ben Meir Ibn Ezra, a medieval astrologer, wrote "The Beginning of Wisdom" in 1148 A.D. as a basic introduction to astrology. In it he wrote, "A planet about to turn retrograde is like a frightened person, fearing adversities that are coming to him."

Modern astrologers have a more benign approach to describing planetary retrogrades, calling them "an internalization of that planetary function." Because Mercury rules the mind and communication, Mercury's retrograde can be a time for reflection.

SOURCE The Planetary Society, Sacramento State University, Astrology.com, astro-seek.com and USA TODAY research