• Heads up: Mercury is going retrograde in Taurus on April 21, 2023.
  • Mercury goes retrograde three times a year, and this round, it may impact how you feel about certain past decisions.
  • Mercury in retrograde will affect all zodiac signs, but Taurus and Scorpio will feel its effects the most.

It’s finally (finally!) spring. The sun is out, flowers are blooming, and pretty much everything is bright and shining. So, naturally, the universe decided it’s a good time for Mercury to go retrograde.

Sure, Mercury in retrograde has a pretty bad reputation. But, despite popular belief, this astrological event doesn’t mean the world is going to implode or anything—it just might mean life becomes a tad more difficult.

For the record, there are usually three Mercury retrogrades a year. Each one is synced up with a different astrological sign, giving it a special vibe. This time around, Mercury goes retrograde on April 21, 2023 in the sign of Taurus—and that can impact how you feel about certain decisions you’ve made in life, says Donna Page, a certified astrologer in Atlanta. Naturally, it’s a little more complicated than that.

Here’s everything your zodiac sign can expect from the latest Mercury in retrograde.

What is Mercury in retrograde, again?

Fun fact: All planets go retrograde at some point, not just Mercury. But when Mercury is in retrograde, it looks like it’s moving backward in the sky. In astrology, Mercury is the planet that rules over communication, so when it goes retrograde, that usually means things get shaken up a bit since communication affects pretty much everything.

How will April's Mercury in retrograde impact your zodiac sign?

Because this Mercury in retrograde is happening in the sign of Taurus, it’ll have you rethinking a few things. On a macro level, are you comfortable with where you are in life? Like, do you have the career you thought you would and the love life you’ve lusted after, or are you not quite there yet?

There’s no judgment here, by the way: You’ll just simply think about what is (and isn’t), and then mull over how to tweak things to make life as awesome as it can be.

But Mercury in retrograde may have you semi-sweating the small stuff. Like, should you really have switched up your go-to Starbucks order on the same day as your big presentation, or would that have been better as a weekend move? What about that testy text you fired off to your SO without thinking—was that the absolute best thing you could have done, or did you just piss them off without meaning to? Was your answer at that work roundtable okay? Gah!

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Overall, just try to keep this in mind: What’s done is done…but maybe take a beat before you speak or text right around now. No biggie!

All zodiac signs will experience the impact of Mercury in retrograde, but Page says that Taurus and Scorpio will feel the effects the most.

How will Mercury in retrograde impact your sign in the future?

It’s natural to question things in life, whether it’s the direction you’re headed in or whether your tone came across too harsh in a text. But Mercury in retrograde will have your noggin' noodling a little more than usual.

That could sway you to make some bigger moves down the road, like searching for a new job or changing apartments, but it’s not necessarily going to push you to do anything this second—you’ll just think it over. And when you're ready, you'll feel more confident in your choice because you spent the time assessing it from every angle.

Also, PSA: Mercury in retrograde tends to last for about three weeks, Page says, so you won't be dealing with its effects forever. (When in doubt—or desperation—just think, "This too shall pass.")

In the meantime, try not to stress too hard about any past missteps or miscommunications. You can't undo what's been done—and besides, there’s so much more good stuff ahead.

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Korin Miller
Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Self, Glamour, and more. She has a master’s degree from American University, lives by the beach, and hopes to own a teacup pig and taco truck one day.