Outlook of the Mercury Year 2026
The coming year will bring major changes, as 4 large planets—Neptune, Saturn, Uranus, and Jupiter—will change signs in the first half of the year. Meanwhile, Pluto will manifest its permanent stay in Aquarius. With these four new sign positions, cosmic energy shifts to the faster-moving fire and air signs.
It’s no exaggeration to say that the approaching new era is gaining momentum. A closer look at the months reveals the following sign changes.
Neptune is the first to move into fiery Aries on January 26. Saturn follows on February 14, forming a conjunction with Neptune that is exact at 0° on February 20.
On April 26, Uranus moves into airy Gemini.
Finally, on June 30, Jupiter ingresses into fiery Leo.
What does this mean for us?
Since all planets will begin their journeys into the new signs in a forward motion, and no planet will retrograde into the previous signs, we can expect a tremendous surge of energy. While 2025 was rather sluggish and somewhat uneventful, the Year of Mercury will truly be a year of action. Starting as early as the end of January with the giant Neptune—and also Saturn from mid-February—a major energy shift will take place, moving from Pisces to Aries. The invisible, sometimes even quite convoluted ideas and wishful thinking that prevailed in Pisces will now give way to a direct and action-oriented potential associated with the sign of Aries. There will be little room for sentimentality here, however, as Neptune can have a disillusioning effect, bringing much-needed clarity to all matters. In conjunction with Saturn, the structure-giver, things that were previously nebulous and vague will suddenly become real.
Furthermore, our collective consciousness, symbolized by Uranus, receives a celestial boost as it finally moves from sluggish Taurus into its related sign of Gemini. Rapid progress could now occur in both the digital and physical worlds, but we must respond to this with prudence and flexibility. For not everything that is possible is truly beneficial to us as human beings.
All three major planets, Neptune, Uranus, and Pluto, have been moving within the so-called “small triangle” for quite some time. Now, following Pluto’s entry into Aquarius, Neptune (together with Saturn) and Uranus have also arrived in the fire and air signs, respectively, making the triangle exactly complete. This is a harmonious aspect pattern, consisting of two sextiles from Neptune to Pluto and Uranus, as well as a trine between Pluto and Uranus. This benevolent influence of the three major cosmic players in two air signs and one fire sign, does not, however, relieve us of the urgently needed grounding, that is, the (lack of) earth energy. With so much air and fire at play, which seek to transform extremely daring thought experiments into creative visions, we could easily lose some focus here and there.
Therefore, it can probably be understood as a cosmic counterbalance that Mercury is retrograde this year in the water signs—specifically, in Pisces from February 26th to March 20th, in Cancer from June 29th to July 27th, and finally in Scorpio from October 24th to November 13th. Venus also slows its orbit on October 3rd and is retrograde in Scorpio until November 14th. Thus, Mercury and Venus remain in the water signs for a much longer period.
The cosmic “life in the place,” emanating from the so-called impersonal planets, must first be processed on a personal level in the emotional water signs. This makes a lot of sense—especially since Jupiter remains in the cardinal water sign Cancer until the end of June, after which it too moves into the creative sign of Leo. We should therefore clarify everything emotionally before we can fully realize our plans and visions by the end of the year.
A quick personal note:
Unfortunately, there won’t be an astrological calendar this year. However, I’m producing new videos about the planets and zodiac signs, which will be published on my astrology podcast ‘Let’s talk about astrology’ on YouTube. If more convenient for you, the script can be translated in other languages. If you’d like to stay up-to-date, simply subscribe to my astrology newsletter in the box below, and you’ll receive regular updates.
Now, I wish you a powerful new year 2026 and wonderful stars!
Your astro coach, Sabine