The 2026 Forecast: Retrogrades, Eclipses & Transits
After an extended period of healing and adjustment, 2026 gives the green light to move forward—not just with ambition, but courage, intention, and audacity. The cosmic landscape across the year calls for a change in how decisions are made, values are prioritized, and identity is expressed. But rather than an overnight transformation, 2026 teaches us that good things take time. This is a year for certainty that is no longer assumed, and faith backed by action.
Neptune rises in Aries on January 26, setting the tone for the year ahead. This signals a recalibration of how vision and impulse intersect. Imagination, ruled by Neptune, and bravery—tied to Aries—come into proximity, empowering us to bring form to our dreams. We’re on the move again, and unexpected twists and turns could test our stability or awaken new possibilities when Uranus retrograde ends in Taurus on February 3. This is a call for adjustment; it's a sign to step beyond the rigid perimeters of our comfort zones.
A New Cycle of Eclipses Begins
The first eclipse season of the year begins in February, drawing us toward emerging networks and organizations. A shared vision or social system is taking form—something that feels fresh and future-oriented under the February 17 Solar Eclipse in Aquarius. But the second eclipse—the March 3 Lunar Eclipse in Virgo—exposes where letting go of perfection becomes necessary to establish order. Between these two lunar events, Saturn’s fusion with Neptune clicks into place, and Mercury stations retrograde in Pisces (from February 26 to March 20). This marks a chapter of confronting illusions sold to us and also those shaped by our own ideals and expectations.
The first quarter of 2026 draws to a close with the end of Jupiter's retrograde in self-protective Cancer on March 10. This indicates a deeper understanding that emotional security is cultivated within. As we move toward the March 20 Equinox—the New Year aligned with the seasons—positive and growth-inspired energy is directed to what sustains life over time: home, family units, tradition, and values.
Changing the Way We Think
Uranus weaves back into Gemini on April 25-26, energizing collective curiosity and accelerating the spread of ideas. Innovating shifts in media and communications are illuminating narratives we have yet to question. By May 6, Pluto’s annual retrograde begins in Aquarius, the humanitarian archetype. Our reflection deepens with a focus on structural dynamics and the unconscious influence of collective ideology. Transformation starts with the conscious questioning of authority, influence, and hidden forces of power and control.
Asteroid Chiron’s movement through enduring Taurus from June 19 draws attention to the wounds we carry around value, safety, and self-trust. Confronting our Achilles heel and sensitivity is a gradual and uncomfortable process. However, it's the gateway to discovering how we measure our worth through external markers—money, productivity, appearance, and materialism. June 21 brings Summer in the Northern Hemisphere—an emotional turning point. Mercury stations retrograde again, this time in tenacious Cancer from June 29 to July 23.
“Taking up space, allowing ourselves to be seen, and leading a life that is bold is how we bring greater fulfilment to life.”
The past has a deeper sway over our moods, particularly memories and narratives we are deeply attached to, but staying present is how we stay connected to joy. Jupiter’s passage through courageous Leo comes one day after Mercury retrograde begins, on June 30. Taking up space, allowing ourselves to be seen, and leading a life that is bold, proud, and creative is how we bring greater fulfilment to life.
The Weight of Collective Responsibility
Disillusionment is the theme of July—a pivotal month. As Neptune retrograde, from July 7, and Saturn retrograde, from July 26, both begin in Aries, our own disillusionment is forcing accountability, maturity, and self-awareness. Then, the lunar nodes change zodiac signs, shifting the axis of attention. The North Node of destiny enters Aquarius, and the South Node of fate moves into Leo on July 26–27, reframing collective engagement away from personal gain and toward communal contribution.
As we align with a shared vision, unresolved themes of security and self-worth re-emerge under Chiron retrograde, beginning on August 3. The energy intensifies during the second eclipse of the year—initiated by the August 12 Solar Eclipse in Leo and followed by the Lunar Eclipse in Pisces on August 28. This eclipse duo mirrors the pursuit of recognition and wholeness, and the growing understanding that we are both the actor and witness of our patterns and behavior.
The Last Retrogrades of the Year
Experimental ideas are revised from September 10 under Uranus retrograde in Gemini. This marks a sudden reworking of thought, narrative, and perception, highlighting contradictory patterns and unfinished written projects that were disrupted. Later, on September 14, Black Moon Lilith’s reign in ambitious Capricorn begins. This reflects the shadows of ambition and authority when authenticity is suppressed in favor of control, success, or respect.
The energy now centers around partnership and desire. Reckoning with our fears reveals the hidden barriers to trust and vulnerability as Venus stations retrograde in Scorpio on October 3. Yet Venus’ return to Libra in November emphasizes the importance of rebalancing and repair in creating deep intimacy and meaningful connection. True love has its seasons and presents a container for mutual growth.
“Reckoning with our fears reveals the hidden barriers to trust and vulnerability as Venus stations retrograde in Scorpio this October.”
The final Mercury retrograde of 2026 aligns in Scorpio from October 24 to November 13. Our instinct to read into the layers of communication turns inward. This allows us to challenge our own assumptions and explore what was left unspoken. Yet the contrasting union of Mars and Jupiter in Leo follows on November 16, amplifying creative courage and assertion. While Jupiter is retrograde during this dramatic event, its backward movement ends a month later on December 12–13. Grand opportunities call us to leave our mark and signature, but also expose the overestimation of our abilities. As we stride toward fulfilling avenues ahead of 2027, we must take this moment to recognize the impulse of ego and pride before the year ends.
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