Mercury, the planet of the mind, is retrograde and conjunct with the Sun in Gemini from July 7th to 16th, 2026.

This is the second phase of this transit after these planets’ recent association in mid-June, and a project from that time may come to fruition, or you may now make a final choice. The Sun and Mercury are both in Punarvasu within Gemini and affect each other’s functioning most directly. Together, they create Budhaditya Yoga, a combination for scholarship and business, where you can study, research, and create, and also have a flair for making new contacts. Mercury, strong in its own sign, gives you a curious and questioning mentality that values knowledge for its own sake.

In its retrograde phase, Mercury also has a questioning and counterintuitive outlook, where you go against the flow of standard opinion. You may have a second chance at a purchase or vacancy, or change your mind on an ambition that has occupied your thinking. You reveal all your mental gifts and versatility, as well as enjoying a certain detachment that sees the world in terms of pure ideas. Gemini has the gift of making complex ideas accessible to others, and you can operate as a natural educator, translator, and negotiator.

The Sun shines light on Mercury’s quest for knowledge and gives you added pride in your problem-solving ability, as well as a sharp wit and sense of humor. Mercury sits close to the New Moon of July 14th, which is a good moment to reflect and perhaps do some creative journaling. Expect a moment of insight or to find words for an emotion that has eluded you up to now.