The Retrograde Almanac · Pile-Ups

How many planets are
retrograde at once?

In 2026, as many as 5 at the same time. One backward planet barely makes the news — it's the overlaps that light up timelines. Every stretch below is computed from the real ephemeris, station to station, for 2026 and 2027.

5
Planets at once at the peak
154 days
With 3+ retrograde
2
Separate pile-ups
The wheel · 2026

The pile-ups, bent into a ring.

2026 as an astrolabe — one orbit per planet, January at the top, every retrograde a glowing arc. Where the arcs line up along a spoke, the sky is stacking — and every stretch with three or more at once is tinted beneath the rings. The timeline below carries the same windows day by day.

3 at once · Jul 7 – Jul 23 · Mercury, Neptune, Pluto3 at once · Jul 26 – Sep 10 · Saturn, Neptune, Pluto4 at once · Sep 10 – Oct 3 · Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto5 at once · Oct 3 – Oct 16 · Venus, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto4 at once · Oct 16 – Oct 24 · Venus, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune5 at once · Oct 24 – Nov 13 · Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune3 at once · Nov 14 – Dec 10 · Saturn, Uranus, NeptuneJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC☿︎♀︎♃︎♄︎♅︎♆︎♇︎TODAY1RETROGRADE TODAYJun 12 · of 8 planets
☿︎Mercury♀︎Venus♂︎Mars♃︎Jupiter♄︎Saturn♅︎Uranus♆︎Neptune♇︎Pluto
Tinted wedge · 3+ retrograde at onceDashed arc · pre / post-shadowShadow weeks never tint a wedge.
The Pile-Up Chart · 2026

When the sky stacks up.

One retrograde is a Tuesday. The sky gets interesting when the backward spells overlap — here is every stretch of 2026 when several planets were retrograde at the same time, station to station, from the real ephemeris.

Right now · 1 retrograde at once♇︎
At once
22 at once · Dec 10 ’25 – Feb 4 · Jupiter, Uranus
11 at once · Feb 4 – Feb 26 · Jupiter
22 at once · Feb 26 – Mar 11 · Mercury, Jupiter
1 at once · Mar 11 – Mar 20 · Mercury
11 at once · May 6 – Jun 29 · Pluto
2 at once · Jun 29 – Jul 7 · Mercury, Pluto
33 at once · Jul 7 – Jul 23 · Mercury, Neptune, Pluto
2 at once · Jul 23 – Jul 26 · Neptune, Pluto
33 at once · Jul 26 – Sep 10 · Saturn, Neptune, Pluto
44 at once · Sep 10 – Oct 3 · Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto
55 at once · Oct 3 – Oct 16 · Venus, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto
4 at once · Oct 16 – Oct 24 · Venus, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
55 at once · Oct 24 – Nov 13 · Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
4 at once · Nov 13 – Nov 14 · Venus, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
33 at once · Nov 14 – Dec 10 · Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
2 at once · Dec 10 – Dec 12 · Uranus, Neptune
1 at once · Dec 12 – Dec 13 · Uranus
22 at once · Dec 13 – Jan 10 ’27 · Jupiter, Uranus
☿︎Mercury
Mercury Rx · Pisces · Feb 26 – Mar 20
Mercury Rx · Cancer · Jun 29 – Jul 23
Mercury Rx · Scorpio · Oct 24 – Nov 13
♀︎Venus
Venus Rx · Scorpio · Oct 3 – Nov 14
♂︎Mars
no retrograde in 2026
♃︎Jupiter
‹Jupiter Rx · Cancer · Nov 11 ’25 – Mar 11
›Jupiter Rx · Leo · Dec 13 – Apr 13 ’27
♄︎Saturn
Saturn Rx · Aries · Jul 26 – Dec 10
♅︎Uranus
‹Uranus Rx · Gemini · Sep 6 ’25 – Feb 4
›Uranus Rx · Gemini · Sep 10 – Feb 8 ’27
♆︎Neptune
Neptune Rx · Aries · Jul 7 – Dec 12
♇︎Pluto
Pluto Rx · Aquarius · May 6 – Oct 16
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
1 → 6+ planets at onceThat planet retrograde TodayTrue retrograde only — shadow weeks don't count toward the stack.
Every stretch of 2026 with four or more retrograde at once
Sep 10 – Oct 34 at once♄︎♅︎♆︎♇︎23 days
Oct 3 – Oct 165 at once♀︎♄︎♅︎♆︎♇︎13 days
Oct 16 – Oct 244 at once♀︎♄︎♅︎♆︎8 days
Oct 24 – Nov 135 at oncePeak☿︎♀︎♄︎♅︎♆︎20 days
Nov 13 – Nov 144 at once♀︎♄︎♅︎♆︎< 1 day

Counts use true retrograde only — station-retrograde to station-direct, computed from each body's apparent ecliptic longitude. Shadow weeks don't count toward a stack. And however tall the pile, it's still geometry, not jeopardy.

What's retrograde right now? →The full retrograde calendar →Retrograde in history →