For weeks it's felt like everything was on pause. Texts got misread, plans kept moving, and you've second-guessed things you were sure about in September. That's the double retrograde, and it's almost over. Mercury and Venus both go direct on Friday, November 13.
The best way to meet it is with a few loose ends tied up. Below is one thing to finish for every zodiac sign, plus a 5-minute checklist that works for everyone. Read your sun sign first, then your rising sign.
Jump to: when they go direct · sound familiar? · what to wrap up, by sign · the retrograde exit checklist · retrograde questions, answered
When do Mercury and Venus go direct?
- Mercury goes direct Friday, November 13, 2026 at 7:53 a.m. PT (10:53 a.m. ET, 3:53 p.m. in the UK). It's been retrograde in Scorpio since October 24.
- Venus goes direct Friday, November 13, 2026 at 4:27 p.m. PT (7:27 p.m. ET). In the UK, Europe and Australia that's already Saturday, November 14, which is why you'll see both dates online. Venus has been retrograde since October 3, backing up from Scorpio into Libra.
- Thursday, November 12 is the last full day of the double retrograde. That's why everything below says "before Friday." Do it tonight, and Friday starts clean.
Sound familiar?
Mercury rules how we talk, text, plan and travel. Venus rules love, friendship, money and how we feel about the way we look. With both moving backward at the same time, it makes sense that the last few weeks felt like a lot of rereading, rescheduling and rethinking.
None of that means you did anything wrong. Traditionally, retrogrades are for the "re-" words: review, redo, reconnect. It's a time when old texts, plans and people come back around so you can look at them again. Going direct is when things start moving forward. So the move now isn't to start something brand new. It's to finish one thing, so there's room for what's next.
What to wrap up before Friday, by zodiac sign
Aries · Leo · Sagittarius · Taurus · Virgo · Capricorn · Gemini · Libra · Aquarius · Cancer · Scorpio · Pisces
Fire signs
Aries: the head start. Aries is the sign of beginnings, so being told to wait is the hardest part of any retrograde. You've been itching to start the new routine, and this one kept making you hold off. Write down the first three steps tonight, nothing more. On Friday you won't have to think, you'll just go.
Leo: the draft. You've been sitting on big news you're dying to share, and Leo was made for the spotlight. Mars and Jupiter meet in Leo on Sunday, November 15, a lucky, confident moment in your sign. Draft the post or the pitch now, so it's ready when the moment comes.
Sagittarius: the new date. Your sign lives for the next adventure, and this retrograde kept moving it. Flights changed, plans fell through, and the trip became "maybe next month." Pick the new date and put it on the calendar, even if you book it later. Plans made after a retrograde ends tend to stick, so this one's worth the wait.
Earth signs
Taurus: the cancel. Venus rules your sign, so its retrograde had you rethinking where your money and energy actually go. Open your bank app, find the subscription you forgot you were paying for, and cancel it. It's a small, satisfying win.
Virgo: the send. Mercury rules your sign too, so you've felt this retrograde most in your messages. You've rewritten the same email four times, and it was fine the first time. Send the version you have.
Capricorn: the decision. The class, the course or the plan you signed up for in September has felt off for weeks. Capricorns don't love loose ends, so make the call: recommit with a date, or let it go without guilt. Either way, Friday you're done carrying the maybe.
Air signs
Gemini: the catch-up. Mercury is your ruling planet, so its retrograde hit your inbox hardest. 37 tabs open, 4 unanswered voice notes and one muted group chat. Close the tabs and answer the voice notes. Yes, all four.
Libra: the appointment. Venus, your ruling planet, moved backward through your sign, and you've second-guessed your whole look. That's a classic Venus retrograde feeling, and it's why big beauty changes usually wait until it's over. Book the hair, nails or brows appointment now, for next week.
Aquarius: the one idea. You've had a brilliant idea every night at 1 a.m. and done nothing with any of them. Pick one and write it where you'll see it Friday morning. The others will still be there in December.
Water signs
Cancer: the close. Retrogrades bring the past back around, and Cancer feels it most. You've been so nostalgic lately: one old song or photo and suddenly it's 2009 again. Keep the photo, then write down one thing that chapter taught you. That's how you close it kindly.
Scorpio: the release. Both retrogrades started in your sign, so you've been replaying old conversations. Write down what you're done carrying, crumple the page and toss it. It sounds simple, and it works because you get to see it go.
Pisces: the start date. You've been daydreaming about a whole different life more than usual. Dreams with a date become plans, so put one start date for that dream on your calendar. Just the date. The rest can come later.
The retrograde exit checklist (for every sign)
Five things, five minutes each. Two for Mercury, two for Venus, and one to close the chapter.
- Reply to the text you left on read. Mercury rules messages. A short "so sorry, this week got away from me" closes the loop and costs you nothing.
- Back up your phone and untangle the cords. Mercury also rules tech, which makes this the classic retrograde to-do. Plug in, start a backup, and while it runs, untangle the charger nest by your bed and toss the cords that don't work.
- Return or donate the box by the door. Venus rules what we own and what we love. If it's been waiting by the door for weeks, it's ready to go. Drop it off or schedule the pickup.
- Send the thank you (or the sorry). Venus rules your relationships, and retrogrades are made for reconnecting. A text or a voice note counts. Two sentences is plenty.
- Light a candle and name one thing this retrograde taught you. Retrograde season is for looking back. Say it out loud or write it down. That's the chapter, closed.
✨ Glow tip: make Friday morning the first thing you do on a clean slate. Stir a scoop of Radiance into your coffee before you check a single message. It's unflavored, so it disappears into whatever you're sipping, and it gives the first direct morning in weeks a moment that's just for you.
Want every cosmic date left in 2026 right in your phone? My free cosmic calendar adds every moon, retrograde and lucky day to your calendar, each with a 5-minute glow move. Want to keep the momentum going? My free self-care checklist has a daily glow checklist and a 30-day ritual tracker. For the rest of the month's key dates, read the Glow Girl guide to November, and for Scorpio season as a whole, your Scorpio season focus.
Retrograde questions, answered
When does Mercury retrograde end in November 2026?
Mercury goes direct on Friday, November 13, 2026, at 7:53 a.m. PT (10:53 a.m. ET). It's been retrograde since October 24.
When does Venus retrograde end in 2026?
Venus goes direct on Friday, November 13, 2026, at 4:27 p.m. PT (7:27 p.m. ET). In the UK, Europe and Australia, that's Saturday, November 14. It's been retrograde since October 3.
What should I do before Mercury retrograde ends?
Finish things rather than start them. Back up your phone, reply to the messages you've been avoiding, send the draft you've rewritten, and make the decision you've been putting off. The checklist above takes about 25 minutes in total.
Can I start new things once Mercury and Venus go direct?
Yes, though the first few days after a planet goes direct tend to move slowly. Use the weekend to ease in, and save big launches, haircuts and purchases for the week after.
Should I read my sun sign or my rising sign?
Start with your sun sign, the one you know from your birthday. If you know your rising sign, read that one too. It often describes how a retrograde showed up in your day-to-day life. Don't know it? You'll need your birth time, then any free birth chart calculator will tell you in seconds.
When is the next Mercury retrograde?
The next Mercury retrograde starts in early February 2027. Venus won't be retrograde again until 2028, so this double retrograde was a rare one. My free cosmic calendar includes a heads-up for it, so it won't sneak up on you.
Your turn
What are you wrapping up first? Tell me your sign and your one thing on Instagram at @theglowgirlwellness. I read every comment and DM, and I'd love to cheer you on.
I'm Stepha, by the way, creator of Glow Girl Wellness from Southern California, where the cosmos meets self-care.
xo, stepha 💖
Shop Radiance: the unflavored collagen in my first direct morning coffee → Radiance
Free cosmic calendar: every moon, retrograde and lucky day left in 2026, straight to your phone's calendar, plus a matching lock screen → link
Free self-care checklist: the Ultimate Self-Care Checklist, a free 9-page printable with self-care by element, a daily glow checklist, weekly self-care, a 30-day ritual tracker and a new + full moon page → link
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