Plotting with the planets: How 2026's transits will shape your pace for the year
The cosmos does not in fact, mean for you to hustle right through every day
If you've found yourself periodically asking through the year, "Why are things so terrible?", psychic and astrologer Evan Nathaniel Grim has a very direct, no-nonsense response — "It was written in the stars bro!," he exclaims.
So to prevent cycles of rumination in the year ahead, we'd rather use our year-end clarity to get our bearings on when to hustle and when to rest in 2026. And if you find yourself in anal planning mode as well, below is all the intel you need to get started.
Know your dates: Mercury retrogrades
The first Mercury retrograde for 2026 starts February 25th up to March 20th in Pisces. The next spans June 29th to July 23rd in Cancer, with the final one rolling in on October 24th to November 13th in Scorpio. These are more receptive times, during those dates you're going to take things a little bit slower. For instance — "DON'T go crawling back to your ex," warns Evan. You're going to find yourself weighing your decisions carefully.
Peak periods
These are what Evan calls, "peak periods." This represents when you are likely to have maximum momentum. And want to hear the good news? He seems to really like the odds for January and February. Consider January to be that time when you're getting a lot of stuff done, and you're pairing up with people who have the expertise you need. You're finding your strategic allies. Then in February, tons of planets are in Aquarius. This is the time for testing news ideas and pushing the envelope while socialising and networking. This is also a great time to grow your digital footprint.
Year in review
March, is likely to be a "snoozer" as per Evan, with Mercury retrograde in its fallen position. April has no planets in retrograde, because all of them are in Aries, making the brief for the month to take the bold steps you've been anticipating. This momentum finds its way into May and June with the Venus-Jupiter conjunction in Cancer during the latter month accelerating things. In July, Saturn and Neptune station retrograde, in addition to Mercury being in retrograde. This is when you should ideally start to pull back and reflect. August brings back some momentum with Mercury going direct, along with its conjunction with Jupiter in Leo.
October for one, as per Evan, will be a bit of a "strange time" as Venus goes retrograde in Scorpio in a square to Pluto in Aquarius — this is the month to be careful with your money, both privately and publicly, while also looking out for unexpected information from literally any sector in your life. Venus and Mercury both go direct on November 13th, which promises to restore clarity, though there's a post-shadow phase after that still, which will have you in a reflective state.
The cosmos always wants you to succeed. Planning around planetary movements, more often than not, stacks the likelihood of it in your favour.
