The sky on Tuesday, August 25, 2026
| Sun in | Virgo |
|---|---|
| Moon in | Aquarius |
| Moon phase | Waxing Gibbous |
| Illumination | 93% |
| Ingresses | Moon enters Aquarius Mercury enters Virgo |
| Mercury retrograde | No |
Mercury enters Virgo today and begins a new chapter of its cycle there. The Moon is in Aquarius, more than half lit and still filling out.
What does Mercury mean in astrology?
Mercury is the planet of thinking, speaking and exchange, and it never strays more than about twenty eight degrees from the Sun.
That closeness is why you only ever see it low in the sky near sunrise or sunset, and why it is never more than one sign away from the Sun in a chart. It spends a few weeks in a sign, and rather longer when it turns retrograde.
Astrologically it covers language, learning, trade, travel and anything that moves between two parties, including messages and money. It rules both Gemini and Virgo, the talking half and the sorting half of the same skill.
Mercury turns retrograde about three times a year. That is a matter of orbital geometry rather than a curse, and it is described on its own page here.