The Astrology of 2026

Congratulations for making it to the end of 2025! We’re still in the middle of the pivot into the new fire/air era but that process finally completes in 2026 when events will accelerate. There’s a lot of astrology to come and you can get the full details in Astro Journal 2026 – available at Amazon and in my Payhip store. In this post, we’ll just focus on the highlights or we’ll be here all day!

Here are the main events for 2026:

Pluto in Aquarius
Neptune in Pisces – ends!
Uranus in Taurus – ends!
Saturn in Pisces – ends!
Jupiter in Cancer – ends!
Saturn sextile Uranus – January
Neptune enters Aries – January
Saturn enters Aries – February
Saturn conjunct Neptune – February
Saturn sextile Pluto – March
Uranus enters Gemini – April
Chiron enters Taurus – June until September
Jupiter enters Leo – June
Uranus sextile Neptune – July
Neptune sextile Pluto – July and September
Uranus trine Pluto – July and November
Jupiter square Chiron – July
Jupiter trine Neptune – July
Jupiter opposite Pluto – July
Jupiter sextile Uranus – July
Moon Nodes enter Aquarius/Leo – July
Jupiter trine Saturn – August
Venus stations retrograde in Scorpio – October
Mars enters retrograde shadow – November
Jupiter trine Chiron – December

As you can see, July is a big month! But we’ve got a lot to get through before then including the long-awaited exact Saturn Neptune conjunction in Aries. Neptune returns to Aries at the end of January and Saturn follows in February and the conjunction happens on 20th February 2026. This is when a new beginning may finally arrive and plans that you’ve been making could start to take shape in the Aries part of your chart.

There may be a return to clarity or a confrontation with reality, depending on what you’ve been doing, and you may have to let some things go or deal with disillusionment if your plans don’t work out. At this point, Jupiter is still in Cancer so you can use that supportive energy to carry you through any disappointments or issues that come up. More on the Saturn Neptune conjunction here – and more coming soon…

At the end of April Uranus returns to Gemini and completes the shift into fire/air signs that dominates the rest of this decade until 2032. This is reinforced by Chinese astrology in which 2026 is the year of the Fire Horse – a time of revolution and dramatic change. This may feel exciting and energising but the acceleration of events could also become overwhelming and you may be tempted to act without thinking things through. Needless to say, this is a bad idea!

It probably won’t be helped by Jupiter entering Leo at the end of June which will boost the fiery energy and hot air. Jupiter in Leo encourages you to grow through creativity and self-expression, as well as children, romance and having fun – which sounds great. But it could also inflate a lot of egos and turn some people into overbearing assholes – which isn’t so great, especially as Jupiter will oppose Pluto. More on Jupiter in Leo later.

Events are likely to come to a head in July when everything happens! The mini triangle configuration between Uranus, Neptune and Pluto forms another exact alignment at 4° Aries, Gemini, and Aquarius, while Jupiter aspects all three planets at the same time, boosting the energy for good or ill. The aspects that form the mini triangle also become exact so this entire period carries enormous potential for positive change and transformation, as well as unexpected reversals and world-changing events.

The possibilities inherent in this time are wide-ranging and unpredictable and you’ll need to make a conscious effort to get the best results. Unfortunately, you’ll also have to deal with world events that you can’t control and some of these could be egregious and sickening (so what’s new) and hard to handle on a personal level. Chiron entering Taurus in June could add to the economic pain, as well as offer opportunities for healing – more on this later.

More on the mini triangle configuration here. Or explore the history of these cycles in more detail here: the Neptune Pluto cycle, the Uranus Pluto cycle, and the Uranus Neptune cycle. More on Jupiter transits here.

Moon Nodes in 2026

This year the eclipse cycle moves from the Pisces/Virgo axis to the Aquarius/Leo axis with the North Node in Aquarius and the South Node in Leo. This cycle begins on 27th July 2026 and runs until 26th March 2028 when the true north node enters Capricorn. There are two eclipses from the outgoing cycle and two from the new cycle:

Annular Solar Eclipse at 28° Aquarius on 17th February 2026
Total Lunar Eclipse at 12° Virgo on 3rd March 2026
Total Solar Eclipse at 20° Leo on 12th August 2026
Partial Lunar Eclipse at 4° Pisces on 28th August 2026

With the north node in Aquarius we could see an increase in issues with science and technology, social networks and activism, technocratic control, digital ID and AI, utilitarianism and collectivism, and the rules governing trade and the use of data. On a personal level it increases your focus on the need to think rationally and objectively but can also create too much detachment and idealism leading to emotional coldness and lack of genuine humanity.

To work with these energies constructively look for patterns across the Aquarius/Leo axis in your chart for where you may need to let go of your pride and need for drama and self-centredness. But remember to stay in touch with the Leo gifts for warmth and heart-centred generosity so you don’t turn into a robot! More on the Moon Nodes later.

You may find the house axis is more relevant to your experience than the signs. Check your chart to see if any of the eclipses activate important points in your horoscope.

Retrogrades in 2026

Mars doesn’t go retrograde until early in 2027 but he does start the process when he enters his shadow in Leo this year. The Mars retrograde cycle provides an opportunity to reassess your goals and how you use your energy so you can be more productive once the retrograde period is over. The cycle begins in November 2026 and ends in June 2027. Here are the dates for your diary:

5 November 2026: enters retrograde shadow at 20° Leo
10 January 2027: stations retrograde at 10° Virgo
19 February 2027: Sun opposite Mars retrograde at 0° Pisces/Virgo
1 April 2027: stations direct at 20° Leo
8 June 2027: leaves retrograde shadow at 10° Virgo

You can make the most of this time using the Mars Retrograde Workbook available here! It contains everything you need to know about Mars retrograde and includes printable worksheets to help you prepare. For more details, click on the image or follow this link to claim your copy.

In 2026 Venus goes retrograde in Libra and Scorpio and the entire cycle lasts from August 2026 to August 2027. These periods provide an opportunity to reassess your relationships, business partnerships, finances, creative projects, and values. Venus last went retrograde in Libra/Scorpio in 2018 so check what you were doing then to see what might come up this time. Here are the dates for your diary:

31 August 2026: enters retrograde shadow at 22° Libra
3 October 2026: stations retrograde at 8° Scorpio
24 October 2026: inferior conjunction with Sun at 0° Scorpio
14 November 2026: stations direct at 22° Libra
15 December 2026: leaves retrograde shadow at 8° Scorpio
12 August 2027: superior conjunction with Sun at 19° Leo

This retrograde cycle is particularly intense because Mercury also goes retrograde in Scorpio at the same time. The Venus station also happens during a Mars Pluto opposition which could bring unpleasant economic surprises with a nasty sting in their tail. You can make the most of this time using the Venus Retrograde Workbook available here! For more details, click the image or follow this link to claim your copy.

Finally, this year Mercury goes retrograde in water signs which represent good times to rethink your emotional habits and how your feelings influence your experience of life. You may want to pay attention to your moods, dreams, and emotional issues in relationships so you can let go of negative emotional patterns and heal the past.

Make the most of this time using the Mercury Retrograde Workbook available here!

Here’s a summary for each cycle:

The first cycle began in 2025 and ranged from 20° Scorpio to 6° Sagittarius. Mercury stationed retrograde and direct in November 2025 and the cycle ends at the superior conjunction on 21st January 2026.

The second cycle ranges from 8° to 22° Pisces and begins in February 2026. Mercury stations retrograde on 26th February and forms his inferior conjunction with the Sun on 7th March, before going direct on 20th March 2026. The superior conjunction happens on 14th May 2026.

The third cycle ranges from 16° to 26° Cancer and begins in June. Mercury stations retrograde on 29th June and forms his inferior conjunction with the Sun on 13th July, before going direct on 23rd July 2026. The superior conjunction happens on 27th August 2026.

The fourth cycle ranges from 5° to 20° Scorpio and begins in October. Mercury stations retrograde on 24th October and forms his inferior conjunction with the Sun on 4th November, before going direct on 13th November 2026. The superior conjunction happens on 1st January 2027.

My plan is to write more posts through the year covering each month and the individual transits as they come up – assuming I don’t get derailed or sidetracked!

For more on the astrology of 2026 you may be interested in Astro Journal 2026, a workbook for astrologers to help you plan your year and keep track of events. It includes interpretations for all the main events, plus a basic overview for each month. It’s available in paperback, Kindle, EPUB and PDF. Only the PDF has printable worksheets but the other editions include the same text so you can recreate them for yourself. Here are the links: