In 2026 the 3-year transition period will end and finally all 3 slow-moving planets will settle in their new signs. Pluto resides in Aquarius since end of 2024, Neptune will move to Aries for 13 years and Uranus will also finally settle into Gemini and stays there till 2033.
2026 represents a cosmic re-start, as the 164-year cycle of Neptune and 29-year cycle of Saturn will meet right on the very first degree of the zodiac circle. These planets meet every 35-37 years in different places in the zodiac, but meeting on 0° Aries, where everything starts, that is crazy. This a hugely rare event, that believed to happen last around 9000 years ago.
February – Neptune conjunct Saturn at 0° Aries
Firstly, on January 26, Neptune will move to Aries for the next 13 years, then on February 14, Saturn will follow and they will form an exact conjunction at 0° Aries on February 20.
This is a profound turning point where inner vision and responsibility need to work together. We will see dreams crash, mass disillusionment in the collective ideals, and authorities. Old systems and structures will crumble and we will be confronted with the pressure to define our own way forward. The old ways won’t work anymore so either from an inner urge or due to an external pressure we will be asked to set our own direction. Instead of relying on external sources of opinion, we need to act from inner authority and inner knowing. This transit emphasizes acting on intuition, daring to follow inner inspiration, and allowing identity to emerge through lived choices rather than imagined possibilities. Our ideals and dreams might take on a more solid shape. Old belief systems and external authorities lose their hold, making space for a more grounded, self-directed sense of purpose. Collectively, this moment challenges us to give form to what we believe by taking ownership of our actions – transforming inspiration into something real through commitment and personal leadership.
As we shape our inner beliefs and our inner world and inspiration, the outside world will change direction. This energy will be with us during the whole astrological year (till March 20 2027), so we will see the events unfold.
Questions for inner inquiry fitting this transit:
- Where in my life have I been following roles, rules, or expectations that no longer feel true to who I am becoming?
- What part of me is asking to step forward without waiting for approval, permission, or reassurance?
- When do I feel most clear, energized, and quietly confident in my own direction?
- What desire or vision keeps returning, even when I try to ignore it?
- What would it look like to take full responsibility for my path, even if it means being misunderstood?
April – Uranus (re)enters Gemini
After a short introduction period between July and November last year, on April 26, Uranus will move and settle into Gemini for the next 7 years. As described in my related article, this will bring a lot of mental (over)stimulation, new technologies to communicate and connect. We might see a general decentralization in how we learn, exchange/consume information and how we move around.
When Uranus moves into Gemini, the pace of life—especially mentally—accelerates noticeably. Uranus symbolizes sudden change, innovation, and disruption, while Gemini governs the mind, communication, learning, and information exchange. Together, they create an atmosphere of rapid ideas, constant updates, and an increased need to stay mentally agile.
Personally, Uranus in Gemini can feel like your mind is always “on.” New interests appear overnight, old ways of thinking become intolerable, and there is a strong urge to question assumptions you once took for granted. Conversations may become more stimulating—but also more fragmented—as perspectives multiply. This transit can bring breakthroughs in how you express yourself, learn, teach, or share information, especially if you allow flexibility instead of clinging to fixed opinions.
The challenge of this period is mental overload: too much input, too many choices, and a nervous system that struggles to keep up. Yet this same energy offers remarkable opportunities for mental liberation. You may discover new ways of learning, communicating, or networking that feel more aligned with who you are becoming. Innovation thrives when you follow what genuinely excites your curiosity rather than reacting to every distraction.
Questions for inner inquiry fitting this transit:
- How can I create space for integration, not just stimulation?
- How is my relationship with information changing—and what do I need to filter out?
- Where am I being invited to think differently, experiment, or question outdated narratives?
- How do I stay mentally flexible without losing focus or grounding?
June: Jupiter enters Leo
On June 30, Jupiter moves from Cancer into Leo and that brings a clear change in emotional tone and motivation. Cancer energy is inward, protective, and sensitive; it focuses on safety, belonging, emotional bonds, and tending to what is private or vulnerable. During this transit we can grow through care, emotional awareness and by nourishing our family and strengthening our roots.
Leo, by contrast, turns the energy outward. It is about visibility, vitality, and creative self-expression. When Jupiter enters Leo, growth is no longer centered on emotional security but on confidence, passion, and the courage to be seen.
On a personal level, the move from Cancer to Leo can feel like emerging from an inner cocoon. After a period of emotional processing, boundary-setting, or focusing on home and close relationships, there is a renewed desire to engage with the world more boldly. Feelings are still important, but they are no longer meant to be held privately—they want to be expressed, shared, and lived out creatively.
This can bring a lift in confidence, motivation, and enthusiasm. People may feel readier to take risks, claim space, or follow what brings joy rather than what simply feels safe. Jupiter moving into Leo invites us to trust that what has been nurtured internally is now strong enough to be shared. It marks a moment where emotional wisdom becomes fuel for confidence, leadership, and wholehearted engagement with life.
Questions for inner inquiry fitting this transit:
- How can I lead or create from the heart rather than from the need to be seen?
- Where do I feel naturally confident and alive?
- What wants to be expressed without justification or performance?
July: Uranus-Pluto-Neptune minor grand trine
On July 18, we’ll see the first of 5 exact trines between Uranus and Pluto which is a rare and auspicious alignment (other dates are: Nov 29, 2026; June 15, 2027; January 13 and May 9, 2028). Uranus and Pluto are both agents of deep change—Uranus disrupts and liberates, while Pluto dismantles and rebuilds at the root level. The trine between them offers an increased momentum of radical changes, independently from the quality of the change. Neptune in early Aries will form a sextile with both planets, forming a triangle – called minor grand trine in astrology – that will be the closest in July 2026, June 2027 and May 2028. With Neptune in sextile with both Uranus and Pluto, the picture becomes even more ambiguous. Neptune can bring imagination, revised ideals, and spiritual or visionary frameworks that help people make sense of change. At the same time, it can blur reality, weaken discernment, and encourage avoidance, projection, or escapism.
While external events may unfold beyond individual control, we can still choose how consciously we engage with disruption, power, and meaning. Internally, this is an opportunity to:
- Use periods of uncertainty to clarify values, boundaries, and long-term direction
- Build internal authority and discernment rather than outsourcing meaning to systems, leaders, or collective narratives
- Examine where you resist change out of fear versus where change is genuinely destabilizing
Eclipses in 2026 – February/March and August
As every year we will have two pairs of eclipses in 2026. With the nodal axis moving to the Leo/Aquarius axis, we will see the first eclipses in these signs. The nodes describe a longer-term learning curve: where we are releasing old habits (South Node) and where growth is asking to happen (North Node).
This shift further emphasizes the Leo and Aquarius energies that are being activated already by Jupiter and Aquarius. We can expect an increasing tension between control of leaders or authorities and people’s individual will, between old hierarchical structures and value-based communities, between personal truth and collective narratives.
During the next 2 years we will be asked to balance autonomy with connectedness and authenticity with responsibility.
Below are the dates of the eclipses:
- February 17th – New Moon Solar Eclipse at 28° Aquarius
- March 3rd – Full Moon Total Lunar Eclipse (total) at 12° Virgo
- August 12th – New Moon Solar Eclipse (total) at 20° Leo
- August 28th – Full Moon Lunar Eclipse (partial) at 4° Pisces
October – November: Venus Retrograde in Scorpio and Libra
On October 3, Venus will turn retrograde at 8° Scorpio and will move back all the way to 22° Libra, before is stations direct again on November 13.
When Venus turns retrograde in Libra and Scorpio, themes around relationships, values, and desire move inward for review. Libra highlights balance, fairness, and patterns of compromise, while Scorpio brings depth, attachment, power dynamics, and emotional honesty. This period can surface old relational dynamics, unresolved feelings, or questions about what we truly value beneath social harmony.
Venus retrograde often feels like a pause in the emotional and relational flow. People may revisit past relationships, question current dynamics, or feel less satisfied with what once felt comfortable or desirable. Affection, finances, and self-worth themes can feel unsettled—not to break things, but to reassess what truly feels aligned. It’s a time when clarity comes through reflection rather than action.
The 3 annual Mercury Retrograde periods:
- February 26 – March 20 (22°-8° Pisces)
- June 29 – July 24 (26°-16° Cancer)
- October 24 – November 13 ( 20°-5° Scorpio)
Mercury retrograde is commonly experienced as mental and logistical friction. Miscommunications, delays, technical glitches, or changes of plan tend to surface, forcing a slowdown. On a personal level, it often brings rethinking decisions, reviewing conversations, or returning to unfinished ideas. While frustrating, it’s less about mistakes and more about noticing what was rushed, overlooked, or assumed.
As all the retrogrades will happen in Water signs, it adds a distinctly emotional, subjective and memory-based tone to the usual Mercury retrograde experience. Conversations may be influenced by mood, past emotional experiences, or intuition rather than clear logic. People may realize they felt something was off long before they could articulate it.
2026 feels like a reset because the focus shifts from letting go to deciding what comes next. Long-term planetary movements emphasize initiative, clarity, and personal responsibility after years of uncertainty and transition. Rather than offering clear answers, this year invites conscious direction—asking each of us to choose how we act, what we align with, and what we are willing to build going forward.
If you are curious what 2026 has in store for you and interested in a personal birth chart analysis, contact me at contact@talkingplanets.com!
Wishing you a wonderful 2026!
Talking Planets 