The last Mercury retrograde of 2026 spans October 24 to November 13, according to today.com astrologer Lisa Stardust, making it the only one of the year's three backspins (February and June preceded it) to coincide with Halloween.

The Times of India notes that on October 31 Mercury will be retrograde in Scorpio, the zodiac sign most closely tied to death, endings, and what lies hidden.

Astrologers say that overlap makes this Halloween especially charged, with memory, grief, and unfinished business all seeming to surface at once — old emails, forgotten names, and conversations that never quite ended returning with unusual insistence.

The Times of India digs into the myth behind the moment: in Greek tradition, Hermes — whom the Romans called Mercury — was the only figure who could travel freely between the world of the living and the land of the dead, guiding souls to the underworld as a 'psychopomp' and sometimes carrying messages back.

When astrology adopted his name for the fastest planet, it kept the messenger role, governing speech, writing, thought, and memory.

Put that ancient guide of souls into Scorpio, the sign linked to the underworld through its modern ruler Pluto, and, the outlet says, the symbolism is hard to miss for anyone celebrating Halloween this weekend.

According to the Times of India, some reopened conversations will involve people still here — a sibling who stopped calling after a disagreement, a friend whose wedding was missed, a former colleague owed a thank-you that never got sent — while others involve people who have died.

Grief counsellors the outlet cites suggest writing unsent words like 'I'm sorry' or 'I forgive you' down as letters, even when there is nowhere to post them, with some families reading them aloud during remembrance rituals.

The piece also warns against replaying rather than remembering, advising readers to set aside a specific hour for memories and share stories with family instead of carrying them alone.

YourTango reports that Mercury retrograde is hitting Scorpio, Taurus, Gemini, and Aquarius hardest between now and November 13.

For Scorpios, the retrograde is in their sign, so conversations thought closed and people from the past reappear — astrologer Auste Grigutis warns to be 'very careful what you say out of frustration.' Taurus is told a repeated relationship pattern is surfacing because it no longer serves them.

Gemini, ruled by Mercury, is described as getting hit hardest of all, with daily routines, work, and communication growing complicated.

Aquarius faces career detours, including an old opportunity or a professional conversation that could shift direction — if they think decisions through very, very thoroughly.

In today.com's 'Take it From Me' series, astrologer Lisa Stardust says she postpones home renovations, new contracts, major purchases, and taking miscommunications personally until Mercury moves direct — recounting a retrograde renovation that turned a leak into a pipe overhaul that trashed her flooring.

Instead she prioritises respecting boundaries, relaxing with self-care like naps and silenced phones, and building extra travel time for mishaps, since Mercury rules communication, travel, news, gossip, and technology.

She adds that effects continue through 'retroshade' windows before and after, and prefers launching major endeavors during a 'cazimi,' the moment the Sun unites with Mercury.

Both today.com and YourTango point to November 13 as the turning point, when Mercury stations direct in Scorpio — and Cosmopolitan UK notes Venus retrograde in Libra ends the very same day, a double clearing the outlet calls a massive shift, with avoided conversations demanding full attention and relationship decisions arriving with high stakes.

The Times of India says conversations reopened over Halloween, whether with the living or in quiet letters to the dead, often feel more settled by then: the past does not disappear, it simply finds a place to rest.

Cosmopolitan adds a Scorpio new moon on November 8 as the month's emotional checkpoint before the relief.