The Mercury-Venus Cycle Deep Dive

Daniel Giamario’s Ramblings, Reflections and Ruminations | Nov 7 2026 |

 

The current situation of Mercury and Venus both retrograde, and thus in the process of birthing into new synodic Overstories, has generated much speculation and inquiry within the astrological community. As evidenced by my most recent Founder’s Vlog and Wizard Weeklies, that very much includes myself and TOTAMS. 

With regards to this situation, I recently put out a request for more extensive research beyond the 2000-2032 time frame that I had already explored. Always on the lookout for patterns, I have in particular been interested in the pattern of Venus and Mercury retrograde at the same time, and when both these planets are in the interior underworld at the same time. A woman who follows the school by the name of Anita Cox answered the call! This article discusses the findings.

 

Criterion and Framework of The Research

 

1.  The time frame explored is 1900-2055.
2.  The first inquiry is asking when both Venus and Mercury are retrograde at the same time. Data is gathered that shows when they are in the same sign and when there is an overlap.
3. Additional data has been gathered as to when both planets are in the interior underworld, between the Earth and the Sun, at the same time. For Venus, it is when she is within 10degrees of the Sun on either side. For Mercury, when 10degrees from the Sun on the descent and up to the point where it stations direct.
4. TOTAMS begins a new Venus Overstory (the Star Point) at morning heliacal rise. A new Mercury synodic Overstory begins upon reaching stationary direct in the morning sky. 

Our plan is to next, in a future article, look at the data for when Venus and Mercury are conjunct, not retrograde, in the exterior underworld, on the other side of the Sun.

Following is some useful info obtained from Gemini AI to help with more deeply understanding the larger story of this inquiry. It also gives a pretty good answer to our quest for the Mercury-Venus pattern.

“From an astronomical and orbital mechanics standpoint, the 40-year cycle is a highly precise near-orbital resonance where the relative positions of Earth, Venus, and Mercury nearly perfectly reset to their starting geometry.

A 40-year span lasts approximately 14,609.69 days. Within this exact window, the individual orbital paths and viewpoint alignments of all three planets lock into near-integer ratios:

1. The Venus-Earth Resonance (The 8 and 40-Year Marks)

The primary driver of this alignment is the famous 13:8 orbital resonance between Venus and Earth.

• Venus takes ~224.7 days to orbit the Sun.
• Earth takes ~365.24 days.
• Every 8 Earth years, Venus completes almost exactly 13 sidereal orbits (≈ 13.004).
• From our perspective on Earth, this creates 5 synodic cycles (the time between consecutive alignments of the Earth, Venus, and the Sun).

When you multiply this 8-year loop by 5, you hit the 40-year mark. In exactly 40 Earth years, Venus completes exactly 65 sidereal orbits and hits its 25th synodic cycle with near-perfect mathematical precision (≈ 25.02 cycles).

2. The Mercury Interlock

While the Earth-Venus pattern creates the 8-year rhythm, Mercury’s ultra-fast orbit layers perfectly over the 40-year macro cycle. Mercury takes ~87.97 days to complete a sidereal orbit and features a synodic period of ~115.88 days. (Note from Daniel: Unlike the near perfect circular orbit of Venus, the much more eccentric orbit of Mercury derives an average of 115,8 days, but each individual synod can be anywhere from 106 to 126days)

Over a 40-year window (14,609.69 days), Mercury completes:

• 166.07 Sidereal Orbits around the Sun.
• 126.07 Synodic Cycles relative to Earth.

Because both the Venus synodic metric (≈ 25.02) and Mercury synodic metric (≈ 126.07) drift past their whole integers by nearly the exact same fraction (0.076 vs 0.020), the relative three-body angular geometry between Earth, Venus, and Mercury matches up closely to where it started 40 years prior.

Why It Matters Astronomically (and astrologically)

Because the cycles don’t line up perfectly to 100% precision, the exact planetary alignment drifts slightly over centuries. However, over a single 40-year block, this tracking window is tight enough that if you see a rare celestial alignment—such as a specific Mercury-Venus close conjunction occurring at a certain point against the background stars—an almost identical repeat geometry will play out 40 years later (minus roughly 2 to 3 days due to fractional orbital drift).”

 

What The Data Shows

 

You can review Anita’s data here.

Putting, first, our attention on the current Mercury-Venus retrogrades happening simultaneously October 24 – November 13 2026, here is the pattern:

• 2066 Oct 15 – Nov 2: Libra and Scorpio, no days in the underworld together
• 2026 Oct 24 – Nov 13: Scorpio and Libra, 2 days together
• 1986 Nov 2 – Nov 22: Scorpio, 4 days together
• 1946 Nov 11 – Dec 1: Sagittarius and Scorpio, 9 days together
• 1906 Nov 20 – Dec 10: Sagittarius and Scorpio, 10 days together

Now lets compare this with the configuration in 2028, the next one after the current 2026 one:

• 2068 May 10 – June 11: Gemini and Taurus, 12 days together in the underworld
• 2028 May 21 – June 14: Gemini, 14 days together 
• 1988 June 1 – June 25: Gemini and Cancer, 14 days together
• 1948 June 11 – July 6: Cancer and Gemini, 14 days together
• 1908 June 22 – July 16: Cancer, 13 days together 

All great fodder for research! The 40-year pattern would also apply to Mercury and Venus BEHIND the Sun, in the exterior underworld. 

 

Global Patterns Can Be Spooky

 

One can research and possibly generate significant meaning from these 40-year patterns. For example,

• in November of 1986 the Democrat Party took back both houses in the middle of Ronald Reagan’s second term.
• In November of 1946, the Republicans captured both houses in a mid-term election.
• The 1906 mid-term election in Theodore Roosevelt’s second term saw the Republicans maintain control of both houses.

Global patterns can be a bit spooky. I invite you to do additional research.

Also check into your own experiences, comparing this November to 1986.

While both planets retrograde at the same time is interesting enough in its own right, I think that when both are in the underworld together has even greater significance. Now in 2026 it’s only for a few days. But looking ahead to 2028, both are in the interior underworld together for 14 days!

 

The Time We Are In Is Loaded!

 

Other observations from Anita’s research show long gaps where there are no times at all when Mercury and Venus are in the interior underworld at the same time: 1919-1934, 1959-1957, 1999-2015, and again from 2042-2055.

The time we are in now is loaded! As some of the data from a previous Wizard Weekly turned out to be incorrect, here is a modified excerpt, updated with Anita’s research:

• 2017 April 10-15: Overlap in Taurus, Aries and Pisces
• 2020 June 18 – June 25: Overlap in Cancer and Gemini
• 2022 January 14 – January 29: Overlap in Capricorn.
• 2023 August 24 – September 4: Overlap in Virgo and Leo
• 2025 March 15 – April 7: Both planets overlapped in retrograde across Aries and Pisces
• 2026 October 14 – November 13: Both planets overlap while retrograde, with Mercury turning retrograde on October 24 and both turning direct on November 13, 2026
• 2028 May 21 – June 14: An overlap occurs completely in the sign of Gemini. Venus is retrograde from May 10 to June 22 and Mercury tracks backward simultaneously from May 21 to June 14.
• 2029 December 22 – 2030 January 11: A winter overlap takes place primarily in Capricorn. Venus initiates its cycle on December 16 2029, and Mercury aligns into its own retrograde phase just a few days later on December 22. 
• 2031 July 29 – August 22: A summer overlap sets in across Leo and Cancer. Venus reverses course from July 20 to September 1, while Mercury overlaps right in the middle from July 29 to August 22.

(Note: There are no Venus retrogrades at all during 2027 or 2032, resulting in zero overlaps for those specific years.)

There are more in 2033, 2034, 2036, 2037. 2039, and 2042, and then a 13year gap.

 

What Can This All Mean?

 

This pattern certainly has meaning for individuals, especially if you are in a Mercury or Venus return or both. Also if these planets happen to be natally retrograde. I have written about this previously, suggesting inner work, and staying out of the fray. For the collective, where the greater magic and meaning of synodic cycles resides, these patterns do require research and deep inquiry. These were the planetary dances that the ancients followed for thousands of years before the innovation of personal horoscopes, which happened no earlier than about 500BCE.

Mercury and Venus are going through complete archetypal shifts within the same time frame, a deathing and birthing: Mercury from Pisces to Scorpio, and Venus from Pisces to Libra. There is a reciprocal relationship between the planetary gods and goddesses and human beings. When they go through their deathing and birthing, they can be helped in their evolution when awake and evolving natural humans do the same.

 

Also Unfolding: The Venus-Mars Relationship

 

Upon Venus’ rising as a morning star, from the experience of an Earth observer, Mars and Venus can now see each other, for the first time in a long time. Remember, in an Underworld Saga, Venus and Mars are never seen to meet in the sky and rarely see each other, i.e. are in either the morning or evening sky together.

But while they initially do see each other now, Venus is actually separating from Mars. This is an interesting presaging of the next saga, happening close to the conception of the next Mars Overstory, birthing February 19 2027 when Mars reaches Virgo, the sign of his next Overstory. This begins the Rapunzel-Dumuzi Saga. Venus will not catch up with Mars until Nov 4 – Dec 16 2027 in an evening star alignment at the Galactic Center.

 

Planets Are Cosmic Beings

 

The planets are cosmic beings, each with their own essence and purpose. They are going through their own evolution at this Great Turning, just as we are. Their evolution can be seen through the evolution and transformation of the planet’s various archetypal expressions that have an opportunity to transform and evolve with each synodic cycle. With both Mercury and Venus retrograde now, from October 24 – November 13, natural and conscious human beings can assist this planetary evolution by also going through our own transformations, our own deathing and birthing. 

Let’s participate in re-visioning Libra in the Sacred Feminine for women and men – the Overstory of the just-birthed Venus synodic cycle. 

Let’s participate in re-visioning Scorpio for our capacities to perceive, cognize and communicate – the Overstory for the birthing Mercury synodic cycle. 

In this post-patriarchal age and the first year of a post-KaliYuga Age, let’s not allow these archetypes to be stuck in the beliefs and behaviors of the past, in their shadow and unconscious consensus reality. Instead, it is time to participate and co-create with Great Mystery in the birthing of a new, natural, and pure Human Being, with open connections to Heart, Soul, Spirit and essential Divinity. And by this, I do NOT mean the human 2.0 version of the transhumanists, i.e. the distorted inversion!

 

We Got You Covered

 

If these forays into the magic and mystery of synodic cycles sparks your interest and imagination, now is a great  time to connect with the newly revised and released TOTAMS Course 5, The Overstory: Cycles of Inner Planets. I have had the pleasure of having sky wizard Gemini Brett collaborate with me on this! 

Meanwhile, check out the morning sky and hang out with Venus, the imminent Mars-Jupiter conjunction just above her, and the soon to rise new Mercury. They will respond to your awareness and attention!

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