Jupiter Retrograde 2026–27: December 13 – April 13, From 27°01 Back to 17°00 Leo

Jupiter is retrograde from December 13, 2026 to April 13, 2027. It stations retrograde at 27°01 Leo and stations direct at 17°00 Leo, so the whole retrograde stays in Leo. Jupiter stays in Leo until it enters Virgo on July 27, 2027. This is the review of what Jupiter in Leo has been growing: confidence, visibility, creative risk, and the appetite for more.

Followed Jupiter in Leo this year? The Leo season guide and the August Leo eclipse covered Jupiter on the way up. This post covers it turning back. For the Mars retrograde that overlaps it, see Mars retrograde 2027.

When is Jupiter retrograde?

Jupiter turns retrograde on December 13, 2026 at 27°01 Leo and stations direct on April 13, 2027 at 17°00 Leo. That's four months, against the three weeks of the next Mercury retrograde (February 9 – March 3). These dates come from NASA JPL Horizons ephemeris data.

November 5, 2026: Jupiter at 24°47 Leo, still moving forward
December 11, 2026: Saturn stations direct at 7°56 Aries
December 13, 2026: Jupiter stations retrograde at 27°01 Leo
January 10, 2027: Mars stations retrograde at 10°26 Virgo
February 9 – March 3, 2027: Mercury retrograde, so Mercury, Mars and Jupiter are all retrograde together
February 22, 2027: Mars backs into Leo, the same sign as retrograde Jupiter
April 1, 2027: Mars stations direct at 20°56 Leo
April 13, 2027: Jupiter stations direct at 17°00 Leo
July 27, 2027: Jupiter leaves Leo for Virgo

About the shadow. Jupiter backtracks from 27°01 to 17°00 Leo, so that 10-degree stretch is the part of the zodiac this retrograde re-works. On November 5 Jupiter is already inside it at 24°47 Leo. After April 13 it moves forward through the zone again and has to pass 27°01 Leo before it can reach Virgo on July 27. The ephemeris data we publish from doesn't give the exact date Jupiter entered the zone or the date it clears it, so we're not printing shadow dates. The station dates above are the ones to plan around.

What a Jupiter retrograde reviews

Mercury retrograde gets the attention on this site because it touches contracts, messages, and tech. Jupiter is slower and its retrograde reviews something different: growth itself. Jupiter is the planet of expansion, opportunity, generosity, and belief. When it turns back, the question changes from “how do I get more?” to “was more the right thing, and can I keep it?”

In Leo, that review is about visibility, pride, creativity, and self-expression. If 2026 was the year you put yourself forward (a bigger role, a louder brand, a creative risk), this retrograde is where you find out which parts hold up without the push. That's different from the Mars retrograde, which reviews your drive and your fights. Jupiter reviews your scale.

The timing has a pattern. Saturn stations direct on December 11, two days before Jupiter turns back. Saturn is the planet of structure and limits, Jupiter of growth, so the structural work moves forward just as growth goes under review. Then the winter fills up: Mars turns retrograde on January 10, and from February 9 to March 3 Mercury, Mars and Jupiter are all retrograde at once. From February 22 to April 1, Mars is retrograde in Leo alongside Jupiter.

Jupiter retrograde doesn't shrink what you built this year. It asks which parts of it you actually want to keep feeding.

What to go easy on December 13 – April 13

Expanding on momentum alone — Jupiter is the planet of growth and opportunity. Retrograde, the traditional reading is that growth needs re-checking before it gets more fuel. Before you add staff, square footage, or spending, check that the last expansion paid off.

Taking a big leap on optimism — Jupiter's failure mode is excess: too much, too soon, too sure. A four-month retrograde in Leo, the sign of pride and visibility, makes overconfidence the specific risk to watch.

Reading every delay as a "no" — A Jupiter retrograde slows growth; it doesn't cancel it. The deal that stalls in January may go through after April 13.

Be clear on the scale of this. A Jupiter retrograde on its own is a mild signal. Most electional practice treats Mercury, Venus and Mars retrogrades as the stronger reasons to move a date. It counts more this winter only because it stacks with the Mars and Mercury retrogrades.

What it's good for

Reviewing what this year grew — Whatever expanded in your life this year, especially anything that put you more in view, is what the retrograde asks you to weigh. Keep what pays its way; let the rest shrink back.

Finishing a course, a book, or a qualification — Jupiter rules higher study and long projects. Retrograde, it favours completing the one you started over enrolling in the next.

Returning to an opportunity you passed on — Retrogrades bring back what was left unfinished. An offer you turned down earlier in the year can be worth a second, more measured look.

Generosity that costs nothing to scale — Mentoring, giving credit, introducing people. Jupiter's generosity still works retrograde; it's the big outward expansion that waits.

What Jupiter retrograde reviews for your sign

Using whole-sign houses (your sign as the 1st house), the entire retrograde happens in the house Leo occupies for you. That's the area of life where growth gets re-checked from December 13 to April 13:

Aries · your 5th house: romance, creative work, and risk. Whatever you said yes to on a high this year (a new relationship moving fast, a creative project that kept growing, a bet on something speculative) gets audited. Ask which of them actually gave something back. Don't raise a stake before April 13. On July 27 Jupiter moves on to your house of work and health.

Taurus · your 4th house: home and family. A bigger place, a renovation, a relative moving in: the expansion at home is what comes up for review. Re-measure what the household actually needs before you commit more money or square footage to it. A property decision made after April 13 rests on firmer ground. On July 27 Jupiter moves into your house of romance and creativity.

Gemini · your 3rd house: your daily mind, your writing, your siblings and neighbours. You may have taken on more conversations, channels, and side projects than you can keep up with. Mercury, your ruler, is also retrograde February 9 – March 3, inside this one, so that's the stretch to edit and cut, not publish more. On July 27 Jupiter moves into your house of home.

Cancer · your 2nd house: income and spending. A raise, a price increase, or a new income stream may have looked better than it nets. Work out what it costs you to keep it. Big purchases bought on optimism are the trap here. On July 27 Jupiter moves into your house of communication, which favours selling what you know.

Leo · your 1st house: you. Jupiter stations retrograde in your own sign on December 13, so the confidence, visibility, and appetite of this year all get reviewed, including physically: Jupiter is excess, and the body keeps score. If your birthday falls when the Sun is between 17° and 27° Leo, this sits right on you. On July 27 Jupiter leaves for your house of rest and endings.

Virgo · your 12th house: rest, solitude, and what you don't show. Jupiter retrograde here is quiet and useful: therapy, a retreat, sleep, and letting go of a background worry all get easier. It's the last stretch before Jupiter enters your own sign on July 27, 2027. Use these four months to clear space for that.

Libra · your 11th house: friends, groups, and long-range hopes. A network, a community, or a group project grew fast this year. The review asks which memberships and friendships you'd still choose today. Prune the calendar, not the people who show up for you. On July 27 Jupiter moves into your house of rest and endings.

Scorpio · your 10th house: career and public role. A promotion push, a bigger title, or a visibility play gets a second look: is this the direction, or just the next rung up? Revise the long-term plan before chasing the next step. On July 27 Jupiter moves into your house of friends and networks, where the people you met at work start to matter.

Sagittarius · your 9th house: your ruler turns back in your house of travel, study, and belief. A course, a trip abroad, a publishing project, or a legal matter needs finishing or re-thinking before anything new is added. Complete the qualification before you enrol in the next. On July 27 Jupiter moves into your career house.

Capricorn · your 8th house: shared money, debt, and other people's resources. A loan, an investment, or a partner's finances that grew this year get reviewed. Don't take on new credit on Jupiter's optimism. Saturn, your ruler, stations direct two days earlier, on December 11 in your house of home, so property and family plans can start moving while the money is checked. On July 27 Jupiter moves into your 9th.

Aquarius · your 7th house: partnership. Jupiter stations opposite your sign, so the review comes through other people: a partner, a co-founder, a major client. A relationship that expanded quickly asks what the terms really are. From February 22 to April 1 Mars is retrograde here too, so have that conversation early, or after April 1. On July 27 Jupiter moves into your house of shared money.

Pisces · your 6th house: work, health, and routine. Jupiter is your traditional ruler, and it turns back in the house of the daily grind: the workload grew and the habits that held it together slipped. Cut what you took on beyond capacity and rebuild one routine at a time. On July 27 Jupiter moves into your partnership house.

This is the sun-sign version: real, but only one layer. Your full birth chart, meaning your rising sign, where your natal Jupiter sits, and whether you have planets between 17°00 and 27°01 Leo, decides how strongly this lands and in which part of your life.

How to plan around it

November 14 – December 13: Mercury is direct from November 13, Venus from November 14, and Jupiter and Mars are still moving forward. If an expansion has to start this winter, this is the stretch. Expect to review it during the retrograde: Jupiter is already crossing the degrees it will retrace.
December 13 – January 10: of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, only Jupiter is retrograde. Take stock: list what grew this year and what each piece costs to keep.
February 9 – March 3: Mercury, Mars and Jupiter retrograde together. This is the tightest stretch of the winter for signing, launching, or committing to growth. If you can't wait, read signing a contract during Mercury retrograde.
April 13 – June 10: Jupiter turns direct on April 13. Mars has been direct since April 1, Venus has no station in this period, and the next Mercury retrograde begins June 10. This is the clearest window in the first half of 2027 for a launch or a big step.
July 27: Jupiter enters Virgo, and the growth theme moves into the next house for every sign.

New to choosing dates this way? The electional astrology guide explains what a calculator weighs besides retrogrades. Planning a business launch? The business launch dates guide covers how to pick one.

Astrology is a tool for timing and reflection, not fate. Jupiter retrograde doesn't causelosses or take away luck. It's a traditional signal that this is a better time to review and consolidate growth than to chase more of it. Use the dates to plan, not to panic.

Frequently asked questions

When is Jupiter retrograde in 2026 and 2027?

Jupiter is retrograde from December 13, 2026 to April 13, 2027. It stations retrograde at 27°01 Leo and stations direct at 17°00 Leo.

What sign is Jupiter retrograde in?

Leo, for the whole retrograde. Jupiter stays in Leo until it enters Virgo on July 27, 2027.

Does Jupiter retrograde overlap with other retrogrades?

Yes. Mars is retrograde January 10 – April 1, 2027 (backing into Leo on February 22), and Mercury is retrograde February 9 – March 3, 2027. From February 9 to March 3, all three are retrograde at once. Saturn stations direct on December 11, 2026, two days before Jupiter turns retrograde.

Is Jupiter retrograde bad?

Not on its own. It is traditionally a time to review and consolidate growth rather than chase more, and it is a milder signal than a Mercury, Venus or Mars retrograde. It matters more this winter because it overlaps the Mars and Mercury retrogrades.