Thank U, Next? The Astrology of Getting Back Together With an Ex

Ariana Grande got back together with her ex, and the group chat has thoughts. First, she changed the “thank u, next” lyrics about Ricky Alvarez mid-concert. Then came the grocery store sightings, the New York City dog walks, and an “I do love you” tattoo that appears to match his. This is not a situationship. This is a plot twist with receipts.

The timeline is messier than the highlight reel makes it look: on-again, off-again, quietly denied, then seemingly confirmed for real. That is exactly how getting back with an ex tends to go in real time, less like a straight line and more like a slow reveal.

So, what does the astrology behind this reunion say about your own relationship past and future? If there is someone you said “thank u, next” to who keeps finding their way back into your orbit, the transits can help explain why. Your birth chart has the receipts too.

Mercury Retrograde Has Entered the Group Chat

Mercury retrograde has a reputation for dragging unfinished business back into the conversation. Ariana and Ricky’s reunion rumors picked up during Mercury’s watery retrograde through Cancer in June and July 2026, and the timing fits.

That’s the same energy that gets your no-contact ex back in your DMs. For Ariana, the retrograde activated the part of her chart tied to home, memory, and emotional comfort, so the reunion reads less like a random hookup and more like a return to something familiar. Watch your own chart for similar activations.

Saturn and Neptune in Aries have also been moving through Ariana’s 3rd house, which rules messages, conversations, and the information people trade. That’s exactly the kind of activity that can turn a private reconnection into a full-blown rumor mill. Getting back with an ex often begins as a secret, at least for a minute.

Then there’s Jupiter in Leo, moving through Ariana’s 7th house of partnership. This transit can make relationships feel bigger, luckier, and more central to your life. It doesn’t promise that every romance will last, but it can make partnership difficult to ignore.

Venus and the Astrology of Second Chances

Venus has been working overtime in Ariana’s chart, making connections with Mars, the Moon, and Jupiter within a few months. That’s a lot of romantic main-character energy for one summer.

Venus conjunct your natal Mars is the chemistry placement. Love and lust show up at the same time, and someone seems to understand what you want without making you explain it.

Venus conjunct your natal Moon is the comfort placement. You’re not necessarily chasing something new. You may be returning to a person who already feels like home, and an ex has a head start because the emotional history is already there.

Venus conjunct your natal Jupiter puts you in rose-colored-glasses mode. Everything feels fun and a little dramatic in the best way, and somewhere beneath the honeymoon phase, you may be hoping this one sticks around.

Venus has also been moving through Ariana’s 8th and 9th houses. Venus in the 8th can deepen intimacy and bring conversations about trust, vulnerability, and shared resources. Yes, splitting a grocery bill counts. Venus in the 9th asks whether you still share a vision for the future. Chemistry might bring two people back together, but compatible lives are what give the reunion somewhere to go.

The 2026 Retrogrades That Could Bring an Ex Back

First, Venus and Mercury retrograde stir up old feelings in Scorpio. Then Venus returns to Libra to reconsider the relationship itself. Here are the key dates for this romantic rewind.

October 3: Old Feelings Resurface

Venus retrograde begins in Scorpio on October 3, reopening questions around trust, intimacy, jealousy, loyalty, and emotional debt. This is the part of the story where an ex may resurface because the feelings were never as finished as either of you claimed.

Pay attention to who returns, but also to what returns inside you. Wanting someone again doesn’t automatically mean the relationship works now.

October 24: The Text Finally Arrives

Mercury stations retrograde in Scorpio on October 24, adding old messages, withheld information, and unfinished conversations to the mix. If someone has been thinking about reaching out, this is one of the likelier windows for the text to arrive.

Read the message twice. Scorpio wants the truth beneath the words, and Mercury retrograde has a way of making people say just enough to reopen the door without explaining what has actually changed.

October 25: The Relationship Goes Under Review

One day later, Venus backs into Libra. The focus shifts from raw feelings to the relationship itself. Were things ever equal? Who compromised more? Did you actually work as a couple, or were you both attached to the potential?

This is prime reunion-review energy, especially for Libra and Scorpio placements. It’s also where an apology needs to become a plan.

October 26: Chemistry Meets a Reality Check

The Taurus full moon on October 26 can make the situation feel impossible to ignore. Taurus wants stability, consistency, and proof. If an ex returns with chemistry but no follow-through, this lunation may show you the difference.

November 8: A New Chapter Begins

The Scorpio new moon arrives while both relationship and communication issues are still being reviewed. A conversation may restart. A secret may come out. You may decide to try again, but this is better used for asking honest questions than forcing a final answer.

November 13: It Is Time to Decide

Mercury and Venus both turn direct on November 13. This is the clearest turning point of the entire cycle. The feelings may still be there, but now you can see whether the facts support them.

Before returning to an ex, renewing an agreement, or calling the reunion official, ask: What has actually changed?

The Signs Most Likely to Hear From an Ex

Scorpio and Libra are at the center of the story because Venus retrograde moves through both signs. Old feelings, unfinished business, or someone you thought was completely in the past may resurface. If you have a Scorpio or Libra sun, moon, rising, or Venus, you may feel this review more personally.

Leo and Aquarius may also see old relationship chapters return for one more look. The 2026 eclipse cycle has been rewriting the balance between selfhood and partnership across these signs. An ex could come back, but the bigger question is whether they still fit the person you are becoming.

Taurus placements may feel the Scorpio and Taurus activity across their relationship axis too, especially around the October 26 full moon. What comes up then may be less about nostalgia and more about whether the connection offers the security and consistency you need.

Should You Get Back Together With Your Ex?

Astrology can show when the past is likely to return, but it can’t guarantee that an old relationship belongs in your future.

If your ex resurfaces during the 2026 retrogrades, don’t let perfect timing distract you from the real questions. What ended the relationship? Who has taken responsibility? What has genuinely changed, and will those changes hold once the reunion high wears off?

Maybe this is a second chance. Maybe it’s your chance to say no without second-guessing yourself. The retrogrades aren’t here to decide for you. They’re here to help you see the same old story from a different perspective. And maybe make a different decision for yourself.