Solar Return charts?

[Mia]

Hi Everybody

I recently had a Solar Return chart done (Cafe Astrology if anyone is interested. Very inexpensive and very detailed, looks to be good value for what you pay for it. Oops, hope it's ok to do this!)

My year ahead, according to the chart, appears to be a good one and at this moment in time I find it hard to believe that it could become so good! Does any one have any experience of these charts or use them? How accurate are they in predicting your year ahead?

I've seen various comments; some say they're good and others say not so good. I wondered what people on the forum thought. Would you still have to take transits and progressions to your chart into account when reading the SR chart or is it read separately?

Many thanks
Mia

[Margarita]

Hello

I think that you have enough to see in the solar chart, looking at the natal planets where they fall in your solar, and your solar asc-mc-planets placed in your natal houses, and aspects between them- conjunctions etc. You can also start with the first house in the solar for the month- say you are born in february-first house is february-next march- and look at the planets in that house and aspects and the ruler of the house what aspect it makes in the solar. I think by keeping it simple you get more information then adding too much and getting confused by all the information,:) bye

[pisceskitty]

Thank you guys for bringing this subject up! I've been very confused when it comes to solar charts. I looked at mine on astro.com..excellent site mind you, but I wasn't sure how to apply it to my life:o

[lilllybelle]

You know I had looked at my solar return charts over the past few years, and I had come to the conclusion that they didn't work so well. Then I got this book called Planets in Solar Retun by Mary Fortier Shea. She had some different ideas on solar return charts. Basically what she said was to read the solar return chart in and of itself as if it is a stand alone chart. So she didn't do a lot of trying to merge the natal and the solar chart. Reading my solar return chart the way she suggested seemed more accurate to me. Some of meanings were a little different with her. Such as venus in the second might mean that you are more inclined to take it easy that year and not work so much and do more things you enjoy, so you might actually make less money. She also said the solar return charts were not very good for predicting marriage years. Interesting. Lilllybelle