Solar Return Charts

My birthday is in less than four days, so naturally I have become interested in the concept of the Solar Return. I noticed awhile ago that this is a type of chart offered on Astrodienst, so I created one for myself in hopes of gleaning some insight of that day. It is a very interesting concept, but do Solar Return Charts have any greater astrological value than simply describing the energies of a particular moment on a particular day? I have heard of people traveling on their birthday in hopes of improving their luck for the upcoming year...does this have any basis in fact?

As always, I greatly appreciate feedback!



Arian Maverick

Try this link:

http://www.llewellynjournal.com/article/391

I used it for my chart this year and it clarified a lot of things for me.

I'm not good at them but I hope these help

http://www.karmastrology.com/ast_srtn.shtml

http://www.bobmarksastrologer.com/19.1Birthdays.htm

Thanks so much for the links, 23 and sorehearted! :mrgreen:

Arian Maverick

Solar Returns

Arian,

I have found Solar Returns useful and, to keep the astrology simple, I read them the same as I read a birth chart, except the energy applies to the year only, not to the person's life. So this year, with most of your planets in the top right of your chart, you focus most on using your understanding of the outer world to personally achieve goals which help the outer world. With North node (future goals) focused in the 11th house (friends, also others' self-expression), there may be a strong concern this year in personally helping others to help other people express themselves. This usually indicates an interest in humanitarian causes of some type.

Although I have heard of the theory of relocating in order to avoid an unpleasant Solar Return, to me this makes no sense. We were born with certain energies in us. The Solar Return is simply the yearly activation of those energies. We can no more run away from our Solar Return energies than we can run away from our own shadow in bright sunlight!

Solarizing,

Tom

Dear AM--

If I get too tied up with things on Wednesday to say Happy Birthday, please know my heart was in the right place. I think all of us should give you an online party -- your posts really perk this place up!

Year after year, I have tried Solar Return charts. I have found them to be -- -- utterly useless! Progressions, yes, but Solar Return charts -- not for me.

But everything is worth exploring!


-- CJ

solar return

ive heard that if you have a particular problem, and you spend your birthday in another country, the problem could go away, but it could arise in another area... :|

If I get too tied up with things on Wednesday to say Happy Birthday, please know my heart was in the right place. I think all of us should give you an online party -- your posts really perk this place up!

Click to expand...

Thank you, C Jayne! I think we should have a belated online party for the Spring Equinox, anyway...I'll bring the balloons! :mrgreen:



Arian Maverick

Wandering houses!

Hello all!

Regarding solar returns - I gather that at least some astrologers subscribe to the belief that your return chart will change if you 'move' for your birthday. However, I am wondering, does it 'change back' when you come back home? Do you effectively have a solar chart cast for the whole year, from the location of your solar return, or do the house placements of planets in the chart (and your SR ascendant) adjust as you travel around after your solar return?

Any opinions on the matter appreciated

I was taught that travel for your solar return chart would always be beneficial to the right location. In fact I went to Miami this year for my birthday to get a better chart. However, I see more and more astrologers online saying it reverts back to your present location. Personally, I believe that the chart is cast for that specific time & you can't be in two places at the same time, so i go for were i was & thats the chart for the year. I think its opinion & I'm not even sure when Solar returns were first being used , i dont think its midevel but i'm not sure

by the way, this backfired on me because my birthday is jan 1. I erected the chart BEFORE jan 1 & when I plugged it in for solar return on astrodienst, it came out w the 2005 chart not 2006, I didnt catch it , went to Miami & realized it after my birthday when I showed the chart to an astrologer friend of mine who pointed it out, No wonder I have so many problems this year!

Thanks for your thoughts

Mmm, Ive been considering this, and if it DOES revert, it would mean you have a different SR ascendant as you move around the place. Given that your personality might be seen to change significantly if you move between Australia and India, for example, it seems feasible. Also, Astrodienst has an 'astro click travel' horoscope where it shows you the different energies that will supposedly play out in your life depending on where you are,

(http://www.astro.com/horoscopes/ahor.asp)

which is interesting, and consistent with the idea that your SR chart changes. I'm still not sure though, maybe I can look at past SR charts for when Ive had my birthday overseas!!

I'd prefer it if it changed with location, otherwise I have to make a huge crazy decision about where I'm having my birthday this year!!!

ahahah, tricked!! So you feel pretty sure that your on location SR chart for 2006 is playing out consistently?

Howl said:

Hello all!

Regarding solar returns - I gather that at least some astrologers subscribe to the belief that your return chart will change if you 'move' for your birthday. However, I am wondering, does it 'change back' when you come back home? Do you effectively have a solar chart cast for the whole year, from the location of your solar return, or do the house placements of planets in the chart (and your SR ascendant) adjust as you travel around after your solar return?

Any opinions on the matter appreciated

Click to expand...

Hi. Nice links. I love Celeste Teal.

I'm not an expert on SR's, but maybe the best thing to do is to experience it firsthand. Especially if you're looking at a crummy SR anyway. Some may not notice a change while others may. There are lots of factors to consider.

Last year as it so happened, I moved (only 800 miles away), but this changed my SR nonetheless. At my new location the Asc changed to 23 Libra (Spica). I didn't know it at the time, but I moved to my Jupiter line, which is my chart ruler. Needless to say, what I've experienced has made me a believer in both astrocartography and traveling for a SR if the chart is a bad one. I moved near the time of my demi-return.

Yes, the planets will be the same, but in different houses. This could be a good thing if you want to get, say, Pluto off an angle. The angles will change. This could be a good thing if, say, 29 Taurus is on one of the angles. Some people don't like having Pluto on an angle or a 29 Taurus angle, those type of things, exercise their free will and change it.

So look at your transits, look at your progressions and look at your SR together and see if it's worth it. It's fun to take a little trip on your birthday anyway. All the better if the place you're going will be potentially beneficial for the whole year.

AqMoon

The house position of the sun may be used to indicate the busiest period of the year.In an angular house the beginning of the year will have the most activity.Pivotal circumstances and events correspond with the sun in a angular house.

Houses two five and eleven the middle portion of the year, will prove to be the most productive.The position of the sun here represents issues with personal resources, and personal values.It usually represents conclusions, finalities and the oppurtunity for stabilization.

If the sun is in house three,six,nine or twelve the last part of the year will show the most forward movement. As most of the year has been spent in preparation and adjustments.

While the house position of the sun may be used as a general timing, a prominence of planets in one of the three sectors may modify your findings.

I have been reading more into the solar returns, a lot of articles i have read seem to go into quite long interpretations about the position of the planets and the aspects. Maybe there is something in it i will have to test it out for myself.

Are they just a background to your transits or would they offer any added interpretation. It seems that you look at this new ascendent on the chart as some of the characteristics you are likely to take on, but i have always found the progressed moon as an excellent indicater in my chart to descibe the influences on my life and the personality traits i have taken on and this influence lasts for two and a half years.

The sun in a house seems to indicate what you will be focusing on for that year ,again you would have to synthesize this with your progressd moon. All these added aspects as well it's alot of information.I know your only supposed to interpret the chart for that year. I supposed i would have to experiment with it to see if i found it useful for predicting the general trend for the year.

I've been looking at my solar return chart for this year. I have heard that whenever a planet is in the same degree as a node, it is going to be a difficult year. /shrug. I also read that you take the ruler of the SR chart, see what SR house it's in and that's where a lot of your focus will be for the year. Cap rising, Saturn in the 7th. Yeah that, so far is what's going on.

Also, I have Sun/Moon conjunct in the 2nd house, and having those 2 conjunct is like having all your eggs in one basket. I've got Uranus and Neptune nearby also, showing lots of changes for the year with regards to 2nd house issues.

I am looking for a new job, and that could change my income...

Lori

I only started looking at SR charts this last year, and mine for Dec 2005, to me anyway, looks like a huge year. There is both a grand cross in fixed signs and a kite involving my sun and moon. One planet, saturn in my third house, is the only one in the first five houses and seems to pin the two formations together. Third house is also my natal placement of saturn. So, even though I think I may have only gotten the gist of what's going on, I'm enjoying watching this year to see if I perform as anticipated

I think it's the most exciting SR chart I'm gonna get for a while! Here it is:

I had a look at my solar return chart and here is what i found.

My solar return sun is in the 1st house and this house represents what i can do for myself, it's says you tend to act alone, and that this is a time of personal progress and achievement.Self interests are important. I am building on these skills now because next year my solar return sun will be in the 10th house so my skills can be used in the workplace. So that is my challenge for this year to translate my personal development into career success.

My sun in the previous year was in the 4th house so i formed emotional support and an appropiate physical enviroment

My solar return ascendent is in aquarius this gives me a need for independence. A strong need to break out of my shell and express a new me. There may also be some emotional detachment and stability.I have to be careful not to alienate people

My solar return planet in aspect indicate i will have a tendency to overreact, and there will be conflicts with other people.(sun square mars)
Strong need to make changes and break daily routine.Attracted to the new and unusual.(sun conjunct uranus)

All this is very true actually, i have been more into my own interests i have got back into astrology. I have also been thinking about doing a self confidence course because i think my lack of confidence is holding me back from things i want to do.

My sun in the previous year was in the 4th and i had a baby last year and so my focus was very much there and making a nice home.

I have tended to alienate people sometimes because i just want to do my own thing and not be distracted.I think this chart is very helpful in seeing where your focus is lying and where you are wanting to develop your skills.

I've been really trying to get the hang of SR charts. It's pretty easy to see some things in retrospect, as usual. I know that natally, I have Aquarius rising. I went back to 2000 and ran an SR for that year, as I remember that year being particularly difficult in several different areas for me. There were tough changes, although they were welcome after the fact. That year, my ASC was Leo... the ASC/DESC axis was reversed.

Can any of you look back to particularly "strong" years, not necessarly bad, but just memorable in some way and see it in that year's SR chart? I'm just asking this because I'd like to see if certain "rules" really work.

Look back on a year when you started a new relationship, a love relationship, that was particularly memorable for you in some way. In the SR for that year, which planet was rising? What was the ASC and where was the Lord of the ASC in the SR chart?

Just doing this for some practice.

Everlearning, Evergrowing.
Lori