Travel at Solar Return

Osamenor

Staff member
What are your thoughts on travel at your solar return? I'm talking about short term travel, not a long term move. I'm considering travel this summer, which might coincide with my birthday, or might not. Out of curiosity, I cast my upcoming solar return chart for home and a couple of places I might travel to.

If I am at home on my solar return, I'll have the most planets, including sun, in the SR sixth house, moon in SR second, and SR AC applying to the cusp of my natal third house.

If I travel to Place A, it's mostly north, not much longitude change, and my SR house cusps only change by a degree or so, not significant. But if I travel to Place B, the houses really change. My largest planetary concentration would be in SR fourth, moon in SR first, SR AC applying to natal fifth.

If I do go on a trip, it will only be for about a week, and after that I'll be home for the foreseeable future. So either way, the home solar return chart is the one I'll be living under most of the year. But would anything really change if I'm far enough from home on my solar return to change the house placements?
 
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AtlanticPacific

Well-known member
I would say that considering the shortness of the trip, it wouldn't apply, and that your home solar return is the one that would. Are you concerned about the 6th house activity or just curious?
 

Osamenor

Staff member
Just curious.

If anyone has traveled at their solar return and noticed a difference, or not, I would love to hear their experiences. I didn't start this thread to talk about me, but to muse on and discuss the idea that traveling for your solar return, so that it changes your SR houses, makes a difference. I'm just using my situation as the starting example.
 

katydid

Well-known member
I used to believe it was really significant---in terms of where one was at the moment of their Solar Return.

There was a tight group of Astrologers/students in Venice Beach in the 70's and 80's. We used to advocate for 'relocation' Solar Returns.

But I never really saw any concrete evidence that it worked, if you only went to the new location for a quick birthday party.

One needs to fully relocate to make it really change one's chart, in my opinion.

One memorable example:

A double Virgo friend of mine wanted to change her upcoming SR from a 6th house stellium to a 7th house one.

There was a Venus/Jupiter conjunction in the sky which was going to be in the same sign as the Moon ,Saturn and Pluto. All 5 were going to be in Libra.

She wanted them to be in the 7th house so she could meet someone new. :innocent:

She flew to a different time zone, and visited a good childhood friend for 10 days. She had a great time. She met a nice man who lived next door to her friend. They had a great time together and had a nice fling. She was very happy on the vacation.

When she returned home, to go back to work, it was kind of like 'the magic spell' was lifted. She was behind in bills because she spent more than she had planned to. She worked overtime and got fatigued. She ended up ill and had messed up with her blood sugar/diabetes on her trip--which became more serious.

So all of the 6th house issues came roaring back when she returned home.

Would things have stayed 'great' if she stayed in the vacation location? Probably not. Her fling was only temporary because he had a steady girlfriend.

She had no job or permanent place to stay there. It was just make believe.
 

Osamenor

Staff member
A double Virgo friend of mine wanted to change her upcoming SR from a 6th house stellium to a 7th house one.

There was a Venus/Jupiter conjunction in the sky which was going to be in the same sign as the Moon ,Saturn and Pluto. All 5 were going to be in Libra.

She wanted them to be in the 7th house so she could meet someone new. :innocent:

She flew to a different time zone, and visited a good childhood friend for 10 days. She had a great time. She met a nice man who lived next door to her friend. They had a great time together and had a nice fling. She was very happy on the vacation.

When she returned home, to go back to work, it was kind of like 'the magic spell' was lifted. She was behind in bills because she spent more than she had planned to. She worked overtime and got fatigued. She ended up ill and had messed up with her blood sugar/diabetes on her trip--which became more serious.

So all of the 6th house issues came roaring back when she returned home.

Would things have stayed 'great' if she stayed in the vacation location? Probably not. Her fling was only temporary because he had a steady girlfriend.

She had no job or permanent place to stay there. It was just make believe.

Interesting. I think this story perfectly illustrates how your solar return location and placements correlate with your motive for being there. Your friend had that seventh house experience while she was on that trip, but because she was acting as a seventh house tourist, it was a tourist experience. Nothing permanent. If she was traveling just to chase a fantasy, she got the fantasy, didn't she?

Also, it probably made a difference which planets they were. Saturn and Pluto in there? There are going to be some problems, I would think... problems having to do with hidden motives and the limits of reality, up against planets not known for being realistic. And a Neptune sextile to at least part of the stellium, I would think, considering where Neptune was in the early 1980s.

If I take that trip, I'll be visiting my sister. SR fourth house suggests family being up, which it would on that trip. Venus will be in my natal seventh house either way, SR fifth house if I'm on my side of the continent, SR third if I'm at my sister's... Venus in the third says sister, loud and clear.

Regarding my SR sixth house, I'm not surprised, because I'm already an apprentice in several ways: halfway through herbalism school, recently started some more formal astrology study, going to be taking a proficiency test at work close to my solar return (I get to advance if and when I pass), and possibly trying a new hobby or two. I think that's probably what this sixth house business is about. And perhaps that I'm working on a healing arts certificate. If I have any health issues come up, that's a good place to be, surrounded by healers.

I also see restriction and malefics in the ninth house either way, which is interesting. Saturn will be in my SR ninth house if I'm at home. If I'm at my sister's, SR ninth house cusp will be in Capricorn and Pluto will be in that house. Perhaps Saturn in the ninth at home suggests a reason why I won't travel? But if I do travel and get the ninth house cusp in Capricorn, there's still a similar theme.

Of course, I could also travel to a third location and get a completely different SR chart, although that's probably not realistic at this point.
 

wishfish

Member
I'm still going to believe in aimed SR. I would have 12th house SR (Pi-sun, merc,venus, neptune, chiron, NN... intercepted!) next year if I stay home plus Cap Pluto & Saturn sitting 60 degrees behind them in the 10th. Just Awful.
I will venture a plane ticket on my faith in relocated SR, if I plan way ahead it was meant to be anyway, free will!!! and if the effects dissolve when you return home then what if you go back and visit where you spent your aimed SR? hmm? (kidding)
I think it has a lot to do with belief and I am a believer! :alien:
Now I'm looking at where I could have SR sun and planets where it is practical to travel to get them there.

Although you said your friends' aimed SR was ineffective can you tell me how you advised others when you DID advocate for SR travel "back-in the day"? What house placements do you like, and for pluto/saturn as well?

Also idk if a fling with an attached person would qualify as a 7th house event, right? I wouldn't go for an aimed 7th SR anyway: possible legal, paperwork or real ugly relationship problems.

and How do either of you feel about exorcising the symbols?
I have seen this work with 3rd house issues: being pro-active about car maintenance, frustrating commutes, & purchasing new devices. But I don't see how one could get ahead of a 12th h SR like this... prospects are not good.
 

Osamenor

Staff member
I'm still going to believe in aimed SR. I would have 12th house SR (Pi-sun, merc,venus, neptune, chiron, NN... intercepted!) next year if I stay home plus Cap Pluto & Saturn sitting 60 degrees behind them in the 10th. Just Awful.
I will venture a plane ticket on my faith in relocated SR, if I plan way ahead it was meant to be anyway, free will!!! and if the effects dissolve when you return home then what if you go back and visit where you spent your aimed SR? hmm? (kidding)
I think it has a lot to do with belief and I am a believer! :alien:
Now I'm looking at where I could have SR sun and planets where it is practical to travel to get them there.
Have you traveled for your solar return before? Or is this going to be your first solar return tourist experience?

It would be great if you'd share your experience either way. If you've traveled and had a different solar return chart as a result, how did it play out for you? If next year will be your first time doing that, please come back and share!

and How do either of you feel about exorcising the symbols?
I have seen this work with 3rd house issues: being pro-active about car maintenance, frustrating commutes, & purchasing new devices. But I don't see how one could get ahead of a 12th h SR like this... prospects are not good.

I think exorcising the symbols, as you put it, is exactly what you should do in every case. If third house issues show up, whether it's a solar return or just plain transits and progressions, take care of third house matters, and so on and so forth.

My thought on an emphasized twelfth house in solar return is that this is probably the end of an era in some sense. Do you expect to be transitioning next year? That might involve finishing a course of study, moving to a new home, changing jobs, or some such thing. Or maybe a life transition, like becoming a parent or becoming an empty nester.

If you're going to have a twelfth house solar return, being prepared with support for a transition time is a good idea. Transitions are easier if they come with support.
 

wishfish

Member
2014 my SR sun 12th house: towards the end of that year my mother was diagnosed with C and I spent alot of time w her in the hospital.
2015 predicted SR Sun/Neptune 8th house, Moon 12th house. Mother was sent home for hospice and we stayed with her until she passed.

so I travelled a few hours west that year to push my sun into the 9th house. I honestly think this made a difference in the way I was able to process the events of that year w ritual, philosphy, mysticism, and to gather and celebrate her life (moms was a Sag too).

*don't mean to hijack this thread w personal story but that's my one experience relocating, its impossible to say what WOULD have happened if I had resigned to that 8th house sun but I do believe relocating lent me some positive 9th house~Sag energy and I'm sticking w my belief and my story!

I also believe everyone is different: not everything works for everybody.
and I hope I didn't jinx myself now, I'm certainly not boasting: also the term exorcising the planets or constellating the symbols is a term I borrow from Ciro Discepolo and Astrology Online Active Astrology site, I think it originally is a Jungian term? dk.
 

katydid

Well-known member
2014 my SR sun 12th house: towards the end of that year my mother was diagnosed with C and I spent alot of time w her in the hospital.
2015 predicted SR Sun/Neptune 8th house, Moon 12th house. Mother was sent home for hospice and we stayed with her until she passed.

so I travelled a few hours west that year to push my sun into the 9th house. I honestly think this made a difference in the way I was able to process the events of that year w ritual, philosphy, mysticism, and to gather and celebrate her life (moms was a Sag too).

*don't mean to hijack this thread w personal story but that's my one experience relocating, its impossible to say what WOULD have happened if I had resigned to that 8th house sun but I do believe relocating lent me some positive 9th house~Sag energy and I'm sticking w my belief and my story!

I also believe everyone is different: not everything works for everybody.
and I hope I didn't jinx myself now, I'm certainly not boasting: also the term exorcising the planets or constellating the symbols is a term I borrow from Ciro Discepolo and Astrology Online Active Astrology site, I think it originally is a Jungian term? dk.

Relocating the Sun to the 9th was a brilliant idea and I agree with you that it probably helped you immensely to process the loss and grief.

I do think that relocation does 'alter' and shift some things in the native's life experiences.

But back in the 70's and 80's, there was a mistaken belief, in my experience, that relocating on the day of the SR could totally change the underlying circumstances. And that does not seem to be the case.

FOR EXAMPLE, a 'New Age' astrologer from back in the day, MIGHT have predicted that you would not even have to endure the loss of your Mother if you changed the Solar Return well enough. Some might have predicted that taking the 8th house out of the equation would nullify that tragic situation but now we know it does not really work like that. :alien:

You altered it and elevated it enough to help you see the bigger, philosophical, spiritual cosmic situation by triggering the 9th house. That was a perfect use of the Relocation technique, in my opinion.
 

wishfish

Member
thank you for the encouragement!
I just wanted to get SR Sun out of the 8th, only in retrospect can see how the 9th H helped me: so one YES, I think it works, just maybe don't be greedy, that could become a Monkeys' Paw, unintended consequences, type situation, right? I do plan to travel just to soften up the SR next Feb, if the universe lets me, then its ok!

Here are old discussions I found about travel SR, running the spectrum from skeptics to believers:

http://www.astrologyweekly.com/forum/showthread.php?t=18259&highlight=solar+return+travel and
http://www.astrologyweekly.com/forum/showthread.php?t=82377&highlight=aimed+sola
and http://www.astrologyweekly.com/forum/showthread.php?t=15576&highlight=solar+return+travel

I think you are in these discussions too making some pretty good points! :0
Do you think it would be rude to revive a thread from someone who was relocating SR and ask about how it went? (being Osamenors' original question.) Some people seem to be very frightened of an upcoming SR! and I hope it worked out better than they expected whether they were able to travel or not.
 

Osamenor

Staff member
Relocating the Sun to the 9th was a brilliant idea and I agree with you that it probably helped you immensely to process the loss and grief.

I do think that relocation does 'alter' and shift some things in the native's life experiences.

But back in the 70's and 80's, there was a mistaken belief, in my experience, that relocating on the day of the SR could totally change the underlying circumstances. And that does not seem to be the case.

FOR EXAMPLE, a 'New Age' astrologer from back in the day, MIGHT have predicted that you would not even have to endure the loss of your Mother if you changed the Solar Return well enough. Some might have predicted that taking the 8th house out of the equation would nullify that tragic situation but now we know it does not really work like that. :alien:

You altered it and elevated it enough to help you see the bigger, philosophical, spiritual cosmic situation by triggering the 9th house. That was a perfect use of the Relocation technique, in my opinion.

I would say something similar. It's all about your intention for the relocation. That your mother had cancer, and died, would've happened no matter where you were on your solar return. That wasn't going to change. What you could change was how you experienced all that.

There was a recent article in the Mountain Astrologer that described the ninth house as the place where we find the deeper meaning after the events of the eighth house. Death leads to questions about life after death, and the overall meaning of life. So the meaning of one of those houses creates the meaning of the other.

It sounds like katydid's friend wasn't really ready for a seventh house partnership. So, she couldn't experience it for real.

Regarding eighth house solar return suns, I had one a few years ago, and it felt like I was coming home. My natal sun is in the eighth house. That year, if I remember correctly (I might be placing these events in the wrong year), I got reiki attunements shortly before my birthday, started hypnotherapy shortly after, and two of my uncles died later on in the year, closer to my next solar return. So there was some death, but not an immediate family member (and in both of those cases, it would've happened anyway). The real eighth house themes that stand out for me, looking back, are the healing experiences I had during that time.
 

Osamenor

Staff member
Note to whichever moderator moved this thread to Relocation Astrology: This thread is primarily about solar returns. Just because some mention has been made of relocation astrology, does NOT make it a relocation astrology topic. I have moved it back. Please do not move it again!
 

Osamenor

Staff member
Do you think it would be rude to revive a thread from someone who was relocating SR and ask about how it went? (being Osamenors' original question.) Some people seem to be very frightened of an upcoming SR! and I hope it worked out better than they expected whether they were able to travel or not.

Not rude, although if the thread is very old, the poster might not be coming on here anymore. That's always a chance you take if you revive old threads.

If any of those posters are still on here, they'd probably be glad to get a chance to revisit and share. I know I would be, if someone revived an old thread of mine and asked how it went.
 

katydid

Well-known member
After all of these years of looking at my SR's, I have concluded that it all boils down to TRANSITS. It seems like the most important things that happen within any Solar Return Cycle, are still essentially found in the basic transits of the planets to the natal chart.

Sure, you get the nuanced reading of the SR ascendant and the house comparisons between SR and natal. But the other main delineations come from Saturn being square one's Moon, or Jupiter conjuncting one's Venus.

I think that if one does a thorough analysis of ones yearly transits/progressions, one would glean the same information without the SR. But I could be wrong.
 

wishfish

Member
Agree:
I also had Transit Neptune Conj Natal Sun the SRyear my mother passed, also: my father's birthday is one day after mine so he experienced the same Neptune transit: losing his intimate of 40+ years and moving out of their house. Very significant upheaval and redefinition on all levels.
* * * Have either of you practiced an aimed SR with any benefit? or had a really textbook SR/transit?
I am going to mine some older threads and see if anyone is game to share their SR experiences with the wisdom of hindsight! One person told me their 12th house SR was "hell". so... :unsure:
 
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