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The Meaning Of Your Solar Return Chart

A Solar Return chart is an astrological forecasting technique used for assessing the potential themes and general feel of your next solar year, i.e. birthday year (from one birthday to the next). They are usually cast on your birthday, solar returns are the moment the Sun returns to its natal degree, which can actually be the day before or after your birthdate), but they can also be done retrospectively as well once you are already part-way into your next birthday year if you would like insight into the unfolding of the rest of the year.

Once you have your Solar Return chart, it is read in much the same way your Natal Chart is! Read on for tips how:

How To Read Your Solar Return Chart

The key components Solar Return charts, like a Natal Chart, are the Planets, Zodiac Signs, Houses (the segments of the chart representing different areas of life), and aspects (the relationship between the Planets). Of course, your Sun Sign will be same, Rising Signs occassionally, but the aspects made to other Planets and the House the Sun is in may change, so they will still be highly important for interpretation.

As with a Natal Chart, you will need an accurate birth time, date (using the current year), and location where you spend your birthday. People have been known to make plans with where they spend their birthday based on the Solar Return chart it will give them! But some Astrologers say that you should stick to the location where you spend the majority of your time as a 1 day trip may not alter things too significantly).

Interpreting a Solar Return Chart

You can start analysing your Solar Return chart by looking at any significant aspects the Sun is making to other Planets or points in the Chart, such as the Ascendant (how you appear in the world), Midheaven (vocation/life path), Descendant (relationships), and IC (inner and home life), also known as the angles. It is also important to note the House it is in for where a major part of life will play out for you this year. You can also look to the Nodes, Asteroids, and Chiron, or any other points you may be interested in. For example, if your Solar Return (SR) Sun is trining Neptune and opposing Uranus, you can expect to undergo some significant identity changes and perhaps become more spiritual, creative, or intuitive (other aspects notwithstanding). If the Sun reaches the 10th House, you career and public image may be a key feature for you this year.

If the Moon is then in Sagittarius, you may crave exploration and adventure. If this occurs in the 11th House, you may prefer to do so in company and desire new friendships or community involvement. Any Planets that are near the angles become very significant for the year.

two-wander-interpreting-a-solar-return-chart

Then, you can look at your Rising Sign and where its Planetary ruler is for your general temperament and default style, and where this may be expressed. You can also note any “critical degrees” for feelings of urgency or heightened importance (usually the most significant anaretic degrees are 0 and 29º but you can also use 13 and 26º for Cardinal Signs; 8-9º and 21-22º for Fixed Signs; and 4 and 17º for Mutable Signs). For example, if your Rising Sign this year is Aquarius, you may move through the world an unusual or humanitarian perspective and come more into a more unique, individual sense of self. If Saturn, the ruler of Aquarius, is in the 1st House, you may also be more hardworking and mature. In the example above, Jupiter is also in the 1st, conjunct the Ascendant, lightening the load and bringing a sense of expansion and luck even!

Simply search your way through all of the Planets and points noting which Sign and House they fall in and the aspects they make for an overview of what your next Solar year may look like! You can get a free Solar Return chart done here and click on the highlighted links above for descriptions to what each of the components means in more details.

Once you have moved through all the Planets and points, you can look to see if there are any clusters of Planets, or stelliums (3+), in any area of your Chart for where they may be a concentration of focus and energy for the year. For example, if you have multiple Planets in the 5th House, you may experience heightened creative output this year as well as an expansion of your artistic hobbies; you might introduce more play, fun, and romance into your life, or even consider having children! Also note if there are any Planets retrograde.

You can also look to the summary of elements, modes/qualities, dualities, hemisphere occupation, and Chart shape. For example, if you have mainly Fire Sign placements, you can expect and active and energetic year. If there is a majority of Cardinal Sign placement, you might begin many projects or take more leadership roles. If there is more Yin Signs occupied, you might become more introspective and receptive. If the upper hemisphere is fuller, you might become more outer-facing; and if the Chart is a see-saw shape, you might oscillate between two modes of operating or points of focus.

Finally, you can compare all of this back to your Birth Chart to see how they relate. For example, if you are a Aquarius Rising for your most recent Solar Return year, which is Natally in the 3rd House, then factors of communication, expression, and local neighbourhood may also be brought to the forefront for you (you can opt to view your Solar Return chart both singularly and in combination as a bi-wheel).

Overall the Solar Return chart is a fascinating and illuminating technique to muse upon and work with, especially when used in conjunction with a transit chart, Annual Profections, or Secondary Progression chart! For more timing techniques, check out our post on Zodiacal Releasing.

For a video lesson teaching you how to do all of them, get my Astro Timing Techniques Workshop!

So that’s the meaning of your Solar Return chart and how to read it! I hope it’s been insightful for you, let me know in the comments section below if you have any questions or anything else to add :)

To self study the cosmos, get our Cosmic Guidance: Traditional Astrology 101 Course or our Astrology + Natal Chart Guidebook. If you would like your Solar Return chart read by me instead, book in a Personalised Year Ahead reading!

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