Solar and lunar returns are one of the simplest predictive astrology techniques to implement, and the most reliable to analyze if used intelligently, some astrologers swear by them alone.
Aspects to the luminaries, Sun and Moon, are of the utmost importance in this respect. Other planet returns are far less known and can be studied nevertheless with the same principles (see below) : Jupiter, Saturn, Lunar Nodes or the Black moon in a more karmic perspective…
Principles of solar returns
A solar return is in fact a transits chart set for your birthday at the exact degree of the solar return on its natal placement (time often differs from the time of birth).
It’s thus a “solar” chart, pointing at the achievement of the Sun (Animus principle very important in a man birth chart), the possible aspects to it are thus preponderant, but as paradoxically it just updates its natal placement, it’s the other luminary, the Moon, which will matter in this analysis. This Moon in Signs, in Houses, in Astrological Elements will indicate the key elements of the year.
Usually Mercury and Venus are of little significance in solar return because they never move very far from the Sun… except for their “Framing” (the planets that may be on either side of them) and possible change in their aspects. On the other hand, as personal planets, they are much more significant in lunar return chart to describe atmosphere and events over the months (see below).
The return chart can be set for the place of birth or the place of usual residence, both charts give complementary results sometimes relevant to cross, but personally I always privilege the place of birth for the solar return chart.
Some astrologers advocate the place of usual residence, others favor the place of birth. If the birthday date is symbolically the starting point of a new cycle, one should never forget that the birth chart is and will always be the very refenrece root of this annual chart.
The solar return chart must therefore be analyzed at first by itself, then afterwards ought to be compared to the dominants of the birth chart, bringing them together is quite significant (as for all the other transits charts, Lunation cycles, Ingress, etc… see also transits of the Sun).
A solar return chart shows us how we are going to live our birth chart in a different and original way this year, what potentialities are going to be activated, when and how. It gives a “general atmosphere”, indicates the highlights, it’s in a way the “concentrate” of the year to come.
Moreover in terms of period of “validity” of a solar return, things are actually more complex and last for more than a single year : transits being continuous, they obviously overlap from one year to another and some solar return over successive years seem “bundled”.
It’s also interesting to compare them to the cycles of the Moon (of a period of 18-19 years before returning to its almost initial placement), the cycle of the Lunar Nodes, the cycle of the Black moon (whose cycle is equivalent to a half cycle of 9 years), the progressed Moon (Progressions on a 28 years basis, the period of new moon varying according to each one of us), the saros cycle and the Metonic cycle in particular…
Elemental change during the lunation cycle is very important to be followed.
Solar return thus nuances and confirms the birth chart, but in no case contradicts it. Indeed the birth chart commands by giving the guidelines, the solar returns can only describe the moments and circumstances of the fulfillment of the natal potentialities.
In practice, reconfiguration of natal aspects must be watched in solar return. It’s a little as if each natal aspect was a movie actor : in a solar return chart, casting is unchanged but the movie is a new one, roles to be performed different or having evolved…
A tense relationship between 2 planets in birth chart will remain a tense relationship in the annual solar return chart, even if these 2 planets are now in harmonic relationship; and conversely a harmonic relationship will remain fundamentally harmonic even if it evolves as disharmonic in the solar return chart… The solar return is no more no less than an updating of the natal configurations, it doesn’t create new ones.
However, this phase of reconfiguration is not to be taken lightly, energies are released and transformed during these changes, producing inner conflicts. Everything happens in reality as if the solar return offered a new means of expression of these energies during this period of time. Each year is thus potentially a possibility to have a great evolutionary period on different aspects, with new outlets, but with nevertheless a potential of destruction quite significant according to the cycles. On the other hand, some years will be pretty calm…
For example, a natal square indicates a tension between 2 planets. This aspect of tension is bound to evolve, to be actualized, to restructure itself at each solar return. The planets involved might happen to be in all the different astrological Aspects possible. At each stage a different sort of energy will be released and this energy will nuance the natal square pattern.
This evolutionary process helps to “unlock” parts of the birth chart (often not without suffering) either for a single year (if the configuration is temporary), or in a much more lasting way in the native life (if the configuration involves key points).
The transits of the slow-moving planets usually mean a time of integration of the values they represent, but this is not to be feared if one has authentically worked out along one’s spiritual path. Similarly, not everyone can necessarily seize the opportunity of a “good” transit, especially those more subtle ones involving the transpersonal planets (Uranus, Neptune, Pluto) or the Lunar Nodes and the Black moon. Some events, either good or bad, are inevitable if they belong to individual karma to be cleansed, they will appear potentially more with the sidereal zodiac…
Astrology allows a regular and conscious follow-up of the experiment with these transits, and a better understanding of differences in psychological patterns compared with the natal ones.
Analysis of rulerships is also of the utmost importance as well as determination of the chart dominants (see Recognizing oneself in one’s zodiac sign).
A Retrograde motion in solar return will have to be considered, it will mean an internalization of energies and a different way of expressing them in the coming year.
In general, everything can be significant in a solar return as in the birth chart.
It’s also quite interesting to combine Solar return charts in a Synastry, in the first year of an encounter, especially considering the Moon, which is often superimposed on nerve points of people we can meet in the year, but other Planets and angles are just as significant and can correspond to Projections (Anima, Animus, Shadow).
It’s also possible to study progressed solar return chart. Different techniques exist: 1 sign per month, one degree per month, or Transits to the solar return chart as a base system. For example :
- in solar return, MOON in ARIES 10°, SUN in ARIES 15°, in the return chart equals MOON cunjunct SUN 5 months after the birthday
- Transits on the solar return chart, the return chart being the base system : if MARS is in CAPRICORN 15° in the solar return chart, any aspect by transit to this position might activate it
As always when using predictive astrology techniques, it must be combined with Progressions, directions… and of course lunar return !
Principles of lunar return
Not as well known and used than solar return lunar return is nevertheless important in Astrological Forecasts.
Lunar return chart is based on identical principles to those of the solar return, except that it’s the exact degree of the Moon which is used as a reference, and that its validity period corresponds to the lunar cycle, that is to say approximately 1 month (a little less, 28 days, see the transits of the Moon).
It’s thus a “lunar” chart, pointing at the daily achievement of the Moon (Anima principle very important in a feminine birth chart), the potential aspects to it are thus significant, but as paradoxically the Moon does nothing else but actualize its natal position, it will be the other luminary, the Sun, which will be determining in its analysis.
Mercury and Venus are much more significant in lunar return chart, as personal planets, they will really indicate the personal achievement, both on psychological level and external events. Venus obviously has a very special importance in the feminine charts.
Lunar returns must be combined with solar returns for a better and more precise result, they are somehow directly “submitted” to them. If the solar return indicates an event to happen during the year, lunar return will often specify the months of updating and realization, they will reconfigure again the main aspects.
If I prefer to use the place of birth for the solar return but I find that for lunar return the place of habitation, or the place one is at the moment is often relevant and gives a more dynamic angle of interpretation that allows us to refine what the solar revolution points at.
Lunar return is thus a short term predictive technique allowing to follow the solar return development, it allows to confirm or deny important turning points, to determine if need be favorable periods over the month to come.
As solar return chart, lunar return chart can be progressed on the same basis (about 1 sign every 56 hours in that case).