Let's talk a little bit about your Solar Return... What is it? How often does it happen?...
The easy way to remember when your Solar Return, or SR for sake of repetitive mentioning in this post, is going to happen is that it will always be within a day to two, before or after, your birthday annually... For instance, my SR in 2024 will be on the 7th of September when my actual birthday falls on the 8th... There are times that your SR will actually occur on your birthday making that day a little extra special, cosmically.
Whereas the moon cycles through the twelve zodiacs all within 28 days and outer planetaries like Jupiter or Saturn take decades, the Sun returns to the exact degrees and minutes it was at the time of your birth once a year.
Looking at a SR chart will tell you a lot about what is upcoming in the rolling twelve months ahead, even without looking at the aspecting transits. Which of course will add depth and definitely be telling should you dig that far... Regardless, you can get a broader sense of what to expect in referencing the house structure of your SR chart...
You can get your return chart here by entering your birth information and where you want your chart to be located from. (I recommend locating it from where you believe you will be at on your birthday.)
Important Points to Know.
In the bigger theme of things, your Solar Return is focused on your ego. Therefore, that's the lens which you're going to be looking through when you bring your attention to the SR Chart's Ascendant. It will likely be different from your natal ascendant and that carries on through the remaining houses as you compare your two charts... The energy of a SR chart is primarily focused on how you will exert vitality within your life until the Sun returns again twelve months later. Where you might boast or lose confidence. Have struggles, or find encouragement...
In reading a SR chart you're obviously going to pay notice that the Sun's zodiacal location is where it should be. Same degrees and minutes of the zodiac it was when you were born. So, for me that is 15° 28' Virgo. Ensuring this matches up ensures true conjunction.
After that you will see there appears to be two charts converged into one which can be intimidating. Especially if reading one chart seems daunting. But the easiest thing to remember is your natal chart is always going to be the one in the center and if you've studied it much, you'll be able to notice things are where you'd expect them to be. Your ascendant is going to be on the left. Descendant, right. Your Midhaven in the upper part of your sky, albeit maybe not true north and your IC or, 'Bottom of the Sky', will be in the lower hemisphere. Again, perhaps not true south and reversed if you are pulling a chart from the southern hemisphere perspective.
Outside that information will be the ring of zodiacs helping you dial in where everything is lying. An SR chart is going to have the same set up as a transit chart would have, because it is a transit chart. It's going to have an outer ring of what's going on in the sky at that moment you selected it pulled, and another set of axis points to go along. Here you may notice your SR ascendant might be nowhere near the left side of the graph, for instance it could be in aligned with the Second Quadrant of your natal chart, appearing in the bottom right. What will help you orientate yourself is that second set of axis points which are always marked pretty profoundly. These allowing you to see the Solar Return's Ascendant, Descendant, MC and IC. Locating this second set of axes will greatly help you see the second set of houses in the SR chart.
After you have taken all that in, it's time to make note of in what zodiac the SR chart has the ascendant. That is very telling as it is going to be how you are to project yourself upon the world whilst utilizing your ego in the coming year.... It's also important to notate here that you may pull these charts out more than just one year in advance. So, let's say you're graduating university in four years' time, and you wish to know what your solar return looks like for post-graduation. Simply pull the year's chart you expect to graduate. Same idea. You have retirement coming up and you want to know what that transition might look like. Pull the year you expect to be retiring. Obviously the closer to the event, the more likelihood this will be accurate in case things develop which may change when you choose to actually retire...
In looking at the SR ascendant think about what planet rules that zodiac as well. So, if again, we use the example of Libra, she is ruled by Venus. Therefore, it's likely going to be a very good year for you to make your mark and/or step out into the world of aesthetic and beauty. Also, a really good year to get married if that's the stage of stable relationship you find yourself. Kind of look at that planet as a big sister. They're there to support you along the way, through pitfalls and obstacles. The planet becomes your cheerleader for the year.
After locating the ascendant now look for the Sun. See where it's at as even though it's under the same zodiac, it will likely not be in the same house your natal Sun resides. Whichever house you do find the SR Sun it'll showcase what archetypal theme you'll be focused on, regardless of if it ends up being how you project... Keep in mind, those two things can interplay very heavily. You might be focused on ownership and finances if the Sun is going to be in your Second House, but you might project that energy into your relationships or art if the SR ascendant is located within Libra.
Speaking of relationships, I would then locate your descendant and compare where the start of your natal Seventh House cusp lies and therefore your natural energy towards relationships, to where the Sun will be pulling your attention regarding intimacy and significant relationships in the coming months. Things become quite interesting when these energies are in oppositional elements. Your natural disposition may be expansive, understanding, and seeking positive experiences at the expense of reality if your natal descendant is strongly Sagittarian, however, if your SR descendant finds itself in Aries you're going to see a much more assertive self in your relationships going forward. Likely being able to set stronger boundaries, especially if that has proved to be a series of life lessons you've had come to grapple with...
You can carry on this comparison process with all the houses and access points. As long as you have a base understanding of what each zodiac brings to the table and a base of what each house represents, you should be able to read that pretty fluently as if you were casting a table of cards.
What becomes more intricate is when you start to compare the aspecting going on alongside the true conjunction of the Suns.
When getting to this part of comparing a SR chart, they are typically arranged with the solar planet's aspecting to the natal planets. So, when you see Saturn square Uranus, it would read as SR Saturn will be opposing your Natal Uranus...
A Witchy's Take.
As far as ritual goes, I find one of the most helpful things you can do when diving into your solar return and celebrating the masculine luminary in your life, is to sit down with either a vision board or journal using the energies that you see in the chart as prompts to devise goals/plans. This act helps to bring to life what has been on your heart/mind which are in alignment with the energies that are going to be available to you... Going further into ritual, using this as a basis for a tarot casting will likely be insightful... For such occasions, l love to use a simple three card spread, like Kyle Gray's 'Strength/Heart/Challenge,' to see what parts of myself I can call on in assisting me to reach my goal, become aware of how/what involved affects my heart/soul alignment, and what I have a chance to heal if I stay on this trajectory... I will always then advise calling it in your deities, asking them to lend their support, energy, and guidance to your plans as well.
Translating a Solar Return Chart.
So, let's have a go at the chart for my Solar Return 2024, as I've already leaked some details above and it's coming up in a couple weeks' time....
First thing I see is my ascendant stays within Air, where my natal is Gemini but my return will be Libra. So, I still very much will have that elemental at the helm, but it will be more likely focused on art than communication and expressing energies of partnership, be them romantic or not...
And when it comes to relationships, I jump ship from my Sagittarian descendant, albeit the majority of my Seventh House is ruled by Capricorn, to an Aries descendant with the majority of my SR Seventh ruled by earthly Taurus... So again, we're seeing this energy of same elemental, in this case Earth not Air, but where my natal would be more focused on establishing relationships that could be built upon, it's focusing on the relationships I already have that have proved themselves a stable influence in my life...
As far as its house location, my SR Sun finds itself in the Eleventh House, meaning the majority of my energy will be used to connect with my community. I see that likely in the bonds I've forged specifically of women around me, but also the caretakers of my sons, be them parts of a greater special needs support system of teachers and therapists. My community extends to my clientele and the 'Way Showers' I gravitate to as my journey continues.
I see my solar year of '24/'25 being a strong year of establishing myself as who I am in this life today, as opposed to being characterized by the life I've led up until this point... I am excited for that shift!
Are you excited to see what's going on in your solar return '24/'25?
Even if your birthday has come and went, we can still dive into that together should you want me to be your astrological partner along the way...
You can always contact me here:
I hope this has taken some of the mystery out of how to read a solar return chart, be it for yourself or others in your life. I truly feel as though astrology is a tool for life and should be available to everyone. It doesn't have to be complex or confusing. You can build in the complexities as your understanding grows.
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