Solar returns - what's important to take note of?

[sroo]

Hey  

I want to make a birthday reading to my boyfriend of his solar return chart. I am new to predicting from a solar return and wondering what is important to look for (as opposed to a transit reading).

Would you say angles play a big role? The aspect to the sun? House placements? Like, what's the number one thing to look for.

Much obliged 

[Ava]

Hi sroo

Happy birthday to your boyfriend.

I'm still getting the hang of these, but I think all your guesses are on point:

cafeastrology.com/interpretingsolarreturns.html

Additionally:

- Planets conjunct the SR sun will probably stand out
- SR planet-conjunct-ASC can point to a significant year according to that planet (ASC-Jupiter might feel lucky, ASC-Uranus extra unusual).
- I'd focus on the most exact aspects (within the SR itself, or SR-to-natal comparison).
- A stellium in any house is pointing to changes in the area of life signified by that house; most noticeable with angular houses.
- Also if there's a natal aspect repeated in the SR, that aspect theme could be more noticeable.
- I always focus on the nodes.

Basically the SR chart kind of "speaks" if you're already familiar with the person's natal chart, important zodiac degrees in their life, other factors unique to them.

[sroo]

May 19, 2021 3:00:42 GMT Ava said:

Hi sroo

Happy birthday to your boyfriend.

I'm still getting the hang of these, but I think all your guesses are on point:

cafeastrology.com/interpretingsolarreturns.html

Additionally:

- Planets conjunct the SR sun will probably stand out
- SR planet-conjunct-ASC can point to a significant year according to that planet (ASC-Jupiter might feel lucky, ASC-Uranus extra unusual).
- I'd focus on the most exact aspects (within the SR itself, or SR-to-natal comparison).
- A stellium in any house is pointing to changes in the area of life signified by that house; most noticeable with angular houses.
- Also if there's a natal aspect repeated in the SR, that aspect theme could be more noticeable.
- I always focus on the nodes.

Basically the SR chart kind of "speaks" if you're already familiar with the person's natal chart, important zodiac degrees in their life, other factors unique to them.

Hi @ava,

Thanks for sharing your knowledge. I'll begin with these. I love the nodes myself but don't know how to interpret it in a solar return. Venus is conjunct the north node for example in the third house/gemini. His natal north node is in gemini second house, his nodal return is approaching. Maybe a nodal year with the venus archetype. He has venus in his first house in his chart and is way more in tune with this archetype in his life than many in the Arabic culture. It hasn't been very accepted however.

What I feel wary about is putting focus on the signs of the slower planets as that is more of a transit reading for the year... maybe. I haven't sorted it out in my mind yet ^^

[t5]

My internet search for Solar Return Charts threw up plutonicdesire.net/the-solar-return-chart/ which appears to a comprehensive checklist of what to look at/for.

[lumina]

my opinion after a fleeting glance about the list t5 thankfully posted. The checklist is pretty good, the interpretations not so much. at least in my opinion.

For me, the first thing I am looking for in Solar Return charts:

° the angles and Return and natal planets being placed on the angles - if there are some, especially putting emphasis on their aspects, they take center stage

° Sun of course (in house and aspects)

° very important the Solar Return MOon and its aspects, in particular the applying aspects within about 10-12 degrees (I sometimes check the progressed Solar REturn Moon and it seems to always be triggering some return or natal planet at important timeframes during the year)

° lunar phase in the Return.

° Where the Solar Return ASC falls into the natal chart, same for the ruler

° Stellia in signs or houses

° nodal axis

Everything else I consider "backseat-material", unless triggered by transits through the year, but most of the time those points cover much of the Solar Return anyway.


Edit
also Ava pointed out-

- the most exact aspects
- repeated aspects from the natal - very very important too

[Ava]

Thank you t5 and lumina

Re: lunar phase in the return

t5's link says "Void of course = Nothing much will change." I wonder if that's true.

Another thing I really have my eye on this year, relative to my own solar return, are the eclipses.

1. Eclipse on June 10th exactly conjunct SR NN

2. Eclipse Nov 19th on my prenatal eclipse, really unnecessary for a beginner's SR reading, but this is the kind of thing I was alluding to with "important zodiac degrees in their life, other factors unique to them." Not only is this my prenatal eclipse but two of my children were born on this eclipse axis, plus my niece, so now it's a family thing. Furthermore my SR ASC is conjunct composite ASC with my husband this year, on another son's sun; my SR moon in the 4th conjunct my husband's moon. All things considered this SR is significantly family-oriented. Indeed I just quit my job and will spend more time with my family.

My SR Mercury-Pluto in Capricorn is tightly conjunct that eclipse chart's DSC, so I'm just mindful of that. Intense marriage communication?

And sroo , that's one way we can keep outer planets in mind, with the SR. If you're interested, you might check to see what's going on during eclipses, between the SR and eclipses charts....do any outer planets become angular? A theme might just come to mind, or you can at least guess it's going to be a more "heightened" or unusual time-frame. (There's a ton of stuff to look for in SRs...I work according to preference, and eclipses are cool, so I enjoy checking this. )

Not sure what other astrologers say about outer planets in the SR. My opinion has been, if they are conjunct a natal planet for the whole year that's an insistent energy and will be transformative on that planet. For example, SR Uranus on natal Mercury WILL change the way a person thinks and lives. There could be travel disruptions (of course that's true for everyone lately, but Mercury rules travel, Uranus is disruptive). On the other hand there could be other manifestations like an upgrade to a more state-of-the-art vehicle. A lot depends on how the person already is (do they LIKE high-tech stuff? Or are they bad drivers and this is a risk factor for an accident?)

Just some thoughts.

[lumina]

Ava


"Void of course = Nothing much will change." I wonder if that's true.
It´s not a horary chart, so no, I don`t think that is true. 
But that is what I mean, the interpretations seem far fetched in some instances (and no 11th house does not mean mourning and death as default)



Another thing I really have my eye on this year, relative to my own solar return, are the eclipses.

Eclipses are always the big bells I think, the big clock in any given year, esp. if they trigger something. 


1. Eclipse on June 10th exactly conjunct SR NN

obvoulsy the eclipses will always be conjunct the nodes more or less, however in the case of an exact alignment that is absolutely major yes. 





2. Eclipse Nov 19th on my prenatal eclipse, really unnecessary for a beginner's SR reading, but this is the kind of thing I was alluding to with "important zodiac degrees in their life, other factors unique to them."
Exactly.

My opinion has been, if they are conjunct a natal planet for the whole year that's an insistent energy and will be transformative on that planet.
Yes, I agree. Also the months were the transits will become exact or close to exact in either the lunar Return chart or on a new Moon or fullmoon day, might be a pointer to when the transits will manifest very clearly. usually in the form of an event, of course the developmental changes are happening all through the year. 

[t5]

A comparison of my natal, progressed and solar return charts for my 1992 birthday clearly described the event that led to me retiring from my 10th house career some 3 months later. ... Natal Mars was activated by a Moon-Mercury-MC Poleaxe that had been created in the progressed chart, and both were activated by a Chiron-Pluto square in the Solar Return Chart. ... However, this event was also clearly described by the Sun-Moon-Venus-Mars and Sun-Moon-Venus-Jupiter 4-planet-conjunctions that respectively appear in the 18th and 36th harmonic charts of the 1992 Solar Return Chart.

So ... I wonder if 4-planet-conjunctions in the harmonic charts of a solar return might highlight the planets that are going to have a particular impact during its 12 months life/activation-period.

[lumina]

May 24, 2021 7:46:51 GMT t5 said:

So ... I wonder if 4-planet-conjunctions in the harmonic charts of a solar return might highlight the planets that are going to have a particular impact during its 12 months life/activation-period.

That is a very interesting thought. 

[lumina]

just saw that my 7th harmonic of my current Solar Return has a conjunction of Venus, Pluto and Uranus, not 4 planets, only three, but fairly close together (15, 16, 19 Sag), keeping a mental note, even if it is not a four planet configuration.

[lumina]

I wonder if that here counts even if it is fairly wide.

11th harmonic of the SR:
Sun 15 Taurus
Uranus 17 Taurus
Jupiter 24 Taurus
Saturn 00 Gemini

(well Cochrane uses 16 degree orb for the stellia/ conjunctions in harmonic chart, so it technically would be valid even if just so, I guess)

[lumina]

Well my 43rd harmonic of the SR looks crazy, not even sure why I looked that up. lol NOt a four planet conjunction in there though, but pretty much everything interconnected

[t5]

lumina ...

just saw that my 7th harmonic of my current Solar Return has a conjunction of Venus, Pluto and Uranus, not 4 planets, only three, but fairly close together (15, 16, 19 Sag), keeping a mental note, even if it is not a four planet configuration.

Your 2020/21 SR has Moon-Jupiter-Saturn-Pluto conjunct in 1H and 2H charts and :-

Sun-Jupiter-Saturn-Uranus-Chiron in 11H ... Mer-Mars-Venus-Pluto in 49H ... Mer-Mars-Neptune-Pluto in 86H

So ... 2020/21 provides an opportunity to observe these harmonics in action, as/when transits activate these planets in the SR Chart.

Well my 43rd harmonic of the SR looks crazy, not even sure why I looked that up. lol NOt a four planet conjunction in there though, but pretty much everything interconnected

Perhaps that 49H Mer-Mars-Venus-Pluto intuition made you look it up? But you also have the Yod in your progressed chart, which (imo) may also have impelled you to look it up.

In itself though, this SR 43rd harmonic chart is providing you with an opportunity to observe the 86H as a 43H conjunction/trait seeking 2H feedback via Pluto. ... And, of course, those other 43H chart planets that are aspecting this opposition provide an opportunity to observe the really-high/deeply-unconscious harmonic aspects in action. For example, that 43H Saturn is conjunct Mars+Pluto in the 172H - so, during your 2020/21 Solar Return year, those three planets are "working together" (unconsciously) via the H172 aspect.

[lumina]

Thank you t5

Sounds interesting.

[sroo]

I gave it a go and noticing I cap to get predictions that are true form the SR haha. I tried and failed miserably to identify the key happenings in my 2018/2019 chart, even though quite major things happened that year.



Attempt for this year following the above guide form t5 (thanks for sharing it

My SR sun is in the 5th house pointing to self expression and romance and creativity. It's in a succedent house and indeed my relationship is not something new. It might be a bit of a stretch but this could be pointing to my new classmates, some of whom I have become good friends with. I am also trying out my voice at LinkedIn working on an online presence, networking ability.

Looking at the ascendent, it's in cancer, should point to a focus on family, the internal and being protective. But it's located in my 11the house in my natal, which would fit with the outward focus of digital networking, meeting friends at school and being social.

The lord of the ascendent is the moon, is in the 6th, conjuncting the south node. Aspects to the lord is venus/IC and neptune/MC, creating a grand square with the north node. A churning year, that will make, hopefully fine, indentations on my character. Moon conjunct the south node, it's in sagittarius, signifies leaving behind unyielding truths and ideologies of life that's poisoned my health and subjective nature. The moon and NN is placed in my 4th house natal, where I have these issues from my father's side of the family, where they passed on a very sickly kind of sagittarius view of life.) Leaving off parts of the mother archetype that's not supporting myself anymore - self sacrificing and working myself to the bone.

Moon squaring venus makes the nurturing side be at odds with the self possessive side, our aphrodite side. Shaving off and refining these aspects... Venus is doing a return, conjuncting my natal venus and ascendent. In the SR it's conjunct IC. Funnily enough I have done in depth research on the virgo and venus archetype all through the spring. This square and it's significance in the natal chart, can mean that I am becoming aware of my need to be independent in values and thoughts. With the IC involved, I might heal this on a fundamental ancestral level. Neptune getting the pressure from venus and moon and the nodes, is facing to deal with gullibility and shaving off idealistic tendencies. I possibly have to look out for people taking advantage of my good nature. As it's conjunct the MC we can see that my posts on social media is about higher ideals, compassion and subconscious societal norms. The north node is in the 12th, means this area is destined to change. My spirituality and solitude. I have had a deep seated resentment towards grandios and self delusional spirituality, seeing how it destroyed some of family members, and I am embracing any healing coming this way. It's falling in my natal 10th, signifying the impact to career.

Important sun aspects are square to ascendent, meaning lots of dealings with others. There can be power dynamics, where either you or the others dominate. This has to do with becoming aware of how you choose to either influence or be influenced.

6th house stellium with 5 bodies. A house signifying crisis and a place in life requiring adjustment. Bringing to focus the need for change through illness and unhappiness leading the way to change. 1 month before the solar return I checked in to a psychiatric facility due to burnout so yes, this year has been very focused on health and taking my health serious.

Love how they call it quadrants in that link but dividing it into three, though fitting divisions ^^

But yes, this is interpreting from my own solar return, it's with inside knowledge ^^... I will attempt it for my boyfriend soon.

Attachments:

[sroo]

Here is my attempt for my boyfriend. There is tonne more aspects but this is what I could find. If you disagree with an interpretation or see something different, I welcome it

Sun in in second house: the focus of the year is security and income, focusing on placing value on his own life. His natal north node is in the second house and that brings up a well of that buried low self esteem – indifference towards himself. Also this year’s north node is in Gemini and inching in on his natal north node, also the SR north node is in the 2nd house. Add the chiron in the first house and there is a real chance this year to work on self esteem, valuing the self and investing in himself. Grabbing the bull by the horns!

Given that the ascendent is in Aries, it’s a year of forcefulness. Of working with one’s force, and relying on one’s own person. It’s a cardinal sign and comes with a sense of urgency for change. Having the energy but can also be impatience. Th lord is in the fourth house which might indicate power issues in the home, both that he might find strength and courage there but also possibly arguments. Old issues surfacing from the lineage. Mars makes a square to chiron indicating that his wounded self is at odds with his family either possibly resulting in the fights and also the fights in the home resulting in pain. There is seemingly a wounded archetype and a perpetrator archetype being resolved in this year, both in himself and in family. Aries/mars wants to act out of integrity and honor. Mars in cancer and fourth wants to be protective of the home and wants to fight for it. After this year he might have grown in this regard, and coming close to these ideals.

The mars in cancer falls in the natal chart in the 3rd house. The family fights involve a sibling, and bring up sibling rivalry to the surface. The ascendent falls in the 12th in the natal, the subconscious/the invisible. I am interpreting that as this tension between the fourth and the 1st is possibly overwhelming and harsh for him. But also a chance to heal wounds on a subconscious level.


Sun squares Jupiter, highlighting the inflation of ego though success. Overestimation. Through this year he will become aware of the need to feed the ego and be in this push and pull with Jupiter and sun. There is a solid trine with pluto. Pluto being in the 10th house, the efforts of self investment and valuing himself pays off in his creating his own way in the world, growing out from the father’s authority.

Moon is in the 5th, in leo, craves to focus on creativity, have fun, to shine and express. This can be a year of showing his talent to the world. The trine to chiron means it either enables the wounding but also can be a way to being able to handle pain. A square to Uranus, means that when he does give himself time to enjoy himself it disrupts the area of security and stability, as it’s residing in the 2nd.

Mercury is squaring Neptune, meaning that there is a push towards relying on the brain and a push towards trusting one’s intuition. He is learning a lot this year, studying programming and language – so the mercury and north node + venus being here fits. Also this endeavor is so that he can move to his love – but also to be his own person: the self possession of venus.

I am attaching the chart, as an attachment, I hope it comes through.

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