Interpreting the Solar Return

INTERPRETING THE SOLAR RETURN  By Celeste Teal  Teal 

Your birthday horoscope is a wheel-shaped chart ch art indicating the positions of the planets in relation to the earth at the time of the yearly return of the Sun to the exact position it held when you were born. This chart shows what wh at is in store for the coming year. It's rather like an auxiliary of your birth horoscope, painting a picture of this one-year period. lso called a Solar !eturn, astrology programs calculate these to the precise moment that the Sun in the sky returns to its natal position. "ike taking a snapshot, the configurations in the sky at that moment become your blueprint for the year. #ecause it is so precise, you'll usually ha$e a different sign rising than you did at birth. %owe$er, ha$ing the Solar !eturn rising sign the same as your yo ur birth and near the same degree indicates a $ery important year. Calculation

&sing the location of your residence at the time of the birthday is recommended. In fact, if one mo$es during the year, the Solar !eturn should be relocated as well. There are subtle shifts of energy as the planets may change astrological house position. Some  people actually tra$el for their birthdays in order to produce the most beneficial rays  possible for the year. year. This is a fine way to start the year but not really a way to a$oid issues as the configurations for the residence are waiting when one returns home. If you're using an astrology program to calculate your Solar !eturn, select the Tropical odiac and (lacidus house system. strologers ha$e long debated the need to precess the return chart which ad)usts for the slow change of the earth due to its wobble on its axis. This topic is discussed at length in  Identifying Planetary Triggers Triggers, where you'll find that* +The two charts are actually in agreement. It is as if one has the ad$antage of two eyewitness accounts or two expert opinions on an issue. Sometimes, what may not be accentuated in one account is highlighted in the other. n optimum solution is to calculate and use both return charts.+ The guidelines in this article can be applied to either the precessed or the non-precessed $ersion of the return. Reading the Chart

!eading the return chart is similar to a natal chart reading, except that all the themes will  play out within a year instead of within a lifetime. "ook at the chart to see what stands out the most. re there lots of planets on the angles The angles are the cusps of the first, fourth, se$enth and tenth houses. These angles furnish an excellent outlet for energies and each of the planets carries a specific kind k ind of energy. You You can anticipate a nticipate acti$ity in keeping with a planet's nature if it falls near one of these angular cusps.

re most of the planets in the upper part of the chart This shows outward moti$ations and a stri$ing to grow through interchange with others. If most of the planets are below the horion, it is a period of personal or familiar concerns. The latter implies something of an intro$erted tendency while the former shows an extro$erted nature. re most of the  planets on the left side of the chart This gi$es you greater capacity to take control, to lead and to initiate changes. ith most of the planets on the right side of the chart, other  people and their interests will be an important consideration in your decisions and acti$ities. Is the chart a re$erse pattern of the natal chart with the escendant now on the scendant This flip-flop $ersion of the natal horoscope may see some element of life turned upside down. It seems that control has been gi$en o$er to others. This appears to show an accidental debilitation, perhaps a fleeting moment of bad )udgment that carries wide ramifications. Is there a Stellium in one house  Stellium is a group of planets in one sign or on e house, showing a concentration of powerful energy as each of the planets boost the  potency of the others. Stelliums are multiple con)unctions so the natures of all in this grouping are undeniably bound together. The sign where the grouping falls describes much about how these planets express themsel$es. This may also be a Stellium of planets from the natal chart. epending upon the planets in$ol$ed, the Solar !eturn house that holds a natal Stellium shows an area of exceptional concern, acti$ity, or satisfaction in the coming year. The natal planets must always be written into the return chart, because the interplay of natal potential upon this new springboard re$eals much of the details about the coming year. /heck especially to see if any natal planets fall on one of the angles of this new chart. gain, that natal potential has a perfect place to manifest. The difference between a return or natal planet in a Solar !eturn house is subtle and is discussed in detail in Predicting Events with Astrology. The natal planet shows energy you bring into the new period while return planets show what the world is ser$ing you. Thus, natal (luto in the return shows an area where strength may be re0uired but where it is also a$ailable. !eturn (luto shows a place where outside circumstances may force a resolution or declaration. The Solar !eturn rising sign should be carefully considered since the personality will take on many of the characteristics of the sign, and endea$ors will show an expression of the attributes of that sign. lso, in )udging the doorway of the scendant, find the natal house that holds the Solar !eturn rising degree. The natal house that is brought to the Solar !eturn scendant should be gi$en special consideration. Since the scendant is an area of energy manifestation, conditions and en$ironment pro$ide an ideal outlet for e$ents and issues associated with this natal house. The people, issues and affairs of that house will occupy your attention to a great extent. Solar Rays

s a focal planet in the Solar !eturn, the Sun furnishes a great deal of information about the coming year. The Sun reflects upon your will to achie$e, creati$e ability, sense of independence and enterprise, power of leadership and the potential for ad$ancement. 1pportunities may come through determined effort, ambition, merit or the support of superiors. s the $ital life force and symbol of the higher self, the Sun illuminates and $italies any planet that falls within its rays. /onscious will can more easily be applied using the solar forces of the Sun. long with the Sun, ha$ing 2upiter or 3enus well configured on an angle of the chart generally indicates a year to anticipate special e$ents and a fa$orable period. %a$ing the chart ruler well configured is similarly fortunate. The Sun also reflects upon the potential to become better established through domestic security, in$estment or consolidation. If there are threats of loss in any of these areas, it will be shown in the Solar !eturn along with the source of the problem. Such problems may come from a false sense of pride, misfortune, damage to property, or the failing fortunes of superiors. The Sun also shows the health and fortunes of the father or husband and points to your own $itality or lack thereof. In a general way, the house position of the Sun may be used to disco$er the busiest period of the year. If it is in an angular house, the beginning of the year will bring the greatest acti$ity. (i$otal circumstances and e$ents correspond with the Sun in an angular house. These positions of the Sun incline to turning points and exceptional acti$ity. If it is in a succedent house 4 houses two, fi$e, eight or ele$en 4 the middle portion of the year may pro$e to be the most producti$e. These positions of the Sun represent issues in$ol$ing resources and5or personal $alues. In addition, they usually represent conclusions, finalities and the opportunity for stabiliation. If the Sun is in a cadent house  4 houses three, six, nine or twel$e 4 the last portion of the year may show the most forward mo$ement as most of the year has been spent in preparation and ad)ustments. 1ften, a great leap of progress commences with the next birthday after such a year of regrouping. hile the house position of the Sun may be used as a general guideline in regard to timing, a prominence of planets in one of the three sectors may modify your findings. How Linda Used her irthday Horosco!e to "anage her Li#e

The importance of the Sun's position is illustrated in "inda's Solar !eturn. %ere, both the  precessed and non-precessed $ersions of her chart are shown and together with her natal  planets, there's a hea$y concentration of planets in the cadent houses and mutable signs. This indicates a year of preparation and tending to details as she also gets more in touch with precisely what her longer-range goals are. Indeed, there are re$isions in her methods and through a ree$aluation of her ideals6 some of her goals will change. #y tidying up loose ends, which will take all year, she creates a $acuum for new experience.

ith three real estate properties in need of repair, this is one of the areas pinpointed that needed to be handled. Saturn in her 7nd house suggests consolidation while the 7nd house 8oon is directly tied to real estate expenditures. 1nce the repairs were done, she'd ha$e to decide which to keep and which to sell. This 8oon - Saturn con)unction 9in :emini and in the 7nd and ;th houses of the precessed and non-precessed Solar !eturn charts respectfully< also forewarned her that responsibilities would seem hea$y and that she shouldn't despair when the going got rough. %er mood would lighten up as the =ew Year matured and things would begin to progress in a more forward and flowing motion about early summer. In the meantime, she had many responsibilities to manage. ttending school while also working at a hectic-paced )ob would keep her busy. She had, in fact, contemplated mo$ing as well as getting another )ob. ith her Solar !eturn 8oon in :emini and her natal >rd house rising in the return, a mo$e was definitely a promising possibility. nd, with the influence of :emini within her 7nd Solar !eturn house, there's the promise of earned income from two or more sources during the year, underscoring her intuition about a )ob change.

Still, there were other things to attend to first and you'll notice the stress of (luto and Saturn across the 7nd and ;th houses. This answered "inda's 0uestion concerning whether it would be a good time astrologically to file for bankruptcy. ith (luto and the 8oon influencing her financial sectors, a change in her monetary support systems is noted and there are indications of the legal proceedings needed in order to s0uare away her financial matters as well as her real estate concerns. %er natal ?th house rises in the non-precessed chart, showing such a legal emphasis. ith 2upiter's influence in the @th and ?th houses, these actions would bode well for her, although the T-s0uare with 8ars and the Sun re$eals challenges in restructuring her finances, while retrograde 8ercury reflects the time-consuming details in$ol$ed. ll the paper work and legal details would need to be handled with great care. The same T-s0uare configuration reflects the impact of ha$ing li$ed beyond her limits, but the (art of Aortune influencing her ?th house is a good indicator to carry on with these legal proceedings and it is actually the recipient of an eclipse, bringing a window of opportunity to benefit by tending to these matters. !omance was another 0uestion for "inda with her sensiti$e and yearning natal 8oon falling in the Bth house of the Solar !eturn 9S!