Solar Returns drawn up for the moment the Sun returns to its natal place have been a consuming fascination since the days of respected astrologers Johannes Kepler and William Lilly in the 16/17th century.
But for all the weight put on them as indicators of the year ahead interpretations are not always obvious. ‘Nuanced and subtle’ are how Babs Kirby and Janey Stubbs, authors of a new Wessex Astrologer book Interpreting Solar and Lunar Returns: A Psychological Approach, describethe process of extracting a theme for the year ahead.
The Sun’s house position and aspects are pinpointed as the most important factor with a run down of all 12 houses and aspects. Next is the Moon with its aspects within the Return chart as well as to the natal chart, and the importance of its progressed positions through the coming year. Then the comparison between the natal and return chart with particular emphasis on the Solar Return Midheaven/IC and Ascendant/Descendant contacts.
There is much of value to be gleaned from this well-written and clearly laid-out listing of meanings of house and aspects. With example charts to study. Lunar Returns (month to month) are also described as well as Mercury, Venus and Mars Returns.
Personally I still find Solar Returns oddly obscure and find Lunar Returns a good deal more helpful for a quick scan of the up and coming.
I do slightly wonder whether they work better for some individual charts than for others – though I have no idea why that would be. King Charles had his SR Sun in the 8th when his mother died which makes sense and his SR Sun in the ‘entertainment’ 5th for his Coronation year. The year he was diagnosed with cancer his SR had a busy 3rd house Sun Mars in Scorpio with Saturn in his 6th house of health.
Tony Blair had his Sun in the 6th square Jupiter when he was first elected in 1997 with Mars on the Midheaven – lucky and ambitious with hard-work being the order of the day. Not sure I would have predicted a rip roaring success from that as a standalone indicator.
As an example – and assuming Trump’s birth time from his birth certificate is accurate – his Solar Return for June 2016 had an 11th house Sun square Jupiter and an 8th house Neptune; with Uranus on the Midheaven. An 11th house Sun would focus his energy on the wider social group which kinda makes sense, though does not leap out immediately as king of the castle time. The SR Midheaven was opposition his natal Jupiter. There were much clearer indicators from Solar Arcs etc to indicate a success.
His Solar Return for his defeat in 2020 also had an 11th house Sun square Neptune Mars Moon in the 9th; and Jupiter Pluto Saturn in his 7th. I know you are not supposed to read Solar Returns the way you read a natal chart – bit still??
His 2024 SR prior to his win put his Sun in the 12th, supposedly a time for solitude and introspection, a time of self-sacrifice and sensitivity. His SR Sun is square Saturn and Neptune in Pisces for discouragement and confusion. His SR Ascendant is admittedly conjunct the USA Cancer Sun which may mean something. His Solar Return for this coming year looks like a grandstanding success with his Sun on the Midheaven and Jupiter in the 10th with an influential Pluto in the 5th. Hmm, I wait to be persuaded.
I am still ambivalent about their usefulness and hit-and-miss quality – though I stand to be corrected if others have a different take.
The post Solar & Lunar Returns – looking for answers first appeared on Astroinform with Marjorie Orr – Star4cast.
