Solar Return? What the heck is That?

When I was a kid, I would hear about the Solar return chart and think it sounded really complicated. I remember hearing my Dad who was an astrologer talk about it with people he would read charts for. The solar return is an annual astrological forecast that's said to give valuable insight into what the next year will bring, on a personal and collective level. But if you're new to astrology, you might not fully understand what a solar return chart is or how to make use of this forecasting tool. Solar returns are also called birthday charts. In fact, it’s from the solar return that we get the expression "many happy returns" which we say when wishing someone a happy birthday.

The Solar return chart shows the themes for that year, and it's as accurate as any other Astrological forecast you're going to get. A solar return is a snapshot of the heavens at the moment the Sun returns to its natal position. It represents exactly what will be happening in your life during that time. The positions of planets and houses on your solar return show which areas of your life are highlighted during this period, so if there are certain things in your life that need attention—like romance or finances—then these can become chronic problems if not resolved by this point in time. Your solar return is calculated for the exact date and time when the Sun returns to the place it was in when you were born. This means that your true birthday may fall on the same date you were born, or it may fall the day before or after, depending on when the Sun reaches the correct degree. For example, if you were born on September 28, 1950, when the Sun was at 05 Degrees LIBRA, 00 minutes', your solar return would have fallen on September 27th in the years 2004, 2005, and 2006.

I cast solar return charts for myself and the majority of my clients every year because from the solar return you can accurately determine the themes of the year ahead from birthday to birthday. People who are skeptical about astrology often ask me how accurate these predictions can be, especially since the Before casting a chart I always ask my clients where they will be spending their birthday because your location will affect the outcome of your solar year by being in a place other than your birthplace or your place of residence at the time of the return.

Some people will go to extraordinary lengths to visit another town or country for their solar return. This is because calculating a solar return for a different location can cause certain desirable planetary aspects to appear, and certain undesirable planetary aspects to disappear, or a planet or planets can change houses if the chart is erected for a different place. However, while the ancients believed in erecting a solar return for the location in which a person is at the time of the return, people back then did not travel much, and they could not have anticipated our highly mobile lifestyles today.

The solar return takes the single day of the return and uses the 24 hours that follow the return to predict the future events for that year. But, we can argue that, like progressions, we need to recalculate the solar return for the place where the person lives once they return home.

Why is the solar return any different than a progressed natal chart in that respect? After all, if I went to New York in June, I wouldn’t erect my progressions there and then return to the West Coast and rely on those New York calculations. When I progress the planets in my solar returns to predict events, it has always been the solar return chart erected for my residence that has been reliable. Therefore I will often look at the locations my clients live in as well as the chart for any other location they are considering celebrating their birthday in.

If you are seeking specific answers to questions about the year ahead, then the Solar Return Chart is a great tool that can provide both short-term and long-term insight. By looking at where your personal planets will transit through this time of year, you can get an idea of what’s in store for you during the next 12 months. If you would like to book a Solar return Consult, please click here

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Alysa is a professional mystic,

who teaches and works with spiritual seekers from all over the world. Her dynamic personality and passion for the mystic arts are infectious. She loves to bring her wealth of metaphysical knowledge and depth of experience to her clients and students through providing intuitive and spiritual services.

Known for her ability to blend fun with professionalism, Alysa offers over nearly three decades of esoteric experience which includes the co-creation of the Sirian Starseed Tarot & the Seekers Oracle.

In her professional practice, Alysa is a master tarot reader & teacher, second-generation traditional western astrologer, numerologist, certified professional past-life regressionist, Reiki Grandmaster Teacher, Certified Life coach, published author, artist, and founder of North Star Mystic Academy which opened in 2019. ​Alysa has authored several metaphysical, esoteric and energy healing books.

​For a full list of her titles please visit Achillea Fortuna Publishing

Alysa lives and works in Hillsburgh, Ontario