Planetary Returns

Solar Return

Happy birthday! Your solar return happens when the Sun is where it was at birth. A solar return is a chart constructed at the time and day of your birth for the upcoming year. If you want to know what to expect for the coming year, you would construct a chart for your birthday and birth time for the current year: My birth date is 10/07/1997, 2:23 PM. I would build a chart on 10/07/2021 at 2:23 PM to see what the year will be like until my birthday in 2022. 

Not all of your planets will be in the same position on your birthday, so a solar return chart compares your birth chart and the chart constructed on your birthday during that year. The solar return chart will highlight areas of importance for the upcoming year. For example, this year (2021), the Sun and Mars were conjunct with my natal sun on my birthday. The conjunction took place in my 11th house. This means I will be powerfully expressive this year and determined to accomplish goals. Anything getting in the way of my dreams will make me impatient, so I have to keep a check on my anger and impulsivity. 

There are many aspects to consider for your solar return, and it is a chart worth looking into, as it will provide you with some key themes for your life that year. Some things to keep in mind when looking at your Solar return chart:

  1. This includes parts made with your natal chart and the existing aspects on the day you cast the chart (For example, my Natal Mars is in Sagittarius, but Mars conjunct the sun on 10/07/2021. Therefore, the Sun is conjunct Mars, and my natal Sun conjunct Mars. A chart will make this more apparent and easier to observe. The sign on the ascendant is a major indicator of your attitude for the upcoming year. i.e., On 10/07/2021 at 2:23 PM, the character on the ascendant was Scorpio. 

  2. The planetary ruler of the ascendant sign and its placement indicate what kind of energy will be highlighted for the year. In my case, I would look to Pluto and Mars (Mars is the original ruler of Scorpio). The Sun happens to be conjunct Mars, so the fiery expression of their aspect is amplified.

  3. Any planet in the natal chart that is in the sign of the Solar return ascendant will be of significance. In my birth chart, I have Venus in the Scorpio sign, in my birth chart, so Venus’s energy will be highlighted.

  4. The natal house of the solar return ascendant will be highlighted. This house will indicate the areas of your life that will be influenced in the coming year. My Venus is in Scorpio in my 10th house. The 10th house is the house of career, meaning that this upcoming year might include changes in my work or social status. 

Lunar Return

A lunar return occurs when the moon is in the same position as it was at your birth. This happens once a month. The Moon takes about 29.5 days to travel through the entire zodiac, so a lunar return is less impactful than a solar return. A lunar return chart still provides valuable information to consider for the upcoming month. 

The details to pay attention to are very similar to a solar return chart:

  1. The sign and house the moon is in compared to your birth chart. My moon is 23° Sagittarius in my 11th house, but may be in a different house for the day I cast the lunar return chart. 

  2. Any aspects are made to your natal moon and the lunar return moon. For example, If Mars is 20° Sagittarius, it would be in conjunction with my natal moon and the lunar return moon.

  3. The sign on the ascendant determines your overall attitude for the upcoming month. 

Saturn takes 29.5 years to travel through all 12 signs of the Zodiac. A Saturn return is thus when Saturn occupies the same sign and degree at the time of your birth. Your first experience will happen during your 29th year. Should you live to be 90 years old, you will experience a Saturn return 3 times in your life.

A Saturn return often coincides with major events and changes in your personal life. To understand how your Saturn return may affect you, let's take a look at the qualities of the ringed gas giant.

Oftentimes, Saturn is referred to as "evil" or "malignant" by astrologers. This is because of Saturn's restrictive nature. Planets that aspect Saturn in their transit sometimes produce terrifying results. For example, in 2020 Saturn was conjunct Pluto in the sign of Capricorn. This conjunction happened during one of the peaks of the Corona Virus. Toxicity and change on a massive scale are qualities of Pluto. Saturn thus applied restrictions on a massive scale that involved toxicity, or in this case, COVID-19. This was back in April when major lockdowns were being implemented.

Why is Saturn restrictive? What are the benefits of restrictions? The answer resembles an overprotective parent. A strict parent will enforce rules in order to protect you. This often causes frustration and bouts of rebellion, but it does serve a very valuable purpose: boundaries and limits are meant to be tested. A strict foundation is beneficial because you learn how to be flexible with rules, so you may not break them totally, but instead use what you have learned in your own way. Of course, there are rules that should not be broken. There are boundaries that should not be crossed. The pressure of discipline gives you the freedom to find the space you need to learn and grow, which often includes mistakes.

Saturn is a deliverer of tough love. He will not stand for falsehoods and lies. He will ultimately crush those who refuse to find the source of their pain and suffering. He does so to push you beyond yourself. Saturn aids in the process of maturity, making it very clear where you can find fulfillment and meaning in life.

Now that you understand the nature of Saturn, here's what to expect from his return.

A Saturn Return is a check-up. A time of introspection. As you tip into your 30's, you should have a sense of direction; a guide for your future, ageing self. Saturn, being the ruler of the sign Capricorn, likes to make sure things are organized and set up for success. It is likely that you will not have everything together by 29 (no one ever does really), so any area that is in need of addressing will be highlighted during your return. Should you choose to do this deep inner work before your return, Saturn will provide you with confirmations. "You're on the right path, keep going."

The sign and house occupied by Saturn in your birth chart is indicative of where your struggles in life will be. The aspects Saturn makes to other planets provide channels for his restrictive energy, thus giving further indication of where you might experience challenges, delays, misfortunes, etc. This is good information to learn ahead of time, as Saturn's return to this position will highlight those specific channels.

For example, Saturn in my chart is located at 17°5' Aries in my third house of communications. Saturn is opposite my Sun at 14°31' Libra in my 9th house and opposite my Mercury at 9°54' Libra in my 8th house. Being born with these oppositions makes it hard for me to assert myself. Saturn subdues my personality and has the possibility to make me prude, shy, reserved, controlling, etc. Naturally, my Libra Sun is energetic, talkative, relatable, extroverted, etc. The opposition between Saturn and my Sun means that I have to learn about my suppressed, introverted side and address the difficulties that arise between them.

Left unchecked, I could remain closed off, subdued, reserved, cold-hearted, and stringent. A Saturn return for me would then push me extra hard to discover the reason behind that part of my personality. It would involve a serious commitment to want to change. I would be forced to express myself, and that could have loads of unplanned consequences, should I wait to address those problems.

It is better in the long-run to face your problems voluntarily, rather than be forced to face them. If you should still turn away, then Saturn will see to your misfortune until the next time he sees you (at about 58-59 years old). Misfortune could come in numerous ways: health problems, financial problems, relationship problems, family issues; anything that could go wrong just might do so. The sign and house placement indicate what kind of problems you could experience. For example, Saturn in Aries in my third house could mean problems with mental illness (anxiety, nervousness, personality disorders, etc.--the third house rules the nervous system), physical problems involving bones (Saturn and Capricorn rule bones, joints, teeth, etc.), problems with memory (Saturn opposite Mercury). I could experience problems with communication (Saturn being opposite my Mercury) which could mean failed job interviews, public slander, false accusations, etc. I may (and have) experience these problems more drastically should I refuse Saturn's call for introspection.

Now that I've sufficiently scared you with doom and gloom, I will tell you that a Saturn return isn't as terrible as it sounds. I emphasized the bad because it's what Saturn does. Behind the bad, is the good: the opportunity to face your life-long fears and troubles is a once (or twice or three times, but likely not more) in a lifetime opportunity to forge your own path. We all need deep and true meaning in our lives and Saturn shows you where those opportunities are. By highlighting the difficult and undesirable, the chance to make something worthwhile emerges. There is no time like the present, and the present is thus delivered by Saturn.

"He who still has his life before him is a child.

He who lives in the present is developed.

If you thus live all that you can live, you are developed."

-Carl Jung

Saturn Return

Pluto Return:

Unless you live to be over 250 years old, you won't experience a personal Pluto return, though there are still elements of personal transformation similar to a Saturn return. Unlike a Saturn return, which is shared on an individual level, a Pluto return is experienced globally and on a mass level. Currently, Pluto is in the sign of Capricorn and will enter Aquarius on March 23rd, 2023, where it will be until June 11th, 2023, when it retrogrades back into Capricorn, which it will then re-enter Aquarius on January 21st, 2024. 

Upon entering a new sign, Pluto brings major changes on a massive scale. With Pluto in Aquarius, we will likely see infrastructure changes, policy-making, communication (especially technologically--social media), and changes in organizations/groups of people. To better understand how we might experience these changes, astrologers look to when this transpersonal planet was last in the same sign. Since Pluto takes 248 years to complete a full circle in the Zodiac, that would place Pluto in Aquarius during the late 18th century--between 1778 and 1798. 

During that time, America had declared independence from Great Britain (1776-1781), Uranus, the modern Ruler of Aquarius, was discovered in 1781 by William Herschel, Beethoven's works were first printed (1783), and the U.S. Constitution was signed (1787), the French Revolution begins (1789), George Washington is elected the first president of the United States (1789), the U.S. Bill of Rights is ratified (1791),

The Reign of Terror begins in France with the execution of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette (1793), an invention of the cotton gin which helped to institutionalize slavery in the U.S. (1793), Napoleon Bonaparte defeats the Austrians (1796), John Adams elected second president of the United States (1796), Smallpox vaccine introduced by Edward Jenner (1796), Bonaparte extends French Empire to Rome, and Egypt (1798), U.S. Navy department is established (1798). (All historical information provided by University of Houston, fm.coe.uh.edu).

From the examples above, you can see that there were changes to global institutions (American/French Revolution, Constitution/Bill of Rights, Presidential elections), changes in technology (cotton gin which institutionalized slavery, Smallpox vaccine), and changes of borders/boundaries--both personal and global (Bonaparte's French Empire, Reign of Terror). These examples provide a foundation of what kind of changes can happen when Pluto transits into Aquarius in 2023. 

Ideas to keep in mind for this Pluto return involve how we use the internet/social media, how our government is organized (how much power the market has and its effect on government policies), if our institutions (health, education, social services, etc.) are providing proper needs, changes in how we use energy (as Neptune moves into Aries in 2025, we will be more likely to make environmentally mindful changes), and how we may use personal transformation to bring change to larger groups and society. 

A Pluto return is a major indication of change beyond our willpower. To make the most out of major transformation, our personal transformation goals must align together--joining together personal willpower and collective willpower. As the years come, we will feel the struggle to achieve this balance, but Aquarius is a sign of perseverance, being that it is a fixed sign. So, set your goals accordingly--how do you want our society to be, and how can you personally change to make that happen? Upon entering a new sign, Pluto brings along major changes on a massive scale. With Pluto in Aquarius, we are likely to see changes in infrastructure, changes in policy-making, changes in communication (especially technologically--social media), and changes in organizations/groups of people in general. To better understand how we might experience these changes, astrologers look to when this transpersonal planet was last in the same sign. Since Pluto takes 248 years to complete a full circle in the Zodiac, that would place Pluto in Aquarius during the late 18th century--between 1778 and 1798.

During that time period, America had declared independence from Great Britain (1776-1781), Uranus, the modern Ruler of Aquarius, is discovered in 1781 by William Herschel, Beethoven's works are first printed (1783), the U.S. Constitution is signed (1787), the French Revolution begins (1789), George Washington is elected first president of the United States (1789), the U.S. Bill of Rights is ratified (1791), the Reign of Terror begins in France with the execution of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette (1793), invention of the cotton gin which helped to institutionalize slavery in the U.S. (1793), Napoleon Bonaparte defeats the Austrians (1796), John Adams elected second president of the United States (1796), Smallpox vaccine introduced by Edward Jenner (1796), Bonaparte extends French Empire to Rome and Egypt (1798), U.S. Navy department is established (1798). (All historical information provided by University of Houston, fm.coe.uh.edu).

From the examples above, you can see that there were changes to global institutions (American/French Revolution, Constitution/Bill of Rights, Presidential elections), changes in technology (cotton gin which institutionalized slavery, Smallpox vaccine), and changes of borders/boundaries--both personal and global (Bonaparte's French Empire, Reign of Terror). These examples provide a foundation of what kind of changes we can expect to happen when Pluto transits into Aquarius in 2023.

Ideas to keep in mind for this Pluto return involve how we use internet/social media, how our government is organized (how much power the market has and its effect on government policies), if our institutions (health, education, social services, etc.) are providing proper needs, changes in how we use energy (as Neptune moves into Aries in 2025, we will be more likely to make environmentally mindful changes), and how we may use personal transformation to bring change to larger groups and society.

A Pluto return is a major indication of change beyond our personal willpower. In order to make the most out of major transformation, our goals of personal transformation must align together--joining together personal willpower and collective willpower. As the years come, we will feel the struggle to achieve this balance, but Aquarius is a sign of perseverance, being that it is a fixed sign. So, set your goals accordingly--how do you want our society to be, and how can you personally change to make that happen?

Written by: Eliza Hope