astrologia
Solar return
In astrology, the solar return is the chart of the sky calculated for the exact moment when the Sun returns each year to the precise position it had at birth. It is used to read the "astrological climate" of the personal year, from one birthday to the next.
How it is calculated
You identify the exact moment of the Sun s return to the natal zodiacal longitude (to the minute) and you draw up an astrological chart for that moment, in the city where you happen to be (not the city of birth). The positions of the planets, the ascendant, the houses and the aspects of this new chart describe the symbolic year.
Use and tradition
The solar return is an ancient tool of predictive astrology, systematised by Hellenistic astrology and taken up in medieval horary astrology. It is used together with planetary transits on the natal chart to provide a fuller picture of the period. Some astrologers practise the "targeted return", choosing where to be on their birthday in order to optimise certain positions: a controversial practice.
FAQ
How long does a solar return last?
Exactly one year, from your birthday to the next. It is a chart "for the current year" that renews every 12 months.
Must I be in my birth place?
No. The return is calculated at the location where you are at the moment of the solar return. If you travel on your birthday, some astrologers adjust the interpretation.
Is it more important than transits?
They are complementary. The return describes the "climate of the year", transits describe the more punctual passages.