To astrologers, the birthday also represents a new astrological year. For this the Solar Return is used. This is the exact time the position of the Sun returns to the natal position. A chart is drawn up from that moment to see in the year ahead. As it’s almost my 27th birthday I decided to interpret my Solar Return for this coming year (aug 2008 – aug 2009). As you will understand I can’t publish everything I know, as some of the information is too sensitive.

How to interpret a solar return
When it comes to Solar Returns the following things are important on your checklist:

• More than 3 personal planets in the elements/houses of the solar return chart.
• Aspect patterns in the solar return chart, including unaspected planets.
• Retrograde planets (esp. personal planets).
• The position of Chiron. “Where you can no longer go on like you did in previous years”.
• Applied horary rules: applying/ separating aspects and critical degrees.
• Planets in the houses of the solar return chart.
• Eclipses: danger when falling in an angular house of the solar return chart.
• The solar return chart in relation to the radix: solar cusps in radix houses.
• Repetition of radix aspects in the solar return chart.
• Cross ASC/MC axis aspects from / to Solar and Radix.

When it comes to my solar return there’s quite a few changes when it comes to financial matters (Stellium Venus/Mercury/Mars in Solar II). Either increasing or decreasing, making large investments and so on. More evidence for this is the cross connection S. cusp II falling in R. house 8 and vice versa.

My Solar Return aug 2008- aug 2009

Personal success and wellbeing is also highlighted in this year by various elements in the chart. An example is Sun/Moon/Saturn in house I of the Solar chart. I’m by nature an invidual ruled by Saturn (R. Cap ASC, R. Moon cnj Saturn), so I’m not expecting the depressing results most books speak of when describing Solar Saturn in the first house. I’m of course not blind to Neptune and Chiron in the house of Work (6). Cross axis aspects from/to the MC show interesting results; let’s leave it at that.

Another strong connection is found between the houses 3 and 9. It is good for travelling, contact with foreigners, communciation media like the internet, writing, teaching etc. When the subject is love there are some possibilities, though from the analysis I did earlier this year I should not expect anything until further in 2009. However, there are some elements in the solar chart that indicate disappointment once again. I can’t exactly get excited reading this chart for this subject. I’ve also got my eye on the total Solar Eclipse that’s going to fall on my radix Mars in July 2009, which is a critical planet to my birth chart anyways since the degree is Anaretic*. My Mars falls in the relationship house: 7.

* Anaretic is the 29th degree of a sign