Solar, Lunar, and other Returns: Do NOT USE!
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The following review of Solar and Lunar Returns by this author appeared in
the May 1992 issue of American Astrology.

Review: Solar Return

I received a call from a lady astrologer recently.  We talked about different
astrologic techniques.  She said that she recommends Solar Return charts for
predictive purposes.  She added that to obtain really meaningful results from
a Solar Return chart, the Sun's position must be known accurately in seconds.

I was somewhat amused by this claim and argued with her as follows.

A Solar Return chart is a transit chart for the exact moment at which the
transiting Sun reaches the position it occupied at birth.  It is a once-a-
year occasion - of "happy birthday..." - in everyone's life.  Similarly, a
Lunar Return occurs once every month, when the Moon reaches the position it
occupied at birth.  A Return chart is theoretically feasible for every
planet.  For example, a Saturn Return occurs about every 35 years.

The requirement that the Sun's position must be known accurately "in seconds"
is meaningless.  In practice, the time of birth, even as shown on a birth
certificate, is likely to be off by several minutes - see "Time" in Section
27.  But even if a birth is recorded scientifically in seconds, would it
really make any difference if the Sun is stated at 22 Cancer 31 or at 21
Cancer 31 minutes and 11 seconds?

The astrologers who use Solar Return charts for prediction apparently have
not considered what a Solar Return chart really represents.  It is a transit
chart that applies at a specific moment.  When that moment passes, the
patterns on the chart become "past history," because, after all, these are
only patterns formed by transiting planets.  

The astrologers who promote this technique postulate instead that the
patterns on the Solar Return chart have significance for the entire year -
until the next Solar chart.  As the following scenario illustrates, this is
an absurd hypothesis.

Suppose you are a 31-year old married woman, and a Capricorn -births from
about December 20 to January 20.  It is your birthday and you want to know
about what is in store for you.  You go to an astrologer.  The astrologer
prepares a Solar Return chart.  Let us suppose that the chart shows wonderful
patterns:    transiting Jupiter is trine to your natal Mars, transiting Sun
and Mercury are conjunct to your natal Sun, and transiting Venus is trine to
your Moon.  The chart shows no adverse patterns.

What does this wonderful Solar Return chart "say" about your 31st year which
is just starting?  Specifically, since the Solar Return chart looks
wonderful, does this also mean that your entire 31st year will be just as
wonderful?  Indeed, the astrologer who promotes Solar Return charts would
predict a "wonderful year ahead of you."  He or she may be right, but only by
coincidence.  The transiting  patterns which form later in the year may be
very favorable for you.  But, he may be also very wrong.  The point is that
the Solar Return chart says nothing about the year - nothing.  It says only
"enjoy your day, for it is really a nice day for you..."

To explain why a Solar Return chart cannot make any long-term promises, let
us complicate the planetary picture.  Suppose on Feb 7 (say 15 days after
your birthday) transiting Saturn moves to your 7th house, approaching
conjunction to natal Venus.  In July Pluto forms a square to your Moon, and
in September Uranus moves into opposition to your Mars.

If this is the planetary picture of your 31st year, you can (please!) forget
about "a wonderful year..."  It would be wiser to prepare yourself mentally a
for "a few" mid-life crises on your 31st, 32nd, and 33rd years.  These are
all long-term cycles which continue, on and off (i.e., direct-retrograde-
direct...), for a long time.  This conclusion applies regardless of the
accuracy of the Sun's position - i.e., in minutes, seconds, or nano-seconds.

The transiting cycles always dominate the Solar Return patterns, for the
latter are only a "snap shot" of transits at a particular moment.  What other
sensible explanation is there?  If planetary influences are so powerful that
they can mark a people for their entire life (i.e., natal charts of babies
born during your 31st year), then they are also powerful enough to play a
role in your resent outlook.  To refute this is to refute astrology.  Life is
seldom all positive or all adverse.  Many astrologers interpret astrologic
influences as if they are a series of disconnected events.  Life is never a
static snap-shot.  It is a dynamic and continuous process of interconnected
events, of "cycles within cycles."  The "mid-life" crises (mentioned above)
should be interpreted in this context.  All marriages do not dissolve, all
people do not die of illness...  "Crises" mean that this will be a period of
major changes in your life.  They may induce you to resolve major problems.
Life may become an arduous process on some days.  But when you look back at
this period a few years later, indeed you may appreciate the changes you
achieved.  Adverse cycles are conceptually similar to "hard work" required
for a post-graduate degree.  There is no diploma at the end of this process,
but there is a "sense of achievement."

In conclusion, it would be so easy for you to blame the planets for outcomes
like "why you began drinking, became an alcoholic, and exacerbated your
problems on your 32nd year..."  Mr. Churchill defined courage as "dignity
under adversity."  Adversity is frequently nothing but an opportunity and
impetus to grow, to make things happen...  (End of review.)