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You really need to look at your natal chart in conjunction with the SR to get a meaningful read.

When I have Sun angular, I have accidents and surgery - like clockwork.

This year and next I have Moon angular, and that's doing no favours for my health either - it's my 8 ruler natally and placed in 6 natally.

So where are the natal planets and angles, what are they doing, and how does that connect to your SR?

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Sun rules 9 in my chart both by quadrant and whole sign - but it's in 6, peregrine, and the only aspect it makes is an out-of-sign conjunction to Mercury (which rules 7). And Mercury is severely afflicted on all sides.

I think it may be with both Sun and Moon in 6, and Moon ruling 8, that does it. Which doesn't bode well for this year, either, and I have the lunar return from hell this month.

Anyway, your chart is a little small to see, but you're getting there. You also want to check if any natal aspects are repeating, or if a natal trine is turning into a square, or such.

Location is controversial - I use the place I'm at on my birthday as it seems to give best results for me, but a lot of people use the birth place.

I right-clicked the chart,saved it on the desktop and expanded it there.
It is a little blurred but easier to read.

Matt

When I finally took off with astrology in a major way in 2003 after so many years of off-and-on I quickly knew that solar and lunar returns were the way I had to go ? the idea of them grabbed me. I haven't decided yet what to use to establish framework, such as primary directions, firdaria and profections, so I will comment here without reference to any other 'structural material'. Just some comments in search of a structure.


With Leo rising in your natal chart solar returns would seem to be especially significant, so anything involving the Sun in both charts would be important.

I've settled on always starting with and focusing on the birth location. I do believe that return charts can be approached (momentarily) as stand-alone charts, but they must ultimately refer to the natal chart. The Houston return chart sharply brings the natal Sun-Saturn square into play: natal/return Sun conjunct the return Desc and natal Saturn conjunct the return MC. I would say that the natal square is being activated by the return AS-DESC and MC-IC axes, and that natal configuration should be explored. Initially I wouldn't spend much time looking specifically at relationships (Sun conjunct the return Desc.), but simply the natal Sun-Saturn square and its natal house placements. The return chart says it's a Sun-Saturn year ? that life-long theme is up for consideration. So I am getting away here from the stand-alone return chart and thinking of it primarily as a natal chart activator.

With the natal Aries Sun important both as the sect light of a diurnal chart and as ASC ruler, the condition of Mars in all your return charts will be important (even more so because of Aries Mercury, Jupiter and the natal MC). The poor guy is a having a tough time of it this year ? out of sect in a diurnal chart, in a cadent house, no essential dignity and so nearly perfectly opposed Saturn. Is he feeling weak and frustrated? Are you? Maybe we can add the fact the his return Pisces placement has no aspect relationship to the return ASC, natal ASC or his natal placement in Aquarius. So your return/natal Sun has a rather lost and ineffective Mars. I suppose that could point to frustration with 10th house career, recognition, and getting things done.

But I've merely pointed a few things out for consideration. I'm not saying that all things point to a rotten year!

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Should I rely on my birth location or my actual location for the SR?

If you research this question, you'll find plenty of advocacy for both locations. I prefer location at the time of the return, but I have problems with racing to another location, sitting around waiting for your return to take place then racing back to where you live. Maybe that works, but that is different than happening in the normal course of one's life to be at a certain location at the time of the return. Whichever you choose be consistent. Don't use your birth location when that chart looks good and your current location next year if you like that one better. Keep track of events to see which one may be more accurate.

I am still wondering when some of the more positive things in the chart will start to take effect.

Are you doing anything to bring them about? Things rarely "just happen." They can, but even lottery winners have to buy a ticket. Prediction does not bestow the luxury of sitting around waiting for events to take place. If the chart indicates the start of a new relationship (does anyone use astrology for anything else?), the native can't sit around in the house waiting for Mr or Ms Right to knock on the door the day Venus transits their ASC ruler. We have to do something.

Solar returns or any predictive technique need to be looked at in that framework: This is a good year to start a new job so I better go and get one.

As for timing the return, there are several methods of directing the chart or "timing" the occurrence of events, but I wouldn't bet too heavily on any of them.

Tom

I am aware of the fact that many people studying/interested in astrology
are dismissive of "racing" to another location on their birthday, but I have yet to see their objections expressed in an objective, thoughtful way. Have they studied the matter, or are they reacting from personal bias and disposition? Isn't this exactly what astrologers have to fight against all the time?

Racing around is never a good idea, and people should certainly study solar returns and how they operate in their life before they pick out locations and think that everything will fall into place. Then they should seriously and systematically study what is happeninjg to them during the year. Solar returns are best understood as illustrating internal events anyway. This is quite different advice than saying, "aw. I don't think there's anything to it"...or, "you're cheating fate." I would have thought astrologers would offer encouragement to anyone wanting to test the principles of relocation. Do we really know everything there is to know here?

Janders, I think you might be experiencing the effects of too-high expectations. Not that your year will be horrible, but when I looked at your SR I saw it as rather difficult. An angular planet is not necessarily great news, especially 7th house....you could be oppressed by other peoples needs and demands. Also, venus retro is a drag, even though you can learn a lot by retreating from the social scene and focusing on one or two relationships. Hardest of all is saturn in the 12th---you feel responsibility for everything and everyone. Moon is trine sun but opposition neptune and jupiter, as you pointed out, deception is still occurring. I would suggest, with your "unemotional" 11th house moon trine sun a good use of your time would be studying psychology. When I had a 7th house sun and mercury I learned everything I could about borderline personality disorder...it really helped me detach from a difficult situation so I could still be "helpful." The best thing about that year was I think I learned true empathy, but it was not especially fun.

I am aware of the fact that many people studying/interested in astrology
are dismissive of "racing" to another location on their birthday, but I have yet to see their objections expressed in an objective, thoughtful way. Have they studied the matter, or are they reacting from personal bias and disposition? Isn't this exactly what astrologers have to fight against all the time?

My purpose in using the word "racing" was illustrative. I was not making a case and therefore didn't feel it was necessary to explain further. Yet it is a prefectly appropriate word to describe what I was describing.

There is nothing but personal opinion available on this subject. Some people claim it can make a difference others say it can't. Deliberately heading or racing to one position or another to achieve benefits from a solar return would require one to believe that the planet's influence is somehow material in nature and is injected to the native at the time of his solar return and the quality is based on the location. I don't know any astrologers who believe that. Furthermore, which house system will produce the desired results and which won't? A nicely posited Venus in the 5th in one system could be Venus in the 6th in another although the native is standing in the same place. How do we handle that?

We could take the above as arguments against using any other place but the birth place and that, frankly, makes sense to me. I've just seen better results in most, but not all, cases where the chart is cast for the native's location at the time of the return. If there is a reason for everything, there is a reason for his being there at that time.

Tom

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But I am not happy, no matter how much I tell myself that I what I have right now is enough.

My gut tells me this is not going to be resolved with a solar return. I mean a SR might show when there might be a turn around or a breakthrough in therapy, but this sounds more like something deeper. If you're doing all you say you are, then things will break your way eventually. It's a tougher road for some people than it is for others. Keep at it. You'll be fine.

Tom