The Solar Return

A solar return is the chart cast for the moment the Sun reaches its exact natal position, which falls within a day or so of the birthday and rarely on it. It is set for the place the person is located at that time, which is why some practitioners travel to change one. The return chart is read as a description of the year ahead, with its angles and its ruling planet carrying most of the weight, and it is always interpreted against the natal chart rather than as a chart in its own right.