It gives you power, charisma, intelligence, wealth, success, a strong personality, fame, and happiness. When the Sun is positive, strong, and benefic in your chart, you tend to be confident, joyful, creative, possess good leadership skills, full of energy, and behave in a respectable manner. And when the Sun is negative, malefic, and weak, you can be arrogant, stubborn, may encounter situations that may threaten your self-respect or reduce your status in society, lack energy and determination, and may suffer from health issues. A weak Sun also makes you fearful and affects your personality negatively.

Now that we know the significance of the Sun, let’s understand one of the most important annual astrological events involving the Sun and that has a far-reaching impact on how your year may turn out.

The Solar Return Chart refers to the time when the Sun returns to the exact position it was in at the time of your birth in your natal chart. Since the Sun takes approximately 12 months to complete its cycle. Hence, a Solar Return happens every year. And, since this journey begins at the time of your birth, the return usually happens a day or two before or after your birthday. However, in some years, it may also occur on the same date as your date of birth. Create your Free Solar Return Chart.

Like your birth chart is a blueprint of your entire life, the Solar Return is a roadmap for the current year. It tells you how your upcoming year will be, the kind of opportunities that may come your way, the challenges you may have to tackle during the course of the year, and how your relationships may run during the course of the year.

The Solar Return signals the beginning of a new chapter in your life. It is an opportunity to close old issues, eliminate the redundant, discontinue loss-making ventures, and start afresh. It gives you a chance to take a deep look at your life, where you are at present, and where you aim to go - and allows you to plan for the upcoming year.

The Solar Return will help you understand your motivations and fears in the coming year. It will also give you an overview of your behavior, happiness, grief, and confidence and tell you how you may handle all of these emotions if you continue on the path set for you.

The details required for preparing a Solar Return Chart are almost the same as the details required for your natal chart/birth chart. That is - your date of birth, time of birth, place of birth, and the place you are currently living in. Some astrologers suggest using the place where you will be bringing in your birthday - in case it happens to be different from your current place of residence.

Once you have your Solar Return Chart, plot it against your birth chart. This will provide you with a holistic view of your life and how your year will look like. It will be easier to understand the forecast for the upcoming year when you have the complete blueprint of your life in front of you.

While the Solar Return Chart has many aspects, there are some critical elements that are integral to reading it correctly, they are:

1. Ascendant Sign of the Solar Return Chart : The ascendant is one of the most critical elements of the chart. Also known as the Rising sign, the ascendant represents your environment, behavior, personality, positive and negative traits, nature, and physical appearance. The sign your ascendant is in for the upcoming year will determine how you behave, react, and interact with others during the course of the year. It will also determine your reaction and connection to the surroundings be it your personal space or workspace. The ascendant sign will help you understand how your personality may change or develop during the year. Know your Ascendant Sign using our Free Birth Chart Calculator.

2. Ruling Planet of the Ascendant : Along with the house and governing sign of the Ascendant, you also need to know its ruling planet for the year.

3. The Placement of the Sun : Yes, if it's a Solar Return Chart that means the Sun will be in the exact position as at the time of your birth. However, the house it may be in may have changed, and the placement of the other planets will be different. So you must analyze the Sun with reference to the house it is currently in and how it interacts with the other planets. This will give you an indication of what you need to concentrate on in the coming year.

4. The Placement of the Moon : The Sun and the Moon are two sides of the same coin. While the Sun rules your outer personality, the Moon governs your emotions, subconscious mind, and intellect. So to fully understand how the year will shape up you also need to study the Moon - which house it is in and the sign it is in.

5. Relation between the Sun and the Moon : Check if there is any aspect or angle being formed between the Sun and the Moon. If the Sun is forming a hard angle or is conjunct with the Moon in the Solar Return Chart, then it indicates the possibility of a major change taking place in your life or you may have to make life-altering decisions. The type of change will depend on the nature of the Sun and Moon in your chart.

6. Aspects and Angles formed with Other Planets : Study your Solar Return Chart to see if the Sun is making any aspects or forming angles with any other planets. The planet that the Sun is making an aspect or angle with will also influence the Sun’s energy and thus the underlying theme of the year.

7. Other Planetary Returns in the Year : Apart from the Sun, other planets too return to the position they were at the time of your birth. The returns that you need to look out for are Saturn Return and Jupiter Return. Saturn Return happens once in every 27 - 30 years and Jupiter Return happens once in every twelve years. The year of these returns is generally filled with changes, upheavals, challenges, and opportunities. Hence, when analyzing your Solar Return Chart you need to check for these Returns, as they will have a major impact on your life and future plans.