What a solar return is
A solar return is the chart of the moment the Sun comes back to the exact degree of the zodiac where it stood when you were born. It happens once a year, on your birthday or the day next to it, and each year at a different hour.
At that moment the sky is set out anew: other signs rise in the east, the planets stand in other houses. Astrologers read this chart as the chart of the year — from this birthday to the next: its tone, where your energy will go and which themes will come to the fore.
The solar return does not replace the birth chart, it adds to it: the birth chart says who you are, the solar return what this year brings to you.
How to calculate a solar return
- Enter your date of birth and the exact time, and start typing your town — pick it from the list.
- Press «Next: the year», choose the year and the town where you will spend your birthday (your town of birth is filled in first).
- Press «Build the solar return»: the table draws the chart of the year — its planets outside, your natal planets in rose inside.
- Under the table: the solar ascendant and the house of the solar Sun with their tarot cards, and the planets of the year. The forecast for the year can be ordered right there.
The solar ascendant: the tone of the year
The first thing to look at in a solar return is its ascendant: the sign rising in the east at the moment the Sun comes back. It sets the tone of the year — how you will feel and act, and how others will see you. The solar ascendant changes every year and is often quite unlike your natal one.
Aries
A year of fresh starts and boldness. You want to act at once, take on something new and stand up for yourself; there is plenty of energy and less patience than usual. A good time to begin what you have put off — just do not rush headlong into quarrels.
Taurus
A year of steadiness and slow growth. Money, things, the body and comfort come first: you want to strengthen what you have rather than chase the new. Invest in what lasts, and keep calm from turning into stubbornness.
Gemini
A year of talk, news and movement. Many meetings, messages, trips and lessons — life speeds up and grows more varied. Choose two or three main things, or your energy will scatter over trifles.
Cancer
A year of home, family and feelings. Your close ones, your parents and your own home matter most: a renovation, a move or new family cares are likely. You will be more sensitive than usual — look after yourself as gently as you look after others.
Leo
A year of brightness and self-expression. You want to be seen: creative work, love, your own projects and celebrations come forward. Show yourself boldly, but do not make your joy depend on applause.
Virgo
A year of order, work and good habits. You want to sort out your affairs, your routine, your health and your home, and sharpen your skills. It is a productive year if you do not drown in details or judge yourself harder than you need to.
Libra
A year of relationships and agreements. Partners, alliances, cooperation and beauty around you matter more than ever; many decisions will be made by two. Look for balance, but do not put off a choice for fear of hurting someone.
Scorpio
A year of depth and renewal. The shallow stops satisfying you: you want to get to the heart of things, let go of the old and begin again. Strong feelings, shared money and trust are the year's themes; honesty with yourself makes the changes easier.
Sagittarius
A year of wider horizons. You are drawn to travel, study, new ideas and people from other places; optimism runs higher than usual. Fill your big plans with concrete steps and do not promise more than you can do.
Capricorn
A year of responsibility and serious goals. Work, career and long-term plans ask for effort and discipline, but the work brings tangible results. Make a plan for the year and protect your rest — you do not have to carry everything alone.
Aquarius
A year of freedom and change. You are drawn to the new and unusual, to friends and kindred spirits; old frames start to feel tight. Change boldly, but do not break everything at once: some of the familiar will still be useful.
Pisces
A year of intuition, dreams and fine feelings. Imagination, creativity and compassion grow stronger, and so does the need for rest and quiet. Trust your instinct, but check the facts and guard your boundaries.
The solar Sun in the houses: the main theme of the year
The second key to a solar return is the house its Sun stands in. The houses are the areas of life, and the Sun's house shows the main theme of the year: where your energy will go and where most things will happen. The solar Sun falls in a different house each year, which is why years differ so much.
1st house — yourself and new beginnings
A year with you at the centre. You want to take care of yourself — your looks, your wellbeing, your own goals — and start something of your own. A new cycle begins: decisions made now will echo for several years.
2nd house — money and values
The main theme of the year is money and what you value. More attention to income, purchases, your resources and the skills you can turn into earnings. A good year to put your finances in order and learn what you are really worth.
3rd house — talk, learning, short trips
A year of words, contacts and movement. Lots of conversation, messages, paperwork and short trips; siblings, neighbours and colleagues matter. A great time to study, write and negotiate — your mind works fast.
4th house — home and family
A year of home and roots. Family, parents and your own home are in focus: a renovation, a move, a purchase, or simply the wish to make a nest. It is a year of your inner foundation — of what you stand on.
5th house — love, creativity, children
A year of joy and self-expression. Love and romance, creative work, hobbies, children, rest and pleasure come to the fore. Let yourself play and try things — just do not mistake excitement for a safe bet.
6th house — work and routine
A year of work and daily tasks. More duties and effort; routine, habits, care for your body and order in your work matter. Small daily steps give the most visible results this year.
7th house — partnership and marriage
A year of other people. Partnership, marriage, alliances and contracts are at the centre: much is decided together with someone this year. Relationships become a mirror that shows what you want and what it is time to change.
8th house — change and shared money
A year of deep change. Shared money, loans, investments, trust and intimacy are the themes; something ends to make room for the new. Do not hold on to what has run its course: renewal is this year's main resource.
9th house — travel and meaning
A year of wider horizons. Long journeys, study, ties abroad and new views on life; you want to understand where you are going and why. A good time to learn, to teach and to think big.
10th house — career and goals
A year of career and goals. Work, status, reputation and achievements come first: you are noticed, and results are expected of you. Time to take responsibility and step up.
11th house — friends and plans
A year of friends and plans for the future. Kindred spirits, teams, communities and new acquaintances matter; dreams turn into plans. Help others and accept help — much comes to you through people this year.
12th house — quiet and inner work
A year of quiet and inner work. You want more rest, solitude, creativity and reflection, and less bustle. It is the end of a cycle: take stock, let go of what you do not need and gather strength for a new beginning.
Which town the solar return is drawn for
A solar return is drawn for the place where you spend your birthday, not where you were born: the moment the Sun comes back is the same everywhere, but the ascendant and the houses depend on the town. So if you spend your birthday somewhere else, the chart of the year will be different.
Some people travel for their birthday on purpose to catch a better ascendant — this is called solar return relocation. If you do not know where you will be, enter the town you live in.
The forecast for the year
The forecast for the year reads the year's tone and main theme, the solar Moon, love and relationships, work and money, where luck is and where patience is needed — through every house of the solar return and its links with your birth chart — and ends with three pieces of advice for the year.
Questions and answers
Can I make a solar return without a birth time?
No. Without the exact time the Sun's birth degree cannot be found precisely enough, and with it the year's ascendant and houses, which change every few minutes. An approximate time gives an approximate solar return.
When does a solar return start?
At the moment the Sun comes back — on your birthday or the day next to it — and it lasts until the same moment a year later. So the solar return «for 2026» runs from your 2026 birthday to your 2027 birthday.
Which town should I enter?
The one where you will spend your birthday. If you do not know, enter the town you live in: most people spend their birthday at home.
How is a solar return different from a yearly horoscope?
A yearly horoscope is written for everyone of one sign. A solar return is built from your own date, time and place of birth, so two people of the same sign almost always get different ones.
Does a solar return show the dates of events?
It shows the themes and mood of the year, not the dates within it. For timing astrologers look at transits and progressions.
Synastry: two birth charts together →
Transits: the dates within the year →
The planets are calculated with Astronomy Engine; towns and time zones: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0).