What is Solar Return?
A solar return is an astrological concept that refers to the moment when the Sun returns to the exact position it was at the time of a person’s birth. This occurs approximately once a year, usually within a day of a person’s birthday.
It’s important to understand that the concept of Solar Return is different in Human Design:
What is Solar Return in Human Design?
In Human Design, the concept of a solar return is somewhat different from its use in traditional astrology, though it shares some similarities. Here’s an explanation of it meanings in the context of Human Design:
Annual Cycle:
Like in astrology, the Human Design solar return occurs around a person’s birthday each year when the Sun returns to its natal position.
Activation of Gates:
In Human Design, the solar return is seen as a time when certain gates in a person’s chart become activated or emphasized for the coming year.
Transits and Themes:
The solar return in Human Design is used to understand the transits and themes that may be particularly relevant for an individual in the upcoming year.
Personal Development:
It’s considered an opportunity for reflection on the past year and contemplation of potential growth areas for the coming year.
Integration With Other Human Design Concepts:
The solar return is interpreted in conjunction with other aspects of a person’s Human Design chart, such as their Type, Strategy, and Authority.
Comparison to Your Original Chart:
The solar return chart is compared to the person’s original Human Design chart to identify areas of focus or potential change.
Understanding Your Solar Return
Known as a Solar Revolution, or Solar Return is an important moment in time when you’re refueled with all of the potential your Sun sign gifted you at birth. Ever notice how excited you are around your birthday? That burst of energy is the result of the Sun in the sky connecting to your natal Sun.
This is your moment each year to take inventory and embark on the next chapter of your life. If you want a peek into that next chapter, you only have to look as far as your solar return chart.
Your Solar Return chart is written for the exact date and time the Sun reaches your natal Sun placement. The location of your solar return chart is not the location where you were born. There is some discourse around this but many astrologers prefer to use the location you are physically present at the moment of your return because this is where the energy imprint occurs.
The energy imprint is from the planetary energy that was present in the sky at the exact moment you entered the world and came into your physical body. The difference between a solar return chart and a natal chart is that your natal chart never changes, but your solar return chart only lasts for one year.
Why Is It Called A Solar Return?
At the moment you came into the world, the Sun was at a precise point in the sky. Every year at this date and time, the Sun returns to this exact point, thus the name solar return.
What Does A Solar Return Chart Tell You?
Our solar return is more than just adding a year to our age. It is a moment that calls for intense reflection and preparation for our next year on Earth. Your solar return chart can act as an inspiration and a preparation list for your year to come.
This chart will give you a snapshot of the sky at the exact moment when the Sun returns to its position that it was at your birth. The chart will reflect your Sun sign themes, such as confidence, interests, challenges, and vitality for the coming year.
Your solar return chart will require some information, such as your time of birth, date of birth, and current year. The solar chart will also ask you for your current location, which causes some debate amongst astrologers.
Some suggest running your chart for the location in which you spend the vast majority of your time. Others say to run the chart for your physical location at the time of your solar return. These are then compared to your natal chart, which uses the location of your birth. There is no harm in running them all! You can never have too much information.
How are Solar Returns Interpreted in Human Design?
In Human Design, solar returns are interpreted in a specific way that aligns with the system’s unique approach to personal analysis. Here’s how solar returns are typically interpreted in Human Design:
- Gate Activations:
- The solar return highlights specific gates in your chart that become activated for the year.
- These activations are believed to bring certain themes or energies into focus.
- Annual Program:
- The activated gates form what’s called your “annual program.”
- This program is thought to influence your experiences and opportunities for the coming year.
- Planetary Transits:
- The positions of planets at the time of your solar return are considered.
- These transits are believed to affect how you might experience and express the energies of the activated gates.
- Integration with Your Design:
- The solar return is interpreted in context with your overall Human Design chart.
- It’s seen as a temporary overlay that interacts with your fixed Design.
- Life Themes:
- Based on the activated gates and transits, practitioners identify potential themes or areas of focus for the year.
- These might relate to relationships, career, personal growth, or other life aspects.
- Decision-Making Guidance:
- The solar return information is often used to provide guidance on decision-making for the year.
- It’s considered in conjunction with your Type, Strategy, and Authority.
- Potential Challenges and Opportunities:
- The interpretation often includes insights into potential challenges you might face and opportunities that might arise.
- Comparison to Previous Years:
- Some practitioners compare your current solar return to those of previous years to identify patterns or cycles.
- Timing of Events:
- The solar return can be used to suggest optimal timing for important decisions or actions in the coming year.
- Personal Growth Focus:
- It’s often used to highlight areas for potential personal growth or self-awareness.
Some Key Elements of Your Solar Return Chart:
1- The Ascendant of the chart will shape your approach to your environment. The Ascending sign, along with its position, will give you more information about your approach and focus for the coming year.
2- Planets brought to an angle will highlight aspects of your personality that have inherent challenges for the coming year.
3- Where is your Sun located now? This can be an area of great emphasis for the next year.
4- Position of the Moon. The Moon’s location will let you know where your heart will be.
How Can I Get A FREE Solar Return Chart?
There are a lot of free Astrology charts that can be obtained online. Click here to get your free chart.
How Does Solar Return Fit With Human Design?
Just as in astrology, your energetic configuration is created at a specific time, depending on where and when you were born. Your moment of birth locks in your personality traits and your unique Human Design.
When we look at a Human Design chart, we are usually only looking at the body graph, the triangle that is the “map” of your energy. The gates and lines that create the definition on your body graph are a snapshot of the positions of the planets and gates at the moment of your birth.
Though the Human Design system is complex, and it can take years to learn how to create a body graph and chart on your own, the ideas behind the system are actually pretty simple.
Your personal Human Design body chart, calculated from your birth data, gives you very specific knowledge about your personality traits: your health, your personal psychology, your talents, your wisdom, and your vulnerabilities.
Once you discover your unique energies and you’re able to differentiate between the energy you create versus the energy you absorb from the world around you, you can start immediately making powerful decisions that will help you create a life that is in alignment with who you truly are.
When you consciously work with these energies on a consistent basis, you can truly create a life of sustainability and abundance in line with who you were born to be. How can life get better than that?
If you want to learn more about Human Design, you might like this post
Watch this video as Karen explains how you can use Human Design
If this has inspired you to want to know more about how to live your Quantum Human Design, click here
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