Solar Return Location

I'm curious about current preference on this subject. I recall reading somewhere long ago that the longitude and latitude for a solar return chart should be that of the birth location, but the Halloran software I use defaults to current location. This obviously makes a difference for the angles and houses of the chart. I'm inclined toward current location, but it's more a "gut feeling" than a substantiated choice. Thoughts?

A common question

I always use the current or established living location that one identifies with. I never use the birth location if the subject no longer lives there. There are many who choose to use the location of the moment, even if only traveling or vacationing there.

I see the birth chart as mapping ones place in the world, treating the world as both a globe and a clock. If you were born at a different time you would have a different chart and a different life. If you born in a different location then you would have a different chart and a different life.

If you relocate to another area, you have a different location. This changes your 'birth' time's angles for that location. Therefore you have a different chart. When doing a Solar Return, you are basing it on that different chart. Simple. Logical.

dadsnook2000 said:

I always use the current or established living location that one identifies with. I never use the birth location if the subject no longer lives there. There are many who choose to use the location of the moment, even if only traveling or vacationing there.

I see the birth chart as mapping ones place in the world, treating the world as both a globe and a clock. If you were born at a different time you would have a different chart and a different life. If you born in a different location then you would have a different chart and a different life.

If you relocate to another area, you have a different location. This changes your 'birth' time's angles for that location. Therefore you have a different chart. When doing a Solar Return, you are basing it on that different chart. Simple. Logical.

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I was poking around in John Filbey's Solar and Lunar Returns, looking for more opinions. He leaves the question unresoved, noting that there are respected astrologers on both sides of the argument, but does raise the interesting question of how to handle situations where you're travelling somewhere at the time. My assumption would be to use the location of primary residence, where you will be for most of the year's span. Jim Eshelman, on the other hand, suggests it should be cast for where you are at the moment, with one exception for which the current place of residence provides a better result. Mary Shea cuts it all three ways, but prefers the actual location at the time the return happens, with the permanent residence secondary, and the birthplace last.

When I can afford it (about 75% of the time), I have gone on Solar Return trips for over 20 years. I pick a place based on where the chart would be favorable and do-able. Once it took me two weeks to find a location because there were no places with hotels anywhere along the 45 degree angle line of the chart I wanted. I live in the USA and have almost always found a location in the USA or Canada. Only once did it land in Estonia and I could not afford it that year.

The way I believe it works is that you go to the SR favorable location for 24 hours starting from the time of your actual SR. That sets up your SR for the year. IF you lived there for the entire year, then that SR chart would be 100% accurate for the year. However, since you normally return to the location where you're living, I found that it ends to be about 30% accurate for the SR trip location chart. When you have a bad or unwanted results SR home location chart (such as 5 planets in your 4th and you really don't want to move), it helps somewhat. You may or may not ending up having to move. But 30% better is better than 100% bad/unfavorable. I also suggest you go by yourself, as this is like jello and you don't want other people's "stuff" in your jello/affecting your year's events.

It's very interesting to see what kinds of charts you can get. I often try for a grand trine using the Ascendant.

That's what I have found.

I tried using AstroCartography for a while, but my most favorable locations were in the middle of an ocean somewhere, and my canoe wouldn't quite do as a permanent residence!

I may be speaking heresy here, but both the birth location and the location where you reside when the return hits tell the story. They both work.

I also think that if you take a trip to avoid an unpleasant SR, especially if it's done with magical intention, that can work, too.

Look at both returns for past years, see which ones are clearer for you.

dadsnook2000 said:

I always use the current or established living location that one identifies with. I never use the birth location if the subject no longer lives there. There are many who choose to use the location of the moment, even if only traveling or vacationing there.

I see the birth chart as mapping ones place in the world, treating the world as both a globe and a clock. If you were born at a different time you would have a different chart and a different life. If you born in a different location then you would have a different chart and a different life.

If you relocate to another area, you have a different location. This changes your 'birth' time's angles for that location. Therefore you have a different chart. When doing a Solar Return, you are basing it on that different chart. Simple. Logical.

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What if you're within about 50 miles of your birthplace? Would it make that much of a difference? In other words, "how much is too much"?

dadsnook2000 said:

I always use the current or established living location that one identifies with. I never use the birth location if the subject no longer lives there. There are many who choose to use the location of the moment, even if only traveling or vacationing there.

I see the birth chart as mapping ones place in the world, treating the world as both a globe and a clock. If you were born at a different time you would have a different chart and a different life. If you born in a different location then you would have a different chart and a different life.

If you relocate to another area, you have a different location. This changes your 'birth' time's angles for that location. Therefore you have a different chart. When doing a Solar Return, you are basing it on that different chart. Simple. Logical.

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I must admit to being ambivalent on this. I fully sere Dave's argument and it's something I've used intermittently.Its use dates back at least to Morin. But you weren't born somewhere else or at another location, so why should should your coming year be influenced by where you were at one particular moment on one particular day? Yes I can see the argument that you have moved for a new life but is the change immediate or is only after a long period of residence? There are views either way on that.

Recently I've been using Time Lord techniques. They seem to work well but they rely on the natal Ascendant and cover a person's entire life, showing the cycles and indeed cycles in cycle tht determine the rhythms of life. I don't see how relocating the Ascendant for annual (or a group of annual) forecasts fits in to such a framework but I know of Astrologers who use Time Lords for Medium to Long periods and Sold Returns for shorter term forecasts. So it will be interesting to see how relocation works alongside such longer term techniques.

I'm not at all sure what the answer is but exploration and practice should definitely look at relocation to see what if any lifetime changes.really do occur.

Channel and firecatpickles both posted while I was ruminating. I think Channah's point really points me in the right direction and puts me on track.

Firecatpickles, I live 45 miles from my place of birth and I've not really noticed any relocation effect. The shift in my Ascendant doesn't led to a change in Ascendant sign.

Minderwiz said:

Channel and firecatpickles both posted while I was ruminating. I think Channah's point really points me in the right direction and puts me on track.

Firecatpickles, I live 45 miles from my place of birth and I've not really noticed any relocation effect. The shift in my Ascendant doesn't led to a change in Ascendant sign.

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Thank you. My solar return is coming up next month.