Sample: Planets in Solar Return Report
Back to Solar Return Yearly Forecast Report Information
************************************
Planets in Solar Return Report for:
Annie
Solar Return calculated for 2012
***************************************
Cafe Astrology
*** INTRODUCTION TO SOLAR RETURNS AND THEIR INTERPRETATION ***
What is a Solar Return Chart?
A solar return chart is a chart erected for the time that the transiting Sun returns to the position of the natal Sun. Approximately once every year the transiting Sun goes through the entire zodiac, every degree, minute, and second of each sign. When you are born, the Sun in your natal chart has a specific position in the zodiac. This position can be measured exactly. At some point in time during each subsequent year, the transiting Sun returns to this natal position, conjuncting your natal Sun. The date and time when the conjunction occurs down to the exact second of arc is the time of the solar return chart. A chart is then calculated for that date, using the time (of the transiting Sun’s return to your natal Sun’s position), and your location (longitude and latitude) at the time of the conjunction.
Tropical, Placidus, Nonprecessed Solar Return
There are many different types of solar return charts: tropical, sidereal, precessed, and nonprecessed. This report is based on research using tropical, Placidus or Koch, nonprecessed solar return charts. Interpretations are very similar to natal interpretations and this should make the material more understandable to both the professional and amateur astrologer.
Solar Return Location
The solar return chart is generally calculated for your location at the time of the Sun’s return. This may occur on your birthday, or the day before or after. During leap years, it sometimes occurs two days before your birthday. If you are going to be away or traveling near your birthday, calculate the time of the Sun’s return before you leave so you can note your position the exact moment of the solar return.
You can also calculate the chart for your natal birth location even if you no longer live there. The natal location solar return chart is not as definitive as the relocation solar return, but it can give you good information. The natal location solar return is like a progressed or solar arc chart; you are born with it. Therefore, a natal solar return cannot and will not reflect any free will choices you might have made regarding where you live or where you are when the sun returns. It is a good chart, but it does not mirror the whole picture, especially if you have moved a great distance.
Some individuals prefer the chart calculated for their place of residence regardless of where they are located at the time of the Sun’s return. This chart can be useful also, but again, it tends to be secondary to the chart of your actual location at the time of the Sun’s return to its natal zodiacal position.
Some individuals relocate for a short period of time, usually about 24 hours, to adjust the house placements of the planets in the solar return. Those who calculate the chart for where they are at the time of the transiting Sun’s conjunction to the natal position sometimes travel to other locations to change the yearly interpretation. The relocation adjusts the angles and cusps, orienting the planets into different houses. The zodiacal degrees and aspects of the planets remain the same, but because of the different planetary placements different areas of life are emphasized. The free will choice to make this adjustment seems to bring this chart closest to the truth.
Period of the Solar Return’s Significance
The significance of the solar return runs birthday to birthday with a three month overlap at the beginning and end of each year. The symbolism of the new solar return can be felt as much as three months before the birthday by very intuitive people. Usually, at this time, one becomes aware of new directions, opportunities, and problems. Many times there is even an event exactly three months before the birthday which triggers awareness and signals the beginning of the new solar return. This event is usually very much related to the new solar return and very much out of context with the old one. If you have plans to travel overseas during the three months before your birthday, do not look for the event in the old solar return even if you have been planning to take the trip all year. The old solar return will probably indicate the planning stage, but the new solar return will indicate the trip. The trip itself illustrates change, and since it occurs in the three months before your birthday, it will most likely be indicative of the new solar return chart.
On the other hand, the significance of the old solar return may not feel passé until three months after your birthday. The old themes and issues which you have worked with for the year should begin to lose their importance just as the new solar return starts to manifest itself. As your attention naturally shifts to new themes and issues, previous concerns are phased out. This is especially true if you experience a sense of completion relevant to the old tasks.
However, there are times when the old solar return drags on. If you are working on a major project for the year, it may be impossible to complete it within the one year time span. If you normally procrastinate and avoid making decisions, tasks associated with the old solar return can easily last past your birthday and into the first three months of the new solar return year. Unresolved issues carried over from year to year become stumbling blocks to further advancement and development. Individuals who consistently avoid facing the real issues in their lives accumulate major problems which are very difficult to handle.
The important thing to remember about solar returns, and life experiences in general, is that they are part of a cumulative process. The more attentive and productive you are this year, the greater your options next year. The less you accomplish now, the more limited you will feel as time goes by. Unlike transits which can seem disconnected and singular, solar returns are closely aligned and can easily be viewed as building blocks, one upon the other, year after year. For this reason, each year becomes important and each task has a history and a future. The rhythmic pattern of the solar return helps us to see this.
The main transitional month for the change from the old solar return to the new solar return is the month directly preceding the birthday. Issues related to the old solar return are resolved at this time unless they drag on (as explained above), or they are part of the new solar return as well. Issues related to the new solar return become more pressing during this transitional month and are certainly full blown by the birthdate. Sometimes the new solar return simply gains strength during the three months before your birthday and sometimes it comes in with a bang on or near your birthday.
Rarely does it happen that a solar return chart starts to change manifestation later in the year. Themes in the chart usually persist for the entire year, but once in a great while one new theme will appear later than expected. In every case, the new theme can be seen in the solar return chart, yet it lay there inactive for some unknown reason. An external event is the triggering mechanism used to activate this inert awareness, and the event generally occurs within the three months following the birthday. It can be hypothesized that unconscious factors help to avoid full involvement with this new issue until such time as it is associated with an external event of importance and thereafter becomes very obvious.
Planets conjunct a house cusp within a few degrees may be read in both houses. It is especially important to read outer planets in both houses since they eventually transit or retrograde into the other house, indicating dual or shifting concerns during the year. The more planets that are in a solar return house, the more emphasized that area of life will be during the coming year, especially if the Sun is one of the planets present.
Four or more planets in any one house indicate a strong need to be involved with those themes and issues. But the individual may become so focused on this one area of life that perception is distorted and these themes are overemphasized. They may not want to think about anything else or accomplish tasks in other areas. The overloaded house becomes a symbol for obsessive preoccupation or emotional overload.
*** Astrological Data of Birth ***
The birth chart is a map of the positions of the planets at the time and place of birth. For the benefit of students of astrology, these positions and other technical information is listed below:
Aspects and orbs:
Sun and Moon only All other planets
Conj. : 8 Deg. 00 Min. 7 Deg. 00 Min.
Oppos. : 6 Deg. 00 Min. 6 Deg. 00
Square : 6 Deg. 00 Min. 6 Deg. 00 Min.
Trine : 6 Deg. 00 Min. 6 Deg. 00 Min.
Sextile: 5 Deg. 00 Min. 4 Deg. 00 Min.
ELEMENTS, MODES, QUADRANTS, AND RETROGRADE PLANETS
Five or More Cardinal Planets
This can show a year with a tremendous amount of activity (which usually amounts to too much activity). You may expend your energy in several different directions by working on a number of projects. Each of these projects will be well-defined and equated with a personal need; however, you will feel torn between all the things you want or need to do. You are trying to do too much. If you overload yourself with too many activities, you will begin to procrastinate, miss deadlines and be forced into crisis management. Your nervous system will be taxed and you will begin to make impulsive decisions with little forethought. You need to be better organized. Perhaps you should finish one project before starting another, or you should seek assistance. If you must juggle a busy schedule, learn to streamline your routine and optimize your use of time and energy.
THE ASCENDING SIGN IN THE SOLAR RETURN CHART
Generally speaking, the ascending sign in the solar return chart is read the same way as the ascending sign in the natal chart. The personality characteristics innate to the zodiacal placement will come through in the solar return. Those activities ruled by the natural house of the ascending sign may also be prominent. Personality changes might be subtle, but can give you a sense of direction for the coming year. Think of it as a style change. Fashions may change from one season to the next. Though you are the same person, your appearance and mannerism shift. The same is true of the solar return Ascendant. This is your chance to work with the best that each Ascending sign has to offer.
Solar Return Ascendant Aquarius :
When the solar return Ascendant is in Aquarius, you need to be free to follow your conscience and to speak your mind. You travel to the beat of a different drum. Rules might not apply. Those in power are not held in high regard. You seek out like-minded individuals and others who think like you do even when your ideas are radical. You buck authority and can be a rebel either with or without a just cause. You function better as an advocate. Dependability is not your long suit. You vacillate between choices and might be downright erratic.
THE SUN IN THE SOLAR RETURN CHART
The Sun is the most significant planet in the solar return chart. Its position by house shows the most emphasized area of life during the coming year, how and where you expend the greatest amount of energy. The house placement of the Sun is reflected in the interpretation of the other planets, and may be the motivating force behind their symbolism.
Sun in 8th house:
This is often a year of tremendous change. It is common for individuals with an 8th house Sun to change their life-style completely during this year. There is a death of sorts associated with this house, but it is the kind of death that comes from strong transformation and change. Common examples are quitting work and returning to school full-time, leaving home and getting an apartment, transferring to another part of the country and living in a totally different climate and neighborhood (e.g., moving from the city to a rural area). The emphasis is on radical change. Usually there is at least one major change during the year accompanied by many minor changes. Mental stress can result from the number of changes handled within a short period of time.
An increased perception on both the psychological and intuitive levels is common. During the year, you become more aware of subtle energies. Usually, individuals with this placement begin to feel that they see and know too much. They become overly perceptive of others’ true feelings, motives, and psychological inadequacies. For those who can use this new ability positively, this is a time of tremendous growth and enlightenment. Concurrent with this insight into human behavior is generally an interest in psychological and esoteric topics. Knowledge of this nature will help you to both understand and cope with your perceptions. Your own actions can become immune to manipulative ploys.
For those who do not understand or cannot appreciate their newfound abilities, this is a time of disappointment and helplessness. Unconscious reactions will take the place of rational interchanges as you respond from the gut level without thinking clearly. It is easy for others to push your psychological buttons and manipulate your behavior since stressful situations or relationships have a greater effect on you. This is more likely to occur if the air element is also lacking in the solar return chart. Examples of compulsive behavior or obsessive/phobic thought patterns will occur regularly. The less aware you are of your own drives, the more easily you will be controlled by them. The awareness of psychological complexes in others should make you more aware of your own psychological idiosyncrasies. Merely reacting to external forces is not as desirable as planning and directing your own life.
The whole purpose of this year is to gain power over yourself and your life. You may do this by understanding and overruling your unhealthy psychological impulses. If you don’t, others can gain power by using your own unconscious against you. Guilt and jealousy are just two of the more common manipulative emotional tools others can and will use. You also gain power by recognizing when others are not thinking clearly. It is not necessary to respond to irrational demands. The first step to controlling psychological complexes is recognizing how they influence behavior. The second step is to become aware of why these counterproductive feelings and situations exist. The third step is to simplify your life by eliminating those psychologically unhealthy influences which block rational thinking and meaningful relating.
Obviously this is a good time for therapy, for you and/or for those you are involved with. People who seek therapy while the solar return Sun is in the 8th house generally only need counseling for a specific problem rather than deep psychoanalysis. Although some individuals have found this placement very difficult mentally, the greater number of mental illness cases are associated with the Sun in the 3rd and 12th houses, not the 8th.
Power struggles over money and morals are common. Your conflict may involve another person or you may be struggling to control your own behavior. Spending practices usually change and debts either go up or down dramatically; they rarely stay the same. Many individuals rip up their credit cards and pay off their bills, but others take out a large loan. Generally, there is nothing in between these two manifestations. If you normally have high credit bills, you will feel the crunch this year and begin to cut back. If you are normally very cautious, you may be asked to take a financial risk because of the changes you are making.
Sun Conjunct Mercury
The Sun conjunct Mercury indicates that the intellectual mind is actively involved in the implementation of goals represented by the Sun’s solar return house placement. Reading, writing, studying, and communication in all forms will be important along with the decision-making process.
THE MOON IN THE SOLAR RETURN CHART
The solar return Moon seems to have two consistent themes throughout all of the houses. First and most simply, the Moon is associated with change and fluctuation according to its house position. Secondly, and probably more importantly, the Moon reflects the individual’s emotional nature during the solar return year.
The Moon as an Emotional Indicator
While we speak of the Moon as simply an indication of one’s emotional nature, the actual interpretation of the Moon is more complex than simple. The Moon is not just an indicator of feelings; one’s emotional nature is a multidimensional conglomeration of feelings, temperament, needs, and unconscious responses. We cannot look at the Moon as one-sided; we must study its interpretation from a number of perspectives.
The Moon represents the individual’s feelings regardless of whether or not they are expressed openly. The type of feelings you have during the year can be demonstrated by the Moon’s sign, position, and aspects. The Moon’s sign can be important even though the Moon has essentially only nineteen placements, because it is indicative of what the individual feels during the year and how he or she is most likely to exhibit those feelings.
The major difference between an individual’s feelings and basic temperament is that feelings tend to make up one’s basic temperament. The word temperament implies one’s overall pattern of emotional response; it is an emotional factor that remains constant regardless of the circumstances. On the other hand, feelings imply a specific emotion in response to a particular event or situation. For example, moody people have emotional swings. Their feelings change depending whether or not they are experiencing happy or sad events; however, their proclivity toward emotional highs and lows remains constant regardless of their particular mood at any point in time. Despite feelings of joy or depression, they still have a moody disposition. The solar return Moon’s sign is generally very descriptive of your emotional temperament. It can suggest an array of emotional characteristics including moodiness, sensitivity, coldness, or enthusiasm.
Emotional needs play a crucial role in the Moon’s cycle of change and emotional maturation. As explained above, the Moon moves in an understandable pattern through the solar return. During each year, the individual knows certain emotional needs must be met in order to feel secure and fulfilled. These needs, which fluctuate from year to year, cause the individual to create the variety of situations necessary for emotional maturity.
Conscious or Unconscious Emphasis
The Moon also signifies the unconscious experience. While Mercury’s placement will suggest what the person is consciously thinking, the Moon’s placement will suggest what the individual is experiencing on an unconscious level. Together, the Moon and Mercury (and sometimes also the Sun) symbolize the balance between conscious and the unconscious processes. We like to think that our decisions are based on the integration of rational and emotional information, but during any given solar return year, one process more than the other can influence our decisions, perceptions, and motivations. The focus of attention shifts to accommodate fluctuations in individual patterns of growth. There will be years when you lean more heavily on your emotional responses, tending to trust your instincts and follow your intuition. But there will be other years when you depend more on a logical assessment of your situation.
The emphasis on the unconscious usually indicates a year in which the native will be interested in fostering emotional connections and unconscious insights. Logic and factual information may not be meaningful within the context of present situations, which will tend to be emotional. Example situations include (but are not limited to): involvement in counseling, therapy or self-help discussion groups; intense family situations (related to birth, child-rearing, sickness or death); and very nurturing social situations (e.g., communal living, helping the disabled, underprivileged or homeless). Emotional interactions and perceptions will naturally be more important if they are more likely to provide vital information needed to handle experiences during the coming year. An emphasis on the unconscious nature is conducive to emotional growth.
All forms of mental activity are associated with an emphasis on the conscious mind, including educational and informational activities. Teaching, learning, lecturing, and writing are several examples. An emphasis on the conscious mind is conducive to intellectual growth.
Solar Return Moon in 8th house:
The 8th house is the house of acute awareness of emotional forces and psychological powers. Nearly all of this awareness will result from a newfound ability to spontaneously perceive information on these subtle levels rather than from a rational analysis of any situation. It is the intense awareness of unconscious emotional and psychological issues that forces conscious insight into human behavior. These realizations can be upsetting and you may end up seeing or knowing more than you care to see or know. Acute awareness is also associated with the Sun in the solar return 8th house, but with the Moon here you are more apt to be emotionally involved with the people and issues concerned. It is likely that someone in your immediate family or circle of friends needs counseling. During the year, you grow more aware of your own emotional needs and psychological forces and you also learn to recognize these influences in others.
It is very likely that you will study some psychology during the year, but you may become aware of psychological influences naturally without any education. Initial insights can come from associating with mentally disturbed people. The intensity of their psychological abnormality is fascinating, yet frightening. It is common to have an 8th house solar return Moon if you are a professional therapist or astrologer just starting to counsel others. Disturbed individuals need not play an important role in your life and may be mere acquaintances. They are not the real focus of your realizations, they are merely the catalyst.
You need to become more aware of the psychological influences affecting you and your immediate relationships. Intense realizations associated with bizarre personalities will give way to insights into subtle manipulations and power plays. Eventually, psychological realizations can occur during the simplest interactions with others. If you are caught in an emotional power struggle, it will become more obvious how you and/or others manipulate rather than state clearly what you need. Psychological complexes and hurt feelings complicate relationships and make it more difficult to discuss problems rationally. Unconscious feelings may undermine conscious decisions. Ambivalence is common. Obsessive-compulsive behavior, jealousy, guilt, unexplained anger, and helplessness are frequently clues that something is wrong.
Recognizing and understanding your own psychological idiosyncrasies will give you great power over your own life. Insights into your defensive reactions will help you overcome barriers to intimacy. Increased intimacy is especially important since superficial relationships and superficial discussions will not suit you this year. You need to be able to talk at length and in depth about what you are feeling and perceiving. It is during these discussions that initial realizations are triggered and later confirmed. It is also during these discussions that you formulate and express new behavioral patterns that sidestep psychological inadequacies.
Emotional situations tend to be more complicated and intense. Issues are no longer black or white, good or bad. Decisions are less straightforward, especially if you feel responsible for the well-being of others. For example, if you have children and were offered a transfer to another state, you would not make this decision without careful consideration. On one hand, the move may improve your career possibilities, but on the other hand, the move could have a great impact on your children. You must consider the emotional or psychological ramifications of your decisions since they are more likely to affect others.
If partners or family members are moody or unstable, you may have to think before you speak if you want to avoid upsetting responses. You may be in a delicate position requiring great diplomacy and tact. Others can interpret what you say incorrectly or overreact. You will be dealing with intense feelings and may expect others to involve you in very emotional circumstances. If you counsel others professionally, it will be easier for you to control these situations. If these situations are appearing in your personal life, you can deal with them effectively on your own or seek advice.
Increased intuitive accuracy will encourage your reliance on this mode of perception. Psychic and intuitive realizations grow stronger, but may seem less controllable. Even if you do not consider yourself psychic, this is a good time to trust your hunches, but if you are psychologically stressed, you may be less able to distinguish true psychic impulses from fears and anxieties. If this is the case, you should reserve judgment until your powers of discrimination grow stronger.
The Moon in the 8th house can show changing shared resources or economic dependency. If you share funds with your spouse or some other person, the amount of money you receive will change either positively or negatively. On the other hand, your own personal resources are more likely to decrease in comparison. The reduction need not be much, but you are more likely to feel like a dependent rather than an economic equal. There could be very valid reasons for this. For example, you may be on pregnancy leave or attending school. Financial power struggles are possible. You and your partner or someone else may fight over how to handle money or pay bills. These arguments might be very emotional and further complicated by unresolved psychological issues. Clarity and a willingness to discuss needs will help you to reach positive compromises. The Moon in the 8th house also indicates a change in indebtedness. Debts either go up or down but they rarely stay the same.
Moon Trine Jupiter
Moon sextile or trine Jupiter in the solar return indicates a positive outlook on life. This can be a year of happiness and contentment. You should be optimistic about the future and your potential for success. Use your talents and abilities to advance professionally or evolve spiritually. Expansion into new areas is advantageous. The house placement of Jupiter should indicate where expansion is likely to occur.
Your ability to express your feelings within a significant relationship is important to your own emotional growth, and also to the growth of the relationship. Jupiter symbolizes your ability to expand and the Moon symbolizes your feeling nature. Together in aspect, they emphasize the process of sharing emotions, having those emotions understood, and growing from the interchange. Expansion through emotional interchange and relatedness is the key. For example, if you are involved in counseling, this exchange is crucial to the therapeutic process. If you are involved in a serious relationship, sharing your feelings is necessary for the development of greater intimacy.
It is important to convey serious emotions as well as cheerful feelings, especially if you are in a situation where candidly expressing your feelings could motivate others. For instance, if you are working on a humanitarian project and you need volunteers, your ability to inspire others with your honest portrayal of the situation will help your cause.
Sun and Moon in same house and in different signs
Having the Sun and the Moon in the same house is like having all of your eggs in one basket. The Sun is associated with conscious experience and symbolizes a need for external achievement and recognition. The Moon, on the other hand, is more closely associated with unconscious experience and the need for internal emotional fulfillment. Whenever they appear in the same house, there is a conscious and unconscious emphasis on the same area of life. Matters related to the house placement are very prominent during the solar return year.
The convergence of the two lights in the same house symbolizes the merger of two separate and distinct patterns of growth and the formation of a new, more complex pattern based on the meeting of the Sun and the Moon. It seems reasonable to speculate about the existence of this complex cycle since whenever the Sun and Moon appear in the same solar return house; there is a sense of “newness” attributed to the events of the year. Significant (Sun) changes (Moon) can occur, and these changes may be so far-reaching as to signal the beginning of a new era. It is during this year that the individual is involved in a new experience and/or new issue. Generally, the closer the Sun and the Moon are within the house, the greater this sense of newness and the greater the sense of agreement between the conscious and unconscious levels. The farther apart the Sun and Moon are placed, the more likely one is to experience two separate desires or needs.
When the lights are not conjunct and not even in the same zodiacal sign, you are of two minds concerning the subject matter of the house placement. This suggests that your conscious thoughts on the matter at hand will be different from your unconscious feelings. In this case, you are apt to feel pulled in two directions.
For example, a new divorcee with this configuration was on her own after many years in a restrictive and unsatisfying marriage. She loved her newfound freedom (Sagittarius Sun in the return 1st house), but she also loved the intimate and sexually fulfilling relationship she now had with her new boyfriend (Scorpio Moon also in the 1st house). During the solar return year, the question of marriage came up many times. The woman did not want to choose between two equally desirable situations. She wanted to fulfill both her need for freedom and her need for intimacy.
MERCURY IN THE SOLAR RETURN CHART
Mercury has two basic interpretations in the solar return chart: it symbolizes what you are thinking about and your mental condition during the coming year.
What you are actually thinking about is shown by the solar return house placement of Mercury. The important thing to remember about Mercury’s placement is that it is indicative of a mental exercise only. Alone in a house, Mercury can show mental preoccupation without psychological pain or physical consequences. It suggests the ability to make decisions only, and may not be a clear indication of action in any particular area. Mercury’s aspects to the other planets indicate how information is gathered, assimilated and integrated into attitudes that persist for most of the year. How easily this is accomplished, and in what manner, is suggested by the aspects themselves.
Conditioning is noted by solar return aspects to Mercury. Squares and oppositions to Mercury indicate possible sources of tension and conflict. If Mercury is in an air sign, (Gemini, Libra, or Aquarius), rational thought processes are emphasized. If Mercury is in a water sign, (Cancer, Scorpio, or Pisces), strong emotional factors influence thinking. If Mercury is in an earth sign, (Taurus, Virgo, or Capricorn), the tendency is to be practical. If Mercury is in a fire sign, (Aries, Leo, or Sagittarius), the individual is motivated by self-interest, passion, philosophy, or spirituality. When assessing the conditioning of Mercury, it is also important to note the sign and conditioning for the Moon and whether the Moon is in an air or water sign. This will help you determine if the thinking process or emotions are dominant during the year and if integration is possible.
Solar Return Mercury in 8th house:
The phrase “acute awareness” encapsulates the interpretation of Mercury in the 8th house of the solar return. Your mind is more insightful and reflective during this year, and there will be times when you will see more or know more than you were previously aware of. Knowledge of the unconscious mind grows quickly, leaving you overwhelmed by the change. You are more aware of nuances, motives, and psychological conflicts in yourself and others. Subtle shifts in power and power plays will be more obvious to you now. The interpretation of Mercury in the 8th house is very similar to the interpretation of the Sun or the Moon in this house, but there is an important difference. When Mercury is in the 8th, you are more apt to gain understanding of psychological issues as a result of training and education. You become intellectually aware of psychological complexes and power struggles, but they generally do not disrupt your life or upset you emotionally. When the Sun is in the 8th house, you are more likely to be disrupted by the turmoil of living with your own psychological issues or those of others. When the Moon is in the 8th house, you may be upset emotionally by complex unconscious forces and power struggles. Mercury in the 8th house is generally not upsetting, only insightful.
There are several ways to initiate and stimulate this psychological insight. You may study psychology directly or you may become involved in one of the occult sciences. You may see a counselor during the year even though you might not feel seriously stressed. Mercury in the 8th house implies the ability to grasp psychological information intellectually. Generally, by itself, Mercury is not indicative of nervousness or anxiety. If you are just entering therapy at this time, you may be doing so to gain self-knowledge rather than because of incapacitation. If you have been in therapy for a while now, this may be the year when therapy pays off and suddenly you begin to see the behavioral patterns that have been affecting your life negatively.
Psychologically, you may be more withdrawn and cautious during the year, preferring to talk to one person in depth rather than several friends superficially. Small talk will not interest you. Information that is factual and blatant will not be as exciting as what is less obvious, sexual, or mysterious. You see and understand a lot more than you express. You may withhold information deliberately or just be reluctant to talk openly.
This is a good time for financial planning and consolidation loans. If your debts have risen recently, you might want to establish a payment plan for reducing those bills. If you share income and expenses with another person, review the division of debts and plan for future expenditures. Reread your will and investigate estate and tax plans.
Mercury Square to Pluto
Mercury square or opposite Pluto in the solar return chart indicates that your conscious mind is very aware of unconscious material and psychological complexes. This awareness may originate from naturally occurring insights into human behavior or educational pursuits, but it is more likely to arise from conflict. You are better able to perceive what is unspoken or hidden. Motivations will be clearer to you even when they are not stated. The body language of others can be very revealing. Attempts at manipulation and psychological games will also be more obvious. Most likely this awareness will not be one-sided. You will be as aware of your own unconscious nature as you are of psychological complexes in others. Resurfacing unconscious material can spill over into everyday consciousness and distort perceptions and thinking patterns.
If you are involved in repetitious verbal battles over ideology, prejudice, or intolerance, realize that these confrontations may be related to your own psychological tendencies. They might not be the sole product of other minds. Being aware of psychological dysfunction can be stressful, especially if you know more than you are capable of handling. This is an excellent time for counseling, should you feel the need. Others may be adamant about their beliefs and opinions. Their information is not necessarily factual or proven, but they can be loud, insistent, and controlling. You have to tempter your responses and limit reactions. Fanning the flames will only make situations more contentious.
The implication here is that knowledge is power, and specifically in this case, it is knowledge about the unconscious mind which conveys power to those who are aware of it and able to gain insights from it. This information is as valuable as intellectual facts gained from school. The more you understand about the unconscious, the more you are able to control your own impulses or resist the manipulative behavior of others. Although initially this increased psychological awareness may be stressful in itself, the understanding and control you achieve in the end can actually lead to stress reduction.
Mercury Opposition Uranus
When Mercury is square or opposite Uranus in the solar return chart, you might be subjected to psychologically stressful situations. Increased nervousness, anxiety, and irrational thinking may be directly related to these taxing circumstances. Question the necessity for excessive tension in your life. If possible, withdraw from those situations that strain your mental and physical health.
Stress is also caused by continuing disruptive changes in the information received. Startling facts and shocking realizations are possible according to the house placement for Mercury and Uranus. The stream of shifting information impedes the decision-making process. Thinking tends to flip-flop with each modification. Opinions expressed may require a future retraction. The task is to think before you speak and only make decision after a thorough investigation.
The good news is that this can be a creative time if you approach problems from several different angles and do not get locked into one structured way of thinking. Use this time to be innovative and original. Brainstorm with others and channel insights into practical applications. Because your mind can be unstructured, your ability to think clearly may be interrupted by erratic impulses and an inability to concentrate over any length of time. New information and ideas might be more exciting than reorganizing what you already know. If you must work on a major project that requires sustained mental energy, take frequent breaks. Work on calming and nurturing your nervous system. You may want to practice relaxation techniques and avoid stimulants.
VENUS IN THE SOLAR RETURN CHART
Venus is the key to understanding your relationships and financial situation for the solar return year. Many times these two areas go hand in hand; financial security tends to be coupled with secure relationships while financial difficulties are more likely to occur when close relationships are strained. Although this correlation is common, it is not the rule, and interpretations for finances and relationships should always be viewed separately. When assessing Venus in the chart, evaluate Venus twice, first with respect to the other relationship factors in the solar return and then with respect to the other monetary indicators. In this way, you can develop a clear picture of each area of concern.
Venus also indicates a need for comfort and it is informative to note what has preceded Venus in its present house position. If, during this year, Venus resides in a house which last year represented an area of conflict, Venus would imply an improvement in the conditions associated with that house and may indicate a healing process. Benefits commonly follow after much hard work. A Venus placement in the solar return chart following a more difficult placement during the previous year can indicate great reward. Your awareness of this possibility may encourage you to work harder in more problematic areas since you can see the rewards in the following year.
Relationships
Venus, by house, shows what relationships will be important during the coming year. For example, Venus in the 3rd house might indicate that relationships with neighbors or community involvement will be emphasized. With Venus in the 6th house, pleasant office conditions, and good co-worker relationships will be important. But the interpretation of relationships as they appear in the solar return chart involves more than an understanding of Venus’ house placement. Look at the 5th and the 7th houses, especially if you are interested in a love relationship. The more planets in these houses, particularly the 7th house, the greater the need to relate on a one-to-one basis. Generally, the 5th house shows sexual affairs, while the 7th house indicates a greater commitment (though not necessarily marriage). Clandestine affairs or secret relationships are more likely to occur when Venus and/or the Moon appear in the 12th house.
One fact about marriage and the solar return chart is surprising. The solar return is not necessarily a good indicator of a marriage during the year. The beginning of a relationship might be easily seen, but the marriage itself is more likely to be reflected in other techniques. On the other hand, postponement of a marriage or the refusal to make a commitment can be easily seen with Saturn, Uranus or Neptune in the 7th house.
Finances
Venus also relates to money and finances, and can be used to evaluate these circumstances for the coming solar return year. The house placement for Venus may indicate how you are most likely to generate income. This is sometimes true, but not always. Venus in the 9th implies a teaching salary, but if you don’t teach, the emphasis will be on your beliefs concerning relationships. Don’t stretch your economic interpretation of Venus’ house placement. If the house position applies, the situation will be obvious. If the house position does not seem to apply to finances in particular, Venus will be more consistent with relationship situations during the year.
For finances, it is perhaps more important to look at the planetary placements in the 2nd, 6th, 10th, and 11th houses, especially if you are interested in the amount of money you will be able to earn by employment. The 2nd house is the primary money house, but it also gives indications of spending practices. Any planets in the 2nd can reflect your salary and/or your spending practices (regardless of how much money you earn); it is always possible to spend more than you make or make more than you spend.
Solar Return Venus in 7th house:
A 7th house Venus emphasizes the importance of relating positively to others. This usually applies specifically to your relationship with one particular individual (such as a spouse or business partner), but may apply to others in general. Relationships can improve or deteriorate during the year, depending on your abilities and the situations involved. Effective relating is important to the task at hand, and your ability to foster and sustain good relationships affects your ability to succeed and prosper. For example, if you seek to form a business partnership during the year, your ability to get along with your future partner would have a direct beneficial or detrimental effect on the success of the business.
It is to your advantage to sharpen your negotiating skills and learn to compromise when the situation calls for it, regardless of the type of relationship you are involved in. Realize that you can allow your own personal needs to be superseded by your partner’s demands, wishes or expectations. If your spouse is being transferred to another state, he or she may ask you to follow despite your own personal situation or preferences. Your wishes can be superseded by the needs of the relationship, but in the final analysis, the move may prove positive for you both.
This year, you can benefit directly from your associations with others, perhaps more so than if you tried to go it alone. A new writer worked closely with a literary agent to gain the writing contract of her choice while Venus was in the 7th house. She listened and responded to her agent’s suggestions about the first draft of the manuscript. Because the two developed a good working relationship based on respect for each other’s opinions, the manuscript was improved and the writer ultimately benefited greatly. This is an excellent time to ask for favors and assistance from others. You tend to reap what you have sown.
Negatively, Venus in the 7th house can indicate that you allow a relationship to suppress your individual identity, restrict your personal freedom and tax you unnecessarily. You placate your partner and bend over backwards to please him or her, rather than relate as an equal. You may feel torn between satisfying your own needs and those of the person you are involved with, especially if there are oppositions between Venus and planets in the 1st house.
In an extreme case, the relationship becomes more important than self-preservation and you allow your needs and energy to be drained away. When this occurs, subservience replaces relating, acquiescence replaces compromise, control replaces respect, and you begin to feel that it is your job to keep someone else happy. A young female administrative assistant at a local charity spent more time fulfilling her employer’s personal needs than concentrating on her own charity work. She was in a precarious position and since he had the power to fire her, she allowed her own needs to go unmet. Focusing on the cooperative interpretation of this placement will help one avoid the pitfalls.
Venus Trine Uranus
When Venus is sextile or trine Uranus in the solar return chart, changes in relationships may occur. For some people, this can mean a sudden attraction and the excitement of a new love. Involvements may be very strong, very quick, and may or may not have staying power. New relationships might eventually lead to marriage, but probably not during this solar return year. Loose associations are common. Friends become lovers and some love relationships seem more like friendships. Occasionally, relationships and attractions are less than conventional.
A general mood of change and transition may permeate all partnerships, whether old or new, personal or professional. Difficult relationships may end amicably, but for those in a healthy relationship, changes will occur within the relationship itself and do not indicate a break in ties or a loss of commitment to one another. For some people, the changes involve a new and exciting experience, such as the birth of a child. New skills and patterns of behavior must emerge. Other common examples of change are relocation, retirement, travel, and changes in the number of people living in the home.
Financial changes are also likely to occur with Venus sextile or trine to Uranus. You may move in with a lover, spouse, or friend and begin to share expenses. You might receive a financial windfall or pay raise. You can be working on a commission or incentive basis, or be involved in a profit-sharing plan at work. Self-employment is also possible. Starting a new business from scratch is generally a major financial adjustment. For one reason or another, the amount of money available to you is likely to change or fluctuate.
This is a good time to be creative, both in the arts and with life. Discover hidden talents and take risks. When Venus is sextile or trine Uranus, you can be insightful and inspired. Make the best of changes and opportunities.
Venus Sextile Jupiter
Venus sextile or trine Jupiter in the solar return chart has several possible interpretations. You can benefit, either directly or indirectly, through the influence or assistance of others. Benefits are shown by the solar return house placement of Jupiter. Relationships can be very rewarding and you reap what you have sown. If you have been helpful and understanding to others in the past, you can expect the same treatment now. Your lover, business partner, or spouse should be actively supportive of your goals, both financially and emotionally. Indirect benefits can also come to you through partnerships. For example, your spouse accepts a job transfer to Colorado and you always wanted to live in ski country.
What you believe to be true about most relationships tends to be consistent with your experience. Developing a philosophy of relationships will help you and your partner make joint decisions regarding morals and ethics. Your beliefs match those of your mate and any religious differences are not important. You give each other the freedom to develop spiritually, intellectually, and creatively.
The tendency is to be generous with time, money, and resources. This can cause you to be overscheduled or overextended financially if you do not set limits and establish priorities. Additional funds might become available, but money can flow out as quickly as it flows in, especially when you make large purchases or have major expenses. Pulling together as a team and establishing a sense of balance will optimize you relationship and experience this year.
Venus Square to Mars
Venus square or opposite Mars in a solar return chart can indicate conflicts occurring in a significant personal relationship or business partnership. The area of contention is shown by the solar return house placement of Mars. The relationship or benefit being compromised is indicated by the house placement of Venus. For example, if Venus is in the first house, indicating the need for gentleness and time alone while Mars is in the 7th house of relationships indicating high energy and aggression, partners will have different needs and expectations during the year. They should respect each other’s preference and seek areas of integration and balance.
Actions can provoke negative responses from a partner. Relationships that are faltering to begin with become combative involvements in which the participants undermine independent or joint efforts and fight over money. Tension will increase until the issues are dealt with directly.
Sexual attraction and satisfaction are important factors in both new and established relationships and contribute to or detract from their success. Even though the square and opposition are known to be stressful aspects, they may indicate an increase in desire. Conflicts might exist as separate and distinct from attraction, though generally they are impediments.
Financial cuts are possible when Venus is square or opposite Mars, but it is more common to hustle for the money received. The harder you work, the more you are likely to earn. Spending also tends to increase.
MARS IN THE SOLAR RETURN CHART
The planet Mars represents an outward thrust of energy in a solar return chart. It is an active energy geared toward producing an external manifestation brought about through interchanges with the environment. The arrow on the symbol for Mars illustrates this outward thrust and movement. The interplay with the environment and the area of greatest energy expenditure are shown by the aspects to Mars and its house placement. There can be a number of ways in which the outward thrust of energy and activity manifests in the external environment. Positive manifestations implied by Mars include self-motivation, independent action, initiation of new projects, assertiveness, fulfilling sexual encounters, and original or pioneering creations. But anger, aggression, and sexual abuses represent negative and wasteful expenditures. Energy lost in negative exchanges cannot be used productively.
Mars, by its very nature, denotes the spark of initiation and self-motivation. Original pursuits, independent actions and new projects are fostered during the year and are typically associated with those areas of life denoted by the house placement of Mars. Because of the new endeavors and the enthusiasm generated, these areas then become the focus of energy use as the level of activity increases and you begin to feel driven to work, accomplish, and complete. Sometimes ambition and competitiveness augment the need to excel, but an energetic attitude can flow without these personality traits since self-motivation tends to spring naturally from an inner source.
During the year, activities may be specifically tied to your ability or inability to be assertive. In its most positive manifestation, the planet Mars denotes an active force. Except for a few of the more subtle interpretations for Mars, the implication is an external thrust which affects other people, places, things or circumstances. For example, if you install a home office, you make a change in your living situation. If you start your own business, you do, in effect, change the environment. If you insist on control over your own finances, you create a more independent relationship style. In each of these cases, you are the individual initiating the activity and asserting your own needs which are essential to the task at hand. The inability to be assertive can only lead to frustrated desires and anger. Your efforts will be thwarted until you make adjustments in your thinking. When extreme frustration occurs, more energy is expended toward being angry than working toward correcting the problem.
The house position of Mars and its aspects to the other solar return planets provide information about the circumstances which will trigger angry responses in you. Anger may arise from a number of different circumstances, including, but not limited to, frustration at the inability to fulfill your own needs, aggression from others, stressful surroundings or unconscious resentment that has not been resolved. Anger is a signal that your attitude and/or environment need to change. Energy lost to anger cannot be used creatively. Anger that stimulates creative action can be recouped. Your task for the year will be to learn to deal effectively with these anger-producing situations. Do not allow anger to be triggered when insight coupled with assertiveness, tact or corrective action would suit your purposes better. As you focus on negative situations and gain understanding, you can begin to funnel your energies into the most positive manifestations.
Aggression is a distortion of assertiveness. Assertion is the defense and maintenance of your own rights; aggression is the infringement or attack on the rights of others. Anger is most likely the motivation for the attack, although psychological idiosyncrasies may provide other motivations (of which fear is the main culprit). All acts of aggression, by their very nature, should produce anger in the person attacked, though some individuals, because of their own psychological nature, respond in other ways. Where you find Mars by house position indicates where you are most likely to meet the aggressor during the coming year. Either you will have to deal with a hostile person in the environment or you will be confronted with your own acts of aggression. If you are able to meet your own needs through assertion and you know your own rights while conscientiously defending them, you are less likely to be the aggressor or allow aggressive actions to arise in others. You should be able to strike a balance between your needs, and rights, and the needs and rights of others. In this way, you maintain your position relative to the environment. But regardless of how fair you are in your dealings with others, you may still have to defend your own rights.
Mars as an indicator of sexuality is not consistent with the interpretation for every house position. There is the possibility that sexual intrigue can apply to the situations denoted by any of the planet’s placements, but the connection is not always obvious. Themes of initiation, high energy output, anger, and aggression appear more consistently. For example, Mars in the 10th may mean a sexual attraction between you and your boss, but it is more likely for you to be extremely active in career endeavors. Your boss can be a prime motivator toward career success or he could actually be very offensive and thwart your efforts. Note the aspects between Mars and your other personal planets for further information. The sexual implications of Mars seem more obvious in the relational houses, but then individual differences apply. Sexual fulfillment is directly related to the appropriateness of sexual activity given the particular situation and any restraints or inhibitions involved.
Solar Return Mars in 9th house:
This year you will identify strongly with your religious, philosophical, and ethical beliefs, and this is a good time to actively pursue further investigations in these areas. Round-table discussions of these topics lead to a clearer understanding of issues and possible implications. Spiritual concerns and dilemmas may be especially important during the coming year. Learn to share your thoughts rather than force issues. Support your words with actions and work for those causes you believe in. Motivate others with the strength of your conviction. Your commitment can be inspirational. Positively, this is a time when you can become a strong proponent of truth and justice; but, negatively, you may be prejudiced or intolerant of the beliefs of others if you use your convictions to assume a holier-than-thou stance. There is no guarantee your beliefs will be beneficial to your spiritual growth or to those you come in contact with.
The 9th house is the house of all beliefs, not just those that are philosophical in nature. With Mars in this house, if you believe you have been wronged in the past, you will tend to take an offensive rather than neutral position regarding similar issues, events or relationships. Anger could be inherent to your belief system, making you feel duty-bound to correct past situations or eliminate the possibility of recurrence. If you work in the humanitarian field, you can fight for the rights of underprivileged people rather than brood over a personal problem. Mars in the 9th is noted for soapbox warfare (standing on a soap box and pleading with the masses to end this deplorable situation). But the difficulty with this placement is the very negative manifestation which allows the individual to justify offensiveness in personal matters. Inequities in the past should not become an excuse for inequities in the present. A strong defense is more appropriate to this placement than a strong offense (as long as the defense is not an impenetrable fortress).
During the year, review your responses to anger-producing situations and consider ways to express anger in a more constructive manner. You need to learn to cope effectively with certain common or recurring situations in your life. You may not be able to control these difficult situations completely, but you are able to control your reactions. Choose a course of action which provides you with a good response while not escalating the problem. Now is the time to develop a game plan for handling anger-producing events, especially if you presently find it difficult to cope. Your anger might have been ineffectual in the past. Jumping up and down and screaming is generally ineffective. So is total retreat. Learning to express anger intelligently is an important task to be mastered during the year.
The 9th house is also the house of travel. With Mars in this house, you tend to take quick and perhaps nerve-wracking trips. Most likely, you may not be able to relax while traveling, and problems with weather, travel connections, and accommodations are possible. That does not mean that you can’t enjoy traveling, but you should be careful not to pack too much into each trip. If you are very careless or angry, it is possible to have a minor accident while traveling, but this will probably occur only in very difficult, careless or angry situations.
The mind can be very active, and consequently, this is a good time to be self-taught. You can motivate yourself to gain knowledge while studying on your own. You should be involved in some intellectual pursuit, either alone or with others, be it school, teaching, lecturing, learning, etc. This is not the year to let your mind lie idle. Do research and find your own truth. Actively acquire information and organize it according to your beliefs.
JUPITER IN THE SOLAR RETURN CHART
Jupiter has a number of possible interpretations in the solar return chart and any or all of the following meanings can manifest according to house position. First and foremost, Jupiter tends to imply a benefic event associated with its placement. How these benefits come about and the area of life affected are usually shown by the house position.
All opportunities will probably involve expansion into new areas of activity. The primary function of the Jupiter principle is to expand beyond the scope of previous experience. One is not to remain in a static condition; growth is not only implied, but expected. Jupiter’s slow and consistent movement through the zodiac implies the steady growth needed to advance.
One of the most common activities associated with growth and expansion is the pursuit of an education. The impetus to learn is closely associated with any push to grow and our definition of learning in this case is not limited to a structured environment (school), but can include self-teaching and life-experience training. Although education is not always a consideration for every Jupiter house placement, it can be considered to have an impact on any of the houses.
Areas of expansion can easily become areas of excess and this is a problem with Jupiter. Growth can be uncontrolled and purposeless, dwarfing any push for real attainment or benefit. For example, overeating may supplant a desire for nutritious food when Jupiter is in the 6th house. The weight gain takes the place of education. Already existing situations associated with any house placement of Jupiter may boil over if extreme limitations were previously the norm. This is especially true when emotions overwhelm the individual after a long period of emotional suppression. Any Jupiter placement can signal a false god. One or more activities associated with Jupiter’s house may be emphasized to such a degree that a distortion of perception results, creating the false god.
Perhaps excesses are directly and proportionately related to suppressed urges. We now zoom ahead where we previously lagged behind, making up for lost time. The overwhelming impetus enables us to grow and expand at a rapid pace. The task is to avoid restricting this growth, while staying in control. The best option is one of channeled and structured enthusiasm.
A question of ethics and morals is often associated with the house placement of Jupiter. Unlike Saturn, which is more representative of societal structures and expectations, Jupiter implies the need for a philosophical (or sometimes religious) consistency between what you are doing physically and what you believe you should be doing ethically or morally. The underlying belief is always at the center of any conflict, not the external expectation. Jupiter by house indicates a desire to review those beliefs commanding a strong influence over one’s philosophy of life and code of behavior. Current beliefs may be limiting future growth or freedom. Within this perspective, hypocrisy and moral dilemmas are more commonly a problem than the frustration associated with Saturnian external laws.
Jupiter in 4th house (within 3 degree orb of 5th house)
Jupiter in the 4th house indicates the need for increased peace and security in your home. It is important to feel rooted and protected physically, emotionally, and spiritually by the home environment. Many individuals choose to begin a beautification program to make their living quarters more comfortable. Although projects may be expensive, there is usually a minimum of disruption. Improvements are not necessitated by a need to make repairs, or the need to make major changes in the structure of the house. Projects tend to be minor, and generally the domestic situation is not disrupted by the improvements. Renovations or additions are not as likely as changing the decor with paint, wallpaper, and new furniture. The object here is to enhance the surroundings both inside and outside of the home, not to redo the entire house from scratch. Outside improvements include landscaping the grounds or creating a small garden for meditation. Individuals having this placement wish to create an environment which not only suits the physical needs and comforts the soul, but pleases the eye.
Security is also important; depending on the individual’s age, issues can relate to present or future needs. Domestic security is the immediate issue, and you may be striving to purchase a home or secure your position in the present one. Other influences which might support or threaten your homelife. For example, after one man’s parents died, he inherited the family home and for the first time owned a piece of property. As he settled into his new home and began to redecorate the interior, his future bride informed him that she did not care for the house and wished to live elsewhere. This man felt the need to balance his commitment to his fiancée with his desire for a sense of rootedness. The home had become very important to him, since for the first time in his life he was working steadily toward completing a major project without abandoning his goal prematurely. He needed to work during the year to balance his needs and the needs of his fiancée with the desire for rootedness. Married individuals with this placement who are in the process of separating need to find and secure a home for the future. This may be a complicated task.
For older individuals, issues concerning retirement and pension plans are important. The emphasis is on IRAs, mutual funds and retirement packages, but usually security issues do not apply to funds alone since included also is a concern for the home. You may pay off your mortgage, refinance your loan at a lower rate or purchase an insurance policy which will cover your payments should you become disabled or unemployed. This is the time to make changes in your home and in your financial planning which will insure the stability of your domestic situation both now and in the future.
Occasionally Jupiter in the 4th house indicates an increase in the number of people living in your home during the year. You expand your home by taking in another person, either a boarder, roommate, foreign exchange student or relative. Generally, the addition does not indicate an increase in responsibility. The other person is able to meet his or her own needs and contribute to household chores and expenses. It is likely you will enjoy his or her presence although it can cost you extra money to have this person around.
Domestic responsibilities tend to lessen as individuals gain independence from other family members. Children may enter school or go away to college. If you were saddled with a lot of responsibility during the previous year because either of your parents or some other family member was ill, it is likely that his or her health or situation will improve at this time and your duties will decrease. Parents who are very elderly could be placed in a nursing home, or outside assistance may be brought in to help. In cases where the death of a disabled person is imminent and could be considered a blessing, this is the reason why responsibilities lessen at this time. For one reason or another, the difficulty or demand for extra attention is no longer evident.
Feelings run high and emotional swings are likely. Excessive responses are the norm and both highs and lows are evident. You could seek to suppress emotional responses, fearing the strength of your feelings and the loss of control. Many times there is a situation during the year which heightens the emotional nature and forces you to deal with the adequacy or inadequacy of your responses and those of others. If you are not in a fulfilling life-style, emotions will tend to be negative as well as overwhelming. But if you are actively working toward a fulfilling life-style, emotions can be very pleasurable and the support you receive from others is reassuring.
Jupiter within 3 degree orb of 5th house
The overall interpretation of Jupiter in the 5th house is expanded self-expression. There are a number of ways you might seek to manifest this growth. Most people begin by letting their inner personalities show more in daily-life situations, but then go on to branch out into new fields of interest. For example, one woman took flying lessons and learned to love flying. She subsequently took a job selling airplanes at a small local airport. She left a job in a family-run business which had always stripped her of time and energy. For her, flying became the symbol of her own breaking away. Being free to express yourself naturally is an issue with this placement, and you will tend to seek out those situations which allow for greater latitude and fewer restrictions. Then, as you grow to express yourself more and more during the year, you not only gain self-understanding, but you also learn to accept who you are as a person.
Artistic endeavors and creative or inventive pursuits can help to foster the externalization of inner traits and the expansion of personal expression. This is the time to experiment with new techniques and media. The freedom and risks associated with a new creative endeavor parallel the freedom and risks in an evolving and expanding personal expression.
The possibility of a love relationship exists with Jupiter in the 5th house and this is another way individuals seek greater freedom. You may be attracted to those who are already free themselves and can therefore help you to become freer to grow into new areas. Sometimes the focus of growth is not in a specific field of interest, but a pervasive desire to be free of inhibitions. Youth can be a factor in the attraction, though not always. Relationships may or may not be sexual in nature, but ethical-moral or spiritual concerns commonly affect your involvement, and monogamy or loyalty to one person might be the issue. Regardless of sexual involvement, the moral right to free self-expression takes precedence. No one has the right to control and stifle another’s personal or artistic creativity, and those individuals caught in a restrictive partnership are more likely to look for a way out and somebody to assist in their escape. Spiritual connections between lovers could enhance the attraction and love, regardless of whether or not both have an interest in the spiritual realm. Relationships sometimes function on this level with one or both lovers intuitively understanding the other, and one or both generating philosophical insights and concepts leading to a spiritual connection.
Children also require greater freedom and this can be the year they go off to daycare, school, camp or college. This change affords parents more free time as well. If you have experienced difficulties relating to your children in the past, conditions may improve this year and it is a good time to open up the lines of communication. Large expenses associated with educating or supporting your children are possible, and one might wish to save for this expenditure if it is anticipated. Your children have some very positive opportunities and they should be encouraged to apply for scholarships and awards, or to place themselves in positions for advancement or recognition. This interpretation is contingent on their age, qualifications, and field of expertise.
SATURN IN THE SOLAR RETURN CHART
Saturn rules reality and the reality of any given situation is that we are all ultimately responsible for creating our own lives. The responses and choices we make to any given situation, together with the fears we avoid, form the backbone for our pattern of living. Only when we accept the responsibility for creating our own fate can we be freed from the necessity of living it. Only when we face our fears can we live unafraid. Saturn is the key to this change in orientation. It is the ultimate reality, the ultimate fear, the karmic avenger, and ruler of the universal laws of nature. It is through Saturn’s house placement that we come face to face with ourselves, the structures, and limitations of reality, and the laws we must live by.
Growth is a complex process, occurring in a variety of ways. Saturnian growth begins by recognizing the existing structures we have incorporated into our lives, and possibly, the frustration or limitation caused by this edifice. It seems strange to talk about growth in terms of limitation, but astrologically Saturn rules structures which are at one point protective and at other times restrictive. Like the lobster or crab which sheds an outgrown, protective, hard shell in order to grow, individuals must periodically shed old structures grown restrictive with time. As with the crustaceans, the shedding process may be slow and laborious, followed by a period of extreme vulnerability until the new shell has formed and hardened into a protective structure. We often complacently mistake familiarity for security. We assume we’ll be safe as long as we stick with the same old routine and keep doing what we’ve been doing all along. But what was once protective and safe eventually ends up inhibiting our evolutionary cycle of growth. Sometimes, only our frustration with things as they are awakens us to the need for change.
The movement of Saturn through the solar return chart coincides with an awareness of structure. Sometimes this awareness is associated with frustration, and the accentuation of restrictions now blocking evolution. It is through this realization process and frustration that we first become aware of the need to grow beyond our present structures. Therefore, the first step in the Saturnian process toward growth is recognizing structures, frustrations, and limitations imposed by our present patterns of living, particularly in those areas of life signified by Saturn’s house placement in the solar return.
The second step toward growth is reassessment of the situation. A review of the facts yields further information, options, and understanding. Only by defining the inhibitors to the evolutionary cycle can we move toward resolution and continued growth. Self-criticism and constructive feedback from others may be appropriate at this time.
It is during the reassessment process that the reality of our situation becomes more obvious, as well as the laws by which we are governed. To succeed, we must deal with life realistically. We cannot twist nature to our own liking, nor can we expect others to compensate for our deficiencies and fears by solving our problems. Saturn rules the naked truth devoid of magical thinking. We must live within the laws of nature to succeed and survive. If you hate your job, quit. Do not wait for an act of God to find a new job. If you want to complete a major project, work on it. It is the only way it will get done. If you want to lose weight, diet, and exercise. Hard work and facing the issues head on will get you where you want to go. Wishful thinking will not.
These issues are all totally within your range of control and you are free to act upon them, but other problems may not be yours to control. You cannot make your husband stop drinking; you can only change the way you handle the situation. You cannot change hypocrisy in others; you can only reassess your own beliefs. During the reassessment process, develop realistic options which could feasibly lead to a resolution of the problem or to a change in the way you handle the problem. Successful solutions are those which are practical and realistic -that is, they conform to the laws of nature.
Once you understand the problem and the options available, you must assume responsibility for the outcome. Each man or woman contributes to his or her own fate. As the partial creator of any problem, you also have some control over the solution. But assuming responsibility for your present situation can be more threatening than blaming others. Some prefer to buck the system (defy the laws of nature) and complain, rather than take action. Remember, familiarity breeds a false sense of security and many prefer to hang on to their restrictions rather than venture into the unknown. They learn to live with their frustration rather than grow beyond it. Consciously making a decision implies assuming responsibility for your success or failure.
Facing your fears concerning success or failure is ultimately what Saturn is all about. At this point, you are very aware of the reality of your situation, and you have a list of options for the future, not all of which may work. You understand your own contribution to the situation and what you must do in order to move toward a resolution. You have seen your own shortcomings and become aware of your darker side. You comprehend the laws of nature relative to your situation and know everything is earned in this case, nothing is given, and nothing is guaranteed by the Universe. You now realize that you must stick your nose out and take a calculated risk. In order to progress, you must face your fears, and move toward your nightmare rather than back away. It is only by passing through a period of vulnerability that one can break out of a protective, yet restrictive structure and progress into a more suitable environment. You give up the security of the familiar and step into the unknown.
The test of any solution is that it works. Even chronic problems need to be solved and not just cosmetically concealed. Success requires much hard work and the systematic testing of solutions until the correct combination is found. Consequently, success may not come easily. If the first solution does not work, you must go on to test another and another. Thus with each failure begins a new cycle of awareness and reassessment, ultimately leading to a well-deserved success. There is plenty of room for hard work, discipline, and perseverance in the area of life indicated by Saturn’s house placement. Eventually, every area of life will be touched by the need for reassessment and resolution. Chances are the time for reevaluation coincides with Saturn’s placement in a particular house of the solar return. In that area of life, you must go above and beyond what is normally expected.
Solar Return Saturn in 8th house:
The most common interpretation for Saturn in the 8th house of the solar return relates to financial concerns caused by either debts or limited shared resources. Debts are an issue, and it is not uncommon to borrow a large sum of money during the year for an expensive purchase such as a car or house. But it is more likely that you will feel pressured to pay off your debts, both existing loans and any new ones you acquire. Some individuals force themselves to limit expenditures by refusing to spend any more money until they pay off all debts. Others, who have refused to face financial reality in the past (allowing their debts to reach the credit limits), are now forced by their circumstances to limit spending. They have exhausted all their options. Regardless of whether you are working hard to finish paying off your debts or just reaching your debt peak, you will probably feel pressured to pay your bills.
Saturn can imply limited shared resources; consequently, you may receive less money from others. If you normally share finances with someone else or receive money for other reasons, this can be a year when these other forms of income (outside of your own earning power) decrease. If you are married or have a roommate, he or she may not be fully employed for part or all of the year, thereby earning less income than usual. On the other hand, he or she may be fully employed, but hesitate to share funds, instead spending whatever money is available on either worthy or unworthy causes, agreed upon or not. In any case, the amount of money shared or earned by your partner can decrease for one reason or another.
For example, a young housewife with this placement was having trouble stretching her husband’s paycheck to meet the bills. They lived frugally, but still there was not enough to go around. He was due for a raise and they hoped everything would work out, but just as he received the raise, they were forced by circumstances to buy a new car. The new car payment took up the entire raise plus ten dollars extra a month, so there was even less money to go around that year.
If you normally depend on others (possibly your parents or some other relative) for financial gifts, you may receive less money this year than you have in years past. It is probably time you grew more financially independent and became responsible for your own debts. The restriction on shared resources also includes situations associated with wills, inheritances, and occasionally even bank loans. Do not expect someone to give you money unless you expect year-long delays. Saturn in the 8th is not a reflection of the amount of money you yourself earn. That is a separate matter seen through the other houses, most notably the 2nd. Your earnings may be very good this year, but with Saturn in the 8th you would still tend to have some of the above mentioned problems with the money you receive from others.
Sexual issues are possible with this placement, but generally they are rare in comparison to the emphasis on financial considerations. Sexual limitations may include abstinence, impotence or frigidity in extreme cases, or a general lack of fulfillment. Critical judgments of self or others can inhibit sexual performance. Issues outside of the bedroom, such as power, dominance, and restriction, might affect sexual interchanges. Limitations occur for a variety of reasons, but the partner’s absence, your or your partner’s ill health, or an inability to function well are most notable. For example, if your wife is pregnant with twins, her desire may wane, assuming you could master the logistics to begin with.
For a few, sex will be less enjoyable this year, especially if it is rushed, occurring in inconvenient locations, or under stressful circumstances. This is especially true for those who are involved in an extramarital affair. If you cannot fully relate to your partner, you may view the act more as a responsibility than a pleasure. Moral dilemmas in which you feel pulled between sexual attractions and the criticisms of others are possible. If you are a closet homosexual, you may feel pulled between a strong (and obvious to others) attraction to someone you see routinely and the desire to keep your life-style and feelings private.
You are more aware of the dark side of human nature. You see evidence of it manifesting both in others and in your own personality. Normally you see individuals as a blend of both good and bad, black and white with variations of gray. But during this year, the separation seems more apparent and the grays tend to fade away. Black and white, good and evil, become all-or-nothing traits, different sides of one personality manifesting themselves at different times. The contrast tends to be stark. Situations you are involved in during the year, conflicts and stress cause the more negative traits to manifest. For example, if you are involved in a love-hate relationship, you will probably see both the best and the worst you and your lover have to offer. The stress of the situation, coupled with conflicting emotions, will tend to foster both strongly positive and strongly negative relating patterns. Disputes over a will or an inheritance can also magnify the split. You may think you know your relatives until either you or they contest a will. In the most extreme cases, you might be harassed by someone who is sadistic or at least has a sadistic side to his or her personality. Personal vendettas are rare, but not unheard of.
Use this year to eliminate power structures which are controlling you. Develop psychological self-control. Gain insight into your own personal contributions to your situation. Work toward self-mastery.
URANUS IN THE SOLAR RETURN CHART
Uranus is commonly seen as an indicator of change, and this is true for the solar return placements also. Conditions associated with the house position of Uranus are likely to evolve significantly over the year. Major changes or incessant fluctuations emerge as the pattern of manifestation, depending on how the individual copes with his or her situation and needs. Transformations may occur quickly and require a long period of adjustment, or progress slowly, possibly occurring late in the year and only after a long period of anticipation or restlessness. As a rule, most changes are expected, predicted, and initiated by the native him or herself. Many are carefully planned and well executed, involving a minimum of tension and anxiety. When working positively with the Uranian principle, the key is in the restlessness. Those who are very attuned to their own need for growth will feel the restlessness arising in outgrown situations and respond accordingly. They will welcome the opportunity for adjustment, and make all the necessary preparations for the coming change. They will not lock themselves into one particular situation or pattern of growth, but will allow changes and insights to develop and evolve naturally along the way.
Generally, it is only when the individual thwarts his or her own desires or tightly controls situations that tensions manifest in the form of anxiety and nervousness. This anxiety results from ambivalent feelings which develop in those who resist needed changes. These people get caught between their own fear of change and a strong desire for the very change being thwarted. An ambivalent mind-set takes over, one built on an approach to, and also an avoidance of, a set goal or change. Remember, Uranus is associated with conscious and unconscious choices for change. Its appearance somewhere in the native’s solar return chart implies the area of life in which the individual desires to progress through change. When one is unable to face or effect needed and desired changes, the mind splits between two mutually exclusive goals and anxiety results. Eventually, the mental ambivalence and erratic commitments to two very different paths are reflected in fluctuating external conditions. Long overdue, yet still avoided changes, tend to manifest in the environment as disruption caused by others, or by neglected areas of attention.
Adding to the anxiety is a perceived loss of control over external situations. Eventually, the restlessness and tension rise to a feverish pitch until one finally agrees to make changes, or can no longer prevent their occurrence. When conditions reach this intensity, individuals usually make reactive changes, without careful consideration or adequate preparation. Sudden upheavals occur rather than welcomed transitions. If we would truly be in control of our own destiny, we should listen to the need for change and respond to the earliest hints of restlessness. We should give ourselves the freedom to work toward a conscious transition before a crisis arises.
Consistent with the desire for change is the need for freedom. You cannot maneuver if you are locked into a restrictive environment. Sometimes the push for freedom is a prerequisite for change. At other times, the change itself becomes the motivating force behind the process. Occasionally, both mechanisms are operating. For example, you may have to convince your boss to give you the freedom to make needed changes in the daily office routine; at the same time, the changes you make could streamline procedures, creating more leeway in your work schedule.
Freedom allows the process of change to occur smoothly. When we are functioning at our best and working positively with the Uranian concept, we move easily through a series of attractions, detachments and independent actions. We learn and grow from each of these encounters. While in the process of attraction, we are drawn to certain situations, persons or concepts. It is important to observe what experiences we are drawn to because they indicate conscious or unconscious needs and patterns of growth. By accepting different situations, interacting with different individuals, or listening to new ideas, we take in new information and learn to value various facets of life. We see that no one person, place or idea is perfect. The same is true of our existing circumstances, which we hold onto so tightly.
With this insight begins the period of detachment from those situations, persons, or concepts which restrict our growth or no longer have anything to teach us. We are able to step back and intellectually reassess our involvement and commitment. We can either choose to separate physically from difficult situations, or take the corrective action needed to adjust present circumstances to our needs.
Uranus does not always imply a complete and total separation. We are capable of detaching from the original attraction while still maintaining the experience, relationship, or train of thought. It is the independent action we ultimately take which defines the degree of separation.
We learn as much from separation as we do from attraction when we define what we don’t like as well as what we do like. The changing environment, the comparisons and contrasts, accentuate what is important and what is not. One should remember that this process of change through attachment, detachment and independent action is ongoing, occurring on many different levels simultaneously. The process can be either quick, occurring numerous times in one day, or drawn out, requiring a year’s time span. For example, suppose you are building a new home. This is a year-long project and during this time you will be drawn to many different construction plans, ideas, and subcontractors. But as you begin to work with the possibilities, you will accept, reject, or change options to suit your needs. This process takes place over months, but also simultaneously many times in one day.
The exposure to various ideas, situations and people stimulates creative thought through sudden insight into changing situations. All planets represent a creative process. Venus is the planet of creativity experienced through beauty, while Uranus is the process experienced through change. Because of the changing panorama of people, ideas, and situations, one becomes accustomed to looking at life from different perspectives. The multifaceted approach encourages the mind to create still newer ideas. In this way the individual begins to participate in the process of attachment, detachment and independent action by creating his or her own original options, and change becomes a process of perception, integrated into the pattern of growth.
Solar Return Uranus in 2nd house:
Uranus in the 2nd shows a change in your earning power and financial situation. Alterations can be major or minor, fluctuating or one-time single events. The adjustment can be either positive or negative, but both manifestations can occur at different times during the year. Positive interpretations include pay raises or large windfalls. Those who have not been working can find employment and those who have been doing volunteer work can now get paid for the work they do. Being self-employed or working on a commission or incentive basis is common with this placement. You might land that big account, exceed previous sales records, or successfully start or expand your own business during the year.
Negative interpretations include a total break in income because of either a job change, relocation, or leave of absence without pay (the most likely reason for this being maternity leave). Those who work steadily may receive or accept a pay cut. Some actually request a cutback in hours (and therefore pay) because of shifting goals or pressing personal needs. It is possible to give up a job with a very good income. Salespersons working on a commission basis may find it more difficult to sell products for one reason or another. Changes in earning power seem to be more closely associated with this placement than disruptive spending practices; however, impulse buying may be a problem for those with this tendency.
Economic change is easy to foresee with this Uranus placement, but it is difficult to note whether the changes will be positive or negative. The aspects to Uranus are not a true measure of the shift. One can earn more with difficult aspects and one can earn less with softer aspects. What is shown by the aspects is the individual’s innate desire to foster a financial change and the other areas of life that will be affected. The best course of action is to prepare for a rainy day. It is better to practice financial restraint than assume more money than you have.
Uranus in the 2nd house also indicates that values and morals are changing. Non-materialistic attitudes are the norm. As a rule, inner fulfillment and personal satisfaction are more important than material possessions. Money itself does not matter unless the financial situation is dire. Possessions will not be important and this is a good time to unload useless things. During the year, you may not be interested in purchasing new items or replacing old ones. If you are not aware of your inner needs for emotional rather than material satisfaction, you may only experience the financially difficult side of this Uranus placement, especially if you repeatedly attempt to gain material wealth and acquire new things despite emotional considerations to the contrary.
Morals are also in a state of flux at this time. It is best to allow for review and change. Regardless of changes, you may deviate from your own code of behavior. Sometime during the year, you may be asked to defend your position if your actions or values conflict with the standards of others. This will give you an opportunity to better define your own priorities and standards.
NEPTUNE IN THE SOLAR RETURN CHART
Neptune is many things on many levels, but first and foremost it is the aspiration for a higher manifestation as opposed to a lower one. The distinctions between higher and lower influences are not limited to the spiritual plane alone, but can occur on the emotional, mental and physical levels also. At all times, it is up to the individual to steer his or her consciousness toward the highest manifestation possible. For example, Neptune on the spiritual level is associated with Universal Oneness, Karmic Laws, Ideals, God, and higher beliefs which form the backbone of spirituality. A strong sense of trust in God and the Universe supports the growth process on the spiritual level, but has ramifications on the other levels as well. Each level of experience supports and triggers the others. It is all the insights on all of the levels which eventually help us toward a more rewarding and fulfilling life-style. The lower manifestation of Neptune on the spiritual level is disillusionment with higher principles. Here the individual falls off the true path and becomes entangled in fanatical beliefs or outright fantasy. Spiritual despair rather than enlightenment is the result, and the support needed for growth on all levels is thwarted.
The same dichotomy of higher and lower is present on the emotional, mental and physical planes also. At the emotional level, the individual is capable of great compassion and sensitivity to others. This is a time when empathic understanding strengthens the bonds between loved ones. The lower manifestation of Neptune is a susceptibility to anxiety and worry. The sensitivity which is meant to foster true understanding instead heightens a sense of vulnerability to life, others and the future. There is no trust in God emanating from the spiritual level to support decisions. In negative situations, true understanding of others does not develop because the individual is too involved with personal feelings and issues to focus on others.
At the mental level, creativity and inspiration help to expand the individual’s intellectual capacity. Neptune is more closely associated with the right brain than the left, and indicates the ability to let the mind float free to new and better insights. The lower manifestation is confusion and deception. What you are told is different from what you intuitively feel. Thoughts contradict insights and you are unable to comprehend the truth. There is no trust of the higher right brain inspirational or spiritual processes. Creativity is thwarted. Without an understanding of the big picture, mental energy is wasted through a lack of cohesiveness as one begins to focus on the insignificant, confusing details.
And finally, Neptune on the physical level is service to others. Principles which have filtered down from the various levels and have been understood in each of the higher manifestations begin to flow into daily practices on the mundane plane. There is a consistency; as above, so below. It is possible to physically manifest the spirituality to which you aspire. When only lower manifestations have filtered down to the physical level, confusion, disorganization and exhaustion are most apt to occur. You lack a total concept necessary to unify your actions and prioritize tasks according to their importance. Neptune at its highest level of manifestation on the physical plane is a direct reflection of the enlightened promise made at the spiritual level.
In all of the houses, either the higher or lower manifestations will be operating. The more the individual focuses on the higher energies, the more cohesive and insightful actions will become. The more the individual is sensitive to spiritual insight, the easier it will be to deal with issues on every plane. The unifying principles of the spiritual level and the higher manifestations combine to focus energy and understanding right on down the line.
Solar Return Neptune in 1st house:
In its very highest manifestation, Neptune in the 1st house is associated with a renewed commitment of the self to a higher force or principle. This placement implies spirituality in being and in action. It is not enough to believe in higher forces-you must also act accordingly, practicing what you preach. During the year, the individual is seen as a part of the Universal Whole, possessing both personal insignificance and great spiritual importance at the same time. Insignificance occurs when the individual tries to stand alone. Self-centered needs and egotism are dwarfed in comparison to the spiritual process, and do not matter in the long run. If the will is not in keeping with the Divine purpose, it is limited and meaningless. Purely personal endeavors tend to get sidetracked before completion since the needs of others are more pressing, understandable, and important within the context of the Whole. For this reason, one tends to be egoless at this time, giving unselfishly to others and subjugating the self to a higher purpose.
Even though this is a time of personal insignificance, it is also a time of great spiritual importance for the individual. If you choose to view yourself and your soul within the realm of Universal consciousness, you will become aware of the role you play in the spiritual process and your ability to affect another soul’s growth and potential. This is a time when you might understand some truth others miss, and if you are willing to give unselfishly, you can be a beacon for those who can’t see. Situations may be subtle or blatant, commitments passing or definitive. In less obvious interchanges, compassion is increased, and you naturally want to help others. You become the Good Samaritan giving your time and energy to those in need whether family, neighbors or friends. In blatant interchanges, there is a definite request followed by a firm commitment to a cause, task or individual. You know what you are getting into. Some will chose to help many; others, only one particular person. As a rule, the process of assisting others comes easily and naturally when there is an awareness of a principle higher than one’s own ego. During these times of giving, you will be encouraged to grow spiritually. Tasks usually exceed previous understanding and capabilities, and you must rise to the occasion through further enlightenment.
Certain cautions are necessary. Be sure the person or people you assist respond to your help in one way or another. Either their condition should improve, or they should learn new patterns of behavior, possibly responding with love and kindness toward you or someone else. It is not essential that you personally receive a return. This placement is associated with selflessness and what you are doing may specifically require an unselfish act of love. However, don’t repeatedly waste your energy when there is no improvement at all. There are exceptions to this rule. Certain conditions are degenerative by their very nature, and do not lend themselves to improvement. For example, you may be caring for a person with a debilitating or progressive illness.
The manifestation of giving is meant to be helpful to the receiver, not draining for the giver. This is a year when you may be drawn to people in constant need, and in very negative interchanges when your help is not accepted, appreciated or effective, you will be drained. Do not become victimized by alcoholics, drug addicts or those who really require professional help, but refuse to seek it. Do not become so enamored of another person’s problems that you close your eyes to your own welfare. It is possible to enter or remain in a situation which is personally difficult for you and has no easy ending or way out. You adapt so easily to those around you that you might adapt yourself into a psychologically unhealthy situation. Maintain a sense of spiritual purpose. Regardless of your circumstances, whether you are involved in a positive or negative gift of love, push for insight and growth.
While you are focusing on higher thoughts, you may have more difficulty with personal direction. You may not always understand your own actions, and can feel confused, indecisive, or lacking in ego definition. Surefootedness and stubborn opinions are unlikely because you are easily swayed. Self-knowledge will be elusive as you continually discover previously unknown facets of your personality. Preferences and abilities are in a state of flux. Unfortunately, it may not be easy to relate to your own quirks, or see your own contribution to problems and issues. This is especially true if one is not working toward spiritual enlightenment. Instead, you can be evasive or deceiving, lying when pressured. If the future appears uncertain, this is a time to go with the flow of events even though you are not sure where it will lead. Perhaps you are choosing to wait for another person to make a move or decision and this contributes to your uncertainty.
In rare instances, drugs, alcohol or personality aberrations can be the cause of your confusion or weakened vitality. Ongoing addictions can be particularly detrimental this year since this is a time when your body would tend to be overly sensitive to all medications, even prescription drugs. For this reason, alternative medical treatments might be more beneficial.
When living on the higher Neptune level, confusion, indecision, and drug-related problems are unlikely. You are much more likely to act on intuition, instinctively flowing with the Higher Self.
PLUTO IN THE SOLAR RETURN CHART
In the solar return chart, the interpretation of Pluto includes an understanding of the issue of power and its various manifestations, which can be directed toward three different points of focus and through three different life processes. Complications are associated with all of these orientations and processes since each manifestation is multidimensional and complex, occurring not only on the physical level, but on the intellectual, emotional and spiritual levels as well. Within these complex situations, power can be focused on three different targets: the self, others, and/or circumstances. As a rule, the power to control oneself is mostly beneficial, the power to control others is mostly detrimental and the power to control situations varies according to the circumstances involved. By studying Pluto’s house placement in the solar return chart, you can assess in which areas of life these control issues are most likely to arise. The scope and effects of the power issues are seen through the connections to other solar return planets.
Power also manifests through three different processes. One may choose sameness, elimination or transformation. When you choose to keep things the way they are, it is implied that there is some force urging you to change and you are resisting this force. A possible power struggle might ensue. When you choose elimination, you relinquish control over some facet of your life or refuse to have further contact. When you choose change, you may be either yielding to an outside power or actively seeking transformation of that which already exists. Let us explore the power orientations and processes further.
Three Different Points of Focus
Generally, the focal point of self is beneficial. As long as you are using Plutonian insights and techniques to control yourself, to own your own power and to further your own growth, the process will be a positive learning experience, unless you overcontrol yourself, succumbing to hair-shirt asceticism, taking self-denial to absurd extremes. The greater your awareness of yourself and Universal principles, the more likely you are to make good decisions. You become the captain of your own destiny. Enlightenment leads to power and power leads to enlightenment as a rewarding cycle of manifestation is set in motion.
However, those who use psychological insights to control and block their own growth waste precious energy. They set up a negative pattern of stagnation wherein insights are not accepted as they are, but twisted to fit previously conceived notions about life and self. Rather than progressing through enlightenment, the individual uses insights as weapons against growth and understanding, opting for sameness despite new information. Contradictory realizations are not allowed to surface; instead they are either suppressed or misinterpreted. In very negative situations such as these, the power associated with increased Plutonian awareness and its creative potential is never realized.
The same thwarting of personal growth is evident when you shift your attention from self to the need to control others. By and large, this is not a good focal orientation. The symbolism of the planets exists in your consciousness so that you can grow and prosper from insight. Since growth begins at home, the main thrust of the focus should always be toward self, and it is generally unnecessary and also counterproductive to shift the emphasis to an external struggle. The most efficient use of power exists on the internal plane because it takes much less energy to control your own reactions than to seek power over someone else. Once power is removed from the inner self and used to control others, the effectiveness is reduced. Stalemated power struggles are particularly detrimental because they deplete resources. It is conceivable that there are life situations where it is essential to control another person. For example, children, disabled or elderly loved ones may not be able to make informed decisions. In these situations you might be asked or forced to wield power over another. You are meant to grow from all your experiences. Even in these instances, self-awareness and insight are crucial to the decisions you make. Start with yourself first, then work your way outward. Blaming others for your problems distorts the perception of self and the realization of your own personal involvement. Always be aware of the interactive process and the role you play in it. This internal perspective is of primary importance, much more so than the process of controlling someone else.
Trying to control life situations can lead to power struggles, but at some point in your life it may be essential to make a stand for the good of your own growth or that of world consciousness. Ultimately, it is much better for you to control yourself, but this is not always possible. Someone can be seeking to control you, your family or your livelihood. Certain injustices must be corrected for everyone to progress, and sometimes the only viable option is to work for change. Always be aware of the struggle you take on. It is usually easier to correct a situation than to convince your opponent he or she is wrong. It is easier to get forgiveness than permission. Go for the simplest task that gets the job done. For example, your office routine might be very inefficient and next to impossible to accomplish in a day’s time. Perhaps you see where improvements can be made, but your immediate boss disagrees with you or thwarts your efforts. As long as you continue to try and convince your immediate boss of the need for change, you will get nowhere. If you can easily go over his or her head to a higher boss, this could be an effective way to handle the stalemate. Seek the quickest solution to a problem if one is available. Do not get locked into long, drawn-out struggles if they are not necessary.
Ultimately, power struggles can have either beneficial or detrimental results, depending on your perspective. In the external environment, you may or may not win, assuming there can be a victor. More than likely, victory, if it comes, involves compromise for all involved. But the inner process of awakening one’s own ability to effect a creative change in the environment is usually beneficial. You can make a difference. The creative potential associated with Pluto comes from a penetrating insight into the hidden worlds of the unconscious and an understanding of the Universal laws of Karma. Powerful insights should spring spontaneously from the situations associated with Pluto’s placement in the solar return chart. Suddenly you can become aware of new forces, subtle and previously unnoticed, which seem to influence personal decisions and situations you are involved in. Once you have the insight, what you do with the information becomes crucial to the creative process.
The primary goal of the Plutonian process should be growth through awareness. Therefore it is essential, no matter what your focal orientation, to use information and insight gleaned from experiences to foster a new understanding of self and Universal principles. The main growth process begins and ends with the self.
Three Different Plutonian Processes
Plutonian power is associated with three different processes: keeping things the way they are, usually by resisting an internal or external force; changing the form of what already exists, i.e., transformation; or eliminating what is no longer useful or essential, a form of death. Any of these powers can be either beneficial or detrimental to the user or others involved. It is the purpose and intent of the process that is important.
The power to keep things the way they are can sometimes be an awakening to personal power. Implied here is a resistance to a force seeking change, and sometimes the intent of change is negative. The pressure can come from an external or internal source, and the changes desired may be either external or internal also. For example, if you are a recovering alcoholic facing a difficult life situation, you might feel the pressure to start drinking again. The pressure could come from your own wish to avoid major decisions, or from a person you are associating with.
In actuality the internal and external sources are really one and the same, a reflection of each other since internal needs draw external situations. In the situation given above, the individual seeks to remain a recovering alcoholic despite internal and external pressure. This is a positive goal and if attained, implies personal power. It is also beneficial to remain the same when others seek to control your actions and thwart free will. Pluto represents the insight necessary to perceive manipulative efforts as they arise and avoid ploys whenever possible.
In some instances, the power to remain the same can be a negative manifestation, actually causing the stagnation of growth. If you resist all new internal and external insights which would enhance your growth or cause you to make changes, little progress will result. You will stall. When your purposes are not in keeping with Universal Good or personal benefit, you are more likely to be involved in a negative use of Plutonian power.
The process of elimination can be very cleansing, even though a symbolic death is involved. If you streamline your business or office procedures, letting go of compulsive and unnecessary activities, this is a death of sorts, but much to your benefit. So is a budgetary review which eliminates the fat from your spending practices and allows you to cut back on your work schedule. In more serious circumstances, perhaps all you can do is release a situation that is detrimental to your progress. Letting go can be a positive choice, but it might also be a negative one if you cut someone out of your life without resolving or releasing the conflict. If this is true in your case, avoiding persons or situations will consume your energy. Transformation is the process whereby a situation, thing or level of consciousness is changed into a new, and hopefully higher, manifestation. Careers, marriages and self-images can all be transformed for the better. Commonly, though, we think of the transformation process in terms of psychological insight and level of consciousness. Information from subtle sources or the unconscious is gradually or suddenly made available to either the rational mind or the Higher Self, and subsequently a change occurs on the mental, emotional or spiritual level. Information that was previously unavailable becomes understandable through the process of insight, and power is released through new awareness. This can be a very enlightening and beneficial transition, but naturally it is what you do with the information that is important. If intellectual, emotional and spiritual growth are triggered by the new awareness, the process continues to be positive; however, if instead you use your newfound insight to control others or block growth, you have used your knowledge in a negative way.
Misuse of the Plutonian process creates an inability to continue on the life path until issues are resolved and lessons are learned. Stagnation occurs as the individual fails to progress to the next level of comprehension or misinterprets the task at hand. Power struggles can be the cause of such stagnation, and should be taken on only after careful consideration of the issues and implications. Power struggles are expensive in terms of time and energy. Some are essential to growth, others are self-inflicted. Know the source. Ideally, if you avoid a conflict in Pluto’s solar return house placement, you should have more resources available for higher awareness. Conflicts consume energy and sap the strength necessary for the ascent. Without opposition, one can move quickly when concentrating on insight and awareness. Barriers can be torn down and the connections among all things become apparent.
But a world without struggle is the ideal, and not necessarily the reality. Your situation may require that growth be attained through struggle. The resistance may stimulate your awareness and creativity. Real progress might only occur after the resolution of conflict or during respites in the battle. However, within a long-lasting, stalemated struggle, one is more likely to get caught in a circular argument going nowhere. Nonproductive battles can be avoided by those who work toward increased awareness.
Pluto in 11th house (within 3 degree orb of 12th house)
Pluto in the 11th house commonly implies involvement in a group and the experience of power and transformation within this setting. You may be the leader or a follower, but in either case you must handle the issue of power as it relates to individual needs versus group needs. This can be a time when you accomplish more through group efforts than you do on your own. On the other hand, you might feel that your goals are compromised by a shared effort. Individual differences between various members and the distinction between the needs of the one and the needs of the whole become more apparent. One can’t always do it alone, just as one can’t always be the corporate player. For this reason, group power struggles are likely, and not only do you witness the struggle, usually you are a part of the interplay within the hierarchy. Sometimes you are able to make your way, learning to handle power gracefully. Sometimes you feel the need to fight for what you believe in. Other times you choose to withdraw entirely. Situations can become very complicated and there are no easy answers to issues that arise.
Psychological influences affect group interaction, and for this reason they can have an intense transforming quality. If you can catch the moments of manipulation within the power plays, you can learn about yourself, others and group dynamics. Motivations are never totally altruistic, and one should look for the real reason certain events are occurring. Look within as well as without. Circumstances which make you feel out of control are especially important, for within them is a power leakage. Truly difficult situations can leave you feeling drained and emotionally overwhelmed. A more positive possibility for this placement could be joining a self-help or encounter group which engages in intense in-depth conversations meant to stimulate insight.
All of the above interpretations can apply to friends or one friend in particular, as well as to groups. A special friend who is willing to risk intimacy can have as strong an effect on you as an encounter group. Power struggles are also just as likely when expectations are involved. One woman depended on her friends to help her in a new business and this became an issue when they could not always show up. She sought to press them into service by equating support with loyalty.
Changes in goals commonly occur. As you develop new ones, old ones are given up. What was once feasible is no longer realistic; what is new shows great potential. Highly specific and very ambitious goals are possible, and this is the route many individuals take. The possibility of never completing tasks is very real. Difficulties in attainment are associated with psychological blockages and power struggles. When this is the situation, life seems too difficult or complicated to allow for the formation or attainment of goals.
The urge to direct power at a specific goal can be shortsighted for those who are capable of more. The true wonder of this placement does not lie in the attainment of any goal, but rather in the process of individualization. A specific goal is finite; the recognition of your own ability to be different, an individual on your own terms, is infinite. Many use the specific attainable goal to initiate the process of awareness, but others tend to stop there without doing the real work that needs to be done. As long as you use power only for an attainable goal, you sell yourself short. You lose even more power if you allow yourself to get locked into a power struggle. You have the right to be your own person, so the freedom needed to manifest your individuality need not come from strife. It is already yours. Power struggles represent a need to establish an individual identity. Some can do this on their own; some only through the experience of otherness. Some work with; some work against. You choose the path of awareness, but the basic need is to recognize and develop the power that lies within your own individual differences.
Pluto within 3 degree orb of 12th house
The 12th house rules things that are hidden, behind-the-scenes, and/or not easily recognized. When Pluto, the planet associated with unconscious and hidden forces, is in the 12th house, the interpretation is particularly subtle, but also especially important. What is happening behind-the-scenes may be more important to growth in consciousness than what is happening in the public environment. Use this time for backroom negotiations if it is to your advantage not to be very public about what you are doing. For example, you might be designing and testing a new product, or having a love affair. The power of this placement lies in what you know, but do not say or make others aware of. A son comforted his father during his illness with massage and holistic techniques. Because the father had strong religious beliefs, the son never talked about what he was doing or the holistic concepts behind the techniques. It was enough to comfort his father. This can be a time to deal with behind-the-scenes issues in a quiet, rather than confrontational, manner.
A more negative interpretation might emphasize manipulation and underhanded tactics rather than a positive use of discretion. Motivations are not necessarily noble. Undercurrents might be ignored and not discussed. Sometimes you are not aware of the problem yourself. If Pluto doesn’t cross the Ascendant by transit into the 1st house during the year, a hidden focus will remain; however, as Pluto crosses over, the personal urge will be to reveal or deal with what was previously hidden.
The same is true with major changes that are waiting in the wings. When Pluto is in the 12th, but close to the Ascendant, there is usually a change of significant magnitude being formulated. It is more likely to occur during the year if Pluto actually crosses. If Pluto comes close, but never actually transits into the 1st house, look in the following solar return chart for an indication of change. You may not quite make the change, or only partially make the change this year.
Psychological complexes are very important with this placement, but they are also less controllable and more difficult to recognize. You may try to ignore your own issues. It is easy to point the finger at someone else and declare that the other person has the problem without being aware of how you, yourself, contribute to their difficulties with your own psychological idiosyncrasies. Compulsive tendencies are common. For example, you may feel compulsively drawn to a new love relationship. There is an interplay here between the compulsion, your urge to control the unconscious, and the frank realization that this is hard to do. The past comes back to haunt you, and present situations may be of a deja vu nature, making control especially difficult. If Pluto stays in the 12th, you are less likely to confront your own psychological complexes; however, if it crosses, you should feel the need to do so.
The higher concepts associated with Pluto, or any planet for that matter, are not always readily understandable to the individual. There are levels and degrees for all interpretations. You must work for the higher manifestation and there is a price to pay. You cannot be focused on personal power or gain and be in touch with Universal consciousness. Personal motives and true spirituality are the antithesis of one another, like oil and water. The oil (personal gain) covers the water (Universal consciousness) so that it cannot reach the surface and is drowned out by the oil. If you try to reach down for the water, your finger will come up greasy and barely wet. Personal motives must be put aside to truly understand the Plutonian process and work with it in its purest form. The point of focus for Pluto in the 12th is the ability to draw Universal power through the unconscious mind. The free-association and visualization capabilities of the unconscious are the perfect vehicle to enlightenment and growth. Those who are pure of heart and mind and soul become universal receptors, receiving information that needs to be on the earth plane. For this, there is no need for compensation or glory; it is enough to know.
**************************************************
See our Solar Return Yearly Forecast Report information page to see how you can order a report personalized for you, and based on your birth data.
Zodiac Signs:
Look beyond Sun Signs. Click on a zodiac sign to read about the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Ascendant in the signs:
Aries Taurus Gemini Cancer Leo Virgo Libra Scorpio Sagittarius Capricorn Aquarius Pisces
