Solar Return Calculator — Your Chart for the Year
Your Solar Return chart is cast for the exact real moment the Sun returns to the precise degree it held at your birth — traditionally read as your chart for the year ahead. Enter your birth data and a location for the return (home or anywhere you'll be), and the exact moment and full chart are computed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a solar return chart cast for my birthday?
No — a solar return is cast for the exact moment the transiting Sun returns to your natal Sun's precise ecliptic degree, which almost never lines up with your calendar birthday. Some years it lands a day earlier or later than your birth date.
Where should I cast my solar return — birthplace or current location?
Traditional practice reads the solar return for wherever you're actually living (or traveling) at the moment it occurs, not your birthplace — the return chart's houses are meant to describe the year ahead in the place you'll spend it.
How long does a solar return chart apply for?
By convention, roughly one year — from this year's return to the next one, which is why it's traditionally read as a theme for the year rather than a single event.
What's the difference between a solar return and solar arc directions?
A solar return recasts an entirely new chart for the return moment; solar arc directions instead advance every natal planet by the same arc your progressed Sun has moved. Aether computes both.
Do I need my exact birth time for an accurate solar return?
Yes — the return chart's houses shift meaningfully with birth time, since the return moment is found from your natal Sun's exact degree and the houses depend on the precise moment and place used for the return chart.