Hi everyone,
I have been thinking about how I can help those who wish to extend their astrological knowledge a bit more and decided that I will do a series of posts based on planetary returns. This goes beyond the basic natal chart interpretations but can be interesting for helping us to plan next steps and make sense of events that we have experienced.
This week’s post is simply to help you understand what planetary returns are and how they work. The upcoming weeks will focus on specific planets and how you can use them.
So what is a planetary return?
When you were born, all of the planets were in a certain location. This is the basis for your natal chart. However, after that moment in time, the planets continued moving. Eventually, they will complete their or I bit and end up back in that exact location once more. This is a return. It is essentially the time when a planet in its current orbit returns to its location on your birth chart. For some planets, this happens regularly e.g Mercury returns can happen 3 or even 4 times annually. The Sun returns to its natal chart location annually i.e. Your birthday. Perhaps this is why we say many happy returns to people. I’m not sure if it is but it links well. For others it happens less often and is perhaps more significant. For example, Jupiter returns occur every 12 years. Saturn returns occur every 29 years so you may only experience 3 of these in your lifetime.
A note about terms:
Natal planet is the planet on your natal (birth) chart
Transit planet is where the planet is just now i.e. What sign it is currently in.
What is the significance of a planetary return?
Planetary returns indicate a the start of a new cycle in our lives. They mark significant points and are linked with periods of transition. Think of them as markers for growth and change. Returns are also ideal times for reflection of where our lives have taken us and where we want to go next. They provide opportunities for self discovery, learning and personal growth. Finally, these returns also remind us of the cyclical nature of life and provide an awareness of progress through its stages.
Which planets have returns?
They all do. Every planet returns to its natal chart position at some point, some more than others.
Solar returns impact our self expression and identity. They occur every 365 days, falling on your birthday (sometimes the day before or after).
Lunar returns impact our emotions and occur every 28 or 29 days.
Mercury returns impact our thoughts, communication and social interactions and occur every 88 days. Therefore, you may get 3 or 4 of these each year!
Venus returns impact love and relationships and occur roughly every 225 days.
Mars returns impact our actions, motivations and conflict. They occur around every 685 days.
Jupiter returns impact our beliefs, philosophies and worldliness. They occur every 12 to 13 years.
Saturn returns impact our structures and boundaries. They occur every 29.5 years.
Uranus returns impact our sense of community and innovation. They occur every 84 years so u fortunately not everyone will experience them. It is interesting that at when you are 42, your natal Uranus will oppose your transit Uranus. We may feel rebellious and go against the grain…midlife crisis anyone?
Unfortunately, none of us will see our Neptune (every 165 years) or Pluto (284 years) returns.
The most significant ones are your solar, lunar, Jupiter and Saturn returns. Saturn is probably the most well known return
What are a Return’s phases?
A planet goes through phases similar to the Lunar Cycle:
When a transit planet returns to it it’s natal position, it essentially forms a conjunction aspect with the natal planet. This heightens the energies of the planet and brings the areas of life it represents to the fore.
When the transit planet has moved 90° from its natal position, we reach Opening/First Square. This will occur when around a quarter of the orbital cycle has passed. It’s a bit like first quarter in the lunar cycle. It can bring challenges and conflicts that require action. It can also prompt us to face our challenges and make decisions to overcome them.
When the transit planet is directly opposite it’s natal position, we reach opposition. This will, occur half way through the orbital cycle of the planet. This brings conflict and a need for balance as we have the same planet influencing different and often opposing areas of our lives.
When the transit planet is three quarter of the way around its orbit, we reach Closing/Last Square. This can also bring tension and conflict linked to the areas associated with the planet and the sign it occupies. Unresolved issues may resurface, waiting for a resolution before the next return. It may also be a time of introspection in preparation for the new planetary cycle.
These phases mean that, although we will never see our Neptune or Pluto returns, we will certainly still feel their impact at some point in our lives.
Next week, we will focus on our Solar Returns and how we can use them to get an idea of what they year ahead holds for us.
I hope you found this interesting and I look forward to sharing the other posts with you over the coming weeks.
Blessed Be
Alan
