Solar Returns – “Re-Lighting the Studio of our Life”

by Robert Wilkinson

As many of you know, the Solar Return happens each year when the Sun returns to the exact degree, minute, and second as it was at our birth. I usually wish others a happy Solar Return on their birthday, and today a Spiritual Sister asked me a question about it.

Incidentally, the return of the Sun to our Sun is the reason why birthdays are such an enduring ritual across many cultures throughout time. They mark the completion of one year of life since the last conjunction of the Sun with our Sun, and the beginning of what we hope will be another full year of life.

My Friend asked me “What does a solar return really mean in one's life? Is it a new beginning?” Here’s what I offered her, with a little more to expand on some things.

It is the return of the Great Light to our Light. It renews our Light for another year. It is a "re-lighting" of the Stage of our Life for the next year. The configurations at the Solar Return may or may not indicate dramatic events to come, but it is a snapshot of the Cosmic Patterns when the Great Light is “re-lighting” our Light source.

So I suppose it could mark “a new beginning,” but if the planets don’t really make anything happen, then it’s US who create “a new beginning” when we decide to. While a Solar Return chart indicates the patterns at work at the return of the Great Light to our Light, I believe that it represents our Light seen in a new Light, with the planetary patterns both similar and different than they were the last year.

A metaphor springs to mind: I used to produce and direct television some years ago. I had a recurring regular access to a sound stage/studio on the third Thursday of each month. Every month at that day my crew knew to meet me at the studio with the set materials, the lighting gels, and so forth.

Of course, each month the crew was mainly the same, but slightly different due to people being busy doing other things. Each time we assembled to do a shoot, the room had the same or different equipment in different places, and the lights were in different places. Even though we assembled all the parts of the shoot the same way, building the set and setting the lights and camera positions, each time it was slightly or majorly different than the last time we set up to do a shoot.

That’s what a Solar Return is. It’s a return to the same studio, with some things the same or slightly different, with other things completely different. And each time the set is lit differently than it was the last time, and differently than it will be the next time.

I also offered my Friend that in the days following our birthday, the Great Light tracks where our Light progressed from birth, so we can get glimpses of our Star Journey for this entire life over the weeks following the Solar Return. Each day after our Solar Return “re-lights” the year our progressed Sun went over the same degree in the years of our youth.

So the Solar Return renews the Light, while the days and weeks after that return the Light to certain years and chapters of our life. Still, the Solar Return cannot deliver anything not promised by the natal chart as it has evolved over time and experience. In that sense, it is linked to the natal chart, and lights certain sectors for a year to come, showing planetary lessons to be mastered on our Path to Higher Awareness.

Ultimately, the Solar Return reminds us that all of it is the Star Stuff of which we're made that allows us to give off radiant Light our entire life. Our Light renewed by the Great Light is a great time to re-center our radiant heart and remember the Illumination we are, however we choose to shine that Light.

© Copyright 2018 Robert Wilkinson

Comments

[Cathy]

Beautiful. Just love this. My solar return, Aug 15. Your fan, Cathy

[Joe]

Hi
I will be really grateful if you could please tell me as to what one should expect when the solar return ascendant is conjunct natal ic and solar return descendant is conjunct natal mc?
Thank you.