by Robert Wilkinson
Most people with a basic knowledge of astrology are aware that the planets make aspects to each other, and that these angular relationships between the planets affect us all, from kitty cats to weather patterns to international affairs. We know that aspects matter, whether the fusions and beginnings of conjunctions, the polarizations and realizations of oppositions, the gifts and specializations of quintiles, the turning points of squares, or other angles showing phases of our personal evolution as well as larger cycles of change in our world. There are "hot zones" that occur for everyone, and I offer when these occur so you can surf the generic storm patterns with a minimum of problems. However, even as planets aspect each other in the heavens, they are still working out their cycles in our charts, and these affect us in more personal ways.
In just two dramatic instances of an aspect having a big effect in our lives, most of us know about the Saturn return (conjunction) to its natal position at age 27-30 and 56-59, and most of us take for granted the Sun's return to its natal place, also known as our birthday or Solar return, which happens every year like clockwork. We learn to dread the return of Saturn to our Sun, Moon, or Saturn (or any other planet, for that matter!) even while anticipating the return of the Sun to our Sun. While the Saturn return effect is not to be underestimated, sometimes it offers us power and position for work well done. But these are not the only things in life. There are also other planets making aspects that affect many parts of our lives that have little or nothing to do with Saturn.
For example, the Solar return chart gives us a snapshot of the year to come, the internal challenges and movements that will illuminate us in the coming year. That's why many of my clients ask me to figure out where they should do their Solar return for maximum harmony, growth and productivity. Often by shifting your Solar return location, you will create a significant effect in your coming year. As an aside, the planets' aspects don't change regardless of where you do a Solar return. Only what areas are ruled by what planets changes, which is no small thing.
The Solar return chart affects our year in a general way, and helps explain why we're going through some pretty dramatic personality changes and expressions that make us seem different than we used to be, even to ourselves. If you go back through your Solar return charts, you'll see by the Moon sign and house what shape your personality and feeling experience took in that year of your life. Also check out the ruler of your natal ascendant, which signs and houses it occupied during those year, to see what shaped your self-image and instinctive expression that year.
All the planets return to their natal positions every so often, and that resets the larger pulses of evolution in our life relative to that planet. These work their influence through the houses and other planets they influence. There are Mercury returns, Venus returns, Mars returns, and Jupiter returns as well as the ones mentioned above. Each of these gives us a long range snapshot of the changes in that planetary function within us over the months or years to come.
For instance, we can understand our changing position internally to life's adventure and our ability to envision our Higher Self expression effectively through examining past and present Jupiter returns. These occur every 11 to 12 years. And Mars returns to its natal position every two years or so, showing how our "fight or flight" principle is evolving, and how we will grow in our "attack on life's problems." The house indicates the life area where it will be focused. What houses it rules show changes in those areas through the aspects Mars makes with the other planets when it has its return. It's the same with all of the planets.
We can figure out a lot of what's happening and why just by examining whether Jupiter is upper or lower square our natal Jupiter, relative to when it last conjuncted our birth Jupiter. A Venus square to itself may or may not show as a problem, since it merely shows our internal shift since the last conjunction. This may explain why some difficult aspects actually open the way to positive changes in our life. It's all in the beginnings.
To bring it all back full circle, if you examine the choices and major decisions of your Saturn return which begin the second third of your life, it should make the lower square around 35-36 a little more comprehensible, and help set things into motion so the Saturn opposed Saturn around 43-44 isn't so difficult. It's all in your perspective. And as the great Initiate Justin Moreward Haig once said, "Nothing's impossible if you find the right point of view."
© Copyright 2006 Robert Wilkinson.
(Originally published 24 February 2005)