Introduction to Solar Returns and Active Astrology

The reader who visits this section of Astrology online, entirely dedicated to the theory of Solar returns, at the beginning of his/her reading will perhaps be surprised, then probably intrigued, and as soon as he/she proceeds to read all the articles will certainly be fascinated …
Here we explain and apply a part of Astrology that is absolutely innovative and which is still relatively unknown. We refer to the theory of Solar Returns and the entire subject matter that is a consequence of this theory, which is called Active Astrology, and that - particularly the latter – is an entirely Italian Astrological School, whose founding father is someone internationally recognised; the journalist and famous astrologer, Ciro Discepolo.

But let’s proceed in the right order.
The theory of Solar returns is an ancient theory, that goes back a few centuries exactly like Astrology, of which it is an integral part; a theory that was lost during the last centuries to be brought back in the 30s by a great French astrologer, Alexandre Volguine, who wrote the first real text about it, determining certain rules and entitling his work “The technique of solar returns”.
It is a practice used all over the world by millions of people who believe in the practical effect of astrology and its "power" in the daily life of human beings.

But what exactly does Solar return mean? What is it about?
Apart from being an astrological fact, firstly a solar return is entirely an astronomic event: it is in fact about the return of the Sun in the exact longitude it occupied at birth. When does this passage occur, this return of the Sun? Naturally on the day we were born, or rather when each one of us saw the light, in other words the Sun, for the first time.
This astronomic fact is then translated into an “astrological application” as soon as a Solar Return horoscope is calculated that then becomes a horoscope of your birthday, a kind of picture of the Sky no longer of your birth (that is the first day of your life), but of the anniversary of your birthday, at the moment at which the Sun once again passes in the exact position that it was occupying at the moment of the birth of each one of us; a horoscope that is therefore to be integrated only and exclusively with the horoscope of birth, a very detailed annual forecast that starts from the birthday of the current year to the birthday of the following year. This is why to speak and deal with Astrology effectively; it only makes sense to "work" on the exact data regarding the birth of a person and NOT on the solar sign in general (which generally means Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer and so on).

Why is a Solar Return horoscope so important? Well, because it concerns our birthday or rather our astrological rebirth which happens once a year, and in the end - let us say - is not our birth the “highlight” of our life?
If the first day of each year - or rather “the birth” of a new collective world year - is celebrated all over the whole world with fireworks, and all kinds of preparatory and propitiatory events, should we not with greater reason prepare ourselves as well as possible for our astrological “new year”, that in temporal terms is fixed from the day of our birthday to the day of the following birthday?
This is why that "astrological" photograph is so important, in other words that map which speaks to us, in astrological terms, of what will happen in those three hundred and sixty five days between one birthday and the next.

At this point an old question immediately comes to mind: this yearly horoscope, the famous photograph of the birthday, for what location must it be calculated? For the place where we were born? And what if on the day of our birthday we are - for various reasons - in another part of the world or we changed residence years ago?
There can only be one answer: the horoscope of a birthday must only be calculated at the latitude and longitude of the place where we are on our birthday. In this respect we quote Volguine “we must call the attention of astrologers on the necessity of preparing annual charts not for the birth place but for the place in which the subject is located at the moment of his anniversary” (Technique of the Solar returns, Armenia edition).
It is then of fundamental importance, before proceeding with the calculations of a birthday Horoscope (or rather of a Solar Return chart for a certain year), knowing exactly where the subject concerned is located on the day of his/her birthday.
Think for example of a person born in Rome or Milan; the photograph that we will take on the day of any of his/her birthdays will change, of course, in terms of colours, scenery, background and persons if that subject is in his/her city of birth rather than Los Angeles, Moscow or Honolulu. Well, the same thing applies to his birthday horoscope.

It’s a horoscope that will therefore tell us about the trend of that year, which will make clear the "message" of the important transits of the slow moving planets in relation to the natal chart of that person and that will help us to define the adversities or the advantages that will occur during the year in question. Nevertheless you MUSTN’T forget, as already mentioned above, that this chart of the birthday, or rather the Solar Return Horoscope, or also the SR Chart, must always be interpreted and supplemented with the birth Horoscope. Later on – always in this section – we will explain how and why.

For many of you, the entire subject tied to the Solar Return horoscope or SR Chart, without doubt opens completely new and surprisingly fascinating scenarios and this is where we mention the school of Active astrology entirely referable to the astrological genius of Ciro Discepolo, which this astrological section is honoured to be inspired by.
The authoritative Neapolitan scholar and astrologer in fact starts from Volguine’s basic theories - therefore in the cradle of traditional astrology – to then goes much further and make us take an active part in this context: if it makes sense (and it is only way to go) to talk about an SR Chart calculated based on the place in which I am at the moment of my anniversary, I can also “prepare in advance” (about one month beforehand or a little more is o.k.), to see how what the year will be like for me (from birthday to birthday) if for example I remain in the place where I reside and live … if the result is positive, everything is ok and if instead things don’t turn out well?
If the sky of Solar Return (calculated about one month or a little more in advance compared to the date of our anniversary) for the place where we live showed “nasty surprises”? What should we do?
LEAVE!
We have to move "on purpose" to "catch" the best stars in another part of the world.

This is where the entire greatness and the genius of Ciro Discepolo’s astrological school (the school he called “Active Astrology“): in other words all of us can organise ourselves, “be proactive” with birthdays that are "aimed" to obtain the best and better channel the forces of the planets. No longer therefore a "passive" astrology who sees us as frightened and inert before the power of the planets (against which, in any case, we can do little or nothing) but "active", or “effective“ to better exploit the planet forces to our advantage. How? By moving of course!
But where to?
To another part of the world that on the day of our birthday will be astrologically much more favourable compared to the place where we would spend our birthday.
Who knows, perhaps some of you who are reading these words will be smiling because you have already tried the benefits of Active astrology or perhaps many others will thinking “I can imagine …”, the only you have to do is try, obviously placing your trust in expert hands.

That is why from now on, by referring to the Horoscope of Solar Return, we will distinguish between basic Solar Return (BSR), being the return we will, in any case receive if we remain in the place where we live (or, in any case, in the place where we were on our birthday, whether or not we wanted to), and relocated Solar Return (RSR) or rather the Horoscope or sky of Solar Return that we choose, moving to a certain part of the globe. Even if conceptually, as Ciro Discepolo acutely reminds us, the Solar Return is always "aimed" also when we decide to spend our birthday close to our usual residence, since a "choice" has thus been made.

An objection may spontaneously arise: what are they telling us about here? The planets are the same ones in any part of the world we move to because our observation point is always and, in any case, the Earth.
Very true.
In fact by moving, or rather activating ourselves with a trip planned for the day of our birthday, we do not at all change the position of the planets in the zodiac signs, nor are the aspects that the planets form between them in the chart become modified, but what will change – and also quite a lot – is their position in the twelve sectors of the Horoscope, or rather in the twelve houses of the sky of relocated Solar Return.
No magic potion, no miracle, but as the great scholar and astrologer Ciro Discepolo says “good homoeopathic treatment, a journey that means protecting ourselves for the rest of the year, just as a particularly warm and winding scarf protects us in the middle of winter”

But the Active astrology is so much more: it is the exorcism of symbols (you will always find an explanation in the section dedicated to Solar Returns), and it means facing a year with greater optimism and trust, and it is also about discussing Lunar returns and relocated Lunar Returns (this is also covered in the section dedicated to Solar Returns). In short, it is a world in itself within astrological tradition.

Some people will find it absurd, others will be intrigued and probably quite a lot of people will decide, for necessity or for simple curiosity, to try us out: Astrology online will guide you step by step in this enchanting discovery.
Are you ready to pack your bags?

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