lodestarA solar return happens near your birthday each year. Astrologers use a calculated Sun position to find the moment; the clock striking midnight is not the rule.
The Sun reaches its birth-chart position
A birth chart records where the Sun was in the zodiac when you were born. Each year, the Sun reaches that same position again. Astrologers call that moment the solar return. It is near your calendar birthday, but it need not fall on the same date.
A chart is drawn for that moment
An astrologer can draw a separate chart for the return time and read it alongside the birth chart. In this tradition, the two charts offer themes to consider for the coming year. A solar-return chart is not the birth chart with only the year changed.
Use a theme, not an event schedule
A return chart cannot guarantee an event or set a date for it. You could use a theme as a question: What do I want to pay attention to this year? Check any reading against your actual circumstances and choices.
A few common questions
Does my solar return always happen at midnight on my birthday?
No. It is calculated for the moment the Sun returns to its birth-chart position. That moment may fall on a nearby calendar day.
Sources & further reading
Astrology sources describe their own traditions and methods; they do not establish predictive accuracy. The writing exercises are original Lodestar editorial material.