One of the most important insights that astrology has to offer is the understanding that life unfolds through a complex interplay of cycles. People, things, ideas, and institutions are born, develop, mature, and fade away, only to appear again in a new form. Astrologically, these cycles follow the course of the Sun, the Moon, and the other planets around the circle of the Zodiac.

The moment when a planet returns to its position in the birth chart is of special importance, because it signals the end of one cycle and the beginning of another. These moments are known as planetary returns. Each new cycle takes its unique characteristics from the positions, aspects, and transits occurring at the moment of the return. Casting a chart for this moment and comparing it to the birth chart can show us the “seeds” that are planted and will develop during the upcoming cycle.

While every planet eventually returns to its starting place in the birth chart, certain cycles are more important in the lives of individuals than others. The sun is often called the heart of the solar system, and its yearly return, on or near each individual’s birthday, is like the heartbeat of a life. Lunar returns, occurring roughly every 27 days, mark short-term cycles relating to emotions and daily events, while the returns of Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn map out broader cycles affecting an entire lifetime.

Mercury and Venus each complete a cycle within a month of the solar return, and their returns are seldom felt separately from the solar cycle. Uranus makes a cycle only every 84 years, so many people never experience a Uranus return; Neptune and Pluto never complete a cycle within an individual’s lifetime.

Solar Returns

Birthdays, and the solar returns that occur at or around the same time, are important milestones, when we take stock of our progress through life and renew our sense of purpose and importance. Because the sun acts as our “center” in astrology, a solar return chart can be valuable in analyzing the major influences involved in the upcoming year. Like progressed charts, the solar return chart is one of the major predictive techniques in the astrological repertoire, and a wealth of information on interpreting solar returns is available both online and in print.

Lunar Returns

The moon’s cycle is involved with the shifting, transitory concerns of our moods and day-to-day lives. There are thirteen lunar returns each year; by following these cycles, individuals can gain insight into changing conditions at home and at work, and can help to separate important realities from passing phases. A lunar return chart can identify areas in which effort will be rewarded, as well as aspects of our life that should be allowed to lie fallow in the upcoming month.

Mars Returns

Roughly every two years, Mars returns to its original place in the birth chart, bringing with it a new cycle of ambition and resolve. A Mars return chart shows the nature and progress of long-term projects, and can help to define goals and to clarify the actions that are necessary for meeting them. Whether these goals are personal or related to work or social desires, understanding the Mars cycle provides a useful tool for planning our strategies and approaches.

Jupiter Returns

Jupiter’s cycle lasts roughly 12 years, and is connected to patterns of growth and development; Jupiter returns are often felt as times filled with pleasure and plenty. The first Jupiter return coincides roughly with the onset of puberty and the end of childhood, while the second Jupiter return, around age 24, signals an individual’s entry into the full responsibilities and freedoms of the adult world. A Jupiter return chart may provide clues regarding areas of life where an individual can experience significant growth and development in the upcoming decade. However, since the Jupiter cycle is so long, the events and patterns which it describes may take many years to develop, and may be fairly subtle in their effects.

Saturn Returns

The first return of Saturn to its starting place in the birth chart occurs between the ages of 27 and 30. During this time, many individuals feel a sense of maturation and clarity of focus, as the Saturn cycle describes an individual’s “life work,” including major decisions regarding careers (as opposed to an individual job), relationships, and way of life. This is a time in which the most important concerns in an individual’s life may become clear, while distractions fall away. Like Jupiter’s, Saturn’s long cycle marks important turning points in our lives, while its effects on a day-to-day basis might be less evident.

One other cycle that is important in many people’s lives is the moment when Uranus stands exactly opposite its place in the birth chart, at about age 42. Uranus is the planet of sudden changes in thinking and of breaking out of old boundaries. The fabled “mid-life crisis” is linked to Uranus’ half-cycle, but the effects of this transit do not have to involve sports cars or divorces. Rather, this is a time when many people learn to express long-repressed desires and to allow themselves to look beyond the narrow borders which they have built for themselves.

Each of us lives a life that is rich with patterns and complex beyond imagining. Astrology, with its cycles of growth and decay, beginnings and endings, offers us an important tool for making sense of these patterns.

- Daniel Nighting