Why you should track your Lunar Return charts (and how to get started)
This technique changed the game for me.
When I first started studying astrology, I was quickly overwhelmed. There was just SO MUCH to learn: signs, planets, degrees, aspects, houses, etc. It took me years just to understand the basics (which I think is normal?? maybe?)
But what I’ve realized after five and a half years of serious study is that the things you can learn about astrology never really end.
Which is simultaneously overwhelming and exciting.
One astrological method I wish I’d learned about sooner is tracking my Lunar Return charts—because calculating and interpreting this kind of chart has been life-changing for me.
So for the astrology students (which we really all are because the learning is never-ending) I hope this piece opens a new door in your studies. This is by no means a comprehensive analysis on this topic, but a little baby primer to get you going in the right direction.
But before we get into it, I just opened up my newest offering: Moon Magic. This is a 3-month membership designed to strengthen your intuition, activate your genius, and reclaim your power. You’ll work closely with me in 1:1 sessions that infuse astrology, tarot, intuitive channeling, and mentorship. One of the main tools we’ll use together is your Lunar Return charts because of how much info they have about you and your life cycles. You can learn more about it here <3
The Lunar Return
In each of our birth charts, we have a Moon that is totally unique to us. It sits at a very specific zodiac sign and degree.
In a birth chart, the Moon reveals our inner world: how we experience our emotions, what makes us feel safe, the ways we tend to emotionally connect to others, how we nurture ourselves and seek nurturance from others. It can even reveal information about our intuitive nature (I wrote a whole thing on this—read it here!)
Every 28-ish days, the Moon in the current sky returns back to the exact sign and degree to that of your birth chart. This is called a Lunar Return. You have 12-ish of these a year, so the dates that your Lunar Returns occur on are sort of like your personal lunar months.
So, if your Moon sits in Scorpio at 14 degrees in your birth chart, every time the Moon in real time comes back to 14 degrees of Scorpio, that is your Lunar Return. The exact moment that happens marks the beginning of a new lunar cycle for you.
Each Lunar Return has its own chart, and each one is very different from your birth chart. These charts reveal a lot about how you show up for your life over the next 28-ish days.
We can see the larger themes that will show up for you, the areas you may experience struggle or tension, where you’ll feel most energized, and the overall tone of your life (for that lunar cycle, at least.)
This can be extremely helpful to know. Here are some of the ways I’ve used my Lunar Return charts:
To content plan: If I see one month I’ll have more ideas for content, I’ll write down as many as I can because I know I’ll reach a period where my ideas don’t flow as easily
To financially plan: If I know a certain period of time is more lucrative to making money, I’ll be more intentional about saving, as well as more proactive about reaching out for money + job opportunities
To help ground me: If I can see that I’m more likely to be in a little slump or a funk, I don’t take it as hard I used to. I no longer blame myself or shame myself into having more motivation. I surrender to what the slump is trying to do for me, because we are all cyclical and will have our periods of rest as often as we have our busier times
To take advantage of the ways I can grow: If I can see where in my chart is pushing my growth edge, or asking me to expand, I’ll lean into that energy. For example, if certain planets are activating my 9th house of beliefs, spirituality, and teaching, then I may sign up for a course on some kind of mystical topic
To be more aware of relational dynamics: If I can see that there will be tension or even sweetness around any of my relationships or interpersonal dynamics, then I tend to handle them better—whether that’s navigating conflict or being more present for the good moments
A Lunar Return chart isn’t going to predict exactly how your life is going to play out over the next 28-ish days, but what it gives us is an energetic signature. And when we lean into whatever that energetic signature is, we get to take advantage of the flow, opportunities, and growth being handed to us.
But let me be clear: Just because you’re privy to the inside scoop doesn’t mean it’s always peace and ease. Certain periods are tougher than others, because that’s life. It’s not about suddenly cracking the code on how to never have a bad time, but more so about feeling empowered to meet whatever comes your way as an opportunity to deepen into yourself.
Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s get into how to interpret a Lunar Return chart. And FYI: This explanation is going to require some knowledge of astrology signs, planets, and houses.
How to interpret your Lunar Return charts
It’s not all that different from looking at a birth chart or a solar return chart, so if you have some practice with that, this will probably come naturally to you.
I also won’t be going over every single planet in the chart, because there’s a lot of em. I’m going to walk you through what I tend to look at first. This is just me and what I like to do, so feel free to play around and experiment with what works for you.
I want to note too, before you get too deep into analyzing and predicting your next 28-ish days, I think the most helpful to learn is by just writing down what you notice: what patterns or relationships between planets do you notice in the chart? What does your intuition tell you about how that energy might play out? What stands out as something you may want to lean into?
If you write this down, you can come back to it during and after that lunar cycle to see how things actually transpired versus how you thought it was going to go. This will help you get more familiar with how these charts are playing out in real time.
OK, first things first: how to calculate it! I like to use Astro Seek, because they give you the whole calendar of charts for the year, and it’s free! You can cast your charts here. (To make it less complicated, you can click on just the return chart.)
Once you have a chart to look at, let’s start with the ascendant.
The Rising Sign
I like to think of the rising sign of your Lunar Return chart as the energy being draped over your next lunar cycle. It’s like the lens through which you experience and respond to life. And of course, you should note where the planetary ruler is as well.
Here are some examples from my own past charts and how they impacted me:
Virgo rising chart with Mercury (ruler of Virgo) Retrograde in Pisces: This period of time for me was very introspective. I didn’t feel social, I just wanted to spend quality time by myself. I was more low energy. More quiet (Virgo vibes). I wasn’t as active on social media, and it felt like pulling teeth to work on any kind of content or readings for my business (Mercury retrograde). I also had a hard time parsing through what I was thinking, and every time I tried to write stuff for Substack, I found it difficult to organize my writing—everything felt more like poetry (Mercury in Pisces)
Aries rising chart with Mars (ruler of Aries) in Leo: This lunar cycle, I felt extremely energetic, had a lot of motivation, (Aries) and the desire to be seen (Mars in Leo.) I also was quicker to get angry (Aries) so I had to really double down on my tools to work through that. I also had a total overflow of creative ideas and the desire to work on my creative projects (Mars in Leo in the 5th house)
These examples here are of two Lunar Returns that happened back-to-back, so you can see how noticeable the energy shift is.
When you’re look at the chart’s rising sign, think about the qualities of that sign—what modality it is (cardinal, fixed, mutable), what element it is (fire, earth, air, water)—and then look to where its ruling planet is. What house is it in? When you’re first starting out, you can write down a list of traits for all of these things and take note of how they all show up for you during that cycle.
The Moon
Since this is a Lunar Return chart, the Moon is an important player. The Moon will always be in the exact same sign and degree, because it’s mirroring the Moon in your birth chart. But what house it’s in, and how it’s interacting with other planets, will add nuance here.
Most of the things you’ll read about a Lunar Return chart say that the Moon will highlight how you’ll feel emotionally during that cycle.
First of all, I’m not even sure what that means. And after my lived experience tracking this, I find that the Moon is how you orient yourself towards life from the inside out during that cycle.
Since the Moon will always be in the same sign, you can look at its planetary ruler and house for more nuance. You can also look at aspects if that’s in your skillset.
Examples!
Moon in the 1st house might have you really focused on your image, how you’re presenting yourself. You may feel more confident being seen and putting yourself out there, or you may feel inclined to play with your physical appearance. You may also feel hyper-aware of your body.
Moon in the 8th house might have you orienting around your deepest relationships and re-evaluating those dynamics. You could also see a focus on grief, other people’s money, debts, and the ways you are beholden to others—in ways you like and ways you don’t. You may also feel your intuitive gifts are a little stronger than usual here.
The Sun
The Sun in a Lunar Return chart is where and how you’ll feel the natural pull to shine, to be seen, to take up space. The Sun is how we want to express ourselves externally.
Pay attention to its sign and the sign’s planetary ruler, and what house it’s in. You can also look at aspects if that’s in your skillset.
Examples!
The Sun in Taurus in the 2nd house might manifest as you feeling more grounded, more abundant, or more interested in your material things—like wanting to shop, wanting to repair something, wanting to rearrange your stuff. You may also feel more confidence around asking for more money, like a raise, or going after certain financial opportunities. This placement would likely encourage your self-value—but could also make this a theme in need of some work if it’s something you struggle with already.
The Sun in Capricorn in the 12th house might manifest as you feeling more inclined to put more care and attention toward your mental health or spirituality. You may not feel super comfortable being externally visible, but you may find a lot of richness and things to be cultivated in your internal world. It’s a good time to initiate the inner work or to build on your internal structures and foundation.
Jupiter
Wherever Jupiter is in your Lunar Return chart is where you can expect to experience any kind of growth, and where you’re being asked to trust (even when you can’t see where it’s taking you yet.) We see Jupiter and think BIG, but the reality is that sometimes the growth you’ll see is small, or it’s just the opening of a door—and the bigger stuff will be revealed later on.
When working with wherever Jupiter shows up in your chart, it’s important to remember not to get too carried away, or bite off more than you can chew. Jupiter can also stir up feelings of sadness around not doing as much as you want to, so just keep that in mind too. Take up space in a way that feels authentic and sustainable.
Pay attention to its sign and the sign’s planetary ruler, and what house it’s in. Since Jupiter takes about a year-ish to switch signs, you’ll be working with the same sign for awhile. You can also look at aspects if that’s in your skillset.
Examples!
Jupiter in Gemini in the 2nd house: more money opportunities! Especially around writing, communicating, and social media. This has literally manifested for me as someone reaching out in my DMs and commissioning me for a special project. This could also signal growth as a writer, growth in social media following, or growth in something you’re learning about.
Jupiter in Taurus in the 6th house: this would likely indicate a period of harmony with your body and health. Maybe you’re feeling strong and healthy, maybe you’re feeling more consistent in your workout routines, or maybe you decide you want to train for a marathon. This cycle is a good time for any of those things, as well as leaning into a daily routine that feels grounding and nourishing for you.
Saturn
Wherever Saturn is sitting in your Lunar Return chart will likely indicate a place of restriction, contraction, or struggle. Something you may have a hard time with, or that will require some work to figure out.
When working with wherever Saturn shows up in your chart, it’s important to remember that it’s not going to be a quick fix, but something you’ll need to show up for consistently. It will help to apply the qualities of Saturn: boundaries, patience, and seeing the bigger picture.
Pay attention to its sign and the sign’s planetary ruler, and what house it’s in. Since Saturn takes about a couple years to switch signs, you’ll be working with the same sign for awhile. You can also look at aspects if that’s in your skillset.
Examples!
Saturn in Pisces in the 4th house: I’m taking this example from one of my client’s charts, and for her this indicated a roommate conflict that was really lacking clear, straightforward communication. This could also mean some kind of boundary issue in your home or within your family of origin. You may even be dealing with some kind of Saturnian figure (stern, rigid, disciplinarian vibes) within your home/family dynamic (this person could also be you!)
Saturn in Pisces the 7th house: This would indicate to me that there will be some relationship issues that arise during this cycle—likely the kind that have been brewing for awhile, that have been a long time in the making. They may come to a head or be more present, less easy to ignore. This could happen with anyone you consider yourself close to—family, friends, spouse, clients—so it’d be a good time to check in with your people and with yourself.
I think this is where I will leave you, for now. Let me know if you found this helpful, and feel free to ask questions in the comments. And tell me know if you want me to explain more of the planets, nodes, lot of fortune, etc.
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