A solar return is calculated for the instant when the tropical geocentric Sun returns to its natal longitude. Stelliums solves that instant rather than reusing the civil birth time or assuming the return occurs at midnight on the birthday.
What the location changes
The recurrence instant is astronomical and does not change when a different return location is selected. Location changes the Ascendant, Midheaven, Whole Sign places, and the Sun’s altitude used for sect. Stelliums therefore records the selected place, coordinates, timezone, UTC instant, and local civil time together.
A disciplined reading order
- Keep the natal chart visible as the lasting foundation.
- Identify the annual profected place and time lord separately.
- Inspect the return Ascendant, its ruler, sect, luminaries, and angular planets as return-chart facts.
- Compare return planets to natal planets through the governed traditional sign relationships.
- Return to the natal topic map before making a contextual human judgment.
Worked method: one return, two locations
Calculate the same return year first at the natal location and then at another documented location. The exact UTC return instant and every planetary longitude remain the same. The angles, Whole Sign places, and possibly sect change. This demonstrates why location is an explicit calculation input rather than an invisible preference.
Governed worked example
Worked example: hold the recurrence constant across locations
The governed solver fixture targets a natal Sun at 79.25 degrees for the 2026 return. Calculating the return for Chicago and London produces the same exact UTC recurrence and planetary longitudes while the Ascendant, Midheaven, Whole Sign places, local civil time, and potentially sect respond to location.
- Freeze the natal tropical geocentric Sun longitude and requested calendar year.
- Solve one exact recurrence and retain its residual and iteration provenance.
- Recalculate the distinct return chart for each documented location without moving the recurrence instant.
- Compare each return to the preserved nativity only after keeping their houses separate.
Connect the annual lord without merging charts
At the exact return instant, establish the annual profected place in the nativity and its traditional domicile ruler. Keep that lord’s natal sign and house unchanged. Then inspect the same planet’s sign and Whole Sign house in the separate return chart, followed by the return Ascendant ruler and any return planets occupying the activated annual sign.
- Natal profected house and sign — the annual activation in the nativity.
- Annual lord in the nativity — the lasting condition and responsibilities of the time lord.
- Annual lord in the return — its separate annual chart position.
- Return Ascendant ruler — a return-chart role that may repeat or differ from the annual lord.
- Annual-lord contact lanes — return annual lord to natal planets, then other return planets to the natal annual lord.