Lunar Return: the Chart of the Lunar Month
A lunar return is a chart cast for the moment the Moon returns to the point it occupied at your birth. This happens every 27.3 days, and each such chart describes its own lunar month. The calculator finds the exact moment for the chosen month, casts a chart with houses for the place where you'll be and gives a detailed interpretation.
You need your date, exact time and place of birth. The month and year of the lunar return default to the current ones. "Where you will be" is the place where you'll be at the moment the Moon returns: the Ascendant and houses depend on it. Latitude, longitude and UTC offset are needed only if the place can't be found in the search; north latitude and east longitude take a plus sign.
How a Lunar Return Is Calculated
- The natal Moon. From the date, time and place of birth we find the Moon's exact longitude in the tropical zodiac — for example, 12°30′ Cancer.
- The moment of return. The Moon goes around the zodiac in 27.32 days (the sidereal month), so in every calendar month it returns to its natal degree at least once, and sometimes twice. The calculator finds this moment to the minute.
- A chart for that moment. The Ascendant, MC and Placidus houses are calculated for the place where you will be. The Moon's position in a lunar return is always the same as at birth, but the houses and angles are new every month — and they are what changes the forecast.
- Reading. The lunar return Ascendant and its ruler set the tone of the month, the Moon's house shows where your feelings will be, angular planets show what comes to the fore, and aspects to the Moon show what supports or unsettles you. Finally, the chart is overlaid on the natal chart and summed up.
The chart is in effect from one return of the Moon to the next, about 27 days. So a "lunar return for October" may actually begin on October 20 and end in mid-November — the calculator shows both dates.
What a Lunar Return Reading Looks At
The lunar return Ascendant. The rising sign sets the overall tone of the month: in Aries the month hurries you along and calls for action, in Taurus it calms you and turns your attention to money and the body, in Capricorn it makes everything more serious. The ruler of the Ascendant is the planet through whose house this mood plays out.
The Moon's house. The main indicator of a lunar return: where your feelings, concerns and the month's events will be focused. The Moon in the 4th house means home and family; in the 10th, work and reputation; in the 7th, your partner.
Angular planets. A planet within a few degrees of the Ascendant, IC, Descendant or MC sounds loudest of all. Jupiter or Venus on an angle signals a lucky month; Mars and Saturn, strain and clashes; Uranus, surprises.
Aspects to the Moon. Trines and sextiles help, squares and oppositions create tension, and a conjunction amplifies the planet's theme. The more exact the aspect, the more strongly it is felt.
Overlay on the natal chart. Whichever natal house the lunar return Ascendant falls into, that area of life gets the month's emphasis.
Lunar Return, Solar Return and Progressions
The lunar return is the shortest of the predictive "returns." A solar return describes the year from one birthday to the next, a lunar return describes one lunar month within that year, and secondary progressions show slow development over years to come. Astrologers read them together: the theme of the year comes from the solar return and progressions, the specifics of the month from the lunar return, and the exact days from transits.
Like a solar return, a lunar return depends on location: in another city you get a different Ascendant. Nobody travels for a lunar return — a month is too short; just enter the place where you'll be at the moment the Moon returns.
An Honest Look at the Method
The lunar return is part of predictive astrology, which has no proven predictive power. We calculate it according to the rules of the tradition and with astronomical precision (the moment of the Moon's return and the houses are checked against the Swiss Ephemeris), and we write the interpretations as a description of what astrology traditionally holds, not as knowledge about your future. As a reason to pause once a month and think about your plans, a lunar return works perfectly well.
Frequently asked questions
How is a lunar return different from Moon transits?
Over a month the transiting Moon goes around the whole zodiac and sets the mood of individual days. A lunar return is a single chart for the moment the Moon returns to its natal position; it describes the whole lunar month at once: its tone, its main areas of life and planets.
Why are there two lunar returns in some months?
The Moon returns to the same point of the zodiac every 27.32 days, while a calendar month has 28–31 days. If the first lunar return falls on the 1st–3rd of the month, the next one comes in the same month. The calculator shows both: use the switch under the result heading.
Do I need to know my exact time of birth?
Yes. The Moon moves about half a degree an hour, so an error in the birth time shifts the moment of the lunar return, and with it the Ascendant and houses: 10 minutes is roughly 2–3° of Ascendant. A lunar return is not cast without a birth time.
Which place should I enter?
Wherever you'll be at the moment the Moon returns. If you're at home, your own city. If you're traveling, the city you're visiting: traditionally, a lunar return, like a solar return, is cast for where you are staying.