Lunar Returns

So I’ve recently begun to learn more about timing in astrology. Transits are pretty much where I started with this, and I feel like I have a fairly good handle on that. For instance, Uranus (sudden, shocking things— change, and innovation) has been transiting through my 5th house (creativity, fun, children) since 2018. During that time, I have done the following: gotten really into video games, got back into reading, took historical fencing lessons, started designing a video game, began learning how to draw, have written hundreds of poems, have written several fictional stories of varying lengths, dyed my hair blue, got really into going to arcades (especially claw machines!!), and have tried out a bunch of different crafts from watercolors to granny squares. Uranus briefly entered my 6th house (heatlh, routines, daily work activities) last summer and during that time I both had a near-death experience and began a diet and exercise routine.

Transits are cool. But now I am diving into lunar returns to kind of see how those elements play out during individual months.

What is a lunar return?

A lunar return is basically casting a chart on the exact day and time that the moon returns to where it was in you were born. This usually happens every 28-ish days. So say your moon is at 19 degrees Sagittarius in your birth chart. When the moon returns to 19 degrees Sagittarius every month, you can cast a new chart to see what sort of themes you may be exploring in the coming month ahead.

I personally like to use astro.com for this under their “extended chart selection”.

Here is what my lunar return chart looked like for the month from 2/2/26 to when my next one starts on 3/1/26:

So, the first thing you’re supposed to do when looking at a lunar return chart is look at the condition of the moon. You can see here that my moon in this lunar return chart is in the 6th house and is opposing several planets in Aquarius (my venus and mercury the most directly). It is also trining my Chiron (the wounded healer— this is the wound that through healing you can help others to heal as well) and my MC (line that indicated career and public image).

Additionally, the ascendant in this chart is Pisces. This tells me that this month may have Piscean themes to it—- which to me spells out lots of emotions.

Now, I am still new to doing lunar returns and when I first saw this chart a few weeks ago, I didn’t really know what to expect. With the heavy emphasis on the 12th house, I remembering thinking reluctantly “ugh, lots of alone time at home probably”. I am a homebody at heart but also I like to be in the world! So I had kind of rebellious thoughts about that at the time.

So as this lunar month of mine is winding down, how has all of this played out for me?

I have indeed spent a lot of time at home. Days before this lunar return began, I moved into my own apartment so I have really been enjoying my alone time. But hoo boy, emotions is right! I am experiencing the last degrees of a transit to my natal chart of Mars opposing my Mercury, Moon, and Venus in Leo. I have been Big Mad. Angry. I have written angry letters to God. I have thrown a notebook across the room (after writing my angry letter to God). I have broken down and cried.

The biggest thing that I have struggled with now seems obvious to me in retrospect at looking at this chart. I have struggled so much with my emotions at work (moon in the 6th house) at my day job which has been literally opposing this extreme desire I have had all month long to grow spiritually (12th house). This has been the source of much pain and frustration. I want to lean into my spirituality, and I also want to induldge all my little hobbies (I have a lot of them now after that Uranus transit I talked about earlier).

The ways that I have coped with that struggle seem very 12th house coded to me. I have gotten into yoga. I have been doing The Artist’s Way (again! for those who don’t know— it’s a spiritual book about unlocking your creativity and I highly highly recommend it to anyone feeling stuck creatively). I started doing yoga despite having negative experiences with it in the past. I have begun following along with somatic healing videos on youtube for anger, fear, and shame release. And I have spent a ton of time in meditation and prayer. All very 12th house things. All things that I’ve had to be alone to do. These practices relate back to that Moon trine Chiron placement I mentioned before. I have been doing intensive work to heal my past wounds as I feel like they are holding me back from manifesting the life I crave.

Also— the moon trining the MC? I launched my astrology business this month after feeling absolutely fed up with my day job.

So looking back on all that has been pretty interesting and also enlightening for me.

I am looking forward to tracking my lunar return in the coming month and seeing how those themes play out in my life. In that chart, my moon is in the 12th house opposing Mars in the 6th. A bunch of planets are also in my 7th house (house of partnerships, love, enemies). Is love coming my way? It sure doesn’t look like it after spending this month being The Hermit. Also in that chart, the MC is conjunct Uranus so… maybe I can expect sudden career changes? Perhaps I will be able to do this astrology thing full time? That’s the dream (well, one of them).