Solar Return, Lunar Return and other timing techniques

Transits look at the sky's condition today. Timing techniques, on the other hand, use a second chart or calendar calculation derived from the birth chart. SENKRONASTRO has five of them, each in its own tab.

Solar Return

Each year, the Sun returns exactly to the degree it held at your birth. The chart drawn for that moment is the Solar Return chart, used to read the themes of the year running from one birthday to the next. The exact moment of return is found numerically; which houses of your birth chart the returning planets fall into is also shown.

Lunar Return

The Moon returns to its birth degree roughly every 27 days. The Lunar Return is a monthly reading rather than a yearly one: the first return after the date you choose is found, and the chart for that period is calculated.

Progression, Solar Arc and profection

• Progression: a chart advanced using the “one day equals one year” rule. It isn't something happening in the sky right now - it's a symbolic advancement.
• Solar Arc: the arc the progressed Sun has traveled is added by the same amount to every point in the chart.
• Profection (annual cycle): a traditional calendar technique in which a different house - and its ruler - comes into focus at each age.

Known limits

The houses of return and progression charts are calculated based on your birthplace; they aren't recalculated for wherever you happen to live that year. Which of these techniques is “correct” is debated within astrology itself; the app doesn't pick one and hide the others.