There’s nothing more disconcerting than showing up at the right place at the wrong time, or the wrong place at the right time.
So too with where we place our focus in life. Years before Steve Jobs launched the iPhone and iPad to much fanfare and success, he had a failure with the Newton.
Great idea, but wrong time.
When it comes to our personal productivity and progress, timing is much more crucial than time management.
Timing: Working With Cycles and Seasons
A crucial part of mastering the art of timing is learning to work with the cycles of nature and the seasons.
When it comes to understanding the seasons of life that we are in, astrology can offer a big piece of the story.
When we know where the energy is supporting us, we can harness that energy by directing our focus to that area of life.
No beating our head against the wall trying to do the right thing at the wrong time.
This makes work and life much more efficient, enjoyable, and pleasurable.
The Guidance of the Solar Return Chart
A Solar Return chart is one tool that can show us where to focus our personal the energy starting with our birthday in any year.
In my previous essay, I explained how my 2023 Solar Return chart pointed to an energy of incubation.
It was a Gemini Rising chart. This put my Sun in Taurus in the Twelfth House — a place all about what’s unconscious and hidden.
Although my ego wanted visibility, the direction for that year was to go within.
My 2024 Solar Return chart tells a very different story.
If ever there was a chart created for visibility, this is it.
A Breakdown of My 2024 Solar Return Chart
My Solar Return chart for 2024 has Leo as the Rising Sign. This means I’ll be invited to embody the qualities of the Leo archetype.
Leo is brave, bold, courageous. Leo loves to be the center of attention; it relishes the spotlight.
A Leo Rising chart puts my Taurus Sun in the Tenth House — a very different placement from the Twelfth House placement of my Sun in last year’s Solar Return chart.
The Tenth House is the house of career, public roles, and personal achievements. It is the most visible place in the chart — where we take all the work we’ve done on the inner realm and bring it to the outer realm.
The Solar Return Sun in the Tenth House indicates a period of increased visibility, leadership, and drive to achieve professional success.
But that’s not all.
The Sun is not only in the Tenth House; but also it is conjunct the Midheaven — also known as the Medium Colei, or MC — a potent angle in the chart that falls at the 12 o’clock mark on the zodiac wheel.
This point is the pinnacle of visibility, achievement, and public standing.
A Leo Rising chart with the Sun — ruler of the ascendant — in the Tenth House would on its own be a signature for visibility in career, accomplishments, and public roles.
This energy is supported by having both Venus and Jupiter — the two benefic planets — in Taurus. Venus is the ruler of Taurus, giving the Sun some extra support as it shines a light on my MC.
The Sun is also getting support in the form of a sextile from Saturn in Pisces, which creates structures and boundaries that can focus its efforts.
In addition, the chart has Mars in its home sign of Aries.
The majority of the planets are clustered in the top of the chart, pulling focus to the parts of my life that relate to my public-facing roles and philosophy and learning.
This is the kind of chart we might look for to launch new work projects. It’s a completely different flavor from last year’s Solar Return chart.
The Rough Spots
That’s not to say that this coming year will be all smooth sailing.
Uranus is still in Taurus, with it’s invitation to break from the status quo as I embark on my journey of visibility. It can bring disruption and unexpected changes.
There are also some challenging transits to planets in my natal chart (more on this in a separate post).
Nothing is ever perfect.
Astrology is like a weather report. If you know there’s a chance of rain, you bring an umbrella. You make contingency plans.
Astrology also teaches that luck doesn’t just happen. We still need to do our part.
The chart doesn’t tell me how it will all play out, but it does tell me that the energy is there to support me in this endeavor.
Sometimes, it’s the belief in that resource and support that makes all the difference.
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