Lunar
Return Report
by
John Townley
Although I love my TimeLine
reports, I've recently become fascinated by the accuracy and ease-of-use of Solar and Lunar Return reports. Of all the predictive
reports, the Lunar Return is unquestionably the most intimate and, I think, most informative. Although a bit of background
in astrology is helpful, even novices should have no difficulty understanding and utilizing the information in the Lunar Return
reports.
Beautifully Written by famed
astrologer John Townley, these reports are fast becoming a favorite among my astrology clients.
The Lunar Return is an ephemeral
combination of a stand-alone horoscope, electional report (which you can change by choosing the location), and a set of transits.
Ideally, a lunar return needs to be viewed several ways: in its own right, in relation to the natal chart, and in relation
to transits to the lunar return, as well as transits of the lunar return to the natal chart.
The solar return encapsulates
your inner position in relation to the world for the next year. The lunar return deals with the reflective, reactive part
of your nature. It relates more to the way you respond to events vs. how you generate your responses. It is tactical in nature,
not strategic.
The lunar return chart does
not lend itself to having its depths plumbed for a vast network of details besides, its life span is too short to get bogged
down in that! Rather, its purpose is to extract relevant events from the blinding chaff, seeing through the smoke and dust
to the immediate terrain and its possibilities.
In a personal reading, an astrologer
intuitively spots events that have the greatest significance, dismissing those that are less relevant. This Lunar Return report
identifies salient points and dispenses with the rest in order to avoid confusion, unnecessary repetition, contradiction,
and unwieldy length. It's more like very good Doppler radar, which, when combined with computer analysis, can see farther
and with less clutter than an on-the-spot observer. That's what makes a Lunar Return report a useful tool to help guide day-to-day
decisions.
The Lunar Return report accomplishes
this through clear-cut division of priorities and by segmented structural analysis. It first looks at the lunar return itself
and divides it into sections of foreground, middle ground, and background, along with points where these directly touch the
natal chart by conjunction (within a degree).
Sun,
Moon, and Ascendant: Your foundation for the month
Just as in a natal chart, the
position and aspects of the Sun, Moon, and Ascendant form the dynamic for the month: coming on like a juggernaut, sneaking
up like a cat, stumbling in like a bull in a china shop, or striding in like a hero. Given that the lunar moon's position
is the same degree and minute as the natal moon, any aspects to it simultaneously aspect the natal moon. This uniquely entwines
both charts, highlighting lunar aspects. House positions of the Sun and Moon show where the main action will be all month,
while the Ascendant sign suggests the overall style. Easy aspects of the sun, moon and ascendant to the rest of the chart
show a month whizzing by according to plan; hard aspects indicate tangles and challenges to overcome. The report text suggests
ways to maximize the former and transform the latter to obtain the best results from the lunar month.
Mercury,
Venus, and Mars: Personally Speaking
Fast changing positions of
the inner planets month to month indicate personal changes your life goes through. It's the basic framework of how you play
the game, who else plays, and how they're playing. Easy aspects mean you win with no contest, hard aspects suggest a more
hard-fought game that may test your life skills, increasing your personal growth and talents through the experience. The Lunar
Return report describes both sides, providing advice on which games to play, which to avoid, and suggestions for best strategies
when to hold your cards, when to fold them, and when to walk away.
Middle
and Outer Planets, and the Moon's Nodes: The
Stage You Share
The middle and outer planets
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, along with the Moon's North and South Nodes move little from one Lunar Return
to the next. They act more as a backdrop to the stage set on which the monthly drama of your life is performed. Yet they are
powerful, and their long-running helpful and troublesome aspects are not to be taken lightly. They can function like a rope
that swings you across the stage, or a trap door through which you fall if you're not aware. The text on the house position
of these giants, and their mutual aspects to the inner planets and lights, show you where to watch for them, the mood they're
in, and how to swing them to your side.
Featured
Natal Positions: Your Best Foot Forward
Specific natal inclinations
are highlighted for the month in which Lunar Return positions conjunct planets, ascendant or nodes in the natal chart; those
fundamental elements in your character will be emphasized internally and externally. These will be areas that most appear
to represent you for the moment, and that others will seize upon as entry points to your personality. These are the areas
in which you can put your best foot forward, making the most effective and gratifying steps ahead. They will provide your
first line of challenges and opportunities to embrace the world.
Transits, Lunations, Eclipses: The Daily News
Following a monthly overview,
daily influences are detailed, primarily as the transiting Moon passes through the natal and lunar return houses, making conjunctions
to planets in both. This accounts for 47 occurrences, each of which happens once each month in varying order. As the Moon
transits natal houses and planets, it triggers events personal to the moment, yet connected to long-term issues, as the natal
chart abides permanently.
However, as the Moon transits
houses and planets in the lunar return, its effects are to highlight and spark off trends depicted in that chart only, thus
applying only to very short-term developments. Lunar transits give what amounts to inner and outer pictures, short-term and
long-term effects working together, both of which are described in the report. For further introspection, Sabian symbols for
the degrees where these events occur are included with selective specific issues and accents which may arise from them.
Personal
Void-of-Course Moon
One final and very useful addition
is the Personal Void-of-Course Moon. The period of time every 2½ days after the transiting Moon has made her last aspect to
another planet is referred to as the Void-of-Course Moon period. It can last from minutes to more than a day, depending on
how late the planets happen to be in the signs. Because the Moon at this time doesn't really have its “feet on the ground”,
this period is considered unfavorable for tangible decisions that require solid support. However, this is an excellent time
for insight, relaxation, and reaching outside confining boundaries. Most astrologers are familiar with this concept, and most
astrological calendars list periods when the moon is void-of-course.
If you have natal planets late
in one or more signs, however, an ordinarily Void-of-Course Moon may still be making aspects to your chart, allowing you a
special exemption from the rule, providing a decision-making advantage for you during this time. Conversely, if your planets
are early in the signs, the moon is Void-of-Course for you sooner than it is for the rest of the world. This might allow you
to check out the party early, while others are still in a more mundane frame of mind. This report includes a list of your
own Personal Void-of-Course Moon periods uniquely your own, to give you a very specific personal advantage. Each of these
periods begins when the Moon makes its last aspect to your chart, and ends when the Moon enters the next sign.
Overall, the report text covers
not just the particulars of the lunar return itself, but a personal overview of the month with the lunar return at its heart.
The Lunar Return Report is a dynamic window on a specific period of time, including not only its eventscape but detailed advice
on how to handle it. It's not only a personal assessment of daily events, it's an almanac of approaches and options you may
act upon to make your journey through the month more advantageous, educational, and even entertaining.
Each 28 day report
runs 25-28 pages. A single month's report costs $15 plus p&h.
SPECIAL:
An entire year of twelve reports costs $110 plus $12.00 p&h. When ordering online, in addition to your date, place
and time of birth, please provide your current location because these reports are based on your present residence.
