Bradley's SLR/SSR Teachings

[David Stanton]

by SteveS on Sun Feb 01, 2009 9:44 pm

The following is a splendid example pertaining to Bradley’s teachings from his book ‘Solar and Lunar Returns’, where he states:

“Lunar Returns while more powerful in immediate effect, are subservient to the preceding solar return. Therefore, we must look to the lunar return for proof that lunar returns usually “time” the major occurrences foreshadowed in the annual (solar return) chart.”

Note: Bradley uses the word ‘usually’ for a lunar return to time a ‘major occurrence’ emphasized by ‘the preceding solar return.’ As a general rule for my practice, I look for major aspect emphasis in a SSR, before I look for a SLR to “time” a ‘major occurrence.’ I have also seen SLR’S time the occurrences symbolized by a SSR, with two different SLR’S at different “times” during the solar year—sometimes symbolism of a SSR manifests in stages with SLR’S. Even though the SSR is the most important prognostic tool for the astrologer, always conveying relevant symbolism, in many cases the SSR will not show any major aspect emphasis. I let Jim’s teachings in his book ‘Interpreting Solar Returns’, and certain other sidereal teachings, be the main guide for defining -- major aspect emphasis in a SSR.

The following example comes from the charts of a colleague of mine that I have known for many years. In March 2007 he lost his long career job by his company being sold to another company. He said he had acquired some special competitive market knowledge which allowed him to set as his main career goal in seeking a partnership pertaining to a new Theatre concept. He found part time jobs while he pursued a partnership with the necessary financial backing. Through the years with his former company— he had acquired multiple industry contacts.

Base chart: Oct. 3rd 1955, 5:24 AM. Flint, Michigan. Source: Birth Certificate.
2008 SSR relocated to Charlotte, NC

Jim’s teachings says: “Foreground planets, both natal and solar, set the tone of the entire period covered by a Solunar return. All planetary dynamics (shown by aspect) manifest within the context of these theme setters.”

Note: on the native’s 08 SSR, Solar Venus is partile the Descendant in the constellation Libra. By tradition, Venus rules Libra. Since the native’s family (wife & children) are already in the native’s environment—there is high probability this solar Venus will manifest with the native’s main objective—a business partnership. When will this manifestation take place?

Using Bradley’s above quote to find the “time” with SLR’S-- when the SSR will manifest the appropriate symbolism of Venus partile the Descendant, for a partnership, we note the native's Jan 5th 09 SLR for Charlotte, North Carolina.


Note in the native's Jan. 09 SLR below (click on open space to enlarge chart) the tight foreground placement of conjunct Mercury/Jupiter=MC. Note foreground Jupiter’s tight 90 to SLR Moon & foreground Mercury’s partile 45 to Solar Uranus.

This is what manifested with the native under the “time” of his Jan. 09 SLR:
1: Legalized partnership (LLC) --- what the native calls the ‘dream team’. Partnership consist of the native (operator), a contractor, architect, & engineer--all who designed & built many of the theatres with the native’s former company.
2: Was given a much needed advance on salary before the opening of the 1st Theatre.
3: The partnership signed what the native defines a bargain lease with a landlord.
4: All necessary capital was finalized with the bank (not an easy task in these tough economic times).

Other aspects of interest:

1: Natal signature of partile Mercury-Neptune conjunction, opposing natal Moon. The native’s first job as a teenager was in a Theatre (Neptune). All other career stations in life has been with the Theatre (Neptune) industry, mostly consisting of buying & selling movies (Neptune). Told me his life dream (Neptune) has always been to own his on Theatre (Neptune).

2: Partile 90 2008 SSR Moon-Neptune. Note how 08 solar Neptune is conjunct Caput, symbolizing in this case, connections with former Theatre colleagues for a business partnership.

3: Note that 08 solar Mercury is partile conjunct the Vertex. Native told me since his birthday he has done nothing but attend many, many business meetings.

4: Tight foreground natal Mars conjunct the Ascendant. When I first saw this, I asked him if he had been involved in any bloody wars. He answer was 3 divorces!

All the above mention aspects are consistent with Jim’s teachings. Also, note that when we calculate all of the 13 native’s SLR’S for his 08 Solar Year, the only time Jupiter appears in the SLR foreground (in this case—tight conjunction with the MC) is the 09 Jan. SLR--- offering an excellent example of Bradley’s “time” teachings with his above quote pertaining to Solar & Lunar returns.

If anyone else knows of any systems of astrology outside sidereal astrology, that foretold the same “time” when a possible business partnership would manifest for this native—please post!

Regards, Steve

[Chart unavailable. DS]

[David Stanton]

by Jim Eshelman on Mon Feb 02, 2009 3:05 am

SteveS wrote:
If anyone else knows of any systems of astrology outside sidereal astrology, that foretold the same “time” when a possible business partnership would manifest for this native—please post!

Thanks for the great SLR example.

In fairness, nobody can really take up your challenge above since you didn't give the actual date of the event - just that it occurred under the January 9 SLR (which gives us 4 weeks of leeway).

For example, Jupiter transitted opposite natal Uranus from January 11 to January 20, being exact on January 15. Was the key breakthrough wonderful event in this window of time?

On January 10, by simple secondary progressions, progressed Moon sesquisquared natal Jupiter.

So there was definitely more. It's even possible that, despite the quality of this SLR, the basic Tropical tool chest of transits and Secondary Progressions was sufficient. But we don't have the date, so we can't tell.

[David Stanton]

by SteveS on Mon Feb 02, 2009 5:59 pm

Jim, from my communications pertaining to this SLR example, several Jupiterian manifestations occurred on different dates during this SLR time frame, which consummated a partnership foretold by the preceding SSR—I don’t know the exact dates of each business occurrence.

Jim wrote:
For example, Jupiter transitted opposite natal Uranus from January 11 to January 20, being exact on January 15. Was the key breakthrough wonderful event in this window of time?
On January 10, by simple secondary progressions, progressed Moon sesquisquared natal Jupiter.

Good supporting Jupiter symbolism here Jim.

When my colleague contacted me in March 2007 about his career job lost, he told me he was going to try to form a business partnership. I had not heard from him in years—he knew I was an astrologer and asked me if I could look and see if he had any future cycles that favored a business partnership. He told me he had a limited amount of time (money) before he had to take a job in another part of the country which would put certain strains on him and his family. Time was a critical factor (as usually the case) for him with his decision making processes. His 2007 SSR did not show any prominent symbolism for a partnership but his 2008 SSR showed much promise. I simply followed your Solar Return teachings and Bradley’s timing indicator to when a SLR ‘usually’ will time when the symbolism of a SSR will manifest. I told him to allow to the end of Jan. 09 for a manifested business partnership. When I told him this—he said there was no way he could wait that long—did not have the money to get him to Jan. 09. ---would have to take the standing job offer at a distance relocation. Somehow he financially made it to Jan. 09.—with a happy ending.

It is Solunar cases like this that simply keep blowing my mind with their precise timing indicators. I keep looking for other methods of astrology that offer the same precise timing techniques—but can’t find any.

Regards, Steve

[David Stanton]

by SteveS on Tue Feb 03, 2009 4:36 pm

Jim, at times, in my own life and client lives, I have seen SLR’S with tight angular symbolism not manifest the appropriate psychologically symbolism. This has been somewhat perplexing to me and I would like to have your take on this matter. The only explanation I have for explaining these occasional SLR’S symbolic contradictions is Bradley’s above quote about SLR’S being ‘subservient to the preceding solar return.’ Let me offer an excellent example from my colleagues same birth data.

In late 2007, my colleague was awarded a feasibility contract for building a Theatre in Forest City, N.C. After he presented (months later) his feasibility study to the City which was received favorably by city officials, he was told the city would arrange a business partnership for my colleague to build the theatre in Forest City—subject to final approval by a city council vote on Aug. 25th 2008. My colleague called and asked me to look at his cycles with my astrological techniques to see what the heavens looked like pertaining to this very important town council meeting on Aug.25th 2008. His preceding Aug. 21, 2008 SLR relocated to Forest City, NC-- featured a partile conjunct Jupiter on the Ascendant tight 135 to the Sun—a very favorable SLR showing appropriate symbolism for a favorable vote by the city council. I told my colleague to expect a yes vote—that he had a very favorable lunar return, which I naturally assumed, was leading-up to his promising 08 SSR symbolizing a good partnership with Venus partile his Descendant. The council voted NO! My colleague said goodbye to Forest City and moved to Charlotte NC looking for new partners with a Theatre partnership.

Why did the favorable Aug. 21st 2008 SLR fail with its strong angular symbolism? The only reason that makes sense to me is the Aug. 21st 2008 SLR did not ‘foreshadowed’ any Jupiter symbolism from the native’s preceding SSR, as Bradley’s above thread quote insinuates. Is it possible some SLR’S will not stand own their own—they must work within the context of the symbolism of the preceding SSR-- pertaining to Bradley’s word ‘subservient’?

Regards, Steve

[David Stanton]

by Jim Eshelman on Tue Feb 03, 2009 4:51 pm

SteveS wrote:
Jim, at times, in my own life and client lives, I have seen SLR’S with tight angular symbolism not manifest the appropriate psychologically symbolism. This has been somewhat perplexing to me and I would like to have your take on this matter. The only explanation I have for explaining these occasional SLR’S symbolic contradictions is Bradley’s above quote about SLR’S being ‘subservient to the preceding solar return.’

Or, more broadly, that other astrological factors are contradictor. It need not be Solunars. It could be transits, progressions, or other.

In late 2007, my colleague was awarded a feasibility contract for building a Theatre in Forest City, N.C. After he presented (months later) his feasibility study to the City which was received favorably by city officials, he was told the city would arrange a business partnership for my colleague to build the theatre in Forest City—subject to final approval by a city council vote on Aug. 25th 2008. My colleague called and asked me to look at his cycles with my astrological techniques to see what the heavens looked like pertaining to this very important town council meeting on Aug.25th 2008. His preceding Aug. 21, 2008 SLR relocated to Forest City, NC-- featured a partile conjunct Jupiter on the Ascendant tight 135 to the Sun—a very favorable SLR showing appropriate symbolism for a favorable vote by the city council. I told my colleague to expect a yes vote—that he had a very favorable lunar return, which I naturally assumed, was leading-up to his promising 08 SSR symbolizing a good partnership with Venus partile his Descendant. The council voted NO! My colleague said goodbye to Forest City and moved to Charlotte NC looking for new partners with a Theatre partnership.

For one thing - though this was a passing thing - August 25 was going to be a bad day for him. Transiting Mars was semi-square his Saturn. That isn't a day you expect to be celebrating.

It's made worse because progressed Moon was sesquisquare natal Saturn (and, therefore, exactly opposite transiting Mars). Under this combination, people were going to be having especially uncharitable feelings toward him and there likely would be some mutual provocation of hostility.

The only partile quotidian angle crossings were progressed Saturn square the SNQ1 Ascendant and natal Saturn square the SQ Ascendant. It was a classic "unlucky day."

BTW, it's not just that he didn't have a particularly good SSR. In fact, he had one that was going to be confusing and frustrating in business matters. Natal Neptune was on the Midheaven within a degree.

[David Stanton]

by SteveS on Tue Feb 03, 2009 10:18 pm

BTW, it's not just that he didn't have a particularly good SSR. In fact, he had one that was going to be confusing and frustrating in business matters. Natal Neptune was on the Midheaven within a degree.

Jim, this is dead on correct which I took note of with his 07 SSR. It was indeed a very frustrating/confusing solar year for him--with business matters. Once he found himself outside his career of doing everyday business with the Theatre industry—his natal Mercury-Neptune turned to confusion.

Ah—I see what you mean with the harsh day transits and progressions mitigating the angular Jupiter on his 8/21/08 SLR. In other words, a well aspected partile angular Jupiter on a SLR can, at times, be negated by transits and progressions.

Thanks, Steve

[David Stanton]

by SteveS on Wed Feb 04, 2009 12:25 am

Jim wrote:
The only partile quotidian angle crossings were progressed Saturn square the SNQ1 Ascendant and natal Saturn square the SQ Ascendant. It was a classic "unlucky day."

Jim, where you said ‘natal Saturn square the SQ Ascendant’—you meant to say SQ Saturn square the SQ Ascendant—correct?

Anyway—it damn sure was an “unlucky day”—he was devastated with the council’s negative vote. He was led to believe, for months, the council would vote yes. I also think natal Neptune partile his 07 SSR MC, as you pointed out, was part of the symbolism that deceived him.

Regards, Steve

[David Stanton]

SteveS wrote:
Jim, where you said ‘natal Saturn square the SQ Ascendant’—you meant to say SQ Saturn square the SQ Ascendant—correct?

If that's what you're seeing, then, yeah, probably. (I'd have to rerun the charts to see. You're probably right.)