Thema Mundi Return 2026

Copyright © John Michael Greer 2026. All rights reserved.

For several years now I have attempted an experiment in mundane astrology: a solar return based on the Thema Mundi, the traditional natal chart of the world itself, as set out in the writings of Roman astrologer Julius Firmicius Maternus. Solar returns are commonly used in natal astrology as a convenient way of predicting the coming year in someone’s life: a chart is cast for the moment when the Sun returns to its natal position, and the chart interpreted in terms of the house placements of the planets. Solar returns work quite well in that context, so it seemed worth seeing if the same logic could be applied to mundane astrology. 

The earlier charts worked well as a way of predicting the trends of several very troubled years. With that in mind, it’s time for another voyage into a realm of uncharted stars. I’ve cast and delineated a chart for the 2026 Thema Mundi return. As before, I cast it for Washington DC and the exact moment of the Sun’s arrival at 15° Leo. Why Washington DC? Because in classic mundane astrology, the kind I practice, you cast a chart for the national capital to find out what will happen to your country. I encourage readers who live outside the US to do the same thing with their own national capitals as the place, and see what they get. 

Executive Summary: The Thema Mundi return for 2026 offers a typically mixed reading for the next year of America’s political, economic, and public life. Despite a great deal of controversy and public debate, very little of importance will actually happen over the next year. Economic conditions will improve somewhat as elite groups panic over the rise of populist and socialist movements and, as they did decades ago, rein in their mindless greed in the interests of self-preservation. The Trump administration will definitely enter its autumnal stage during this period, not least because Trump himself is aging and less effective than he once was. Watch for lurid scandals about foreign money in American public life, and revelations about drastic misbehavior in important American institutions. 

Period of Effect: This chart will be effective from 7 August 2026 until 7 August 2027, when the Sun once again returns to 1500’00”. 

Ruling Planet: Virgo rises in this chart, and so Mercury is the ruling planet. Mercury in this chart is peregrine in Cancer and placed late in the succedent 11th house; his only aspect is a sextile with Venus, and while this is favorable it is not enough to outweigh Mercury’s peregrine status. He is therefore significantly debilitated. A weak Mercury as chart ruler predicts a year of bickering and controversy with no resolution in sight and very little forward movement in any of the important issues affecting the nation and its place in the world. Expect many controversies, white-hot political passions, and confident proclamations of imminent utopia or doom, even as nothing very significant gets around to happening. 

This is reinforced by the sextile between Mercury and Venus. As we will see, Venus is far and away the most influential planet in this chart, strongly placed and in aspect to six of the eight other planets, and she is located in the 2nd house of economics. Underneath all the shouting and controversy, expect a quiet but real amelioration of economic conditions for many Americans, which will help stave off genuine conflict and contribute to the generally unproductive nature of all the Mercurial activity just described. 

Sun and Moon: The Sun represents the head of government, as of this writing President Donald Trump. Since the Sun’s position in the zodiac is determined by the type of chart, it is not interpreted, but his house placement and aspects are of great importance. In this chart he is in the cadent 12th house, which weakens him considerably; his aspects are a semisquare with Venus, a distant and separating conjunction with Jupiter, and a close trine with Saturn. To judge by these placements, Trump is in the waning years of his charisma and his power; he still remains a force to be reckoned with, but this is primarily a function of the momentum of the movement that created him and careful maneuvering by his subordinates (both indicated by Sun trine Saturn). 

The influence of Venus weakens him somewhat—the semisquare is a minor aspect, and thus represents a modest but significant hindering influence. It has not yet been grasped by most of his critics how much of the support he received from working class Americans was a function of sheer economic desperation, and can be expected to fade out as conditions improve. The position of Jupiter represents Trump’s role as a charismatic figure, which is likewise fading out as the conjunction separates. There is a very real sense in which, as the period of this chart draws to an end, Trump will be a has-been: a common conditions for presidents in the second half of their second term, to be fair, and also of elderly presidents worn down by the pressures of one of the world’s most stressful jobs. 

The Moon represents the general public, and more particularly that sector of the public that has the capacity to make its voice heard in political and cultural affairs. The Moon’s condition in this chart is complex. She is peregrine in Gemini but placed in the angular 10th house, a source of considerable strength; she is supported by two aspects, a trine with Venus and a sextile with Neptune, but is applying hard to a conjunction with malefic Uranus; furthermore, she and Uranus are both intercepted in Gemini, limiting their effect to a narrow range of events. The political class thus faces a period of restriction and disruption that nonetheless has remarkable if narrow possibilities for action. 

The Moon in mixed dignity in the 10th predicts a period of general discontent and popular restlessness which motivates constructive changes in society. Expect our governing classes to notice, however belatedly, that blatantly profiting at everyone else’s expense is a good way to end up dangling from lampposts, and to embrace certain reforms out of sheer self-preservation. Moon trine Venus predicts economic improvement and also a rise in philanthropy, as well as improved conditions in foreign affairs; Moon sextile Neptune is favorable for populist and democratic causes and also favors philanthropy. 

Moon conjunct Uranus is quite another matter. This indicates disorder, confusion and hostility. In a chart that also has Saturn and Neptune in the 8th house of death, this may predict violence against members of the political class or, since Saturn rules the 5th house and is in very bad condition, against wealthy and influential persons generally. The possibility of assassination attempts against the very rich, especially those members of that class associated in the public mind with outrageous abuses of the public, should not be ruled out. 

The Economic Hemisphere: 

1st House: the house of the ordinary people of the nation, and in particular those whose voices aren’t normally heard in the collective discourse of the time, has Virgo on its cusp and Mercury for its ruler. Expect political excitement on the grand scale, plenty of angry words in person and on social media, fads and passions and wild beliefs splashed all over the public consciousness. 

2nd House: the house of the national economy, trade, and banking also has Virgo on its cusp and Mercury for its ruler. A weak Mercury ruling this house is not a favorable indication for economic matters; it warns of volatility in the markets, rumors and false claims driving wild swings in prices, and the uncovering of at least one swindle on the grand scale. Venus, however, is placed in this house, and makes up for much. She is in her rulership in Libra, and half her aspects are positive: she has trines with the Moon and Uranus and a sextile with Mercury, balancing a semisquare with the Sun, a square with Mars, and an opposition with Neptune. Her condition is thus moderately good. In this house a well dignified Venus predicts economic improvement, increased consumer expenditures, and general good fortune. 

The flurry of aspects makes it difficult to sort out exactly how this will unfold, but the trines with the Moon and Uranus and the opposition to Neptune, which is among other things the ruling planet of Marxism and of social radicalism more generally, suggests at least one possibility: the political classes may respond to the threat of a revived Communist movement as they did in the mid-20th century, by restricting their own crazed greed a little, allowing working class incomes to rise and thus giving more of the public a reason to favor the existing order of society. 

3rd House: the house of transport, communication, and the media has Libra on its cusp and thus benefits from having a well dignified Venus for its ruler. Expect industries in these sectors to do well during this period. Relations with neighboring nations can be expected to improve. 

4th House: the house of agriculture, mining, and other resource extraction industries, as well as the rural regions of the nation, has Scorpio on its cusp and Mars therefore rules it. Mars in this chart is in moderately good condition, being dignified by term in the last degrees of Gemini and placed in the angular 10th house; his only aspect, however, is a square with Venus, so his condition is by no means unmixed. Mars is traditionally a bad omen in this house, bringing drought, popular discontent, and a risk of violence. Venus square Mars is a sign of excessive government expenditure and extravagance; it also warns of explosive scandals. 

The 4th house is also the house of the political party out of power, in this case the Democrats. This placement does not promise them the triumphant return to power on which so many of their partisans are staking their hopes. With Mars ruling this house, internal conflicts are inevitable, and the explosive scandals just noted are very likely to affect leading figures on either side of the struggle. With Venus square Mars, economic conditions will not favor them; however, Mars is in sufficiently good dignity that the Democrats during the period of this chart are unlikely to suffer the sort of total collapse that their Republican enemies are wishing on them. 

5th House: the house of speculative ventures, the rich and famous, and the entertainment industry has Capricorn on its cusp and Saturn for its ruler. Saturn in this chart is in somewhat bad condition: he is in his fall in Aries and retrograde, but his only two aspects are very favorable—trines with the Sun and Jupiter—and these ameliorate his condition to some extent. 5th house interests can nonetheless expect a difficult year; with Saturn in the 8th, there will be deaths among the rich and famous; Hollywood will likely have another year of expensive failures; and some sorrow or misfortune will cast a pall over social life. 

The 5th house also rules the upper house of the national legislature. Expect the Senate to do little and to do it very badly. More deaths are likely among its ranks. 

6th house: the house of public health, the work force, and the military has Aquarius on its cusp and Uranus rules it. Uranus in this chart is in moderately good dignity. After his long sojourn in his fall in Taurus, he is safely in Gemini, and his aspects are entirely favorable: a conjunction with the Moon, a trine with Venus, and a sextile with Neptune. Expect significant changes in 6th house affairs, and more of them will be favorable than otherwise; the military will have to make serious changes to deal with the rapid pace of development in military technologies, conditions for the laboring classes are likely to improve somewhat, and some unexpected positive shift in public health may be expected. None of this will be without controversy and trouble, Uranus being Uranus, but significant good will come of it. 

The Political Hemisphere: 

7th house: the house of foreign affairs and the activities of other countries has Pisces on its cusp and Neptune for its ruler. Neptune is a malefic in mundane astrology, and in this chart his dignity is mixed; he is retrograde in Aries, where he has no known dignity, and opposite Venus, though he is supported by sextiles with the Moon and Uranus and a trine with Jupiter. His rulership over this house warns that the world is changing rapidly and neither the US political system nor American public opinion are doing an adequate job of tracking those changes. Attitudes toward the US abroad will shift in negative directions, dubious foreign policy moves will come to light, and foreign affairs generally will give a great deal of trouble. Venus opposite Neptune adds to this, and also warns of juicy scandals involving overseas money and foreign influence. 

On the positive side, Moon sextile Neptune strengthens populist and democratic movements at home and abroad, and benefits the people. Jupiter trine Neptune also benefits the people, predicting an increase in charitable and philanthropic activities and shifting power in society from influential groups to the general population. It also predicts improved conditions for mystical and devotional spiritual movements. Uranus sextile Neptune predicts new laws and reforms, marks significant changes for the better in Congress, and takes pressure off class conflicts; it is also a good sign for spiritual movements, and especially for occultism. 

8th house: the house of foreign trade and other nations’ money and resources also has Pisces on the cusp and Neptune for its ruler, and all of the indications just set out for the 7th house are equally relevant here, or even more so, since Neptune is in this house. The opposition between Venus and Neptune ruling this house warns of a serious scandal involving foreign money in American public affairs; look for foreign payments to US legislators and officials, and foreign funding of religious movements with a strong political dimension, as probable targets for public denunciation and legal charges. Given the difficult condition of Neptune, such charges may or may not be accurate, but will be politically powerful in either case. 

Saturn is also placed in this house. As already noted, he is in bad condition in this chart, being in his fall and retrograde; the bearer of the scythe in the house of death is a warning that must not be ignored, especially since he also rules the 5th house of the rich and famous. Assassination attempts against the very rich are likely. Saturn’s trines with the Sun and Jupiter suggest that, whether or not these attempts succeed, they will play into the hands of the Trump administration and, in the usual way of such things, harm the cause the assassins hoped to further. 

9th house: the house of the judiciary and of organized religion has Aries on its cusp and Mars therefore rules it. Mars in this chart, as already noted, is in moderately good condition in this chart, and significant and largely beneficial judicial rulings can therefore be expected; with Mars square Venus, the ruler of the 10th house, some of these rulings will tend to hinder the power of the executive branch. The ongoing revival of religion in America can also be expected to continue and to gain momentum and force during the period of this chart. 

10th house: the house of government and the executive branch has Taurus on its cusp and Venus for its ruler. As noted already, Venus is the most influential planet in this chart, essentially strong and affecting most of the other planets by aspect; actions by the executive branch will therefore play a significant role in setting the tone of national life for the entire period of this chart. By and large, with Venus well-dignified, the consequences will be positive, though there will be important exceptions. Changes in policy affecting the economy will be particularly important as the year proceeds. 

There are three planets in this house, the Moon, Mars, and Uranus, and interestingly enough all three of them are intercepted in Gemini. The Moon in this house supports the other indications for a transfer of power and wealth away from the government and the privileged classes to the ordinary people of the nation; it also benefits the economy. Mars in this house is another indication of violence against those in high places, but since he is well dignified his placement here can also mean success in military activities. Uranus well dignified in this house brings some unexpected success or benefit to the government and the nation, but he also indicates danger; again, the risk of assassination should be taken seriously. 

11th house: the house of the legislative branch, and more specifically of the lower house of the legislature, has Cancer on its cusp and the Moon for its ruler. The Moon in mixed dignity ruling this house makes for a complex situation in the House of Representatives, with some measures being made into law and others ending up mired in the procedural mud of politics as usual. This placement also warns of political scandals affecting local and state governments. Since Mercury is in this house, at least one of the items of legislation under discussion will be the focus of intense public interest and debate. 

12th house: the house of institutions has Leo on its cusp and the Sun, who is in this house, for its ruler. The Sun in mixed dignity ruling this house is not a favorable indication, warning of trouble and sorrow for the president and the government generally. Expect trouble also with at least one of the major institutions of American public life, which will turn out to be far more committed to money and ego (Jupiter and the Sun in this house) than to its ostensible purpose. Jupiter is, however, a powerful benefic influence, and both Jupiter and the Sun are supported by trines, so the outcome will be delayed (Sun and Jupiter trine Saturn) but ultimately positive.