“I am a 48 year old male. I read in my computer purchased (on-line) transitory chart that I have Chiron square coming up in April 2010- Dec 2011. In doing some research this claims to be a part in my life where I will expect some limititions that have to do with my loss of mind/body/life/soul. I just started to learn about astrology. I have a new born grandson. Does this mean something bad is going to happen to me like death/bad accident, where I will never be able to be myself again? I am really freaking out to the point that I am scared of everything.” -Jim
Jim, I’m sorry to hear you’re feeling so anxious about what you’ve read about Chiron. It’s important to remember that astrology is good a two things: the timing of events and the description of circumstances. That second point, put another way, is that astrology is good at describing conditions not outcomes. Astrology is a symbolic language and gives us concepts to use in understanding ourselves.
I also want to bring up an ethical issue- every astrologer, whether they meet clients in person or write articles for publication, have a responsibility to frame their interpretations in ways that are constructive and useful. To use language that invokes fear or anxiety helps neither the client nor the practice of astrology. As a member of three national organization (AFA, NCGR, OPA) I abide by their ethical guidelines for professional astrologers.
The Astrology of Chiron
Chiron, discovered in 1977, is not a planet, but either a planetoid or coment caught in an orbit around the Sun between Saturn and Uranus (more on this later). Astrologers immediately looked to the mythology of this character for clues as to its meaning.
In mythology Chiron’s father was Saturn, who transformed himself into a horse in order to flee from his wife during an affair with Philyra. Thus, Chiron was born a centaur- half man and half horse. While most centaurs were rather rowdy, Chiron devoted himself to the study of medicine, philosophy, and mathematics. He lived a reclusive life, until he was accidentally wounded in his heel by one of Hercules’ arrows. The pain was very great, but being immortal he could forsee no end to his suffering, thus he voluntarily traded his immortality in order to end his suffering.
Chiron is associated with the wounded healer- an almost Christ-like character that must suffer in order to heal others from suffering. From the myth of Chiron we can surmise he is of a spiritual nature, having transcended his “animal” side in order to pursue philosophy. He is also transformational- having made the choice to expereince transformation rather than endure the steady pain of existance as he knew it.
But What Does This Mean for Jim?
In looking at Jim’s chart we see he has Chiron at 0 degrees of Pisces in his 8th house. In his email Jim mentioned a computer report he ordered noting an upcoming square. This is incorrect. Currently Chiron is moving through the sign of Aquarius and in 2010 will move into Pisces. What Jim will be experiencing is his Chiron return- this is when Chiron returns to the position it held at birth. Chiron’s orbirt around the Sun is 51 years, so all of us experience a Chiron return around the age of 51.
Whenever a planet returns to where it was in our natal (birth) chart it’s considered the completion of a cycle and the start of a new cycle. During the return we’re confronted with situations or feelings to help us determine whether or not we’ve integrated the lessons of that planet into our life. If that awareness doesn’t come from within us then we may unconsciously draw circumstances into our lives that help us figure it out.
The Chiron return then is about integrating what it means to be human, to have “wounds,” and finding ways of using our humanity to alleviate the suffering of others. It’s not about physically dying or becoming incapacitated but about consciously choosing to transcend those the things in our life that keep us restricted and bound up (Saturn) in order to move towards freedom, independence, and insight (Uranus).
There are two things that stand out for me out in Jim’s chart. The first is his Sun sqaured to Neptune. The Sun in Aquarius can be independent, unpredictable, and objective. The square aspect to Neptune, who’s function is dissolve, could indicate a personality that feels victimized, or one that doesn’t have a strong sense of self. The second thing I noticed in the chart is a T-square among the Moon, Mars, and Venus. The T-square is a configuration of stress, and the planets involved could suggest an individual who finds it very difficult to get his needs met in a relationship or finds it hard to express his real feelings.
When looking at challenging aspects in the chart and then considering the Chiron return my prognonsis is that this is a time when Jim needs to dig deeply into his subconcious mind to identify and deal with some of these unfulfilling patterns and work on tranforming them into something he can use to heal others. Having Chiron in the 8th house speaks of a wounding around emotional security. Because Chiron is the story of being abandoned by one’s father the issues Jim may expereince could be with his own father or parenting issues. It’s interesting that Jim mentions his new grandson. Not being the boy’s parent will give Jim much insight into human development and he may begin to notice family patterns starting to surface. Jim has an opportunity to heal his own father issues through the relationship with his grandson.
Jim, I wish you much joy and fulfillment in the future and hope you see the next few years as an opportunity to transform personal wounds into a healing tonic for those around you. Keep us posted!
Update: Jim emailed back on 3/26 to say:
I cannot start to thank you enough. You have made my day, and maybe even the rest of my life. You alone have taken me out of doubt. Is it possible for me to set up a date to visit you for a private consultation?
