Healing may not be so much about getting better, as about letting go of everything that isn’t you – all of the expectations, all of the beliefs – and becoming who you are.
Rachel Naomi Remen
On April 17th 2018, at approximately 9.30am GMT Chiron moves from the ethereal and indefinite waters of Pisces, to begin a new Astrological Cycle in the Cardinal Fire sign of Aries, where it will remain until April 2027.
Taking Fifty years to complete a full cycle of the horoscope, Chiron, maverick wanderer of our solar system, has been identified since his discovery with the archetype of the wounded healer.
His natal placement and cycle through the horoscope weaves a poignant story of both wounding and healing in our lives as we encounter our “differentness”, our “distance from the herd”, and our “expulsion from the garden” according to the sign, house and aspect of our natal Chiron, whilst images of ‘wandering’ accompany both the mythical Chiron and the physical asteroid that bears his name.
On December 6th 2017, very quietly, Chiron moved direct again, signalling the beginning of his departure from Pisces. Anyone with natal placements around 25 degrees of Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius or Pisces will have been experiencing challenging Chiron aspects over the last couple of years and will be glad to hear that closure of this particular phase is arriving.
I see Chiron as a powerful astrological indicator for healing in the chart, and his sign, house and aspects in the natal horoscope can give an acute insight into the life challenges and learning opportunities of the native. Yet, so often, it is the crisis triggered by the transits of Chiron that bring a person to seek astrological guidance, for they are prompted, like many of us, by the need for ease; they are carried by the pain that they are in, in the hope of finding some resolution to their suffering.
If you were born between the 31st March 1968 and the 29th March 1977, you probably have Chiron in Aries. As Chiron re-enters the sign that it was in at your birth, this means that within the next nine years, you will experience your “Chiron Return”, a rite of passage that we all encounter at fifty years of age.
Chironian themes become deeply personal in the first sign of the zodiac, our very existence questioned and challenged by the opinions of others and by our own indecision and vacillation. We struggle to form a cohesive identity, and sometimes it can take all our energy and effort to remind ourselves of who we are and that we have a right just to “be”.
Seen by others as fair minded and harmonious, the Chiron in Aries individual may well have fallen into trying to be all things to all people, as they often hate to disappoint and may spend their early lives striving to live up to the opinions of others, forgetting along the way, that it is only their own opinion of themselves which is really important.
Often a highly social person, the Chiron in Aries person, fears being alone, as if they anticipate that without the “reflection of other” they crave, they might actually cease to exist.
Relationships may often be sought to alleviate the personal pain they feel but may often disappoint. Rather than seeking to know their partner, they strive instead to realise themselves through the lens of another and may often become unhappy with what they do find.
In the following excerpts, I give a brief snapshot of the dynamic of Chiron in Aries through the houses. However, other Chiron signs will also find their own understanding of the house positions shown.
Chiron in the First House
The pain you have felt purely from being born into this world may have defined your whole approach to life. Feelings regarding the unacceptability and imperfection of your own, another physical body, may determine how you meet the world. You could define yourself through emotional, mental or physical disability. The understanding you have gained through your task of accepting your own self, warts and all, gives you compassion and empathy in relationships that are second to none. Even your presence may be a healing balm for those afflicted or in pain.
Chiron in the Second House
The pain you have felt regarding your value, talents and self worth has challenged you to develop a sense of personal wealth through avenues that others may have scorned. Unsure of your earning potential, skills, or intrinsic value, your task has been to recognise that you have been blessed with the very fact of your life here on earth. You understand, in ways that others may not, the longer time spans in operation, which gives you a deeply compassionate approach to the shortcomings of others. Your healing skills may well lie in working with people dying or suffering in ways that frighten and overwhelm others.
Chiron in the Third House
The pain you have experienced in your attempts at learning, communicating, and making yourself heard may have had its roots in the relationships formed between you and your siblings. School may have been a challenging experience; even now, you may feel unsure of expressing yourself clearly or learning confidently. However, the tasks that you have been faced with in this realm have led you to achieve a deep understanding of the power of communication to heal others, a gift which will help you to give and receive at a profound level with others as you seek to expand mutual boundaries through education, exploration and communication. In addition, assisting others to share their experiences will strengthen your ability to see yourself as an effective communicator, teacher and learner.
Chiron in the Fourth House
The pain that you have felt is likely to have had its roots deep within the family of origin, your ancestral line. However, once the challenges of developing a secure foundation have been met, you may also have been forced to form a sense of self built on your resources, rather than those handed down to you through your family line. This power to build on the ruins of the past gives you the gift of helping others to overcome their own difficulties. Your gift to others is that ability to shine a light for them into their own uncertain futures, so they can see that they have a deserved place in the world that awaits them.
Chiron in the Fifth House
The suffering you have encountered within your creative ability is a silence only you can feel. Your affinity with the profound pain of a deeply wounded sense of fun and creativity can often bring you the sense that whatever you create is flawed and unacceptable. Forced to seek approval in ways that others are not, you find your throne in the most far flung of kingdoms and recognise your people amongst crowds that others would ignore. Your gift is to teach others to find their niche and follow their dreams, as you can see the song that sings within their hearts.
Chiron in the Sixth House
The pain you have encountered through service to others and through the sacrifices you have had to make on a physical level gives you a profound understanding of the nature of pain. Yours is very much the position of the wounded healer. Through your deep understanding of the nature of personal pain, you can help those who have lost all hope. Your gift is to be able to guide others in discovering spiritual healing in the well waters of their own souls. By helping others to connect with their part in all of creation, you resolve your own wound of the need to heal the world.
Chiron in the Seventh House
After the wars for independence and autonomy that you have fought in the realm of relationships, your pain and suffering lead you into a place where you no longer struggle to heal yourself through others and where you are free to see your partner as they are, unencumbered by the reflection of yourself that you see in their face. In this way, you learn to stand side by side in love, equal partners, where none is the healer or the wounded, and where your greatest gift is the ability to relate, free of your projections, and to see at last that all that you are attracted to in others, is merely a reflection of your own power and beauty.
Chiron in the Eight House
After the challenges of learning to reveal your deepest feelings and your darkest passions and surrendering all that it means to you to be human, your pain and suffering lead you to an understanding of the true beauty of your soul. Your experiences may force you into the darkest places to instruct you on the intrinsic value and worth of your physical incarnation, but it will be a place where you will learn about the power of your own soul. Furthermore, your gift will allow you to surrender to those closest to you in a profound and intense way and to share the most passionate and sacred aspects of yourself, allowing you the intense and intimate unions that you have always dreamed of.
Chiron in the Ninth House
After searching high and low and far and wide for the answers to your questions, be it ancient texts, distant lands or every sparkling jewel of hidden information that beckons to you, your pain and suffering lead you to an unshakeable belief in your own self. You learn that the storehouse of knowledge accumulated in your travels allows you to disseminate your understanding through communication. Your gift is to recognise that your own experiences are a valuable resource for others to tap into and that it is now time to teach others, for to hoard your teaching as a miser would gold would render all your efforts a waste of time.
Chiron in the Tenth House
After the difficulties you have experienced in finding your place in the world, feeling comfortable with your position in society, and fighting the discomfort of a gnawing sense of unacceptability, you discover that your greatest suffering has led you to a place of great power. Your experiences have challenged you to take up your position as a societal healer and share your journey’s gift to assist others in their search. In this way, you give meaning to your existence and seal the connection between your ancestors and your future; you become a beacon for those who follow behind you.
Chiron in the Eleventh House
The painful challenge of finding a safe place to share your dreams and aspirations and to associate with like minded individuals may have led you to experiences of being scapegoated or ostracised for your views or beliefs. However, through your pain and suffering, you discover the healing that lies deep within your ability to accept your and others’ limitations. Recognising the painful reality of your imperfections brings the gift of acceptance, so you can help others manifest their dreams into the world and reveal their unique and creative skills.
Chiron in the Twelfth House
The pain and suffering that you may have encountered in the challenge to confront and release your own inner sense of impotence and hopelessness in the face of all the difficulty in the world have led you to accept that you are, first and foremost, a part of the greater whole and that within this understanding, you can give your humble gift of healing in your day to day life, showing others the futility of trying to escape, and the beautiful perfection of finding the spiritual truths in everyday life.
Header Photo-Estvan Kerekes.
Joanna-Kate Grant 