Chiron - The Archetype of The Wounded Healer and Your Soul Key

When Chiron travels through a sign it will bring to the surface the deepest wounds. It's just completed its transit through the sign of Capricorn (from Jan 2002 until March 2005). Capricorn is rued by Saturn so this indicates the father, authority, parent, ancestor.

Now it's in the sign of Aquarius and stirring up wounds around being part of the human race, of being in a group. Aquarius also is a fixed air sign, so it is our deeply held fixed beliefs and ideas.

To understand Chiron we need to look at his story.

THE MYTH
Chiron was a centaur, half man and half horse and unusual because he was wise and civilised. He was the child of Cronos (Saturn) and Phyllra. Saturn, king of the gods at the time was highly sexed and chased all the goddesses. Phyllra was a nymph who tried to escape from him by turning herself into a horse. But Saturn found her, turned himself into a horse and raped her.

Chiron was born half human and half horse. Phyllra refused to even look at her baby, calling him an abomination. So Chiron was rejected by his mother.

He was the priest king of the centaurs and was adopted by Apollo, the Sun God who was his teacher (see pic above). Chiron became brave, warm hearted with healing skills. He was the astrologer-teacher, the mentor who initiated heroes including Achilles, Orpheus, Jason and Hercules. He became their mentor and like a foster parent to them.

One day at a party he gets accidentally wounded by a poisoned arrow dropped by Hercules onto his thigh. In agonising pain he could not heal himself, nor could he die because he was half immortal.

Eventually the gods let him swap places with Prometheus, who was being punished daily. Chiron was willing to give up his immortality so Prometheus could be released. This act of heroism was rewarded by the gods who placed him in the heavens as the constellation of Sagittarius.

"Chiron also considers the ultimate act of heroism to be the transformation of self. In this regard the mythological god, Chiron, gave up his immortality in order to save another, stating in mythological terms that the teacher must die in order for the student to truly live.” Dan Sewell Ward, see his website www.halexandria.org

Chiron's story is about shame. Chiron is rejected by his mother simply for being himself. And often Chiron's placement in the natal chart indicates where we are carrying some deep shame about who we are. What isn't perfect about us often becomes an incredible cross to bear. And even if we work hard to hide it or deny it, that shame lurks in the shadows, waiting to erupt. And when Chiron connects with a personal planet it gets triggered.

CHIRON KEYWORDS
Maverick, Holistic Healer, Ecologist, Mentor, Rainbow Bridge, Shaman.

THE ASTRONOMY
Chiron has an affinity with Sagittarius and also with Virgo as the sign connected with healing and medicine. It has a very elliptical orbit of 50 years and it originated from the Kuiper Belt near Pluto. This area is full of cosmic debris, thought by many to be left over from the Big Bang, the Creation. Pluto represents the Underworld, or what lies hidden and buried from us deep in the unconscious mind.

Chiron orbits between Saturn and Uranus.
The last visible planet in our solar system, Saturn is pure form, structure, past orientated and totally predictable. Saturn is Old Father Time and Death, the ending of all things. Uranus represents the Rebel, the eccentric, the future and is totally unpredictable. Uranus is out to shock and cares nothing for morals. Thus Saturn v Uranus represents the old versus the new. The old fogy versus the teenager. Chiron acts as a Bridge between these energies. It’s aim is to bring structure to innovative ideas.

HEALING THE CHIRON STORY
Human beings are story tellers. We need to let others tell their stories so we can appreciate their efforts, their struggles and their successes. But if the story is being repeated constantly then it's time to look at what lies at its root.

The dark stories come from the unconscious which speaks to us through metaphors and symbols. Once understood they can be reframed and the mind shown that it's now helpful to let go of its long held beliefs.

I recommend Healing your Story with a Psychology of Vision workshop as the place of safety that allow this deep healing. See my Home page for those I facilitate. Also see the section called Healing your Story>