CHIRON

The Gods Reward Sacrifice

A tiny, bright comet whizzes through space like a fractal freak of nature. Breaking away from the deep space cordon of the centaur asteroid belt, this icy rock spins on its wild path alone, not yet captured by any planet. Discovered in 1977 By Charles Kowal, it was named Chiron, after the centaur in Greek Mythology.

In that narrative, Saturn took the form of a stallion in order to pursue and rape the beautiful nymph Philyra, and when Chiron was born, half-horse and half-human, she abandoned him in disgust. Fortunately, the Sun god Apollo adopted Chiron, protected him, and gave him the knowledge of music, prophecy, poetry and healing. Apollo’s love showed Chiron how to love others.

Chiron grew to be a consummate teacher to the sons of kings and many of the most famous Greek heroes, including Jason, Asclepius, Achilles and Hercules. Chiron was given immortality, but it backfired on him. During a battle with some other rampaging centaurs, Hercules accidentally wounded his mentor Chiron with a poisoned arrow. The injury never healed, and Chiron was in constant pain, wishing for death.

Hercules brokered a deal so that Chiron could sacrifice himself for Prometheus, releasing him from Zeus’ punishment, since only an immortal could exchange places with the fire-giver, who was chained to a rock as lunch for eagles. Chiron voluntarily gave up his immortality and died on the rock. However, he was not sent to Haides, but given an revered place among the stars in the constellation Sagittarius.

Chiron earned the title of a “wounded healer” because of the way he lived his life. Since 1977, six other centaur-asteroids from the Kuniper Belt, some larger, have been discovered, but Chiron travels alone, swinging from inside Saturn’s orbit to outside Uranus’ in an eccentric route that takes 50 years to complete. In 1996, Chiron reached perihelion inside the orbit of Saturn, and is now Uranus-bound.

Astrologers see Chiron as the eldest and the most civilized centaur in a tribe of otherwise barbaric nomads. Chiron is the beast who has risen up to embrace his humanity, eschewing his animalistic brethren and is trying to find redemption by healing others. Only after the cruel rejection of his birth and unbearable pain of his life could he fulfill his destiny and get his final reward of grace and honor among the gods.

What Chiron teaches us is that the hardest experience of your life can also be your greatest treasure, and bring out the best in you. Chiron’s place in your chart is a place of pain, but also awareness and rebirth. It is knowledge gained through agonizing experience that can be shared with others while sparing them from going through it themselves.

Chiron’s natal position tells you where your tender, (as of yet) unhealed wound lies. If Chiron is in Aries, the will is damaged; in Taurus, it’s the body image; Chiron in Gemini means trust is betrayed; A Cancer Chiron’s own emotions hurt them; When Chiron is in Leo, creativity and leadership are impaired. Virgo Chiron is wounded by the truth; in Libra’s Chiron, love itself is the wound. Passion costs the Scorpio Chiron pain, and Sagittarius Chirons are lamed by self-doubt. Chiron in Capricorn puts panic into core beliefs, while in Aquarius, Chiron gets completely ostracized. Poor Pisces Chirons have lost their way, can’t navigate the heavy seas of memories.

Chiron reveals our emotional and psychological wounds, from our earliest memories. Aspects to Chiron in a chart describe who or what helps a person heal (flowing aspects) or what people and events further perpetrate the wounding (hard aspects).

This asteroid is a very powerful tool to help us pinpoint the source of our pain and feelings of rejection. The centaur can also show us the place where we have been physically wounded, or are vulnerable to attack by our enemies, and how to reconcile them.

Although I haven’t taken this position myself, many people assign this asteroid to Virgo as its new ruler. Why not? Virgo rules both health and illness and Chiron rules the process of healing. Virgo is the sign of service and Chiron shows where we can be of service to others with knowledge gained by being wounded. Virgos are orphans, like Chiron, and need the consideration of a kindly mentor to show them how powerful they can be.

 

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