Tag: Chiron

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What is Your Chiron Archetype?

In my previous blog post, I briefly introduced the 3 Chiron archetypes: the Wounded Healer, the Shaman, and the Alchemist.

The 3 archetypes represent the transcendental journey of the soul: we firstly suffer and explore our primal wound (the Wounded Healer). We then attempt to heal it and embrace it (the Shaman). Only after we explore the first two Chiron archetypes can we transcend the wound and turn it into a gift (the Alchemist).

You can resonate with one, two, or all 3 Chiron developmental archetypes, depending on where you are in life with your wound and your life’s circumstances.

Your Chiron Archetype

Let’s take some examples.

I will share with you 3 stories – one for each Chiron archetype.

The Wounded Healer: The Wounded Healer describes our first experiences with the primal wound. In this stage, the wound is not yet acknowledged.

Adriana, one of my friends, was born with Chiron in her 4th house, the house of home, family, roots and nurturing. Because she was born in a large family, she never got the level of nurturing she needed. At a deep level, she didn’t feel taken care of.

When she grew up, she decided to become a doctor. Becoming a doctor was her way of coping with the pain. She wanted to take care of others so she could experience, over and over again, the primal wound of nurturing.

Years passed. She tried hard to take good care of her patients, but no matter what, she felt like a fraud. There were always people suffering, people dying, and she thought that if she would only work hard enough, she would feel better about herself. But that never happened. What she was really doing, was taking less and less care of herself. She was not healing her wound, but going into a downward spiral of self-destruction.

One day, she had a wake-up call and decided to completely change her career, so that she could have more time for herself. Her life changed for the better, but her initial struggles to deal with her wound without fully understanding it are characteristic of the Wounded Healer archetype.

The Shaman: The Shaman describes our ‘healing crisis’. A healing crisis, or healing reaction, is a temporary worsening of symptoms when we go through the process of healing. In this phase, we become aware of the wound, and in this way, we finally heal it.

You usually experience this phase when you go through a Chiron transit. The Chiron return at the age of 50 is the most important transit, but you can also experience it when you have a Chiron square, a Chiron opposition or when Chiron transits other planets in your natal chart.

I have a personal story with this archetype. As I mentioned in my previous email, I was born with Chiron on my ascendant. I was transitioning from childhood to adolescence when I had my first Chiron square, and like many other adolescents, I started developing acne.

The first Chiron square usually brings changes to the physical body. Girls have their first period, boys’ voices change.

I was very aware of my acne problem and I started putting foundation to my face to try and hide it. Years passed, and my friends’ skin got cleared, but mine did not. I started piling on more and more foundation to hide my pimples.

I tried everything to heal it – medication, healthy diets, sports, yoga, spiritual healing, homeopathy. But no matter what I did, the pimples didn’t go away. I am still grateful for my first attempts to heal the wound because in the process of healing I developed several healthy habits that still make my life so much better now.

Finally, one day I decided to stop wearing foundation. In the beginning, I was horrified. I still remember when I first left the house, without any makeup. I felt so vulnerable! Only a few weeks later, my face cleared up.

The Shaman describes our attempts to heal the wound. Ultimately, we heal the wound when we accept it and integrate it within us.

The Alchemist: in this phase, we transcend the wound and turn it into something greater. No one is born an Alchemist. We firstly need to go through and learn from the previous phases – only then we are able to transform the wound into a gift.

Becoming an Alchemist is not about trying to heal the wound. You know you are an Alchemist when there is no more conflict. This phase is about effortlessly shining out your light. It is about giving back and healing others, from a place of awareness and compassion.

My client Tom was born with Chiron in the 10th house, the house of status, career, and the role you choose to play in the world. His grandfather and father were very successful businessmen and powerful leaders. In the first 48 years of his life, this is exactly what he tried to become. He graduated from a top university, got a job in a top company and worked hard to climb the corporate ladder. He didn’t want to disappoint his father.

But no matter how hard he tried, he never reached the top. Yes, he was earning a top salary, and he even became an advisor to the board of management, but he never became a leader himself. He was in fact intimidated by power and always struggled when he tried to assert himself.

His father died a few years ago and while he suffered a big loss, he also felt a sense of relief. When he had his Chiron return, he decided to leave the corporate world to become a Kung Fu master. He finally realized that he was never the assertive, powerful leader his father was – his best weapon was his defense, was his ability to stay strong in times of struggle.

He feels happy and accomplished now. Although he finally got the status and the respect he was looking for in his early life, he doesn’t care about it anymore. His passion is to help other people become strong and resilient. He turned his wound into a gift.

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Chiron in Aries – Your Deepest Wound, Your Greatest Gift

Imagine what your life would be like if you healed your deepest wound. Chiron’s long stay in Aries is your opportunity to heal your deepest wound and turn it into your greatest gift.

Chiron in Aries is one of the most anticipated transits of the year. Chiron moves into Aries on 17th of April 2018 and leaves Aries on 14th of April 2027. Chiron moves back into Pisces for a few months later this year, and spends a few more months in Taurus, before finally moving out of Aries in 2027. But all in all, Chiron is here for a long stay.

Aries is the first sign of the zodiac. Aries stands for “I am, I exist”. Aries is probably the most important transit for Chiron, because it’s the longest. Chiron spends very little time in some signs (only 1.5 years in Libra, for example)… but spends up to 8 years in Aries.

Chiron spends so much time in Aries because it has perhaps more work to do here than in any other sign. Aries is the Self. This is where it hurts the most. Wounds related to our identity, to our sense of the Self, take a long time to heal.

If in Pisces, your lesson was to surrender to your pain, to find a higher meaning in your suffering, in Aries, you will want to finally do something about your wound and take personal ownership for your healing.

Chiron crossing the 0° of the zodiac marks a new beginning for all of us.

Chiron archetype comes from the Greek mythology. Chiron was the son of Saturn and the nymph Philyra. Born half man, half horse, Chiron is rejected by his mother. Abandoned by his parents, Chiron suffers his first wound.

Apollo, the god of music, prophecy, medicine, and healing, adopts Chiron and teaches him everything he knows. Chiron carries the Appolo’s legacy forward – and discovers botany and pharmacy, the science of herbs and medicine.

Chiron was highly skilled, educated and kind. But the irony was that even if he could heal everyone else, Chiron couldn’t heal himself.

Ultimately, Chiron gives up his immortality to help Prometheus, who was chained to a rock. Gods agree to release Chiron from suffering and let him die. Upon his death, Chiron is released from his wound that would never heal and honored with the constellation of Centaurus, one of the largest constellations in the sky.

When Chiron gave up his immortality, ironically – he became immortal. Your deepest wound eventually becomes your greatest gift, your legacy, what you leave behind for generations to come.

Chiron rising in the sky and transforming into a beautiful constellation is a message that while your greatest gift can only rise from pain and suffering – this gift is much more than your pain and your suffering.

Chiron, this half-horse, half-God maverick, represents our hope that we can unite the instinctual animal part of ourselves with the divine, immortal part of ourselves.

Healing takes time and awareness. Chiron stands for the different stages of soul development.

Chiron symbolizes our deepest wound – that deep, dark part of us that we’re not only hiding from others – but also from ourselves.

Chiron symbolizes our attempts – conscious and unconscious – to heal this wound.

Last but not least, Chiron represents the key to our spiritual transformation, what we do to transcend our physical, emotional or intellectual limitations.

The house where you have Chiron in your natal chart shows your primal wound – the wound your soul has been called to heal in this lifetime.

Most of us suffer in silence. While you may think you have a miserable life compared to your neighbor, your colleague, or the beautiful movie star on the cover of the magazine, remember that we all have Chiron somewhere in our natal chart. All of us come into this life with a wound to heal.

And all of us came with a promise. That if we would only heal this wound, if we would only allow that divine spark inside each one of us to come out, then we will finally understand what our purpose in this life is.

prayerkey

By healing your wound, you are healing the world. By bringing your gift out of the shadows, you are making the world a better place.

There are 3 expressions of Chiron energy, corresponding to the 3 Chiron archetypes:

  1. The 1st expression of Chiron is the Wounded Healer. The energy is similar to Saturn. You cannot heal yourself unless you know where it hurts. The first stage of healing is acknowledging the wound. And although you might think you know what your problem is, you most probably don’t. If only it was that simple! The Wounded Healer is the dormant, unconscious expression of Chiron.
  2. The 2nd Chiron archetype is the Shaman – this is the intermediate expression of Chiron, representing the struggle to accept that pain is part of life, but also the opportunity that comes with this awareness. In this stage of Chironic development, we start to acknowledge our wound, and attempt to heal it. All the struggles we humans go through happen because we fail to integrate the broken parts inside of us. Think about the big decisions in your life, your failures, and missed opportunities. There was one part of you who wanted something, and another part who wanted something else. There are parts of you which you love and accept, and parts of you which you despise and try to dissociate from. But unless you learn to bring together all these broken parts, you can never bring to light your highest potential.
  3. The 3rd Chiron archetype is the Alchemist. The energy is similar to Uranus. This is the highest expression of Chiron. In this form, Chiron has transcended his limitations. He has healed his wound and transformed it into a gift. Just like Chiron transformed into the constellation of Centaurus, the Alchemist-Chiron is a symbol of transcendence, of reaching a higher level of awareness.
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Chiron in Aries 2018-2027 – You are Here for a Reason

Chiron in Aries 2018 – 2027

Chiron in Aries transit is one of the most important events of 2018. Chiron will enter Aries on 18 April 2018 and will leave Aries on 14 April 2027.

Chiron goes retrograde on 5 July 2018 and moves back into Pisces from 26 September 2018 to 18 February 2019.

During its long stay in Aries, Chiron does not make any major aspects with slow-moving planets. This means that Chiron will express itself freely, in all its might.

The only aspects Chiron makes to slow-moving planets are a conjunction to Jupiter in 2023 and a conjunction to the North Node in 2024.

Both Jupiter and the North Node are related to growth and expansion.

Chiron, Jupiter and the North Node in Aries will bring opportunities to heal our identity. The awareness of self-healing will increase. In the coming years, we will have more healers, shamans and energy workers.

We can have a boost of spiritual movements between 2023-2024. More people will choose to leave behind the old identification of the self and embrace a new identity, a new name, a new outlook on life. “Born again” movements can intensify.

If you are born between 1969 and 1977 you will have your Chiron return.

A Chiron return always takes place around the age of 50.

This is one of the major milestones in one’s life. It is associated with a healing crisis. Around this age, you become less concerned with the material pursuits and more interested in immaterial, spiritual pursuits.

Chiron – the Key to the Zodiac

Chiron has an irregular orbit and spends more time in some signs than in others. Chiron can transit a sign from anywhere between 1,5 years to 9 years. Chiron spends the most time in Pisces and Aries (8 to 9 years).

This is interesting because Pisces is the last sign of the zodiac, and Aries the first sign of the zodiac.

Chiron spends the most time in these two signs because this is where he has to work hardest. Connecting the end of everything (Pisces) to the beginning of all possibilities (Aries) is not an easy task, but if there is someone that can embark on this journey, that is Chiron.

In this way, Chiron acts like a link between the unconscious and the conscious, between materiality and immateriality.

The same theme (of linking two different realms of existence) emerges if we study Chiron’s orbit.

Chiron orbits between Saturn (the last visible planet) and Uranus (the first transpersonal planet). By orbiting between Saturn and Uranus, Chiron links our personal experience to the collective experience.

Last but not least, the duality is also linked to mythology. Chiron was a Centaurus – half God, half horse, signifying the animal and the God coming together in one entity.

Whenever Chiron triggers your natal chart by transit, a healing crisis occurs.

Ultimately, Chiron’s role is to break, but also to put back together different forms of existence.

Chiron is the alchemist of the zodiac. Chiron breaks everything only to find a higher, a superior order.

Chiron in Aries – the Identity Wound

Chiron in Aries is where you feel you don’t have the right to be yourself. Aries is concerned exactly with the affirmation of the self but Chiron will challenge this affirmation of the self, with the purpose of finding a higher order.

Aries is the 1st sign of the zodiac – is all about the individual, about impulse, passion, instinct, “Me first” attitude.

Aries in where we assert ourselves, where we go for what we want, where we draw borders to express our uniqueness.

Aries is the very first sprout to emerge from the soil in the spring, choosing life, choosing to ‘get out there’ into the world and express itself.

Chiron is where we feel wounded, ashamed, broken and inadequate.

Chiron will challenge Aries’ expression of the self, expression of individuality.

Chiron in Aries is about the greatest wounds of all – the wound of identity.

The wound of identity is when we feel we don’t have the right to exist. This is the most painful wounds of all because it is the most difficult to grasp.

We are all born with the wound of identity. When we are babies, we hardly have an identity. We are the result of the genetic makeup of our parents.

As we grow up, if our self-expression is encouraged, we slowly develop our unique identity.

But it’s not easy. Our parents may – rightly so – see us as an extension of themselves, and may have difficulties in acknowledging that we are a different human being. It is not their fault! They do this because they want to protect us.

But trying to force the child to become anything else but what they were born to be, is incredibly damaging to the sense of the child’s self. Stifling a child’s individuality is more damaging on long-term than neglect and even violence.

People who have the most challenging forms of psychosis usually come from upbringings where they were not allowed to be themselves, to express their uniqueness.

Symptoms of the identity wound

  • “I am nobody” – an overall feeling of emptiness and disconnection
  • “I am not enough” – a desire to “prove” oneself
  • “If I don’t fit in, I don’t exist” – a desire to be liked by everyone
  • A tendency to copy other people, but at the same time a lack of defining role models
  • A desire to get unnoticed, a fear of expressing one’s opinions and beliefs
  • Difficulty to connect with one’s body or feelings
  • …or on the contrary, a desperation to prove one’s uniqueness by behaving odd, or by adopting a strange appearance or mannerism
  • A tendency to hurt oneself, physically or psychologically – self-inflicted wounds, abuse of drugs and medication, feeling ‘numb’

How to Overcome the Wound of Identity with Chiron in Aries

What can you do about your feelings of worthlessness? Can the wound of identity be healed?

No achievement, no money or glory can heal this wound – because being you is not about becoming something you are not, but is about learning to accept that it is OK to be you!

Chiron in Aries 2018 transit

Chiron in Aries will ask us to address and heal – once and for all – the wound of identity, a wound that we are all born with.

Chiron in Aries is about taking responsibility for your existence, is about being present with your wounds, with your pain and with your shame.

Show yourself despite the pain. You are going to feel it, no doubt. But no matter what, you need to show yourself, do what you need to do, take a step forward, to BE YOU.

You are Here for a Reason

Your existence is the very proof you deserve to BE. There is a reason why out of billions of genetic possibilities, it was YOU who made it.

Yes, not only you have the right to exist, but you are here for a reason. You were born with a unique mission.

You were born to express the divine in your unique way, to live through your unique gifts, talents, and skills. You are much more than you think. The stars, the whole universe collided so you could be here today.

“I finally found my real name
I won’t be me when you see me again
No, I won’t be my father’s son

I’m more than you know
I’m more than you see here
More than you let me be
I’m more than you know
A body in a soul
You don’t see me but you will
I am not invisible
U2 – Invisible”

When you allow your true self to shine through, there is no more pain, there is no more wound. You achieve self-realization.

Self-realization happens when all the broken parts of you come together to form a whole.

But you need to put ALL these parts together. Yes, even those you are ashamed of. They are part of you too, they are part of your story.

By allowing them to exist, you allow yourself to exist. And this is how you find the key, the higher order, the higher meaning of your existence.

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New Moon In Pisces – We’re In This Together

New Moon in Pisces 17 March 2018

We have a bittersweet New Moon in Pisces at 26° on Saturday, March 17th 2018.

The closest aspect the New Moon makes is a conjunction to Chiron, the wounded healer. Chiron has been in Pisces for 8 years now. Chiron will leave Pisces to move into Aries as of April 18th 2018.

We are now delving into the last lessons of Chiron in Pisces, and this lesson is particularly important, because the New Moon will bring it to the surface, whether we like it or not.

A New Moon is the magical moment when the two luminaries, the most important bodies in the sky – the Sun and the Moon – come together to start a new chapter, to write a new story.

We have a New Moon in Pisces only once in a year. Only once we are given the opportunity to delve into the waters of Pisces, to explore a whole universe, mysterious and neverending.

Pisces is the trickiest sign to describe – they are the chameleon of the zodiac.

Pisces absorb the energy around them. Whatever you are feeling, they are feeling too. And if you don’t feel a thing, they don’t either! Because they have a strange ability to become one with the world around them, Pisces can be everything or nothing.

New Moon in Pisces 2018

New Moon in Pisces is Conjunct Chiron, the Wounded Healer

Pisces is the sign of the sacrifice.

In this regard, Pisces and Chiron have quite a bit in common.

Maybe you are familiar with the archetype of Chiron, the wounded healer.

The archetype comes from an episode from the famous Greek legend, when Hercules accidentally shoots Chiron with a poisonous arrow coated with the blood of Hydra.

Arrows coated with the blood of Hydra were known to cause painful wounds that would never heal. But because Chiron was immortal, he could never die. But he was also not able to heal.

That’s why Chiron in your natal chart shows that wound that never heals. Chiron’s wounds are not your fault, they are not the result of your bad actions. Chiron had to suffer simply because he was born immortal. Chiron is that wound you cannot do anything about.

But there is a twist to Chiron’s story. Ultimately, the Gods agree to release Chiron from suffering and let him die, by allowing him to replace Prometheus on the mountain Tartarus.

Upon his death, Chiron was released from his wound that would never heal and honored with the constellation of Centaurus, one of the largest constellations in the sky.

When Chiron gave up his immortality, ironically – he became immortal.

Your deepest wounds may never heal, but they eventually become your greatest gifts, your legacy, what you leave behind for generations to come.

By embracing your wounds, you allow them to become part of you, by owning them, they stop having power over you.

In Pisces, personal wounds become universal wounds. There is no more “my pain” or “your pain” but the pain we all share, the pain of the universe and all that dwells therein.

Chiron in Pisces and the Illusion of Separation

And the beauty of this is that in sharing the pain with the world, the illusion of separation disappears. In pain, as well as in love, there is no more “me”, there is no more “you”, there is only “us”.

Healing happens when you strip down the ego to become one with the world. Healing is being on the same wavelength as the universe.

When you meditate for example and focus on your breath, you are in fact aligning your natural rhythm (inhalation, exhalation) with the rhythm of the universe (expansion contraction).

Arts, dancing, listening to music are nothing else but our attempts to be on the same frequency with the universe. It is in that space of connectedness where your broken parts can come together, where healing is possible.

The New Moon in Pisces is about being together – in pain, in pleasure, in vitality, in sickness – caring about each other.

The New Moon in Pisces is not only conjunct Chiron, but also square Mars and trine Jupiter.

The square to Mars – who is now in the last degree of Sagittarius – is tough, and it hurts.

When something bleeds, it requires your immediate attention. Mars can tear apart your soul and your self-identification (you ego), but fortunately you are not left alone in this struggle.

Jupiter, the co-ruler of the New Moon, applies a beautiful trine aspect to the New Moon. There is hope after all. Healing will come, eventually.

How to Heal the Chironic Wound

Many of us have experienced the pain of separation during Chiron’s stay in Pisces. In the past 8 years, Chiron showed us where we find it difficult to connect with the world at large.

The pain of separation is when no matter what you do, you cannot connect with the world, when no matter how hard you try, something inside of you is “off”.

Chiron in Pisces has been asking us to heal the wound of separation, by learning to be vulnerable, to trust others, to connect with the world from a place of authenticity and truth.

Pain can be healed if you immerse into it, if you let yourself go. Remember, separation is only an illusion.

If you’ve been resisting the process, the New Moon in Pisces is your chance to make peace with your wound of separation.

If you have embraced your wound, the New Moon is the time to put it into use. How can you bring the awareness, the healing that came with it, to the next level?

Trent Reznor, the leadsinger of NIN (and a Chiron in Pisces native) captured beautifully the pain – and the bliss – of Chiron in Pisces.

“The farther I fall I’m beside you
As lost as I get I will find you
The deeper the wound I’m inside you
For ever and ever I’m a part of

You and me
We’re in this together now
We will make it through somehow
You and me
If the world should break in two
Until the very end of me
Until the very end of you

NIN – We’re in this together

How the New Moon in Pisces Will Affect You

You will feel the energy of the New Moon stronger if you have planets between 26°-29° in mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces).

The energy of the New Moon will feel familiar to you if Chiron plays an important role in you natal chart (is conjunct Sun, Moon or chart ruler).

Have a look at which house in your natal chart the New Moon takes place to see which area of your life needs healing.

You can find other 2018 new moon blogs on the New and Full Moons 2018 page.

Listen to the New Moon In Pisces – We’re In This Together below

You can find other weekly astrology podcasts by Astro Butterfly on the Weekly Astro Butterfly Astrology Podcast page.

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Triple Conjunction: Mercury Venus Chiron in Pisces – Invisible Ties

On March 4th we have a rare alignment: Mercury, Venus and Chiron meet up at 27° Pisces. On the same day, just few hours earlier, we have another exact alignment: Sun conjunct Neptune at 13° Pisces.

This is a lot of Piscean energy to deal with. Let’s go back for a moment to the symbolism of Pisces. The Pisces symbol is two fish tied together by a rope. Yet, the two fish swim (or at least, try to swim) in completely different directions – one swimming toward individuality, and the other towards universality.

Pisces is the last sign of the zodiac, a symbol for a journey that has come to an end. At the crossroads, we have two choices: to go back into the material realm and restart the cycle or incarnations, or to leave behind the material realm to become one with the spirit.

Pisces does not give us the answer to this struggle, it simply depicts the struggle of having one foot in the ‘real’ world and the other in the invisible world. Wherever you have Pisces in your natal chart, that is a place of restlessness and ambivalence.

Now let’s have a closer look at the triple conjunction – Venus, Mercury and Chiron at 27° Pisces.

Triple conjunctions (three planets lined up at the same degree of the zodiac) are very rare and therefore highly significant. What makes this conjunction special is the link to Chiron. Chiron will move in Aries on April 17th so this is the last time Chiron meets up with Venus and Mercury in the last sign of the zodiac for the next 50 years.

The ‘key’ to understanding this triple conjunction is Chiron itself. Mercury and Venus are personal planets and they are much more accessible to us.

Mercury represents our mind, how we make sense of the world around us, how we communicate with others, how we express ourselves.

Venus represents how we relate to others, how we make connections with the outside world. If Mercury is concerned strictly with exchange of information, Venus wants to make something valuable with this information – to establish exchanges, to negotiate, to give and take.

That’s why Venus is not only connected to love and beauty, but also with money and possessions. Venus is our unit of value exchange.

Therefore, Mercury and Venus coming together are concerned with exchange of information (Mercury) about what we value, about what is important to us (Venus).

Chiron is a different ‘animal’ altogether and probably the most cryptic astrological significator in one’s chart. While Uranus, Neptune and Pluto (the transpersonal planets) are even more enigmatic than Chiron, they are completely inaccessible to us. Chiron comes with the potential to be – at least to a certain extent – grasped within the limitations of the human mind.

To understand the nature of Chiron we need to keep in mind that Chiron orbits between Saturn and Uranus. Saturn is the most material planet, the last planet visible with a naked eye. Saturn represents the highest form of our ‘mortal’ existence.

Uranus on the other hand is on a higher order. Uranus breaks free from the limitations of the material world – Uranus represents liberation from the chains of what is holding us down here on Earth.

Chiron is therefore KEY, the link between the world as we know and the higher realm of consciousness.

Chiron rules our DNA, which is nothing more than the ‘code’ passed down from one generation to another. This code represents that part of us that never dies, that information that cannot be destroyed. When nothing else is left of our bodies, we still live through our children, a part of us is still manifesting and unfolding with each coming generation.

The reason we keep on passing on a part of ourselves is to bring the potential of our human existence to the highest possible form of manifestation. 

And that’s why Chiron is connected to the concept of Gifts. Only the strongest sequences or our DNA are passed on to the next generations, so they can become stronger and stronger, and come closer and closer to ‘perfection’.

But until we learn how to integrate this genetic information that has been passed on to us and to bring it to a higher order of manifestation (the Uranian side of Chiron), Chironian gifts can feel like wounds.

The enigmatic “Las Meninas” by Velazquez is one of the most important paintings of the all time.

Las_Meninas,_by_Diego_Velázquez Chiron

The painting depicts a scene from the Spanish court of king Philip IV. The young princess in the center of the scene is Infanta Margaret, the daughter of the king and queen of Spain and the heiress to the throne. Apparently, the whole scene and all the characters revolve around the little princess.

If we look more closely however, we notice a painting in the background of the scene showing the king and the queen of Spain who are the little princess’ parents. If we take an even closer look, we notice that this is not a painting, but a mirror. The mirror in fact shows a reflection from the painting Velazquez (the painter in the left side) is working on. He is actually painting the royal couple!

The main character of the scene is not Infanta Margaret anymore, but her parents. The royal couple is posing in front of the scene as Velazques paints them, while their daughter and several other characters watch. The painting therefore shows their view of the scene. Of the nine figures depicted, five are looking directly out at the royal couple. Their glances which seek for approval, affirm the royal couple’s presence and potency. 

The painting was commissioned by the king himself. He chose not to have himself or the queen painted. At least at the first sight, they are missing from the artwork. However, if we dig deeper and understand the cryptic composition of the scene, we understand that they are the ones in the center of everything. Their power is unquestionable. Their power is what gives everything meaning.

But again, the painting says more than that. Although the royal couple’s power is unquestionable, they are merely a reflection in the mirror. The future is in front of them. Infanta Margaret, the future Queen of Spain, will pass on their power to the next generations. Infanta is still a child, and although she doesn’t have yet any real authority, she has the promise of power encoded in her genes.

The triple conjunction between Mercury, Venus and Chiron will give us ‘access’ to one of our gifts. As we described earlier, Mercury and Venus are accessible planets. They will bring to our awareness Chiron’s otherwise cryptic information.

Just as Las Meninas becomes more and more accessible to us as we look at it, some highly important pieces of information about who we are, and what we are meant to become in this lifetime, will be revealed to us.

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Venus Turns Direct – The Sleeping Beauty Awakens

Venus turns direct after 6 weeks of retrograde motion. For the first time in 40 days, she begins moving in forwarding motion.

After spending “40 days in the desert” in introspection, Venus has seen in all – and has finally decided to “move on” and catch on speed.

Venus direct

The direct station of Venus is about manifesting a new feminine identity. Irrespective of gender, the YIN part of your psyche will experience an awakening.

If in the inception phase, the seed has been planted at the time Venus met the Sun in the sky, this time, when Venus turns direct, the seed is blooming into a beautiful flower, just like Venus grows brighter and brighter in the morning sky.

From now until Venus reaches her greatest morning elongation, you will feel at ease with your Feminine Self. During the next 50 days, this urge of feminine individuation will make you take full responsibility for your feelings and choices.

You are now brave and you know what you want – as you had enough time to ponder on matters of the heart or personal values during the retrograde period, you now feel that after all that introspection, it’s time to act upon your values and your feelings.

The only danger during this Venus phase is the danger of entitlement. You may have a tendency to think that all you need to do is “show up” and expect things from others just because “you are you”.

On the other hand, just like Venus is catching up on speed, you are also open to change, open to “do the work” and move to the next thing with confidence.

But just before the Sleeping Beauty awakens, you have one more trial. As Venus turns direct at 26 degrees in Pisces, she has to face for the last time the Pain of  Separation (the last Venus square to Saturn in a series of 3) and the Wound of the Heart (Venus conjunct Chiron). The aspect will last for up to one week because of the slow motion of both Venus and Saturn.

Before she turned retrograde on March 25th, Venus, just like princess Aurora pricked her finger on the spinning wheel and fell asleep, Venus let her heart get stung by Chiron.

Now, when she finally awakens, we have the same scenario, as Chiron in wandering in the sky around the same mathematical degree as Venus. Or, do we?

The last weeks have been painful. We were asked to revisit our Wounds and go deep into the pain. And, “thanks” to Saturn, we’ve been asked to go as deep as we can, until there is no more place to go.

But this time, as Venus awakens and lets herself get stung for one last time, things are quite different.

You’ve already opened your heart to the pain, and as a result of confronting those almost forgotten, but now exposed – wounds, you are now a different person. You’ve made peace with those parts of you – the guilt, the shame, the inadequacy – and you’ve learned to live with them. And by learning to live with them, you are now ready to live without them. You are now clear about what you truly value and about what you really need.

 

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Sun Conjunct Chiron – Feed The Hungry Horses

Sun Conjunct Chiron – the Deeper Meaning of This Aspect

Sun conjunct Chiron represents the instinct of the human spirit seeking to manifest itself and leave something immaterial behind. Our spirit seeking manifestation represents our “gift to the world”.

Often called “the wounded healer”, Chiron expresses itself at its fullest when linked to the Sun. The Sun is our individuality, what makes us unique, what separates us from the others.

Sun Conjunct Chiron - Astro Butterfly

Sun conjunct Chiron stands for authenticity, for the utmost expression of our uniqueness. Because the Sun when touched by Chiron cannot hide his wound, this process –  if handled well – ultimately leads to undying beauty and authenticity.

The process of learning about your true self, the process of becoming what you are meant to be, cannot be an easy one. Hence the wound.

Let’s take the example of pearls. Do you know how they are made? A parasite tries to work its way into the oyster. As a defense mechanism, a fluid is used to stop the intruder. Layer upon layer of coating is deposited, until a lustrous pearl is formed.

The process take years. For years and years the mussel has to fight an endangering force. And after years of struggling, something amazingly beautiful emerges.

So many times we fail to see that it is our shadow, our “handicap”, that is the keeper of our greatest power. But for this, you must find the strength to open the wound and pull out the core of the pain that is buried inside. You need to bring the pain out!

The path to self-mastery is about recognizing our inner pain and bringing it to the “next level”. Chiron triggers our deepest wounds and pains. But it is through our pain, that we have the opportunity to hold a larger perspective.

Chiron – the Link Between Heaven and Hell, the Conscious and the Unconscious

Ultimately, Chiron’s purpose is to restore wholeness – that’s why Chiron is the symbol of the shaman. Sun conjunct Chiron will re-actualize all the Chironic themes in your life, asking you to (re)connect with the inner shaman inside.

The shaman’s role is to travel to hell, to heaven, and then back to earth.

In the same way, in his orbit, Chiron is the connecting link between the conscious archetypes represented by the planets visible to the naked eye (all planets up to Saturn), and the unconscious aspects represented by Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.

Chiron orbits between Saturn and Uranus and brings together these two worlds, connecting us with the universe.

Chiron and the Mythological Horse

Mythologically, Chiron is half horse, half human – a force of nature who has transcended his human limitations and brought his gifts to the Gods.

The horse represents the balance between the instinctive and tamed part of one’s personality. Horses represent our inner strength and driving force in life.

The horses have always played an important role all around the world. In ancient times, people used to be ritualistically buried with their horses.

The man and the horse, buried together. What a strong metaphor for Sun conjunct Chiron!

The culture of dual burials was so widespread across the world, from Scandinavia to China, that it can only be explained by an almost spiritual bond between these two entities – the human and the horse.

Chiron and Your Greatest Gift

I would like to tell you a story that beautifully describes what Sun conjunct Chiron stands for.

“Once upon a time there was a prince who wanted to stay forever young. Because no one in the court could help him figure out how, he made a decision to wander through the whole world to find that secret land where life was eternal.

The prince started to prepare for the journey. He went to his father’s stable to choose one fearless horse to help him in his initiatic journey. For days and nights he tried to find the right horse… but, without exception, no horse was strong enough for such a demanding endeavor.  

Finally when the prince looses all hope, he sees a thin, sick looking, hungry horse, covered with sores. When he approaches it, the horse starts talking:

“If you want to fulfill your wish, you must ask your father for the sword, lance, bow, arrows, and garments he used to wear when he was young; AND you must take care of me and feed me with your own hands for six weeks and give me oats boiled in milk.”

So, the horse, the father’s clothes and prince’s desire to reach to “the other side” are the successful resources that  bring eternal life.

The father’s clothes represent our genetic upbringing. We are who we are, with our unique genetic signature thanks to our parents. In astrology, Chiron is related to our genetic upbringing and DNA.

Feed the Hungry Horse

What about the hungry horse? The horse represents those resources we choose to cultivate, methodically, with faith, with perseverance, even when our progress is unnoticeable.

The man who takes care of the hungry horse and unleashes his greatness is a beautiful expression of Sun conjunct Chiron. The horse itself is Chiron.

The hungry horse may get overlooked, or even despised, but he is in your stable for a reason. He has survived time and hardship because he has something to offer, and he can offer something nobody else can, IF you take care of him.

The horse is a symbol for what you leave behind for eternity, your contribution to the world, your legacy.

The hungry horse is that skill, that gift that only you have. The hungry horse is your duty to bring this gift to the highest possible form of manifstation.

Like any great piece of art, your skills and attributes will outlive you, to feed many more generations to come.

Who Wants to Live Forever?

Let’s get back to the story.

“After a long trip, the prince finds what he is looking for, and reaches the land of eternal youth. Over there he marries a beautiful princess and lives a life of bliss.

He does not know how much time has passed, as he stays forever young. But one day he remembers his parents and the house where he grew up, and the longing for his family, for his roots, overwhelms him.

He decides to go back to see his parents and the people he grew up with one more time. On his way back home, he notices that everything has changed.

The forests have turned into cities and he could not recognize anything anymore. When he finally reaches the place where he grew up, he notices with sorrow that everything is now a ruin, and everyone in the court has been dead for a long time.  

And then the horse tells him:

“I brought you here master, but I will now go back from where I came”.  

The man decides to stay there and lets nature take its course. Mortality finally caches up with him and he dies”

What does the fairy tale tell us? It was only the horse who had a chance to live forever. No human being is immortal, and sooner or later we will all turn to dust, but our gifts to the world will always stay.  

Sun conjunct Chiron asks you to pay attention to the wounded, hungry horses.

They might be hard to notice somewhere in the corner of your stable full off beautiful and healthy horses.

Take care of them and feed them with your “own hand” because it is only through them that you have the chance of eternal life.

Read more Chiron blog posts here.

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Venus conjunct Chiron – How deep is your love?

Venus and Chiron meet up early March in the last degrees of the zodiac, bringing together the past and the future.

This is the last time Venus and Chiron meet in Pisces, in the last sign of the zodiac. The next Venus Chiron conjunction will take place in Aries, on April 23rd 2019.

Just before a new cycle starts, we are being tested.

the_key_emily-balivet-chiron-venus
Emily Balivet – The Key

The test we are being put though is one of endurance and compassion. Is our heart “strong enough”, “trained enough” and ultimately “healed enough” to give and receive love?

The ultimate question Venus and Chiron in Pisces are asking is “how deep is your love”? The journey of digging deep into your heart is the journey of your consciousness towards greater wholeness, greater balance, greater harmony and, ultimately, greater love.

Exposing that sore spot in your heart is not easy. And Chiron won’t give you any “magic pill” to make the pain go away. Chiron looks for the root cause, for whatever is unresolved, unreconciled, unhealed, buried deep within your heart.

So yes, your heart will crack open, and in the process you may shed some tears.  But there is hope at the end of the tunnel. Chiron is not only the wounder, Chiron is also the gifted teacher, prophet, and mentor. Chiron’s symbol is the KEY – the magic key that opens any door, unlocks any secret and heals any pain. And what is the key? Your Wound is the key.

Your Wound is your Gift.

It is only when you finally embrace the Wound which is in fact your Gift, when you heal. You cannot remove the Wound (Chiron is called the wounded healer for a reason – Chiron’s wounds never really heal) – because by removing your Wound, you would be amputating a part of yourself.

In truth, nothing needs fixing. Your Would is part of your personal history, it is part of You. Whatever you are experiencing right now, it makes absolute sense at a higher order of existence. Your life is in perfect order and balance, even if you might not see it that way. You were born for a reason, and your life IS unfolding as it should.

And if you are ready to embrace the idea that nothing is wrong with you, during this transit you can discover a skill, a talent for the first time.  A blind spot can become a strength. A shadow can turn into light. Shame can turn into authentic vulnerability.

Chiron’s vulnerabilities can create an intense magnetism – you can find yourself drawn to the promise of healing.

Ultimately, it is LOVE and only love that heals all the wounds.

If you have planets around 25°-29° in mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and especially Pisces) or if you have a natal Venus-Chiron aspect in your natal chart, you are going to feel this energy stronger.

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Mars Conjunct Chiron – Bring Your Gifts To The World

Mars is conjunct Chiron at 21° Pisces, triggering the Saturn Chiron square that started to form December last year. We will have two more Saturn Chiron squares, the 2nd on April 30th and the last on November 2nd. The Saturn Chiron squares are one of the most important transits of 2017 – understanding their dynamics early on can help us deal with the energy in a mature way.

Mars is now conjunct Chiron, bringing to our awareness everything the Saturn/Chiron square stands for and literally giving us a full “taste” of the medicine. Saturn represents the teacher that looks after us and keep us from harm, making sure we are going to survive in a harsh world, but Saturn also represents our boundaries, our “material”, human limitations. Saturn is the last planet visible with the naked eye – everything beyond him is “invisible”. Starting with Uranus, we enter a less tangible and more abstract zone, that affects less the individual, and more generations of individuals.

And here it comes Chiron. What makes Chiron so special (Chiron symbol is the “Key” for a reason) is that he is in orbit between Saturn and Uranus, between “what is to be seen” and “what is not to be seen”.

mars-conjunct-chiron-square-saturnthierry-hausermann
Thierry Hausermann

In this way Chiron is the connecting link between the conscious archetypes of all the planets known from the ancient times, and the subconscious aspects represented by Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.

Chiron represents the instinct of the human spirit seeking to manifest itself and leave something immaterial behind. Our spirit seeking manifestations represents our “gifts”. Chiron is also a symbol of the wounded healer, and his role is to prepare us for the journey to the unknown. Chiron brings pain because we need pain to experience the higher vibration of consciousness.

The square series of Chiron and Saturn will prepare us to undertake the initiatic journey of the Soul.

The way Mars will bring to the surface Chironic themes is by brutally exposing our pain. Mars with Chiron are associated with shame, because Chiron exposes our very first pain, the pain of our existence. Mars stands for assertivity, for our desire to put ourselves “out there”.

With Chiron, we will find that our ability to assert ourselves, to BE ourselves is obstructed. We are ashamed of who we are, we are ashamed to act and “get out there”. And we feel unable to defend ourselves. The deeper significance of this dynamic is the difficulty to separate ourselves from “the outside world” – and when we don’t know where the limit sits, the outcome is either a drive to set these necessarily boundaries by “being aggressive” or a tendency to see “the other” as the enemy, the intruder, the “boundary setter”. How can we know what is our place in this world when we don’t know where we stand? We ultimate fear of Mars conjunct Chiron is that by only being ourselves, we will hurt others.

It does not help that in Pisces, Mars become even less assertive – and in his lower manifestations he can become ambivalent and passive aggressive. But Pisces is also the sign of Compassion –  and the transit of Mars and Chiron in Pisces is a GIFT, an opportunity to exercise and release that inner aggression we all have.

The key to healing is learning to turn the anger, the shame and the pain of being a mortal human into strength and compassion. The message is understanding that there is nothing to be ashamed of.

The theme of assertion becomes even more apparent if we think Chiron is also known as the “Maverick”. Chiron travels between Saturn (authority, rules), and Uranus (the rebel, the revolutionary) – and just like the maverick, Chiron follows HIS OWN course.

And now we come closer to a deeper truth. In his higher manifestation, Chiron does not stand for hurt, bully and shame.  Chiron is a half horse, half human, force of nature that has transcended his human limitations and has brought the gifts of the nature to the Gods. Chiron is the sacred warrior.

But to reach these higher realms of Chiron, the Mars conjunction to Chiron will challenge us to heal the aggressive side of our nature. We need to learn now how to assert ourselves in a healthy way and stand our ground. By expressing our inner aggression effectively and being firm but gracious, we can become teachers and mentor for other people dealing with the same issues.

Healing our aggression comes hand in hand with learning how to cultivate bravery. Because Chiron exposes Mars’ vulnerability, the tendency to cowardice, to punish ourselves for not trying harder, is very strong now.

Although painful, these difficulties can make our patterns of behavior more conscious and will ultimately lead to acceptance and healing.

In its highest expression, Mars – Chiron stands for energy and spirit coming together with a strong drive to take action, and leave something behind for those who will follow.

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Jupiter Opposite Chiron

jupitar-opposite-chiron

We won’t have this aspect in the next 60 years so this might be our very unique opportunity to learn about how to grow into a greater human being by taking a look a closer look at ourselves, and learning to accept ourselves with all our scars and imperfections.

The opposition takes place on the Virgo Pisces axis, the axis of self development and service. Because Jupiter is involved, the lesson we learn now is one of generosity and kindness. We can only give to others if we learn to give to ourselves.

Kindness ultimately is not a skill to be mastered, we all have it inside ourselves, but we can only cultivate it if we accept the idea of being without any expectations.

 

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Grand Water Trine

We have a Grand Water trine with Mercury in Cancer, Mars in Scorpio and Chiron in Pisces.

During this transit we feel more at ease to express our emotions, even those we kept buried inside for years and years. The energy is very healing and flows – literally – like water.

To get the best of this transit, tune into the healing powers of water. Go by the water if you have the possibility, and if not, try a meditation that is centered on water, or simply listen to the sound of a river steam of to the sound of the waves.

A meditation you can use to tune in:

Find a quiet space inside your home or outside in nature. Start by breathing deeply to calm down your mind. Then imagine you are next to a stream, or by the sea. Listen to the sound of the water, and let it fill the space in the head until there is nothing but that sound. And then, as you go into the water, feel it against your skin. How does it feel? Then picture yourself as water. This could be a drop of rain, an ocean, a river, a waterfall, even a teardrop. Imagine yourself merging with the water, and let it guide you. Reflect on the feeling of being one with the water until you feel relaxed and at peace.

grand-water-trine

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Intimacy

Intimacy is the bond that grows when we learn to express our own thoughts and feelings, and in the same time carefully listen to the other.

The following days are some of the most intimate days of the year:

  • Sun is conjunct Mercury in Cancer
  • Venus in Cancer is trine Mars in Scorpio
  • Slowly Venus and Mars will approach Chiron to form a beautiful, intimate and healing
  • Water Grand Trine

Intimate AstrologySun is our identity, and Mercury, Venus and Mars are personal planets. We don’t have very often all these bodies in sync in the same time, AND in water signs. The energy is very caring and intimate. We crave deep emotional connections with others, and because Mercury is in cazimi with the Sun, and Mars just turned direct and is more powerful than ever, we also dare to express our needs and desires.

In a relationship or single, these days make sure you have contact with other people, even at a platonic level, even only for handshake, because you need this human contact, and you are likely to benefit a lot from it. Being intimate can trigger feelings of vulnerability, but that’s ok. Stay with them and let your heart break open. Some hurtful things have to be let go so all that is left is pure love.