Tag: Chiron

Venus Turns Direct – The Sleeping Beauty Awakens

Astro Butterfly

Venus turns direct on April 15th, after 6 weeks of retrograde motion. For the first time in 40 days, she begins moving in forward motion at the 26th degree of the Zodiac in Pisces.

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 station direct of Venus marks a phase of manifesting a new feminine intention and 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 and you will want to express it “in your terms”. During the next 50 days, this urge of feminine individuation will make you take full responsibility for your feelings and for your 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, 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 all you need 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, to “do the work” and move to the next thing until you find what fits you best.

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 pricesss Aurora priked her finger on the spinning wheel and fell asleep, Venus let her heart get stung by Chiron. And 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 and asked us 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 quite solved – 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

Astro Butterfly

 

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.

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

The process of learning about our true self, the process of becoming what we 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 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. Bring it out!

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

Ultimately, Chiron’s purpose is to restore wholeness – that’s why Chiron is the symbol of the shaman. The Sun Chiron conjunction 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 of all the planets visible with the naked eye (all planets up to Saturn), and the subconscious aspects, represented by Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.

Indeed, Chiron orbits from Saturn up to Uranus and Neptune bringing together these two worlds, connecting us with the universe.

Mithologically, 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.

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 a very important role all around the world and across time. In ancient times, people used to be buried in a ritual together with their horse.  The man and the horse, buried together. What a strong reference to Sun conjunct Chiron.

This culture of dual burials was so widespread across the world, from Scandinavia to China, that can only be explained by an almost spiritual bond between the entities.

I would like to tell you a story, one of the most beautiful metaphors for what 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 in his daring endeavor, 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 proved to be strong enough for such a demanding endeavor.  

Finally when the prince lost all the hope, he saw a thin, sick looking, hungry horse, covered with sores. When he approached it, the horse started 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 has 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 “the other side” are the successful resources than can 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, the genetic upbringing is a mix of Chiron and Pluto.

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

The man taking care of, and unleashing the hungry horse 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 our stable for a reason. He has survived time and hardships because he has something to offer, and he can offer something nobody else can, IF you take care of him.

The hungry horse is a symbol for what you leave behind for eternity, your contribution to the world, something that cannot unfold without you. Like any great piece of art, your skills and attributes will outlive you, to feed many more generations to come.

Let’s get back to the story.

“After a long trip, the prince finds what he is looking for, and he reaches the land of eternal youth. Over there he gets married with 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, overwhelmed 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 in his heart that everything was now a ruin, and of course everyone in the court was 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 let the nature take his course. Mortality finally caches up with him and he dies”

What does the fairy tale tell us? 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.  

Chiron conjunct Sun is asking 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 than you have the chance to eternal life.

Venus conjunct Chiron – How deep is your love?

Astro Butterfly

Venus is approaching a conjunction to Chiron, the wounded healer, at 21° Pisces. The aspect is exact on Wednesday, January 25th. These are the last days Venus spends in the non-retrograde zone, before entering the retrograde zone, on January 30th (Venus will actually turn retrograde on March 4th, will station direct on April 15th and will leave the retrograde zone on May 18th).

Venus conjunct Chiron continues the themes that emerged around 16 th of January when Mars firstly met Chiron and then squared Saturn. After merging with Chiron, Venus will square Saturn as well two days later, on the 27th of January at 24° Pisces.

In the last degrees of the zodiac, before preparing for the journey back to the Sun, Venus and Chiron bring together the past and the future. A new phase is just about to begin during the late degrees of Pisces in the year cycle.

And just before a new cycle starts, we are being tested.

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Emily Balivet – The Key

Chiron and Saturn transits are not the easiest transits for sure, and they bring quite a lot of pain. But the reason Chiron and the Saturn put us to a test is because they love us. The sooner we understand this basic truth, the greater the healing.  Put simply, Chiron and Saturn want to make sure our heart is strong enough and ready to be born again. A new Venus cycle will start at the end of March, in the middle of Venus’ retrograde period, when the meeting of Sun and Venus will mark a new chapter in our life.

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 our heart is the journey of our consciousness towards greater wholeness, greater balance, greater harmony and, ultimately, greater Love.

Exposing that sore spot in our heart is not easy. And Chiron won’t give us an aspirin or a “magic tablet” to make the pain go away. Chiron looks for the root cause, for whatever is unresolved, unreconciled, and unhealed buried deep within our psyche.

So yes, our heart will check open, and in the process we 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? Our Wound is the key. And our Wound is our Gift.

It is only when we finally embrace the Wound which is in fact the Gift, when we heal. We cannot remove the wound (Chiron is called the wounded healer for a reason – because his wound never really healed)  and that’s because by doing that would be amputating a part of ourselves.

In truth, nothing really needs fixing. Our shame, our inadequacy, and imbalance – our Wounds – are created by our perception of the events, situations and people of our lives. But life is already in perfect order and balance. The Wound is our inability to see that perfection. The Healing process consists of awakening to the perfection that already exists.

And if we are ready to accept that nothing is wrong with us, it is very possible that during this transit we will discover a skill, a talent for the first time. Pay attention to any hint, any compliment you may receive during this transit. Because we will all be infused with Chiron’s energy, we will be more likely to perceive at a deeper level what “the other” has to offer and see people for who they really are. Chiron’s vulnerabilities can create an intense magnetism – we will find ourselves drawn to the promise of healing.

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

Those of us with planets 20°-24° in mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and especially Pisces) or with a natal Venus-Chiron placement will feel this energy strongest.

Mars Conjunct Chiron – Bring Your Gifts To The World

Astro Butterfly

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”.

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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.

Jupiter Opposite Chiron

Astro Butterfly

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.

 

Grand Water Trine

Astro Butterfly

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

Intimacy

Astro Butterfly

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.