Recently in Chiron Category

by Lynn Hayes

by Lynn Hayes

Chiron, originally given the very temporary title "Slow-Moving Object Kowal", was given the provisional minor planet designation 1977 UB. Later it was given the permanent minor planet number and name (2060) Chiron. All along, there were discussions it might be a comet, and definite cometary activity was noticed, at least some of the time, beginning around 1988. The change in the comet-designation system introduced at the beginning of 1995 (and applicable in retrospect), allowed us to modify the provisional designation to P/1977 UB, P/ indicating that it is a short-period comet. This set the scene for giving it a permanent short-period comet number, 95P, which can be combined with the name to give 95P/Chiron. This is probably what it is best called. However, since it WAS previously given a PERMANENT minor-planet number, it ALSO retains the number (2060). So the object is permanently classified as BOTH a comet and a minor planet. There is really no conflict with this. For astrometric purposes and most orbital purposes we continue to call it (2060) Chiron and classify it with the minor planets. For some orbital purposes it can also be 95P/Chiron. For physical purposes the observer can choose which he or she feels is more appropriate. Pholus and the other centaurs have not shown cometary behavior, so they remain only in the minor-planet category. "

To me this is significant, because although Chiron in mythology was half horse and half man, he was NOT one of the Centaurs, a race of hybrid horse-men from Mount Pelion in Greece that were renowned for their brutality and drunken rampages.  This is a far cry from the noble suffering of Chiron, whose hybridization occurred because his mother asked Hera to turn her into a mare in a vain attempt to escape the amorous advances of the god Saturn.  Unlike the Centaur race, Chiron was half mortal and half immortal, and became famous for his gifts as a healer, musician and teacher.  

Barbara Hand Clow was one of the first astrologers to identify the wounding and healing process of Chiron that I work with in my own practice, and I owe her and her excellent work a great deal.  She is doing some groundbreaking work now that some may find a bit out there, but I suspect in a few years we'll see that she was right all along, just as she was 30 years ago.  

We astrologers talk on and on about Neptune as a guide for connecting with spirit worlds. It has become a cliché, and most people just don't think about what that means. So, I will attempt to find other words to describe Neptune's influence. Most of the time, we are separated out from all-that-is, the timeless energy fields of our cosmic bodies. We are caught in time and place, and then once in awhile we experience a breakthrough into all-that-is-a peak experience. When this happens, the boundaries around our separated selves melt, and we experience "oneness" or enlightenment. Children frequently exist in oneness-especially infants-but then painful experiences cause them to close up and separate from divine consciousness. While we are alive, Chiron's transits-usually by conjunction, square, and opposition-erode the boundaries of the separated self by means of piercing stabs into deep inner wounds. When these wounds occurred in this life or past lives, we erected boundaries around the wounds, yet the very energy that could reconnect us with spirit-Neptune-is locked out. So, Chiron and Neptune working together can erode these boundaries that block cosmic fusion. In other words, accessing pain sometimes opens spiritual connection, and this is what we resist the most.

In ancient Greek mythology, Chiron was the son of the god Kronos/Saturn. Saturn desired to mate with Philyra who, with the help of Hera, changed herself into a horse to escape Saturn's advances. Saturn, however, became a horse just in time to accomplish his goal and the result was Chiron, half man and half horse. Chiron was no ordinary Centaur; he was half-divine and after having been abandoned as a baby on a mountaintop by his horrified mother he was later, according to some accounts, adopted by Apollo became a master healer and astrologer, renowned for his wisdom and became a teacher of many including Achilles.

In astrological symbolism, Chiron represents the process of healing that forces us to expose old wounds to the light of consciousness so that they can be healed. Saturn represents obstacles and responsibility and tests us, ultimately developing strength of character. The opposition of Saturn to Chiron in the planetary skies brings a global test (Saturn) to societies and individuals that are wounded and forces a "healing crisis" in order to facilitate change.

Because of the illusion of retrograde motion, planets sometimes appear to be moving backwards in the sky and therefore can aspect each other multiple times during one planetary event. When this occurs, the dynamic expressed by these planets over those multiple times increases in intensity. For example, in early 1986 Saturn approached an opposition to Chiron at the time of the crash of the Space Shuttle challenger that killed all seven astronauts aboard and terminated for a time the exploration of space. Shortly after the exact opposition one of the Chernobyl reactors explodes, causing the worst nuclear disaster in history and terminating for a time the expansion of nuclear power.

As Saturn made the second opposition to Chiron in that series, the Iran/Contra scandal was exposed causing a serious wound to the American government. As Saturn approached the third opposition to Chiron, stock markets around the world fell in the great Crash of 1987 which caused repercussions around the globe.

As we approach a new opposition of Saturn to Chiron we are seeing an eruption of crises that have long been ignored and are coming to a head now to be dealt with. The dysfunction in the US government, the division in the Islamic world between terrorist factions and peaceful groups, the fracturing of the Republican party between the true conservatives and the right wing, and currently a new challenge by evangelical groups who support protecting the environment against the right wing agenda of the current administration and their evangelical cronies who believe man's dominion over nature was intended by god. As these crises come to a head there is an opportunity for tremendous growth and evolution as we navigate the rough waters. Maintaining a long view of the situation can help us keep our perspective as things become more difficult.

The synchronicity between the names given to planets by astronomers and the way they operate in astrology is one of the great mysteries of the heavens. In ancient times the astronomers WERE the astrologers, and as they observed the planet Venus in the sky they truly saw the goddess of love, Aphrodite, Ishtar, Inanna. In our modern scientific time there is a greater disconnect between the ancient archetypes and the natural world, and an argument can be made that our culture suffers as a result.

Chiron is a "planetoid" in the Kuyper Belt that was discovered in 1977, and in astrology Chiron represents the body/mind connection, the healing process, and identifies an unhealable wound which motivates us to seek a higher purpose for our life. (More on Chiron here.) For that reason it is also associated with the wisdom that comes with experience

For the past several years (since 2002) Chiron has been traveling through Capricorn, the sign that rules hard work and social structures - government, schools, corporations, marriage, and capitalism. During this period the curtain has been drawn on the ways in which these structures (Capricorn) have wounded our society (Chiron). The Enron and Worldcom debacles not only destroyed two companies, but also created a deep wound in the communities that served them. The so-called War on Terror created virtual concentration camps for "enemy combatants" where torture took place. The reputation of many governments (including the USA) have been destroyed and corruption revealed. The 2004 election created an even greater fracturing of American society.

On a positive note, Chiron's pass through Capricorn over the past three years has brought many healing modalities into the mainstream of society and brought new respect to the concept of the body/mind connection.

Chiron moved into Aquarius for the first time in February of this year and then turned back and made a final pass through Capricorn between July and December. What can we expect during the next five or so years as Chiron goes in and out through Aquarius?

Aquarius is a sign of the air element: communicative, rational, and idealistic. It tends to be revolutionary in its desire for freedom and change to the status quo. Chiron last passed through Aquarius between 1955 and 1960. 1955 saw the beginning of the end of the idyllic (for white folks, that is) post-war era, the era of Ozzie and Harriet and the white picket fence. This interesting article cites many examples and a timeline, showing that in 1955 we saw the the first evidence of a fissure that was forming in the veneer of international society, and the beginnings of a subculture for whom freedom and innovation was the key motivating force. Elvis, James Dean, these rebellious figures in popular culture revealed the growing dissatisfaction with modern society. Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat that year, and how interesting that her death as Chiron re-enters Aquarius reminds us of the fight for freedom that so many African-Americans have suffered for. The introduction of the birth control pill heralded the dawn of the period of sexual freedom.

During the next Chiron Aquarius period we are likely to see a new call for freedom from immigrants all over the world that are beginning to seek a new power in the countries that they now call home. Wherever our culture is stuck in a process that is harmful to individuals, there will be a breakdown in order for a new beginning to take place. Aquarius rules the nervous system, and I am concerned that our already overloaded psyches will begin to break down, and we will need to closely watch our young people who are the most vulnerable to psychic distress.

Aquarius also rules technology, and the Internet will grow as a means for social groups to band together. An increased use of wireless technology will make it easier for humans to be constantly connected across the globe.

Chiron's pass through Aquarius will affect most personally those with planets in the fixed signs: Aquarius, Leo, Scorpio and Taurus. --------