Chiron

By Cafe Astrology

The glyph, or symbol, for Chiron resembles a key and is comprised of an "O" and a "K", representing "Object Kowal", which was what Chiron was originally named (Charles Kowal discovered Chiron in 1977).

Chiron's Aspects in the Natal Chart

Chiron in the natal chart represents our "deepest wound". It shows an area of our lives and part of our psyches in which we lack self-esteem or even self-respect and tend to overcompensate as a result. We tend to give and give and give in these areas of life, until we learn to build our confidence. Chiron represents insecurity, guilt, and, to some degree, subservience. We feel a seemingly endless need to prove ourselves in these areas of life, until we learn that proving ourselves simply never works! In fact, it ends up making us feel even more ineffective.

With Chiron-Sun hard aspects, for example, we tend to feel ineffective when it comes to expressing our creativity. In youth especially, there is a shyness about performing, about "being seen", about being allowed to shine. These are children who hide their work in school or in art class. Very often, they are "middle children", and feel that their creativity was stifled in youth! People with these aspects often worry unnecessarily about their performance, and are often left feeling devastated when they are criticized. They are often very good at boosting others' confidence, yet neglect to build their own! This is where the "teacher" side of Chiron comes into play. People with strong Chiron are often very good at inspiring others, giving them pep talks, offering very friendly and sincere advice, and so forth--yet they have a hard time healing themselves.

With hard Chiron-Moon aspects, there is a feeling of awkwardness about expressing our emotional needs. These people may easily tell others "I am really fine", and then privately resent them when they can't see the hollowness of that statement! There is a tendency to dramatize the emotions. Depending on the position of the Moon in the chart, this may take place on the inside or might be apparent to others. There can be a "bottomless pit" feeling on an emotional level--a feeling that emotional satisfaction is always just out of reach. Mothers with these aspects may often feel guilty that they are not doing enough for their kids. There can be a tendency for people with these aspects to pour their feelings out, and then feel guilty or awkward about doing so and they proceed to cover it up and avoid the issue.

With Chiron-Mercury aspects, we may rarely feel satisfied with how or what we communicate. To express ourselves, or not to express ourselves--that is the question with Chiron-Mercury hard aspects. We may talk someone's ears off one day, and then feel guilty about it later, at which point we retreat into ourselves and become uncommunicative. We might review conversations we had with others and kick ourselves for what we said, or what we didn't say.

With Chiron-Venus aspects, there is a tendency to give, and give, and give again in close personal and love relationships, and a tremendous fear of rejection from a lover. No matter how much these people do for a partner, they never feel it is enough. Early experiences of rejection or other problem relationships helps these people to learn a tremendous amount about love and relationships, and they can easily be turned to for very insightful advice about human interactions. Applying this wisdom on a personal level is the challenge, as Chiron-Venus people need to first heal their own deep fears of not being "good enough". They need to learn to love themselves and to make sure their partners are meeting them halfway. They might also be attracted to partners who need help, but with the hard aspects, it might be hard to get back the same kind of attention or appreciation.

Asking for what we want, or self-assertiveness, is the main challenge for people with Chiron-Mars aspects. They might find themselves apologizing after an "outburst" of anger, self-assertion, or statement of desire--somehow feeling ashamed. The Mars expression can be unusual and come across as outbursts because of the lack of confidence in the validity of their desires or whether their personal desires deserve to be met. There can also be some physical clumsiness or awkwardness. The main challenge for Chiron-Mars people is to learn to accept their own desires and feelings of anger as valid so that when they do express them, they express them naturally and with confidence.

Chiron in the Houses of the Natal Chart

Chiron in the First House

!Chiron is associated with the emotional wounds we receive early on in our lives. The sign Chiron is in will dominate but the house placing will show in which area the personality is motivated and into which they will put their efforts. In the first house, it may indicate a journey of self-discovery. Possibly, there were restrictions in early childhood that will have had the effect on you of either retreating into yourself or having to fight to be noticed. There will be a need to find personal meaning in existence. Some will do this by being overly aggressive, others by withdrawing. Having a job or interest that is really enjoyed will give a positive direction to your life.

Chiron in the Second House

!Chiron is associated with the emotional wounds we receive early on in our lives. The sign Chiron is in will dominate but the house placing will show in which area the personality is motivated and into which they will put their efforts. In the second house, it can indicate great self-confidence, so long as there are physical comforts. There may have been little or no affection or even inappropriate affection, in childhood. This could now be shown through stubbornness and a dismissive attitude to others opinions. You could be a great teacher of self-worth, when you have dealt with your own issues.

Chiron in the Third House

!Chiron is associated with the emotional wounds we receive early on in our lives. The sign Chiron is in will dominate but the house placing will show in which area the personality is motivated and into which they will put their efforts. In the third house it may indicate, perhaps unintentional, criticism by parents or siblings about the way you expressed yourself, producing a lack of self- confidence. There may have been some injury to your voice or you may have been too shy to speak. Your thoughts and words may take time to be expressed so as to be correct. Any errors you make will be excused so as not to appear to be in the wrong. Do not let yourself be hampered by technicalities, and learn to admit to mistakes.

Chiron in the Fourth House

!Chiron is associated with the emotional wounds we receive early on in our lives. The sign Chiron is in will dominate but the house placing will show in which area the personality is motivated and into which they will put their efforts. In the fourth house, it may indicate an insecure early family life, so much so that feelings of abandonment or being the 'black sheep' persist. A lack of self- confidence may make you think doing anything with your life is a waste of time. You probably have a lot of time for other people and have great empathy. Try to bring out the unique you by using this feeling of being 'different'.

Chiron in the Fifth House

!Chiron is associated with the emotional wounds we receive early on in our lives. The sign Chiron is in will dominate but the house placing will show in which area the personality is motivated and into which they will put their efforts. In the fifth house, it may indicate a feeling of having to take life too seriously, too early. You are easily deflated due, probably, to parents who told you that you could not do 'that' - though you would have known that you could. There will be a need to draw boundaries for ego survival. Though do not go so far as to cut yourself off from people completely. You are very creative but do not recognize it. Just do it.

Chiron in the Sixth House

!Chiron is associated with the emotional wounds we receive early on in our lives. The sign Chiron is in will dominate but the house placing will show in which area the personality is motivated and into which they will put their efforts. In the sixth house, it may indicate a pre-occupation with health issues, maybe to do with accidents when you were young. You tend to obsess about your own health. You have great healing ability and when you have come to the point of dealing with your own issues, you will achieve great success in this field.

Chiron in the Seventh House

!Chiron is associated with the emotional wounds we receive early on in our lives. The sign Chiron is in will dominate but the house placing will show in which area the personality is motivated and into which they will put their efforts. In the seventh house, it may indicate a feeling of rejection to do with relationships, maybe the parents split-up or were distant with each other. You may marry early and there may be more than one marriage or close relationship. You are quite empathic and even psychic. There is a need for finding a balance between you and your partner - you are not one person. Find your 'self'.

Chiron in the Eighth House

!Chiron is associated with the emotional wounds we receive early on in our lives. The sign Chiron is in will dominate but the house placing will show in which area the personality is motivated and into which they will put their efforts. In the eighth house, it may indicate losses through the death of loved ones but also gains through births. Personal desires will be very important to you, to the point of 'anything goes'. You will have psychic abilities that, when trained, will be a great force for good. You could be a mystic with great insight.

Chiron in the Ninth House

!Chiron is associated with the emotional wounds we receive early on in our lives. The sign Chiron is in will dominate but the house placing will show in which area the personality is motivated and into which they will put their efforts. In the ninth house, it may indicate some crisis to do with spiritual teaching. A strong belief of one sort or another that must be channeled correctly to give the right balance. Being the eternal student should be enjoyable, not stressful, so take time to relax. You could be a very good teacher, if your extreme opinions are modified.

Chiron in the Tenth House

!Chiron is associated with the emotional wounds we receive early on in our lives. The sign Chiron is in will dominate but the house placing will show in which area the personality is motivated and into which they will put their efforts. In the tenth house, it may indicate a strong desire to prove your self-worth because of childhood rejection. Your need for status may become obsessive, and your good leadership quality needs to be controlled. Improving the lot of others, close to you, is admirable but not if it brings you down. It will only make you feel resentful and bitter. Try to accept yourself as you are.

Chiron in the Eleventh House

!Chiron is associated with the emotional wounds we receive early on in our lives. The sign Chiron is in will dominate but the house placing will show in which area the personality is motivated and into which they will put their efforts. In the eleventh house, it may indicate rejection from peers because of being 'different'. You may feel some discomfort in large groups, so you only associate with people of like mind. You have a capacity for leadership, if only you would loosen-up with strangers - we are, after all, connected to everything and everyone. You have a special thing to do in this life, you 'just' have to realize what it is.

Chiron in the Twelfth House

!Chiron is associated with the emotional wounds we receive early on in our lives. The sign Chiron is in will dominate but the house placing will show in which area the personality is motivated and into which they will put their efforts. In the twelfth house, it may indicate nervous tension, perhaps picked up from a close family member. You probably have psychic, empathic and healing abilities. Don't keep shutting yourself off from people - they need your unique abilities. Help others by learning to use these 'gifts' - it will give great, personal benefit but you will need to be emotionally strong and mature.

Chiron Transits: Predictive Astrology - Techniques for Predicting the Future

Chiron takes approximately 50 years to come full circle. This slow-moving planet's transits are fairly long-lasting, and each transit takes its time to unfold. As Chiron transits a point in our chart, retrogrades back over it, and then hits it again in direct motion, it imparts its own special wisdom upon the point in question�the areas of lives and parts of our psyches ruled by that point.

How Chiron affects our lives depends very much on whether we resist its influences or we try to work with its energies.

Chiron acts to open up wounds in the parts of our lives and of our psyches that it touches, especially by hard transit, and then Chiron asks us to work on healing them. Initially, hard Chiron transits can make us feel weakened or ineffective. As the transit progresses, we begin to learn what it is that is holding us back from healthy expression of the traits associated with the transited planet or point.

Under heavy Chiron transits, we feel ineffective and encounter situations in which we feel we need to prove ourselves to others. The trick is to prove ourselves to ourselves first�to build our own self-respect. Efforts to prove ourselves to others will backfire--they simply won't work. We will appear less effective to them, and we'll exacerbate our own feelings of unworthiness. It's an endless loop. We have to take a step back, be patient, and let our characters speak for themselves. If others are not seeing us in a particularly positive light right now or if they are doubting us (which can very much be the case during these transits), the only way to solve the problem is to resist the urge to prove ourselves to them. Under heavy Chiron transits, we also need to avoid a tendency to follow others, to "suck up" to them. Chiron activates, by hard aspect, our "wounds"—areas where we feel weakened and unsuccessful-�and while it shines its light on these wounds, we may be inclined to blindly follow others' advice or to get ourselves into subservient roles.

The following are interpretations of Chiron's transits to planets and points. As always with interpretations of this type, remember that the transited planets' natal aspects and position by sign and house need to be considered. These are generalized interpretations.

Chiron-Sun Transits

Chiron transits to the Sun - Conjunct, Square, Opposition act to uncover fears and wounds with regards to our ego and our life path. We discover our "weaknesses" in the foundation of our very identity. Insecurities, fears, perceived failings, and unresolved issues about our sense of purpose in life are uncovered. In some cases, women experiencing these transits deal with issues surrounding their fathers and his effect on their identity and adult relationships with men. Our creativity, self-expression, and independence are questioned.

Look for Leo in your natal chart, as the Sun rules Leo, and this is an area of life that will be directly affected by the transit (in addition to the houses where the transit actually takes place).

Initially, circumstances in your life tend to make you feel weakened and ineffective in the world. There can be a feeling that you just don't have the courage to make it on your own, or to express yourself creatively. As the transit progresses, you begin to gather the courage to express yourself and your needs, and your doing so may surprise everyone around you! Chiron acts to pull up courage and bravery, but your initial expression of this newfound bravery may be so abrupt and unrefined that you seem to be acting completely out of character. During this period, you come fact to face with patterns that you have been repeating in your life, especially with regards to relationships with men (and/or your father figure), addictions, and co-dependency issues. Relationships with men that leave you feeling insecure or ineffective may be dealt with now. Addictions that undermine you may need to be dealt with. You may need to deal with your own wounded pride.

These transits may bring "teachers" into your life in some manner. With the Sun, these people who are very willing to offer you advice are often males. With hard aspects, you need to be careful about blindly following someone's advice at this time, simply because you are feeling weakened and in need of help. Later, you may resent the fact that you didn't stand up for yourself. You are bound to open yourself up to an entirely different perspective on your life, but be careful not to fall into the role of victim and let someone else "save" you. By transit's end, you will have uncovered your own power and effectiveness, and the decisions you made following someone else's advice may not look so good anymore!

Very commonly with these transits, you deal with others doubting your character, and you could feel like you're forced into a position of proving yourself. This may take place on either professional or personal levels. Your first reaction is to do just that�prove yourself to others. However, you eventually realize how fruitless this effort is. Others are likely to interpret this effort as weakness, and this can only exacerbate the problem. Eventually, you need to learn to stand up for yourself by not falling into a pattern where you are essentially "sucking up" to people. Ideally, you recognize that stepping back and letting your character speak for itself will earn you far more respect, as well as self-respect. In fact, self-respect is what this transit is truly about.

In contrast to hard Chiron transits, under Chiron transits to the Sun - Easy Aspects (Sextile, Trine), we tend to be looked upon favorably by others. We have the chance to shine, largely because we are projecting ourselves with self-respect and modesty at once.

You are especially appealing and charming during this transit just by being yourself. Opportunities�both personal and professional�are likely to present themselves as a result. You are not looking for credit for what you do, which frees you up to get it anyhow!

Chiron transits to Venus: Hard Aspects (Square, Opposition, Semi-square, and Sesquiquadrate): Very commonly with these transits, you deal with others doubting your character in your love life, and you could feel like you're forced into a position of proving yourself. Your first reaction is to do just that�prove yourself to a partner or lover. However, you eventually realize how fruitless this effort is. Others are likely to interpret this effort as weakness, and this can only exacerbate the problem. Eventually, you need to learn to stand up for yourself by not falling into a pattern where you are essentially "sucking up" to people you love, or who are supposed to love you. Ideally, you recognize that stepping back and letting your character speak for itself will earn you far more respect, as well as self-respect. There is no forcing matters, even if that's your first instinct. It can be a time of discreditation, when a lover or partner fails to see your value, or at its worse, sees you as a liability, and overall you "look bad". Try your best not to get caught up in a downward spiral of trying too hard to make the people you love return that love, or of trying to hold onto a relationship that is no longer worthy of your devotion. If this transit comes at a time when you are single, it can be a period in which new people in your love life are unable or unwilling to commit to you, who fail to see you as worthy of partnership material. Some might get caught up in a new relationship in which they feel the need to prove their worth, which is unhealthy and destructive. This is a long-term transit, and a hard one, which can be very frustrating. However, at the end of it, you will be able to see whose love was true, and whose wasn't strong enough. It's a hard lesson to learn, but one that is necessary in your path towards wholeness in love and partnership."