Chiron in Aquarius - A new frontier in healing
Chiron in Aquarius
A Guide to Health and Healing for 2006-2011
(A version of this article was first published in Nature and Health Annual 2006 Edition)
Astrologically, Chiron is the planet and archetype most associated with healing. In myth, Chiron was a wise centaur and teacher of the healing arts. His wisdom comes from experience. Wounded accidentally by Hercules, Chiron’s story is also symbolic of our own journey towards wholeness and healing. Chiron was an adept teacher, physician, prophet and musician who became a healer in an attempt to find a cure for his own wounds. Named for this mythological healer, the small planet Chiron was discovered in 1977, heralding the arrival into consciousness of many new aspects of complementary medicine and alternative healing techniques. The placement of Chiron in our horoscope reveals information about where we might get in touch with our inner healer, while Chiron’s journey through the zodiac corresponds with our own journey towards wholeness, wisdom and health. What wounds us, what causes us pain, is also often the agent via which we experience healing.
Recently, Chiron entered the sign of Aquarius. This is the beginning of a new cycle of healing, that will continue until early 2011.
As we awaken to this new cycle we can take new approaches to old patterns, and in the process gain insights that will enhance personal growth. This cycle promises to be a time during which we can not only release old and limiting patterns, but also take a more creative approach to living.
As Chiron transits Aquarius it will bring new opportunities for healing for each of us. Clues as to how this new cycle will manifest can be found by exploring each zodiac sign, revealing ways that we can embrace our inner healer, mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally.
If you know your Ascendant, Moon sign and the location of other personal planets in your chart, you can also consider these signs as well as your Sun sign. In particular look to your Ascendant sign, which is where spirit manifests in physical form, since it corresponds with the interface between these realms, it often says a great deal about our health.
ARIES
As Chiron moves through Aquarius it is likely to awaken you to different ways of doing things. It will spark your interest in a host of alternative approaches to living. Such is your innate enthusiasm, that when you discover something new, you have a tendency to jump ahead of yourself. You want to get on with things, but during this transit you will begin to discover that it’s the journey itself that is important. Savour life’s experiences, learn from them and don’t be disheartened by a lack of immediate results. As this cycle unfolds you may mistakenly believe that your progress should be faster, or should happen with greater ease, but that is not the case, indeed additional stress may come from trying to process too much information, or making changes too quickly. You may initially be resistant to new ideas, information, or change. Healing will truly come to you, when you learn to remove mental blocks and accept that absorbing new information and true change takes time.
Tension or conflict within your circle of friends may be a catalyst towards your developing awareness. Others may try to convert you to their way of thinking, or their point of view may differ widely from your own, making you feel isolated or rebellious. Do not be too hasty to pass judgement or dismiss the opinions of others. Even if there is a gap between your ideas and those of others, the by-product of these encounters is growing self-awareness and insight. Friends may have the key to the knowledge you are seeking.
Even if you have up until now put your faith only in traditional practices, you will begin to recognise the benefits that can be derived from exploring a range of alternatives.
As you become more conscious of your options, you will begin to accept that there are many different ways of living and thinking. This cycle will enhance your creativity in the long run.
Possible Sources of Stress:
Trying to fit in, forcing issues, friends, community organizations, or business colleagues. Feeling isolated or cut off from the mainstream. Having to change your approach.
Areas to Watch:
Circulation problems, blood pressure, burnout, nervous system, panic attacks, headaches
Healing Options:
Find a balance between fluctuating extremes. Keep an open mind. Try meditation, hypnotherapy, homeopathy. Explore a variety of alternative and non-traditional options. Don’t pressure yourself.
TAURUS
During this transit your responsibilities and commitments may become more difficult to manage, which could add to your stress level. This is particularly the case with respect to your career, but it could also have an impact on your home life and in other areas.
This is a time of additional responsibilities, so it is important to restructure your life and attitudes to accommodate these changes. Try to schedule time for your own wellbeing. Book yourself a massage, or go to a regular yoga class. Make sure that you make time for yourself. Do not let your responsibilities become a burden. Key questions for you to now consider are: What am I taking responsibility for? What are my goals and priorities? Do I have to carry this load on my own?
You will discover that you might need to reclaim a life-work balance. This may involve changing careers or jobs, which could be quite scary initially, because it means giving up some measure of security, while also embracing change and the unknown.
At least some of the external structures of your life will probably change, either as a result of your own actions, or because of circumstances beyond your control. During this cycle you might consider a career in healing or the health sector. In fact this is an excellent time to embark on such a venture, but it is important that you first deal with your own stress and wellbeing. Physical therapies will work best for you at this time, but also undertake an examination of your life, especially ask yourself whether your career is a true reflection of your inner value system.
At first you might feel like you have few choices, or that you are being limited by the circumstances and responsibilities you must face. Try to remain positive and adaptable and recognise that you do have choices. Within the challenges ahead, you will find the key to your freedom.
Possible Sources of Stress
Business or work pressure, the pressure of responsibilities, stress from your parents, responsibilities of parenthood, or/and difficult encounters with government agencies.
Areas to Watch
Bones, joints, teeth, skin,knees, back problems, arthritis.
Healing Options
Massage, chiropractic, osteopathy, yoga. Begin a new career. Strike a life/work balance. Pay attention to what your body is telling you. If you feel stuck, try something new.
GEMINI
Chiron in Aquarius means you are likely to seek out more meaning and purpose to your life. This is a time to embrace the inspirational and the intuitive. This will probably involve expanding your thinking beyond its usual methods and embracing a wider view of the world and universe. You are likely to become more interested in spiritual concepts and will be given to contemplate your place within the scheme of things. This will likely involve opening your mind to new belief systems. The challenge is to keep an open mind.
Your natural curiosity will evoke such big questions as: What inspires me? What is my purpose? What do I believe in? This will be primarily a journey of spiritual healing. There could be a dramatic shift in your beliefs over the coming years, as you begin to incorporate these teachings into your lifestyle and come to rely more on your intuition.
You might become fascinated with the other cultures including eastern philosophies; indeed these could lead you to discover the key to inner wisdom and spiritual health. Developing new skills by returning to study may become a higher priority too. This is a journey of discovery so don’t rush or become impatient.
This cycle gives you the opportunity to undertake an objective appraisal of your life and your ultimate purpose. It will also enhance your ability to see the others’ points of view. You are an effective communicator, but you will discover that communication doesn’t just mean talking; it also means listening. This includes a range of unconscious forms of dialogue. As your intuition becomes more developed, you will learn to listen in new ways and will come to rely more on the wisdom of your own unconscious and what it is saying. You will begin to recognise more fully that we are all learning, that we are all students of life on a journey towards wholeness, and that includes you.
Possible Stress Sources
Information overload, different ways of seeing the world, the freedom to explore can be scary. Embracing the new.
Areas to Watch
Liver, alcohol consumption, sugar intake, excess in general.
Healing Options
Liver cleanse, take a long-overdue holiday, learning more about health and healing via education. Try to enjoy each moment wherever you are. Moderation. Listen to alternative suggestions. Find a mentor or teacher.
CANCER
Over recent years you may have felt somewhat isolated and cut off from the deeper intimacy and emotional support you need. You are about to be enveloped in a powerful process of transformation, where intimacy, passion and inner psychological changes are likely to occur. This may be the result of an encounter with someone who in some way transforms your world and puts you in touch with your emotional life once more. It could also come about because of an end to a long-term relationship. A new relationship that enters your life at this time is likely to be intense to say the least, and it will be healing on the very deepest levels. For you it is emotional healing that is the primary focus of this cycle. Sexual release and intimacy will replenish the inner recesses of your soul. This will bring healing on all levels, including the release of physical tension.
Even so, there could be some emotional pain involved in this process. It could be that you need to examine how your past has contributed to your present. If you are feeling powerless, this might be due to an unresolved issue from the past, perhaps from childhood. This is an excellent time to undertake psychotherapy, or some other form of emotional healing. The key to harnessing your potential comes down to your own capacity to move on from the past. Doing so will rejuvenate your soul and revitalise your passions.
During this time you are being drawn towards a deeper exploration of the mysteries of your own unconscious. As you delve within, you will discover untold riches. Getting in touch with your emotions and feelings might be painful, but it will prove ultimately rewarding. Your soul will be replenished and your world will be transformed. Let go of the past, for it may be holding you back.
Some people may leave your circle at this time, or it might simply be time to move on. But endings lead you to new beginnings, as you will be empowered and more fully in touch with your emotional centre.
Possible Stress Sources
Feeling powerless, money worries. Sexual problems. Intimacy issues. Letting go of others.
Areas to Watch
Reproductive organs, colon, bladder, constipation, lower back region.
Healing options
Psychotherapy, detoxifying, past life regression, colonic irrigation, relaxation techniques, meditation, hypnotherapy, dream work, aromatherapy.
LEO
Chiron is about to focus its attention squarely in your relationship sector where you are about to discover the importance of communication and its role in establishing a durable and lasting bond.
You will have an opportunity to heal old wounds, even though there may be some pain involved. Perhaps you will discover some home truths about yourself that you have been unwilling to face, or perhaps others in your life are not open to examining their own behaviour. A new relationship that enters your life during this transit is likely to be a catalyst towards a conscious examination of these patterns.
It is as if a mirror is being held up in front of you. Often it is the same qualities that attract us to another, that we later discover are characteristics we find abhorrent. Sometimes too, we take others for granted. People change and grow. These are some things to consider.
Relationships may present you with some challenges through this cycle, but also provide you with opportunities to heal. As a result, you will probably come to know more about yourself and even observe how you exhibit a range of different personal qualities in different relationships and settings. This then begs the question: Who am I really? And who is this person I am relating to? Communication holds the key to answering these questions. You may discover totally new aspects about yourself and your partner. Conversely, you may seek more time on your own, feeling that some people are not meeting your expectations.
Therapy may provide a way to reconcile any long-standing differences; this may include couples counselling. Some key relationships may come to an end during the next several years as you learn more about yourself. Do not fear, for what does not last the distance, was passed its time. But if you and the other person are willing to work at it, then you can be sure that each of you is committed and that these are the relationships which are truly significant and worthwhile.
Stress Sources
Relationships
Areas to Watch
Kidneys, eyes, skin, headaches, migraine, blood pressure, salt intake.
Healing options
Counselling, gestalt therapy, art therapy, keep communication channels open, be willing to compromise. Group therapy, couples therapy.
VIRGO
Generally, you have a good comprehension of the link between the mind, the spirit, the emotions and one’s physical wellbeing, as well as a strong interest in healing and nutrition. As Chiron begins its journey through Aquarius, this knowledge is likely to be put to the test. You may discover that it is time to put your skills and knowledge to practical use. You may decide upon a career in the healing arts. During this coming cycle you may be called on to provide information, to heal, or to teach what you know. You will discover that there is a need for your services and knowledge.
But before that happens you may start to question the intrinsic value of your current work and lifestyle. Your daily routine may need to change. This process may begin with a build up of stress, the roots of which lie in your workplace and any reluctance on your part to address the issues. If so, you might soon discover the feeling of discomfort begins to affect your health. This is a sure sign that it is time to focus your attention on the internal causes and effects of stress. Eventually, this will pave the way for a change of direction where you will feel more valued and comfortable. Firstly, address your own health and wellbeing, on all levels. Ask yourself; what is the value of your work and service, does it serve you and does it serve others?
This is a good time to focus your attention especially on your physical wellbeing. At this time you are becoming particularly aware of just how vital is the Virgo motto ‘heal thyself’. You are being challenged to fully embrace your own inner healer, where you will find the key to mental, spiritual, emotional and physical wellbeing.
Put your faith in your own intuition and seek professional advice if needed. Recognise that even you do not have all the answers. A range of physical therapies such as massage and chiropractic may prove highly beneficial and dietary changes may be needed. After you directly experience healing yourself, then it will be time to develop these skills further. You will discover you have an innate capacity to heal or to teach what you know, because you have personally experienced profound healing yourself.
Stress sources
Work issues, health issues, feeling isolated, relying too much on yourself.
Areas to Watch
Small intestine, digestive system, spleen, pancreas, allergies, food and diet.
Healing Options
Nutrition, yoga, allergy check, worry less, change jobs, learn more about healing (return to study) start your own healing practise.
LIBRA
Being in love is a wonderful feeling that brings deep healing to the soul. At the same time, it can be fraught with pain and bring up issues for those involved. A love affair that begins during this time may bring you both pleasure and pain. As this cycle unfolds, you will find it exhilarating and healing at the deepest levels. Chiron in Aquarius may also herald a highly creative period, where you may discover an inner artist who is seeking expression.
Some of the core questions that may emerge during this cycle relate primarily to your creative essence. What do I want to create? What is the nature of creativity? What am I creating this for? Issues associated with children may also challenge you. You may need to get in touch with your inner child, to help answer some of these questions.
You may feel that your life has stagnated into set routines, which has led to this inner creative murmuring. Underlying these questions is perhaps a deeper question that you first need to ask yourself. Before you can express your creativity, before you find out what it is that you want to create, you might first discover that you need to learn more about yourself. Who are you?
This is a big question for the average Libran, because so much of what constitutes your life is based upon external structures and relationships. Chiron will ask you to reconnect with yourself, with your own unconscious, before you can participate fully in expressing your longing to return to a more creative way of living.
Children may in some way be a catalyst for this process of reconnection, if not directly, then indirectly. At this time it is important that you do more of what you enjoy. Make time for play, for sport, for creativity and for fun and get to know yourself again. You will learn more about who you are and what you value. You will discover the healing power of love that lies within and rediscover your creative essence.
Stress sources
Issues around children and the need for creative expression. Feeling disconnected from yourself and your inner longings.
Areas to Watch
Heart, spine, circulation, fertility issues, cholesterol, sports injuries, fatigue.
Healing Options
Art therapy, drama classes, sport, games, express yourself creatively, get more sun, spend time outdoors.
SCORPIO
The next few years will take you on a journey of inner exploration. You will slowly come to know yourself more intimately than ever before and understand how unconscious patterns have contributed to your development. This is a process of emotional healing.
At first, you might start to feel rather exposed or vulnerable. In one way or another, the next few years are likely to involve a process of deep-seated healing that in some way is connected with home, family, domestic matters and emotional security. Where do I belong? Where is home? What constitutes a family? These are some of the questions that may begin to filter up from deep within your unconscious.
This cycle may be a bit unsettling, because Scorpios like to keep their emotions under control, but as you investigate old patterns and family relationships, you will learn much about yourself. You will discover how the past has contributed to your present and you will begin to express your feelings more spontaneously, which will prove to be highly cathartic.
Your imagination could begin to work overtime during this cycle, bringing up possible fears as well as feelings of inspiration. You could experience an amazing range of emotions from the heights of euphoria to the depths of sadness. The unconscious contains a host of beliefs that constitute the basis of everything we become. It is also the fount of our feelings and emotional responses.
Since you are highly sensitive and feel things deeply, but often do not want to appear vulnerable, during this cycle you may experience a welling up of long-stored feelings and an emotional release, which may be overdue. Let yourself experience this without fear. Know you are safe.
For some Scorpios, information from the past may come to light during this cycle, which will fundamentally change the structure and basis of your world. Delving into the past or into your own unconscious will bring untold rewards and fill you with a sense of having returned home.
Stress sources
Family, parents, home, the past.
Areas to Watch
Digestion, stomach, breasts, fluid retention, food/emotional issues.
Healing options
Nutrition, diet changes, counselling, family therapy, hydrotherapy, dream work, meditation, hypnotherapy, aromatherapy, get more sleep, strike a balance between giving and receiving
SAGITTARIUS
For Sagittarians life is often a busy whirr of activity. Your interests are numerous and you usually enjoy life to the full, however you might soon discover that you are spreading yourself too thin or taking on too much. For some time now you may have been focussing your attention on financial matters, with a long-term plan in mind; to make a connection between your core values and your lifestyle, but how much has really changed? This is a question you may soon start to ask yourself.
Deep within you is a highly spiritual centre, which may be crying out for attention. You are now more likely to focus on making lifestyle adjustments, and begin to align the small picture and the big picture. How does your life reflect what you aspire to become? Can I have it all? Do I even want it all? What do I really want? You might discover that you have taken on so much that you are having trouble in fitting everything in and do not have enough time to enjoy life, nor have the time to reflect upon some of these questions.
As these stirrings become more urgent, you may discover that your lifestyle needs to change to accommodate everything, or you may need to decide on what it is that you really want and which aspects of your current lifestyle can be jettisoned.
Any stress you experience at this time is most likely to manifest in colds, flu or other assorted respitory illnesses. This is a sure sign that you need to slow things down and let yourself enjoy each moment. Make time to express your feelings, emotions and needs.
Change is as good as a holiday, as the saying goes. Now is a good time to embrace change on a more permanent basis, but don’t take on more than you can manage. Consider making adjustments to your lifestyle, or work, and if you have an inner yearning, seek a way to make it happen without adding to your already busy schedule.
Stress sources
Neighbours, siblings, information overload, travel and mobility issues, doing too much.
Areas to Watch
Lungs, arms, elbows, shoulder tension, ear, nose and throat.Colds, flu, asthma, bronchitis,
chest and sinus conditions.
Healing Options
Stop trying to do ten things at once. Herbal mixtures, naturopathy, vitamins, acupuncture, counselling, yoga, relaxation techniques.
CAPRICORN
Financial matters are a part of your life that you generally have firmly under control. Capricorns seem able to amass wealth with relative ease, being practical and goal oriented, you can usually spot a bargain and make wise investments.
As Chiron moves into your money sector, you might begin to question the underlying values upon which these decisions are based. In particular, it may be time to review your own personal values and self-worth. An assessment of money matters and your income base may follow. It is possible that you will set up your own business after this period of assessment, or overhaul your finances or lifestyle. The trigger for this inner reflection may come in many forms. You may start to feel a longing for something more meaningful and worthwhile.
At first, even before you begin to contemplate the true value of what you are doing, you may experience physical tension or stress, particularly in the neck region. The tonsils, thyroid, vocal chords, ears, jaw problems or teeth grinding, are some symptoms of stress to watch for.
It might be difficult for you to let go of some of the secure aspects of your life such as a regular income that you have come to rely upon. The key to your inner wellbeing and health may come from a realisation and an acceptance on your part, that all things change over time.
Accepting change is part of a creative evolution that is taking place deep within you over the coming years. An old astrological adage says that as Capricorns age, they actually start to become more youthful and become less concerned with shouldering responsibilities. Remember this as you try to eliminate worry and minimise stress. Embracing a more happy-go-lucky attitude will carry you forward into the next decade of your life with a more carefree attitude and an optimistic outlook.
Stress sources
Money issues, business issues, self-employment, income base.
Areas to Watch
Thyroid, jaw, throat, self-esteem issues, neck pain, skin problems, watch sugar intake.
Healing options
Massage, chiropractic, other tactile therapies, pamper yourself now and again. Acupuncture. Learn to accept change
AQUARIUS
Chiron has just started its journey through your sign. For many Aquarians this signifies a process of renewal, expanded self-knowledge and also physical transformation.
A chapter of your life is closing. You are in the process of embracing a new and exciting future. This involves crossing a threshold into a new cycle of experience where you will embrace your own creative potential with more confidence.
At first however, you may feel scared by the changes that are taking place. There are so many aspects of your life that are likely experience this process of revolution, you may feel a little vulnerable or exposed and feel that that nothing is stable or permanent.
The reason that things are changing so radically is because you are undergoing a cycle of profound healing. By embracing the new aspects of your evolving consciousness, this will lead you forward into an exciting future, but this may mean that you need to take the initiative and face your fears.
It is time to leave behind any feelings of isolation, but at the same time you may need to push ahead on your own. It is time to make a fresh start. This may also have a dramatic impact on your relationships. As you are changing, old relationship patterns will also need to evolve. Some relationships, especially those that you have felt were lacking in some fundamental way, may end as you begin to forge new connections with others who are more supportive.
The outcome of this cycle is largely in your own hands. You have choices. You could feel that you have few options, or that you are stuck, or perhaps the timing has not been right, but now you can begin to instigate plans. You might have been working behind the scenes, quietly preparing psychologically for this new adventure. Don’t put it off any longer.
Stress sources
Being in charge, taking the initiative, old relationship patterns, new beginnings. Facing your fears.
Areas to Watch
Head, face, eyes, jaw, fevers, cuts and accidents. Headaches, migraine, stomach acidity, anger issues.
Healing options
Physical overhaul. Inspirational leadership, high adrenalin activities and sport, take decisive action. Vitamins and minerals.
PISCES
Over recent years the pace of life may have been fairly hectic. This has probably included strong feelings of community spirit on your part and perhaps a range of voluntary activities to which you have given generously. As Chiron moves into Aquarius you might begin to feel the need to regroup and to retreat from at least some of these activities in order to gain perspective and discover what you have learned.
You have probably changed and evolved through recent years more than you know. Now, although you may be feeling a bit lost and unsure of what the future holds, you are becoming aware that you do need a break or a change, in order to discover what is quietly murmuring inside your unconscious. Listen to your inner self and take time out. Spend time thinking and meditating if you feel the need. Don’t feel obligated to continue with commitments if your enthusiasm and passion have gone. Join a creative group, where there is less demand on your time, but more pleasure involved. Have some fun.
The challenge you now face is to get more in touch with yourself and your spiritual centre for it is time to reconnect with your beliefs and core values. You may have lost your way and feel like you are simply going through the motions. If you are feeling depressed by the circumstances of your life, seek help and guidance.
Finding yourself and reconnecting with your inner motivations is part of your journey now, for this is where new seeds are germinating, where new ideas and dreams of what might be, will emerge. Give your imagination some space to breathe.
This is likely to turn out be a highly creative time. You might feel a bit remote and isolated but there is a large part of you that needs some personal space and you should honour this feeling as you begin to separate yourself from the past cycle, where you gave so much. Your capacity to give selflessly is second to none, but now you need to replenish your inner resources, before moving forward. Once you find your spiritual centre again, you will begin to flower and grow in new ways.
Stress Sources
Isolation, feeling cut off and remote.
Areas to Watch
Lymphatic system, feet, parathyroid and other glands. Indulgence in alcohol or drugs, chemical sensitivity, or dependence, depression.
Healing Options
Reiki, spiritual and energy healing, meditation, spiritual retreats, hypnotherapy. Develop a meaningful life philosophy. Embrace music, art and colour.
Note: This healing guide includes suggestions as to possible causes of stress and a variety of healing options, but it is in no way intended to replace a consultation by an experienced health professional. You should always consult with a qualified doctor, or healer for a full diagnosis before embarking on any course of treatment.
