No coincidence, I am also experiencing my Chiron return, astrologically speaking. Once a year, the Earth goes around the Sun, our solar return, happy birthday. Every 28-33 years, we experience our Saturn Return, a time to review our feelings of family and being in authority. Chiron has an eclectic orbit; most people experience a Chiron return in their late forties and early fifties. Chiron’s message in our natal charts is, “Change your greatest wounds into your greatest gifts.”
According to Greek mythology, Chiron is the Wounded Healer. He was an immortal, but as luck would have it, he got stabbed by one of Hercules' poison arrows. He was condemned to being in agony for eternity. He scoured the earth looking for a cure, trying each and every one of the herbs for medicinal properties, but to no avail. So he decided to turn over his knowledge of the healing properties of plants to humanity, even though he still suffered. The gods and goddesses were so moved by this gesture that they decided to let Chiron become mortal, and thus die from Hercules' arrow.
Now he is an asteroid in the sky, known as the rainbow bridge linking Mars and Jupiter, our deepest desires, and our willingness to be in the social world. The message here is how to change one's deepest wound into one's greatest gift, to bridge our selfish desires with our desire to improve the world, not just enjoy it.
People tend to experience a Chiron return around the time of menopause. We are looking at our past and recognizing the need to stop being a victim of conditioning; it is not our wounds that define us. How to walk as the hero, but also the healer, the teacher, the mentor, and in whatever way, encourage future generations despite our own frustrations. Check with your local astrologer or an ephemeris to see where Chiron is in your chart.
When you are honest with yourself and are willing to stop picking at the past, to let those wounds heal, maybe you’ll have some scars, but you’ll feel integrated and whole again. Embracing Chiron means moving out of being a Victim, Martyr, or Bully and walking the path of the Peaceful Hero. Stands up for yourself and knows how to sparkle.
Chiron's message in the chart is the same for everyone - that no matter what happens in life, it is nothing but a learning experience that should not be seen as a failure or drawback. Everything that happens has purpose, and the more that you can acknowledge this, the more attuned to the Universe and the people around you, you will be, and the more you will heal - physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.
What will bring you out of your grief, woundedness, and shame? Laughter is the best medicine, but there are other modalities to support you - storytelling, acupuncture, massage, aromatherapy. Learn how to use your personal birth chart as a map to navigate your own healing journey.
(Excerpt from Laphrodite's Guide to Mindful Menopause or the Adventures of a Baby Crone)
