That Chiron Thing — In Pisces

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Dear Friend and Reader:

Our Pisces Sun is slipping from a conjunction to Neptune (which was exact Wednesday, Feb. 25) into a conjunction with Chiron (exact Saturday, March 7). These slow-moving bodies are forming the backdrop of consciousness right now. Though it’s often difficult to see while we’re in the midst of it, slow-moving planets can reveal many things about both the challenges and the promises of the era in which we’re living.

Can we ever really see our moment of history for what it is? Do we really notice the background environment in which we live? The environment tends to disappear; sensory data drops below the level of normal perception. Most people are too distracted by the figures in the foreground of consciousness to notice their surroundings. Anything involving Neptune or Pisces is especially susceptible to this, though with slow-moving planets in Pisces, highlighted by the Sun, we have the advantage of some contrast to work with.

First a little context about this thing called Chiron (clip and save). When an astronomer named Charles Kowal discovered an unusual little body orbiting the Sun in 1977, a new era of planetary science was born. Chiron was about the size of a large asteroid, but located nowhere near the asteroid belt.

In fact it was out past Saturn, placed in a 51-year orbit. When close to the Sun it was inside Saturn’s orbit, and when far from the Sun it was close to the orbit of Uranus.

The thing was not an asteroid, though. It’s a huge comet, about 180 km across. It fit no known category. Dr. Brian Marsden, who would become director of the Minor Planet Center at Harvard, declared it a ‘maverick’ (its first keyword). Kowal named it for the wise centaur of Greek mythology. It was given a glyph constructed of an O and a K, for ‘Object Kowal’. The glyph looks like a little key, which is one of the properties of Chiron: it represents a tool that opens up another dimension.

It’s also about something rather down to Earth: the word Chiron means ‘one who has hands’, which is reflected in Chiron’s association with hands-on healing.

Astrologers immediately took notice of the new discovery. Among the first to organize study of Chiron were Al Morrison, Zane Stein and Erminie Lantero, who did truly groundbreaking work in the first few years after the discovery. They coordinated the input of many astrologers around the world who were curious to see what this new thing was about. There was a lot of excitement and true devotion to investigating the nature of this planet.

The mythology of the centaurs was resurrected in the process; at the time of the discovery and naming, Chiron was an almost-forgotten myth. Yet he was a mighty figure in Greek mythology, who passed the knowledge of medicine from his mentor Apollo to his student Asclepius, the god of medicine.

Rendering of the original fractal — the Mandelbrot Set. Notice how the ‘bug’ pattern keeps repeating over and over. That is the nature of a fractal — and astrology works on a similar principle. Image via Wikimedia.

He also served as mentor to heroes such as Jason and Heracles. Later in life he was mortally wounded in a battle (by accident — he was not directly involved in the fight). Because he was a demigod and thus immortal, his mortal wound describes one of the central paradoxes of his life. As a result of trying to heal his injury, he developed innumerable medical compounds and treatments. He was released from his struggle in a kind of karmic exchange with Prometheus (in an arrangement mediated by Zeus), which is a story for another day.

As a result of that exchange, Chiron ascended to the heavens and was granted a place as the constellation Centaurus, which stands at the gate of our galaxy in Sagittarius. For this and other reasons, Chiron is associated with that sign.

Chiron’s adoption by astrologers opened a phase of minor planet research. Prior to Chiron’s discovery there were only planets and asteroids. There were a few serious asteroid researchers in the 1970s. But in the days before computers, the planetary tables (ephemerides) of asteroids were difficult to obtain. Asteroids were largely ignored by the community of astrologers for all the usual reasons — they’re too small, there are too many, they can’t mean anything, they’re not covered by classical astrology, and so on.

When Chiron showed up, that all changed. Suddenly there was a reason to do research on a small planet. By the early 1980s when there was considerable excitement about Chiron, astrology computer programs were becoming available, which greatly facilitated research. Books began to come out in quick succession — including those by Zane Stein, Erminie Lantero, Melanie Reinhart, Barbara Hand Clow and others.

Fractal generated using Clifford Pickover’s quartic variation of Ushikis’s ‘Phoenix’ Julia set equations. Fractals are made entirely of math.

In the process, the concept of a ‘minor planet’ was born. Minor in this sense does not mean lesser; it’s more like a minor scale in music, with a different feeling from the corresponding major scale. Minor planets, of which there are now many tens of thousands known, can have profound influence in any dimension of astrology and in our lives.

Early Chiron research revealed several main properties of the new discovery. That Chiron was about standing out was the first. Whatever Chiron touches, it makes different. That Chiron involved mentorship is a close second — one-on-one teaching and learning. As nearly all teaching is becoming automated, we would surely benefit from more of this.

Astrologers also discovered that Chiron invoked the healing process. That extended into an area that was in tune with the times (the late ’70s and early ’80s) — the advent of holistic medical treatments as something legitimate. This came with retrievals of herbalism, homeopathy, chiropractic, naturopathy and massage therapy.

As the ‘one who has hands’, and the teacher of Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine, Chiron (in mythological terms, anyway) is the likely inventor of chiropractic, or what long, long ago used to be called Asclepian manipulation. All of these things gave Chiron a resonance with Virgo. What these healing modalities have in common is the concept of wholeness, or the holistic principle.

Then there was a spiritual dimension that opened up around Chiron. This takes different forms depending on the sign and circumstances involved. One consistent theme is the bridging of dimensions. Chiron seems to open a portal to another reality, and to lead those who are in tune with it on a quest.

Fractal created using something called the Atan Method. Notice the Mandelbrot set appears in the middle of the equation.

This is especially true with Chiron in Pisces, where the quest for wholeness reaches into contact with the holistic principle we call God or the intelligent cosmos. Chiron can help reach between the dimensions, whether they be the dimensions of one’s own awareness or something more remote or exotic, such as a subtle plane. Chiron tends to focus awareness on the eternal now, which can serve as a means to accessing other layers or aspects of time.

With this comes an element of uncertainty, and that quality can help someone who is searching to get out of their own way. Uncertainty is one of the most essential ingredients on a quest for spiritual contact or wholeness, though it can be annoying to those who seek false certainty or who are bound to concrete reality.

Part of the uncertainty of Chiron is exactly how it’s going to manifest. Chiron is complex, and it’s different for everyone. It will evoke the concept of healing that is necessary for any specific point in one’s journey. This is why when reading Chiron in a client’s chart I start with a review of the person’s past Chiron transits to see how they tend to manifest this energy.

Chiron can have some shadowy dimensions, as one of its roles is to bring darkness to light. It can describe ancestral material that we bring in from our family heritage as well as situations from past lives that we can resolve in this lifetime.

Fractal by Stephen Shankland for CNET. Fractals are the very incarnation of Pisces. That’s what it looks like in there.

This week, Chiron will be conjunct the Sun. For about nine days, the Sun will be spanning the distance between Neptune and Chiron. It’s possible to make many statements about what that means, some of them speculative and some from long experience. I would suggest that rather than predict, this is a time to observe. With the Sun in this sensitive part of the sky, it will be possible to discern some themes associated with this event.

There’s also a Full Moon on March 5, which will help bring the energy to a peak. Remember that Neptune is still in the vicinity. Neptune has the tendency to bathe everything in a kind of otherworldly light. Chiron has the tendency to focus its light into a laser-like beam that can penetrate anything. Currently both of these are happening at the same time, though as the next few days progress, we might see a focusing effect.

I am curious to hear your observations.

One last thing — this week’s horoscopes are written by Len Wallick.

Lovingly,

P.S. — For those interested in further research, here is a PDF that includes links to about 50 of my articles about Chiron. There is more than enough material here for a book.

P.P.S. — A couple of years ago I prepared a Chiron in Pisces audio report for all the signs. That is $19.95 (for all 12 signs). You may order that at this link.

Planet Waves (ISSN 1933-9135) is published each Tuesday morning and Thursday afternoon in Kingston, New York by Planet Waves, Inc. Annual basic subscription rate: $97/year. Core community membership: $197/year. Editor and Publisher: Eric Francis Coppolino. Business Manager: Chelsea Bottinelli. Web Developer: Anatoly Ryzhenko. Astrology Editor: Amanda Painter. Copy Editor: Jessica Keet. Research, Writing and Editing: Planet Waves is produced by a team consisting of Fe Bongolan, Brendan Merritt, Amy Elliott, Judith Gayle, Kelly Janes, Amanda Moreno, Casey Smith, Carol van Strum, Len Wallick, Lizanne Webb and Chad Woodward.

Blessed With Grace

By Amanda Painter

I have no idea if five-year-old Iris Grace is a Pisces, or where Chiron is in her chart. What I do know is that since her Autism diagnosis prompted her parents to engage her in painting to help with her speech therapy, she has been creating delightfully soft, rhythmic paintings whose color and composition defy her age.

Although Iris does the actual painting all herself (attended by her trusty therapy cat, Thula), her mother, Arabella Carter-Johnson, lays out the paper, mixes the paints (according to Iris’s indicated preferences) and names the finished works according to such factors as the context in which they were made (music, outdoor scenery, recent experiences, etc.) and how Iris seemed to be feeling as she created them.

Iris Grace and her best friend Thula at the painting table. Photo by Arabella Carter-Johnson.

Some paintings may be done in a few hours. Some she returns to later in the day or the week — or even weeks or months later.

One of the highlights of Iris Grace’s website is Carter-Johnson’s blog. Some posts feature questions to and answers from those living on the Autistic spectrum; others chronicle through words and photos how particular paintings came into being, or other of Iris’s experiences. In one post, Carter-Johnson writes:

“For the first time Iris manages to say a clear ‘Painting’ and ‘Paint’ along with all sorts of other words she has used before, my excitement about the ‘Painting’ word sets her off running around the kitchen and to the hallway with her hands in the air as if she has scored a goal. She returns and adds some more paint to the paper and then rushes off again with the brush, over the carpeted floor and onto the sofa where Thula is lying. She is showing her best friend the colour by dotting spots onto the sheet Thula is lying on. Iris wants her to be included in the activity and enjoy the colours as she has. We laugh as Thula tries to catch the colour, putting her furry paws over the spots of paint. For Iris, painting isn’t an activity she does at a set time, it is part of her therapy but it’s on her terms with the table and paper out at all times.”

Imagine if everyone on the spectrum (or everyone, period) had such support, encouragement, opportunity and resources to explore, express, play and create as they learn to navigate this world? Chiron in Pisces would be pleased — and life on this planet might be very different.

Kurt Cobain, Sun Conjunct Neptune and Astrology Secrets

In this week’s program I look at the current Sun conjunct Neptune aspect, and describe how Neptune works and how Chiron works as an astrological factor. I offer some perspective on the visual illusion of television vis-a-vis Marshall McLuhan, the grandfather of media theory. Then I look at the natal chart of Kurt Cobain, whose 48th birthday would have been Feb. 20. In the last section I talk about the differences between a natal chart, a solar chart, whole sign houses and a sidereal chart — an excellent primer on chart types that will be fun for anyone to listen to.

 

 

Your Monthly Horoscopes — and our Publishing Schedule Notes

Your extended monthly horoscopes for March published Thursday, Feb. 19. We published your extended monthly horoscopes for February  Thursday, Jan. 22. Inner Space horoscopes for February published Tuesday, Jan. 27. Moonshine horoscopes  for the Leo Full Moon published Tuesday, Feb. 3. Please note, we normally publish the extended monthly horoscope on the first Friday after the Sun has entered a new sign.

Note: This week’s horoscopes for your Sun sign and rising sign have been written by Planet Waves contributor Len Wallick, who is standing in for Eric this week.

 

 

Weekly Horoscope for Thursday, Feb. 26, 2015 #1038 | By Len Wallick 

Aries (March 20-April 19) — You go, Aries. You have every reason to be confident. What you have right now is all that’s required to plunge ahead with your most cherished ambitions. Who you currently are is more than enough to excel. To further assure that you are the complete package of efficacious energy, all you have to bring to the table is a sure and certain knowledge of what you want, along with a disciplined focus on getting it. All you need to watch out for has to do with your feet. First off, watch where you step. After that, please try to be careful that you always step up, not on. Don’t be a heel. Stay on your toes. — by Len Wallick

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — Your native authenticity is the one thing you should indulge to the max going into next month. Other forms of indulgence may also be beneficial so long as your mind is engaged like an easygoing gatekeeper following a simple protocol. There may be times when you feel as though you are walking a very fine line between excessive inhibition and just plain excess. In fact, there is no need to put yourself on a tightrope. Just be true to yourself. At every sensible opportunity, touch yourself in some way, somehow. The sense of grounding that results will likely preclude nearly any possible error. — by Len Wallick

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — If you have been listening carefully since the first of the year, a pattern should be developing in what you hear from others. If your listening skills have not been employed to their maximum potential thus far in 2015, it’s not too late to tune in. Either way, pay special attention to messages that would be repetitive but for the fact that the same sentiment is coming in to you from different sources. Even if you have felt disconnected, you are still online. The world is actually flowing right up to your doors of perception. Simply keep those doors open and your appropriate responses will be obvious and easy. — by Len Wallick

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — You may have either experienced or exemplified extreme ends of a broad spectrum in recent months. If that’s true for you, the most useful takeaway is probably a hard-earned wisdom that the truth and/or best consequences are usually to be found somewhere in between. On the other hand, if you have kept to the middle road for a while, it just might be time to get your freak on somehow. Should you choose to accept what might seem like an impossible mission to explore the edge, try getting started by picking one of your boundaries and pushing it. Who knows? You might realize an impossible dream. — by Len Wallick

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — Granted, catching a fire in the Rastafarian sense may or may not be your style. If it isn’t, now would be a good time to begin thinking about what your style of ignition is. This is not about lighting a fire under yourself, nor about work in any conventional sense — you appear to have all that covered. What we have here is more likely a need to better spark and stoke communications, with yourself and with others. Try addressing that need by regularly taking long walks during which you have short talks, both alone and in good company. Then, allow the walks to gradually grow shorter and the talks longer. — by Len Wallick

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — You and other members of your solar tribe are in a position both to see more clearly and to feel more deeply over the next few weeks. Maybe longer. This could do you a lot of good. More to the point, the powerful perspective astrology seems to be allowing you could do a lot of good for others. Especially those you love. First, however, look and feel for new ways to love yourself. Accept yourself just as you are regularly. Please yourself somehow daily. Honor your enhanced self-awareness by owning it proudly. Then, act so as to be one with what is uniquely you and essentially yours. — by Len Wallick

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — Oh yeah, you got it going on. The balance you so often seek is now almost certainly seeking you. Let it find you. More specifically, something you boldly initiated during the first half of last year now appears to require only one last innovation on your part to result in a triumph. This could be something that, as recently as December, looked as though it would never come to fruition. In order to git ‘er done consider eschewing both perspiration and the “tried and true” in favor of inspiration and innovation. Doing something you have never done before is probably just what the doctor ordered to make and make well. — by Len Wallick

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — It seems as though you have always known when to hold ‘em, and when to fold ‘em. Evidently, showing your hand is where you get hung up. Yet you know good and well that everybody must periodically reveal what they have held close to the vest just to keep both personal and social relationships moving. So happens the current astrology has you well placed to address your most poignant secrets. You can further your own cause by simply seeking to lie down with somebody as often as possible. Even if it’s just to cuddle, getting horizontal with a good buddy will probably release untold wonders. — by Len Wallick

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — Even if you are not a motherless child, you can easily be excused for feeling as though you are every once in a while. It goes with having been born while the Sun walked on mutable fire. Right now, however, should not be one of those times. If it is, examine your habits, especially those newly acquired this year. Could be at least one of your recent routines has taken you out of a flow of affinity that comes naturally, and is so vital for you. If you have unplugged you might want to reconnect more often to recharge your batteries. If you are not getting the juice you need, seek a better outlet. — by Len Wallick

 

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — Consider if you will how the quality of your life would improve if there were nothing to rage against. Allow yourself at least to imagine that there is no such thing as a dying of the light. Envision how surrender might conceivably be an authentic and genuine act of will. You have your reasons, all of which are worthy of respect. Even so, those same reasons are also worthy of examination. It’s not necessary to sustain adversaries, or darkness, or struggle. You have options. You have not come this far to deny yourself choices. Give yourself a chance to win, and you probably will. — by Len Wallick

 

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — Some tough-guy types might tell you trying is lying. Don’t believe them. In your heart, you know every earnest effort makes a difference. Every exertion also makes you better. So, why not avail yourself of the chance astrology apparently now affords you to rehearse? First, think about how to practice without risk. For instance, instead of asking your boss for a raise, begin by asking for more time when you need it. That way, you can practice stating your needs without being so shy. As you get better at stating your needs, you can go on to either higher stakes or subtly honing another skill. — by Len Wallick

 

 

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Throw a party. If you are not a party animal, send out invitations for an afternoon tea. Should tea not be your style, sponsor a game night. Perhaps you are not a night-owl. In that case, ask neighbors over for a weekend brunch. However you do it, it’s high time to have some sort of soiree where you live. If you have roommates, negotiate. Make this your chance to finally clean up if your place is a mess. No matter what, somehow hosting a social gathering of some type holds a dual promise of both living it up and living better long after your last guest has gone home. — by Len Wallick