Chiron: The Mythic & Mundane Reality of the Sacred Wound–Adam Gainsburg
Between the orbits of Saturn and Uranus – between the realms of the known and the unknown – lies a large asteroid (a ‘planetoid’) – called Chiron.
Archetypal Chiron signifies archetypal separation and the entire transition between selfmemory
and self-loss at the level of the Soul, which can only be experienced initially at the level of psychology. If the Soul is the consistent consciousness transmigrating through incarnations, then Chiron signifies that Soul’s sacrifice – each time it chooses an incarnation. Its inevitable forgetting of itself occurs each time a new incarnation begins.
Traditional cultures hold that this forgetting, this loss of knowing and of source, is necessary and a natural part of life. In fact, they say it is crucial for maintaining the balance between this world and the other world. Greek myth contributes the image of the River Lethe, the river which each Soul must drink from just before entering life. Its waters cause forgetfulness to thoroughly wash through the Soul erasing any immediate knowing of its Desire, which we may call life purpose. A piece of Jewish folklore explains the human loss of knowing self in a different way. It tells that an angel gently places one finger over the lips of the newborn just before birth as if to symbolize ‘shhh’ in the baby’s consciousness and cause it to lose memory of its essential self. It’s also said this is the reason for the indented cleft between the nose and upper lip. Other mythologies echo this basic premise in a variety of ways.
On the level of the psyche, Chiron signifies the causes, expressions and results of humanity’s unavoidable participation in duality, otherwise known as separation. The actual ‘Chironic’ experience can very often manifest as a profound and unavoidable emotional break-open. When it occurs, one’s early-life protection patterns (formed in infancy) are triggered. It is as if the original pre-conscious separation at birth is psychologically repeated.
It is analogous to the body’s formation of a scab to protect the healing process occurring underneath. Chiron reveals a ‘tender spot’ underneath the stubborn egoic self-image, a place which cannot be strengthened through outer achievements or outside validation. It is the raw feeling of being too exposed, too vulnerable, broken or somehow defeated.
“The only heart worth having is a broken heart.” –
Michael Meade, storyteller, author, and scholar, referencing a piece of Irish folk wisdom.
Chiron teaches that it is in an individual’s courage, self-responsibility and honesty to his psychological (and sometimes physical) wound that determines his ability to ‘bridge the worlds’ of forgetfulness and remembering, between matter and spirit, between Soul and ego.
The mythological Chiron by ancient Greek reckoning owned his sacred wound and devoted his life to the benefit of humanity that it should eventually learn to claim its own spiritual fire and to balance its animal and human natures. Indeed, an empowering way to frame the massive transformation of collective consciousness occurring on and in the planet now is to see all transformations as a radical attempt to own one’s own reality; that is, to develop the energetic capacity to include every experience one has or has had, rather than discounting, blaming, victimizing, manipulating, or in any other way separating oneself from one’s experiential truth.
Chironic wisdom is altogether different than that gained through other outer planet initiations. It purports a strategy of surrender in order to more efficiently move through the experience. This will almost always produce a strong emotional component of helplessness, sorrow, sadness, and futility. This is quite difficult to accept for most western people as we are universally addicted to doing something to fix the problem. Chiron suggests the opposite tack: don’t do anything.
It seems to tell us at those times: Only in fully giving in to the truth that your human life is predicated on separation will you find the inner clarity of how to transform it.’
For some, this will feel natural, even familiar. For others, it is contrary to how they’ve learned to be who they are. Chiron’s synodic return occurs at about age 50. Its orbit creates an exaggerated ellipse, producing a widely variable window for both Chiron squares and the Chiron opposition.
Other possible triggers for the Chiron effect might be: transiting Chiron in catalyzing aspects with any natal Angle, Lunar Node, or personal planet, Pluto-Chiron or Saturn-Chiron aspects, or any involvement of a progressed planet with natal Chiron.
This list is by no means exhaustive; there can be many other interactions of Chiron natally or by transit which can trigger a Chironic effect psychologically. Again, there has been much good statistical analysis of both natal and transiting Chiron’s effect by astrologers for 20 years.
* Excerpted and adapted from Chiron: The Wisdom of a Deeply Open Heart, Adam Gainsburg, Soulsign
Publishing. Available on SoulsignPublishing.com and Amazon.com
Chiron, the Wisdom of a Deeply Open Heart Adam Gainsburg
“The deeply open heart is the Heart that feels life and does not protect us from it, the Heart passionately and equally open to both the pain of loss and the joy of connection without resistance. It is the Heart that knows that both are ultimately, itself.” – Adam Gainsburg
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Includes a general and refreshing exploration of astrological polarity in light of leading insights into the nature of evolving consciousness; a look at the meaning of Chiron’s glyph; Chiron through the signs and houses; in‐depth examinations of the sacred wound, sacred medicine, broken‐open heart and medicine‐walk archetypes; the karmic implications of Chironic placement; Chiron retrograde; and the popular article, “The Chiron‐Moon Connection.”