Retrogrades and the Wounded Healer
At this point in time we have 6 planets in retrograde; Jupiter until August 11th, Mercury until July 19th, Saturn until September 17th, Neptune until November 26th, Pluto until October 2nd and Chiron until December 12th. Technically Chiron is an asteroid rather than a planet but it has such a big effect that it seemed a good one to focus on. Most of us have heard about the woes of Mercury Retrograde but Chiron has a special place in my heart and often seems overlooked in the scheme of things.
Retrogrades are points in time when planets appear to be travelling backwards, when disruption seems to occur. Mercury often gets a bad rap for issues around travel, communication and technology when its retrograde. But retrogrades can help us to see a situation with more clarity. To take time and look at things from a different perspective, a bit like the Hanged Man in the Tarot spread. Retrogrades can actually be times of great and important transformation.
And none more so than Chiron, so let’s look at Chiron retrograde with a bit of Chiron Return thrown in too.
Chiron as an asteroid is situated between Saturn and Neptune, bridging the old and the new. Known as the Wounded Healer Chiron in mythology was a Centaur who received a wound he never recovered from. The continual pain made him embark on a journey to seek relief and healing which instead brought him knowledge and understanding of healing which he in turn taught others. Whilst his wound never healed he learnt to turn his wounds into strengths and that is the lesson that Chiron teaches us. That our wounds do not have to define us but instead can teach us about ourselves.
Symbolising our connection to wounds, pain and suffering, how we handle it, move through it, learn from it or allow those wounds to dictate who we are and how we live our lives. As Chiron experienced there are some wounds in life that are so deep we carry the pain, or the memory of the pain, deep within us. This is where the essence of Chirons’ message has a deep resonance. These seriously deep wounds can shape who we are, who we become and often teach us more about ourselves, our thoughts, beliefs, strengths and weaknesses, temperment and abilities than any positive or uplifting experience will.
Where Chiron shows up in your astrological birth chart will highlight the areas that need transformation Chiron style. This becomes much clearer when we hit our Chiron return around the ages of 49-51. If, like me, you’re currently in your Chiron return then the lessons that Chiron in Aries both direct and retrograde bring are important. Your Chiron return is about childhood wounds coming up for healing, and for those of us in Aries it’s predominantly about wounds around self-worth, rejection and our sense of identity.
With Chiron having moved retrograde yesterday and staying retrograde through to December we have a good 5 months to learn, even more so as Chiron is staying in Aries until 2027.
The basic message coming through is that it is time for us to be more self-aware, to accept ourselves fully for who we are and how we show up in the world. To remove the masks that we can wear trying to be who we think we should be, or who others want us to be. It’s time to shed those and instead stand up and be ourselves. I know it’s a bit of a buzz word at the moment but it fits here, it’s time to be authentic in everything we say and do. To become the leaders and managers of our own lives, to stand up and be the best version of ourselves.
It can be hard sometimes to let go of that little voice telling us that we’re not good enough, not intelligent, experienced, knowledgeable, compassionate, forgiving, accepting enough. That we are victims of our past and that our wounds forge our personalities and our experiences.
We all carry wounds whether they are physical, mental, emotional or spiritual, Chiron in retrograde asks us to dive deep into our inner world, into ourselves and to ask ourselves the bigger questions. To check in with our health and what we need to do to help ourselves. Chiron does, after all, rule Healing.
Look at areas where you may need to set some boundaries, think about the emotions and issues that have been coming up recently, are they coming up for healing and clearing? Consider where you may be preventing yourself from showing up as your true self, your best self and then be honest about what exactly is stopping you and what you can do to change things. Chiron brings about Transformation through Healing by bringing understanding to why we are in pain. Ask yourself what fears or blocks are hindering your progress or stopping you from standing up and shining your light? Where can you work with those wounds to bring true understanding and healing? How can you push through the pain to the understanding?
Take advantage of this point in time. Six planets in retrograde guide us to slow down, to reflect, to revisit the past with a view of learning from it rather than becoming stuck in it. And most of all to let go of those emotions and issues that no longer serve us. To lighten our load and stand up straighter and stronger having shrugged off those burdens. To shine brightly, to be ourselves.
The gorgeous image used is of a Sculpture called Expansion by Paige Bradley © an image I came across whilst learning my own lessons about pain last year. It’s on my list of presents for this years big birthday! if you want to read her blog about how she produced Expansion or see the other images Paige produced of the statue in different locations have a look at her website http://paigebradley.com/blog/the-story-of-expansion/