Chiron in Aries, the Wounded Self: 2018-2026

What is Chiron? 

Artist unknown, found here

Chiron is a relatively minor player in the astrological pantheon, but it has been an important part of my work for over 25 years.  Chiron has been variously called a comet, a planetoid, and an asteroid (see more about this here), and is now classified astronomically as a “minor planet.”

The sound bite definition for Chiron is that it represents the “wounded healer,”  a term that originates in psychiatry where a wounded individual attempts to heal others.  But that doesn’t really reflect the impetus that Chiron offers to heal the wounds of the soul that create energy blockages which cause psychological, emotional and physical distress.  Chiron in the natal chart shows where those wounds can be found, and the key to healing.  Chiron is also associated with mentorship since having healed the wounds of the soul, we often find ourselves inspired to help others.

Chiron archetype

Chiron is often associated in common mythology with the primitive race of the Centaurs (Kentauri), bestial creatures who represent the animal nature of man.  But Chiron (Kheiron) has a completely different lineage –  as the illegitimate son of Saturn with Philyra he was half divine and half mortal – and not of the Centaur race which were the offspring of a cloud and a king. Originally described as mere monsters, they only in later accounts took on the horse-man shape. Source.  I make this distinction because Chiron’s astrological role is to form a bridge between our human suffering and our divine blueprint – to aid us in processing and releasing the pain of the past so that we can be free.  For this reason, I find the name “Soul Healer” to be more apt for Chiron. Read more about Chiron here. 

Chiron from Pisces to Aries

Chiron has been traveling through the transcendent sign of Pisces for the past eight years, and is about to move into Aries, the sign of the warrior and adventurer.  While Pisces can be a divine doorway to bliss, it can also create dependency and addiction and we have seen this over the past eight years not only with the astonishing spread of opioid addiction around the world, but a growing addiction to technology and the loss of Self engendered by social media.

Aries is the first sign of the zodiac and is associated with the development of the personality.  Under the influence of Aries, we need to discover within ourselves the power to lead and to initiate action and the courage to fight for our beliefs and our desires. As Chiron moves into Aries, the wound shifts from the collective of Pisces, the pain of martyrdom and selflessness, to the individual and personal and the pain of self-orientation as represented by Aries.

Because of Chiron’s elliptical orbit, it spends more time in Aries than in any other sign (and the second longest time in Pisces), evoking the mechanisms that will expose the wounds to our personal identity.  How well can we defend ourselves and our rights? Are we able to express our needs with confidence that they will be met? Do our own needs blind us to the needs and rights of others, making relationships difficult or impossible? Can we manifest what we desire and feel confident in our own life adventure?  These are all questions that will be a focus while Chiron is in Aries.

Chiron was last in Aries from 1968-1977.  During that time the Vietnam war was escalated, costing millions of lives for no apparent purpose.  Murders of political heroes/enemies were committed, especially in 1968.  The hippie bliss of Woodstock turned into the murder of Altamont. The number of fatalities in the Vietnam war escalated dramatically between 1968 and 1971, and murders of protesters at Kent State turned the antiwar movement into something else entirely.  But this period also witnessed a rapid spread of the field of holistic healing which was a breakthrough (Aries) in the realm of health and healing (Chiron) that culminated with Chiron’s actual discovery in 1977.

Chiron in Aries predictions

Art by Aimee Stewart

While Chiron is in Aries, we can expect the health fields to undergo another radical transformation.  Perhaps a series of medical mistakes and errors will demonstrate that the individual (Aries) is being damaged by current healthcare systems and that these systems need to undergo a complete overhaul.

The transit of Uranus through Aries since 2010 has changed the face of warfare (Aries) and made it more the province of individual fighters (Uranus) rather than huge armies fighting one another.  If the past suggests the future, under the influence of Chiron in Aries the plight of wounded servicemen may become a priority.  On the other hand, we may once again see a dramatic increase in fatalities.

Chiron in Aries in our personal lives

The effect Chiron will have in our individual lives will vary according to our individual birthchart.  Those of us around age 50-52 who have Chiron in Aries natally will experience their Chiron return at some point in their lives, a time of reckoning when we experience some sort of healing crisis. This can be a clearing of emotional debris which manifests as a deeply emotional time, or it can be marked with a health crisis that necessitates a change in the manner in which we live our lives. Or it can be a positive time of self care and healthy living to prepare us for the next phase of our lives as we move towards the Saturn return.

If we have planets in the cardinal signs (Aries, Libra, Cancer and Capricorn) we will experience a transit of Chiron to those points at some time in the next eight years.  Depending on the planet affected, we may find ourselves feeling triggered emotionally, or perhaps a loss of energy – Chiron is about to square Mars in my own chart and I have found myself feeling drained and needing to step back and utilize my energy (Mars) wisely.

It is important to remember that Chiron’s astrological role is to promote the integration of the body, mind, spirit system and to achieve balance in the body’s energetic framework. We can prepare for any Chiron event by doing a self-assessment to see how well our life patterns are supporting our health and ability to heal.