Let’s talk about affliction; our psychic bruises, ancient aches, persistent pains and weeping wounds.
While most folk are familiar with their sun sign, can identify if they are fire or earth, have maybe even dipped a toe into the lunar pool of their moon signs, we are here to shine light and antiseptic on a lesser known, and more recently revered astrological influence; Chiron.
In astrology, Chiron refers to an asteroid/potential planet that falls within one of the twelve zodiac signs and one of the twelve zodiac houses. Chiron is the wound, or if you prefer, knot, we must suture or unspool in order to fully actualize.
Chiron points to where it hurts, and if we listen, it exists to teach us how to overcome ourselves and empower others.
What is Chiron?
Discovered by Scorpio astronomer Charles Kowal in 1977, Chrion was first identified as an asteroid but has since been reclassified as a minor planet with talks of upgrading its status to dwarf planet like death daddy Pluto. Chiron orbits between two deeply different but equally powerful celestial bodies; stern Saturn and unruly Uranus.
In astrology, and in simple terms, Saturn shows where we are restricted and Uranus points to where we rebel. Because Chiron is a relatively new discovery, some old school or just plain old astrologers do not consider it. Other astronomers have fully adopted Chiron and taken to calling it the “rainbow bridge,” a pathway towards integrating the disparate energies of Saturn and Uranus into a cohesive whole.
How to find your Chiron
To identify the sign your Chiron falls in, use this calculator. To determine both the sign and house placement of Chiron, use a birth chart generating program like this. You’ll notice that the symbol for Chiron strongly resembles a key and for good reason; the sign and house placement of Chiron within the birth chart unlocks our point of greatest pain and ultimate potential.
In the words of artist and astrologer Elise Wells of Planet Poetica, “Chiron is the bruise. It’s not about pushing on the places where it hurts, it’s about finding what the wound is and where the wound is, so we can address it. Whats not addressed, gets repressed, and what we repress, will get projected, and thats when the wound shows up everywhere!” Indeed if we choose to ignore our Chiron and the trajectory it offers, we will continue to activate it. Just as untreated wounds fester so to does an unattended Chiron cry out for reprieve.
Wells continues “In astrology, your Chiron placement is the healing work you are destined to do on yourself, your personal medicine. but the balm and the relief, can be found in the polarity point of that placement. for example: if your Chiron is in Scorpio, look to Taurus things to provide comfort, relief, beauty.”
Read on to learn more about the curse and cure of Chiron through the zodiac signs.
Chiron in Aries (or 1st House)
Chiron in Aries relates to feelings of the self and individual purpose. Those with this placement internalized feelings of being “too much,” and learned to swallow rather than express anger and to eschew instincts in favor of likability and social acceptance. Themes of isolation and a punishing need to be first are present. The lesson here is to heartily adopt radical individualism and fearless expression and rally others to fly their respective freak flags and bellow their battle cries.
Chiron in Taurus (or 2nd House)
Chiron in Taurus relates to worth and ideas about what and who we deserve. Because the second house is the house of material possessions, those with this placement may struggle with finances, unable to accept change or get ahead. Beauty is balm for this Chiron as is as unapologetically indulging in pleasures that are independent from material goods and training themselves to believe that abundance is their birth right.
Chiron in Gemini (or 3rd House)
Chiron in Gemini indicates pain related to intellect and communication. Those with this placement struggle with one of two extremes; feeling less than others when it comes to intelligence or being “too smart for their own good” in a way that felt “othering.” The lesson here for these folks is to subscribe only to their own benchmark of brilliance, surrender to knowing they will never know it all and not to let fear of failure or humiliation starve them of curiosity.
Chiron in Cancer (or 4th House)
Chiron in Cancer folks struggle with safety, security and the perception of threat. The fourth house is the house of home and ancestry and those with this placement are primed to feel somewhat out of place within the world and the body they inhabit. Black sheep vibes and familial strife are likely as well as a propensity to hold on to money, food and material goods for fear of never having enough. Healing takes place when these people are able to nourish others, to open their doors rather than batten their hatches.
Chiron in Leo (or 5th House)
Chiron in Leo speaks to a need for outside validation, a painful hunger for love, an addiction to intensity and a fear of being, or being seen as, average. Healing comes through harnessing the best of Leo energy; creativity, non performative playfulness, the cultivation of an innate sense self-worth and the knowledge that the only audience that matters is the one you harbor in your own beating heart.
Chiron in Virgo (or 6th House)
Chiron in Virgo is held hostage by a need to be or make things that are perfect. Often those with this placement do not initiate or create because of a fear of failure or of failing to meet their own punishing standards. Healing happens when these folks begin to understand that failure is progress. This Chiron is cured by making the most out of mucking it up and by educating others, seeing through them that knowledge is a road not an altar.
Chiron in Libra (or 7th House)
Chiron in Libra concerns itself with the pains of partnership and measuring the self against the assumed superiority of others. This Chiron indicates indecision, a fear of ending relationships, the tendency to neglect the self in favor of the beloved, feeling empty when alone and lonely in a partnership and anxiety about going against the grain and opposite the herd. Healing starts by recognizing that the answer for what they lack does not lie in another person but in the undeveloped and unloved parts of the self. To quote the poet Lizzo, ” I’m my own soulmate/I know how to love me/I know that I’m always gonna hold me down.”
Chiron in Scorpio (or 8th House)
Chiron in Scorpio points to the pain of power and issues of control; surrendering it and wielding it. This is among the most acutely felt and richly rewarding Chiron placements, suspicious of love and mistrustful of the intentions of others it often shows itself as a deeply negative inner monologue. In relationships, these people are either controlling partners or allow themselves to be totally controlled by another. The key for this Chiron is self- empowerment; the establishment of healthy boundaries that leave them free of the desire to overpower others or forfeit their own fortifications. Lending themselves to the transformation of others through rituals of life, death or self-actualization is a beautiful application of this healed Chiron.
Astrology 101: Your guide to the stars
- The 12 zodiac signs
- What are the astrology houses?
- Here’s what each planet represents
- Sun, moon and rising signs: Get to know your Big 3
Chiron in Sagittarius (or 9th House)
Chiron in Sagittarius relates to belief structures, definitions of essential truths and dispersion of energies. Those with this placement can fall prey to fanaticism and may struggle to express themselves in ways that are not polarizing, proselytizing or offensive. Chiron in Sagittarius folks can be bandwagon types, intensely adopting and then dropping all manner of interests and institutions. An open mind and the development of an ear bent on listening versus a tongue trained to judge, conspire to close this wound, humor being the greatest stitch.
Chiron in Capricorn (or 10th House)
Chiron in Capricorn folks likely came of age before their time, asked to be adults or to intervene in adult situations before they were ready. Because they lacked structure or control as kids, the survival strategy of radical self-reliance is a point of pride and also their fault line. They equate worth with achievement to their own detriment. The salve for this trauma is to lead others towards shared responsibilities and the reward of communal resources. Supporting the “we” becomes paramount to the success of “I.”
Chiron in Aquarius (or 11th House)
Chiron in Aquarius is the mark of the outsider. The otherness felt by those with this placement is used to justify self-isolation, emotional detachment and group provocation. The lesson for Chiron in Aquarius is to understand that their strangeness is their strength and while their differences are unique to them, feeling different is not. This Chiron is easily and often activated by any social or group dynamic and yet these people and this wound exist to better those same scenarios. Once Chiron in Aquarius accepts that they are different by design, they will feel empowered by, rather than defensive of, what sets them apart.
Chiron in Pisces (or 12th House)
Chiron in Pisces overidentifies with the victim archetype. These people seek escape by retreating from reality and avoid responsibility by surrendering their power to others. There is an emphasis on fate with this placement with natives believing they were dealt an unfair or insurmountable life. The balm for this Chiron feels very much like a series of motivational posters in a middle school hallway; invest in success, assert the self and believe that you can achieve ect. The beauty of this Chiron made complete is that it gives others permission to integrate dreams and fantasy into functional, heightened living.
Astrologer Reda Wigle researches and irreverently reports back on planetary configurations and their effect on each zodiac sign. Her horoscopes integrate history, poetry, pop culture and personal experience. She is also an accomplished writer who has profiled a variety of artists and performers, as well as extensively chronicled her experiences while traveling. Among the many intriguing topics she has tackled are cemetery etiquette, her love for dive bars, Cuban Airbnbs, a “girls guide” to strip clubs and the “weirdest” foods available abroad.