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SEEDS OF CHANGE:
CHIRON IN AQUARIUS 2005-2011

The synchronicity between the names given to planets by astronomers and the way they operate in astrology is one of the great mysteries of the heavens. In ancient times the astronomers WERE the astrologers, and as they observed the planet Venus in the sky they truly saw the goddess of love, Aphrodite, Ishtar, Inanna. In our modern scientific time there is a greater disconnect between the ancient archetypes and the natural world, and an argument can be made that our culture suffers as a result.

Chiron is a "planetoid" in the Kuyper Belt that was discovered in 1977, and in astrology Chiron represents the body/mind connection, the healing process, and identifies an unhealable wound which motivates us to seek a higher purpose for our life. (More on Chiron here.) For that reason it is also associated with the wisdom that comes with experience.

Chiron travels between Saturn and Uranus, and was described by Barbara Hand Clow as the "Rainbow Bridge." The personal planets are the planets that were known by the ancients, beginning withe the Sun and Moon through Saturn. Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are known as the outer, or "higher octave" planets. Their significance is multidimensional and their influence takes place on differing levels of consciousness. For those on a path of transformation and evolution, the outer planets provide avenues of opening up to new degrees of awareness and understanding.

Chiron's role in this process is to pry open the doors of perception to a world beyond the physical body. It is human nature to seek to stay in the comfort zone, and Chiron creates discomfort to open our eyes to the fact that life in a body is limited. For some this experience is more painful than others; for some it is merely the discomfort of a pebble in the shoe. But it is often in the pain of discovery that the seeds of change are planted and transformation begins.

For the past several years (since 2002) Chiron has been traveling through Capricorn, the sign that rules hard work and social structures - government, schools, corporations, marriage, and capitalism. During this period the curtain has been drawn on the ways in which these structures (Capricorn) have wounded our society (Chiron). The Enron and Worldcom debacles not only destroyed two companies, but also created a deep wound in the communities that served them. The so-called War on Terror created virtual concentration camps for "enemy combatants" where torture took place. The reputation of many governments (including the USA) have been destroyed and corruption revealed. The 2004 election created an even greater fracturing of American society.

On a positive note, Chiron's pass through Capricorn over the past three years has brought many healing modalities into the mainstream of society and brought new respect to the concept of the body/mind connection.

Chiron moved into Aquarius for the first time in February of this year and then turned back and made a final pass through Capricorn between July and December. What can we expect during the next five or so years as Chiron goes in and out through Aquarius?

Aquarius is a sign of the air element: communicative, rational, and idealistic. It tends to be revolutionary in its desire for freedom and change to the status quo. Chiron last passed through Aquarius between 1955 and 1960. 1955 saw the beginning of the end of the idyllic (for white folks, that is) post-war era, the era of Ozzie and Harriet and the white picket fence. This interesting article cites many examples and a timeline, showing that in 1955 we saw the the first evidence of a fissure that was forming in the veneer of international society, and the beginnings of a subculture for whom freedom and innovation was the key motivating force. Elvis, James Dean, these rebellious figures in popular culture revealed the growing dissatisfaction with modern society. Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat that year, and how interesting that her death as Chiron re-enters Aquarius reminds us of the fight for freedom that so many African-Americans have suffered for. The introduction of the birth control pill heralded the dawn of the period of sexual freedom.

During the current Chiron Aquarius period we are likely to see a new call for freedom from immigrants all over the world that are beginning to seek a new power in the countries that they now call home. Wherever our culture is stuck in a process that is harmful to individuals, there will be a breakdown in order for a new beginning to take place. Aquarius rules the nervous system, and I am concerned that our already overloaded psyches will begin to break down, and we will need especially to closely watch our young people who are the most vulnerable to psychic distress. Those who were born during the Uranus Neptune conjunction in the early 1990s are especially tuned to these energies. Now teenagers, they are caught in the transition between childhood and adulthood as well as in the Chironic process of opening to other dimensions of awareness. Those born with Uranus opposed to Chiron in their charts, an event that occurred frequently between 1952 and 1988, also have an increased sensitivity to Chiron in Aquarius and may experience mental problems as a result of the psychic overload.

Aquarius rules technology as well, and technology will serve as a substitute for people who are unable or unwilling to cross the consciousness divide. Technology offers an incredible opportunity to connect with others around the world, but can also be addictive as a drug. As Chiron enters Aquarius, "internet (Aquarius) addiction (Chiron) " has just been named as the newest psychiatric disorder.

Chiron's pass through Aquarius will affect most personally those with planets in the fixed signs: Aquarius, Leo, Scorpio and Taurus.