I have been transfixed this morning by the question of Chiron’s rulership. I was reading some of Barbara Hand-Clow’s ‘Liquid Light of Sex’ (another great discussion of astrology in disguise) and she referred to the fact of Chiron being struck by Achilles’ poisoned arrow in his left foot. This immediately got me thinking about rulership. The wound, archetypally therefore is entirely spiritual (Pisces) and creative (left).
Thus the wound of Chiron is represented by Chiron in Pisces, which rules the feet, a symbol of spiritual humility, of Christain compassion and of understanding and forgiveness. The opposite really of Virgo, which rules the gut, symbol of assimilation, breaking down and the critical, digestive faculty.
In keeping with Barbara Hand-Clow’s observation that Chiron is a bridging paradigm, Martin Lass concurs that really it is the polarity of Virgo and Pisces which rules Chirotic force, the rulership itself is a journey, from spiritual wounding (Pisces) to specific healing practises (Virgo). This makes sense, not least because there is a hint of oscillation wherever Chiron is found. There is an entire generation which, with Uranus in Virgo opposing Chiron in PIsces, is wrestling with this conundrum. The untransformed state is to be found in the pedantic, scientifically correct mindset that has produced a horde of computer programmers, criminologists, forensic scientists and biochemically-fixated psychologists, all fodder ready for the wounding-mechanism of Virgo which will no doubt manifest in the digestive systems of those who refuse to acknowledge the polarity point of Chiron in Pisces. With this aspect looming large in the ongoing Uranus oppositions and Saturn transit, the shit could (literally) be about to hit the fan.
Until these fanatic pseudo-scientists can learn to admit the possibility that measuring the Universe is not going to shut up those nagging doubts, that trying to find God under the microscope will do little more than give you a vague stomach-ache and that proclaiming the ironically feeble system of logic which arrogates that a lack of proof is as good as a disproof, then we remain doomed, as a generation, and as a species to simply working hard at undermining our most fundamental foundations. We poison ourselves, and record the minutiae of our detriorating symptoms in Nature magazine. We rejoice in the promotion of sickness and hope to get a Nobel Prize for our efforts. We deconstruct our last hope and crow victoriously, drowning out the sobs of misery from our entire race in the process.
The understanding of Uranus in Virgo is either childishly brittle or it is deliciously profound, but it will break and shatter until it has been tempered by the spiritual wound of Chiron. It really brings a whole new meaning to my left foot.
I know Clow likes to assign the rulership of Chiron to Virgo, and there are so many good reasons to do so. For instance the rise of the health care profession as a major economic force since Chiron was discovered certainly seems to buttress that claim. But Virgo is not erratic, like Chiron, so, personally, I’ve always had trouble with Chiron as the ruler of Virgo.
Chiron is a cosmic visitor, not a permanent inhabitant of our solar system, so perhaps it is reasonable to assume that Chiron does not rule any zodiac sign.
That doesn’t mean the Chiron in Pisces is any less potent.Or that odd things won’t happen to the feet.
I think that is correct, interesting though that you perceive Chiron as erratic; I would say this underlines the understanding that Chiron oscillates across the polarity, that surely feels erratic; it is one minute the priest, the next the scientist and once the oscillation between the two has reached a high enough pitch I would say that a note is sounded which can be heard as the blend of the two, very Chirotic.
How that works out in practise is another question entirely. So yes, ascribing rulership to Virgo has its merits but only tells half the story; as soon as we go all Virgo, we forget to contemplate the divine, that’s the trick I guess.
Hello
Still learning with great pleasure from your precise, inspired and aesthetic work.
Incidently,I have Chiron in Pisces too… it’s just a way to say, about your “looking” for asteroids rulerships, that zodiac signs are maybe less related than axis are.
You know, the “in between thing” about those asteroids evolving between Mars & Jupiter, at the frontier of personnal & social circles…
Instead of searching for the matching zodiac sign, it could be interesting to check with Houses axis:
The VI/XII houses axis matches well with your mention of wounded foot Chiron for instance.
It’s just an idea to check.
Again, sorry for my strange english.
Ciao
Hi Jeremy – It occurred to me as I read this article, that having natal Chiron in the 6th opposite natal Uranus in the 12th , would have a similar feel to the Virgo/Pisces theme you explore. Having just experienced my own Chiron return, I can attest to the fact that it does cause one to reevaluate their belief systems and to question the validity of any formulistic approach to understanding suffering, whether that approach is scientific, intellectual, or spiritual in nature. It can be very disillusioning to realize that our relationship with the divine does not necessarily conform to any preconceived ideas we may hold, likewise it can be disheartening to discover that traditional sources (medical/scientific) may be ineffective in recognizing and healing our deepest wounds — both observations can be equally true. This was a very worthwhile and insightful post, one which validates my own understanding of the role Chiron has played in my personal Astrology.
As a Virgo [Sun in 9th] and a member of that generation
with “Uranus in Virgo opposing Chiron in Pisces” I found this
article terrific as usual and personally relevant. I am not that
knowledgeable on the subject, but wouldn’t much of this same
generation also have Saturn in Pisces [as I do]? And I have been
curious about having both Saturn and Chiron in Pisces [in my case
in the 3rd house] opposite Uranus [as well as in my case Mercury,
Pluto, and my Sun in Virgo]. What are the effects of having both
Saturn and Chiron in Pisces opposite Uranus in Virgo?
Re: the assignation of Virgo as ruler of Chiron. Again,
this is from a more layman’s point of view but I felt something
ring true in that; and from your description of the ‘oscillation’
of Chiron … “one minute the priest, the next the scientist…” I
think it does describe my ‘sense’ of Virgo, particularly capturing
that mutability. Is there not something also ‘divine’ in Virgo, the
pure, the Virgin, and the earthly bestower of the bountiful
harvest? Mother Nature.. and the order in ‘chaos’ that occurs in
nature? Perhaps reflecting on the priestesses of an earlier Pagan
culture. Something that Mercury never really captured about Virgo –
Mercury belonging more to Gemini – quick and mental/airy. Of
course, the idea that Chiron is transient and needn’t be assigned
any sign makes sense as well.
I agree Catahrine. I think that Chiron is very happy in a few different places, so not sure he needs a rulership at the expense of anyone else. Of course, technically, rulerships give astounding insight into the genesis of energy blocks, so they are the cogs and gears of astrological work, I would dearly love to be able to understand Chiron contacts in this way. Technically we have a situation where every sign has an exclusive ruler, and Virgo and Taurus are in my view the prime candidates for revision.
Hi I just came across your article regarding chiron. I am very curious of your opinion on a matter related to health. If a person has Chiron in Aries in the 6th, conjunct mercury, would you consider health issues to be “real” or created by a very strong mind energy?
Mercury is good in the 6th Anne, but with Chiron here health problems will have a nervous cause, perhaps resulting in headache or sweating. Anxiety will be related to communications in all likelihood, but it’s very difficult to give an accurate insight without being able to appreciate the overall tenor of the chart.
Thanks for writing your blog. I’ve been reading it but never commented before.
I have virgo in 4th and chiron in 10th in pisces. This post was interesting. It helped reading the feet and stomach referenced as pisces and virgo things. I have trouble with both! 🙂
Reinhart and Clow books are great and I own both. I own several Chiron books. But yesterday found an old one nobody seems to mention, list or talk about and I wonder why. It’s called Chiron: Everything you need to know by Sandra Walker. I could only find it for purchase via Kobo. I bought it this morning. She delves into aspects of planets to Chiron in individual charts and in relationship charts. Her descriptions seemed bang on to me re: my own life. So I wanted to mention this book and ask why it is never mentioned. It seems a gem to me.
Thanks Bear, I’ll check it out.
I just found this and am a little freaked out. I have Chiron in Pisces in the 6th house in my birth chart (in the progressed it’s at 0 degrees Aries).
I haven’t been able to walk for many months without severe, excruciating pain in my left heel (plantar fasciitis and a bone spur). Also, just when Saturn went direct at 21 degrees Sag last month (my sun is at 21 degrees Sag) I tripped on a piece of metal sticking out of the concrete. Said metal then tore through my left foot just below the ankle. Six stitches and several rounds of antibiotics later, it is still. infected.
Will my left foot ever heal? Will I be able to walk again? Why is this so damn literal?