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Cornice of the Parthenon, Athens
"There is no power on earth that can neutralize
the influence of
a high, pure, simple and useful life." - Booker T. Washington
I have often observed that Astronomers have a keen
sense of myth. Chiron was the first-known member of a new class
of icy, dual-natured planetoids called Centaurs after the mythical
race of horse/man beings. Centaurs are comparable in size to asteroids
but similar to comets in composition and behavior, and based on
their composition, Centaurs are either blue like Chiron or very
red like Pholus. Due to their erratic orbits Astronomers believe
these unusual objects are exiles from the Kuiper Belt. The Kuiper
Belt is a hypothetical disk-shaped reservoir of objects ranging
in size from tiny particles to dwarf planets like Pluto, Eris and
perhaps even larger bodies.
If objects are expelled from the Kuiper Belt and
gravitationally attracted to the orbit of Neptune they become Centaurs.
At some point they may further transition to become short-period
comets. Phoebe, one of the moons of Saturn, is now believed to be
in this category.
Chiron was discovered in November of 1977 by Charles
Kowal of Caltech. Kowal was searching for distant galaxies when
the moving light of an unknown object appeared on his screen. He
assumed it was a comet, but further examination revealed the object
was more than one hundred times larger than known comets, placing
it in the category of the largest asteroids. This was problematic
since there are thousands of asteroids and they are almost always
located in the main asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and
Jupiter. The asteroid belt acts like a dividing line between the
terrestrial-sized planets and the gas giants beyond. Chiron was
a solitary traveler outside the asteroid belt, orbiting instead
between Saturn and Uranus.
Chiron is composed of ice with a dark crust of carbon,
has 50,000 times the characteristic volume of a comet, and is believed
to have a diameter of nearly 200 kilometers. The celestial centaur
travels in a quasi-circular but erratic and unstable orbit lasting
fifty-one years, and if Chiron is ever seriously “perturbed” by
the gravity of the larger planets it will become a truly spectacular
comet as it races toward the Sun.
NASA Photo of Chiron
by Denis Bergeron
To further complicate Chiron’s unusual nature, since
1988 he has displayed comet-like behavior, undergoing an outburst
in brightness, and by 1989 Chiron had developed a cometary coma
(cloud of gas and dust), caused by evaporation from its surface.
Officially called Minor Planet #2060, Chiron is now classified as
both a comet and an asteroid. He has since been joined by other
Centaurs, several of which have also been named.
Chiron’s Myth
Chiron was set apart from the other Centaurs by both
lineage and character. The rest of the mythical Centaurs were supposedly
descended from King Ixion and Nephele. Stories often vary in myth
and Chiron’s own wife, Chariklo, was said to be the daughter of
Apollo. Chiron’s parents were Saturn (Cronus), who disguised himself
as a horse during the seduction and mating of the beautiful Oceanid,
Philyra, in order to avoid detection by his wife Rhea.
As a result of his father’s disguise Chiron was born
half human and half horse. His mother was horrified by the entire
affair and Chiron was abandoned at birth by both parents and left
in a dark cave on Mount Pelion in Thessaly. His brother Apollo,
the sun god, occupied the light side of the same cave, representing
a vastly different mythic theme which is echoed by the parentage
of Chiron’s wife, Chariklo.
Since Chiron’s father was a god he was immortal and
therefore didn’t die as a result of his abandonment. Rather than
becoming bitter at his fate he poured his energy into learning and
grew in wisdom. He became a master musician and renowned teacher
whose pupils were the great heroes of myth such as Jason, Achilles,
Hercules and Asclepius. In fact the infant Jason was raised by Chariklo
who was known for her grace and utter truthfulness.
Chiron was reputed to be the wisest of the Centaurs.
As a race they were said to be wanton and reckless, typically exhibiting
the “animal” side of their nature. He was markedly different from
his brethren since he was highly cultured and kind. He was a great
healer, a respected oracle, and in early Greek myth Chiron is credited
with fashioning the constellations and teaching humanity how to
interpret the meaning of the starry pictures.
Poison Arrow
An unfortunate incident involving wine occurred during
one of Hercules’s visits which triggered a Centaur attack. While
Chiron’s student and friend fought the battle, the wise centaur
was accidentally wounded by one of his defender’s poison arrows.
Again, because of his immortal nature, he didn’t die but lived in
constant and horrible pain. Although Chiron was an extraordinary
healer, he couldn’t heal his own wound and ultimately required the
intercession of another.
He beseeched Zeus to let him die rather than suffer
forever. He offered to trade places with Prometheus who was being
subjected to daily torture as a punishment for stealing fire for
humanity. For reasons that aren’t clear Zeus agreed to this bargain.
Chiron’s sacrifice achieved liberation from his own agony and allowed
humanity to keep the gift of fire. Zeus honored Chiron’s noble spirit
and granted him another form of immortality by placing him in the
sky as the constellation Centarus, the only star group to possess
two first-magnitude stars. The zodiacal constellation of Sagittarius
is also a centaur but represents the process of transformation from
instinctual to divine nature rather than the wisdom and enlightenment
that Chiron embodies.
Birth Marks
Although astronomers speculate that Chiron may one
day journey elsewhere he has been in our conscious awareness for
thirty years and many astrologers have incorporated his influence
into their interpretative practice. Astrologically Chiron’s unique
and dual nature, and his early abandonment, can reveal where in
our own lives we don’t fit in and where we will be forced to stand
alone.
He began his life as an outcast and outsider, and
examining his position and prominence in a horoscope shows the area
of life where we may feel a profound sense of alienation. The work
involved in learning these hard lessons enables us to reclaim lost
or hidden parts of ourselves. Astrologers who have researched Chiron’s
influence have observed that on the negative side of the ledger
he seems to have a prominent place in the charts of rapists and
serial killers, suggesting the damaging power of early abandonment.
This is supported by clinical research in this area which has demonstrated
that these individuals are characterized by early abandonment or
estrangement from their mothers. Not surprisingly, on the positive
side his prominence is often revealed in the charts of healers.
Chiron was a teacher of heroes--those who also walk
a solitary path. The mechanism which drives our spiritual growth
is at times similar to the story of the ugly duckling who viewed
his differences as a deformity until he saw the beauty of his true
reflection and embraced his own identity. Chiron’s presence in our
astrology chart can teach us the nature of our response to betrayal.
Each of us may have received some defining wound which ever afterward
shapes how we view the world. Do our experiences impel us to take
the higher ground and grow in wisdom, or do we pursue a path of
resentment and revenge?
Although in astrological symbolism Chiron is often
viewed as an archetype of the wounded healer, it seems important
to distinguish his early experiences from the point of time of his
woundedness as the arrow pierced him later in life. Chiron was not
damaged by his early emotional wounds. In fact it was these experiences
which shaped his accomplishments. His solitary alienation forged
the potential of his character and may therefore point the way to
where we must find strength in isolation.
Expanding Universe
Recently several new objects have emerged into our
awareness in the solar system, including Sedna, Quaoar and dwarf
planet Eris. They’ve been there all along but now our consciousness
and our technology are ready to perceive them. Astrologers believe
the “discovery” of new objects in the solar system indicates we’ve
grown enough in consciousness to incorporate their archetypal meaning.
What does Chiron’s astronomical nature and place in the solar system
tell us about our own evolving consciousness as a human race? What
was externalized in our awareness when Chiron was “discovered?”
What does he represent in our collective consciousness, and how
do we perceive the nature of reality? At the most elemental level
I believe he represents how we are defined by our choices not our
circumstances.
He walked a path which carried themes of sacrifice
and redemption, indicating that his symbolism shows how we can move
out of woundedness into healing. His archetype teaches us to look
for the lesson or gift in our own wounds. Ironically, in the end
his wound brought liberation from an endless physical existence
where all his mortal relationships ended in further isolation. Purely
physical immortality may be overrated.
In 1977 Voyager I took the first picture of the Earth
and Moon together in space, a portrait of our home and her satellite.
Also in 1977 Voyager II launched its first ever flyby of Jupiter,
Saturn and Uranus, heading toward Chiron’s path, and the Space Shuttle
took the first crew into space the same year. These events can be
seen as shifts in our collective awareness from an earthbound focus
to a wider perspective. Before space travel Earth too was in isolation.
Our awareness as a species is expanding and new objects
such as Centaurs, Sedna, Quaoar and Eris entering our consciousness
reflect that expansion. The next step is recognition of their significance
and integration of these principles into humanity’s group soul.
Whether they are interpreted in their own right or used as categories
of connection to the outer reaches of our solar system, I believe
they offer glimpses into humanity’s evolutionary unfoldment and
gateways to higher consciousness.
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