A question for anyone. What do you know about chiron and how significant is it to the natal chart?
I didn't see Judie's comments about the chicken breaking through the egg shell. Am I missing something about navigating this site? Any suggestions?
Judie, to answer your question... In 1989 I felt a strong need to change my name. I spent three years waiting for a new name to come to me. I was a messenger at the time and saw Boston was someone's last name on a document. I just knew that was my new name. Then I sat with some friends and went through the phone book to find a last name to go with it. It feels like me and whenever I am courageous enough to tell people what my name was, they all say no way, that is so not you.
Of course, I now realize that the harmonic convergence occurred in 1987 and that shift is likely what caused me to need a new name; for a new role in the world. I changed a great deal after that, all in good ways. For those who don't know about the harmonic convergence, it was a measure of consciousness of humanity. From what I understand, a new measurement was taken every 25 years to see where we were and if we were ready to move into Christ consciousness. Apparently we made the grade at that measurement cycle or, from what I understand, we would have experienced the Armageddon that was expected by prophecy in 1998.
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Melanie Reinhart's is my favorite Chiron book, too, Judith. Incidentally, she'll be doing a pre-conference workshop in New Orleans, (UAC 2012) Thursday May 24th. I'm looking forward it to, though it's on a different topic than Chiron.
I've found Chiron to be particularly important in the horoscopes of people in healing professions, including psychology. As I grew older, and my clientele along with me, I was amazed at how significant the Chiron Return year was. It usually occurs at or close to age 50.
With Natal Chiron located in or transiting the Houses associated with health, Six or Eight, for instance, the theme of the year tended to be, "healer, heal thyself." Perhaps earlier the health professionals had been so engaged with and so busy helping others that they neglected to take time for themselves; to rest and reflect on their own lives and their personal needs of body, mind and spirit.
Depending on its Natal House and the dialogues Natal Chiron made with other planets (aspects), the Return Year transit provided them needed time out, bringing the individual's attention to the Chiron theme. Those who were workaholics resisted it, and the Chiron motif continued for a few years past 50.
The Chiron year is dicussed more fully in the Capricorn Risingchapter of Beyond the Mask, the section on William Butler Yeats, with reference to a poem he wrote close to his 50th birthday, when he had a mystical experience, after which he felt he "was blessed and could bless."
Kathleen
Hi Boston: Judie's post about the chicken and the egg somehow landed in the Forum and not the Archetypal Astrology group--that's why you didn't see it. Here's a link straight to her post: http://www.depthpsychologyalliance.com/forum/topics/archetypal-astr...
Thanks for sharing the story about how you got your name. Names are such interesting synchronistic influencers in our lives. Whether we use the name we were given as an infant or whether it came to us in another way, I always think it's as important to know the etymology of our names and/or to look at associated symbolism. For me, it's as critical as astrological influences so perhaps they go hand in hand.
For you, if you look up your name, say on .etymonline.com, you may find some interesting historical implications that somehow fit your personal mythology--or correlate with that harmonic convergence in 1987 and your resulting name change. You may also look (you probably have already!) at the city of Boston itself and see what features or traits resonate with your own journey. I always think it's pretty interesting that Jung's name means "young" as his archetypal thinking and typology was such was so strongly puer in opposition to Freud's more senex leanings.
Thanks for your inquiry about Chiron. I'm fascinated to hear what comes up....