Chiron in Pisces: Water Over Rocks (from the Archives)

With Chiron in Pisces just Retrograde (stationing half a degree from my natal Chiron - yes there were tears), here's one from the archives that's well worth revisiting...

With Chiron moving into Pisces, I have been planing to write a post about Chiron for some days now, but felt blocked, despite preparing pages and pages of notes.

The key word most of us associate with Chiron is healing and it’s very easy to predict that in Pisces, Chiron’s healing themes comes to the foremost, presenting us with a great opportunity for healing on a collective and personal level.

But Chiron, Pisces and life just isn’t as simple as that, so this morning I decided to meditate on some of the themes of Chiron in Pisces and a very interesting image came to me, an image of crystal clear water running over rocky ground, on the face of it a calm, restful image.

However, I have also been thinking about the meaning of discomfort these past few days and I had an ‘aha’ moment which brought these two ideas together. You see, for all its themes of healing, Chiron is also an uncomfortable energy. In the myth, Chiron was wounded. Only able to heal himself partially, he was fated to walk his path in perpetual discomfort. Similarly, that beautiful clear water I dreamed up in my meditation will certainly cleanse our feet, but at the same time, the rocks the water runs over will always remain uncomfortable to walk across, despite the fact that the water will cleanse the rocks and over time, smooth away their sharper edges.

In this life, it is through our experience of discomfort and through the (physical, emotional, psychological or spiritual) wounding that causes the discomfort in the first place, that we are compelled to learn. Along the way, we discover that healing, total healing, in the sense of ‘becoming whole’, is perhaps not totally possible in just a single earthly incarnation, but it is this whole-making that we are ultimately seeking, on a soul level. So, as we walk across life’s rocky path, like Chiron, we carry our wounds with us, seeking comfort from the healing waters where we can. Then, like Chiron we can eventually learn how to use the knowledge we learn from carrying our own pain, to help others to carry their own.

However, Chiron also reminds us that real healing must be sought and asked for, if the healing process is to really be felt on a deeper, soul level. Simply giving healing to another, without them asking for it, diverts them from their healing journey, robbing them of their opportunity to learn from the discomfort of walking over the rocks. Similarly, if we simply take from someone else a metaphorical ‘magical pill’ that takes away all our pain, this denies us our own lesson. We must learn to feel the discomfort of the pain, but at the same time we must learn to understand that even in pain, we do not have to suffer unnecessarily - WE CAN ASK FOR HELP. Asking for help is a truly humbling experience and is the first step on the journey through the healing waters and across the rocky ground that lies beneath. This I feel, is the key to the healing energy of Chiron as it travels through the sign of Pisces.

Data for Chiron in Pisces
[add one hour for daylight saving if applicable]

• Chiron moved into Pisces in April 2010 and leaves in February 2019.
• It's current retrograde began on June 20th 2014 at 17 degrees, 45 minutes of Pisces
• It turns direct on November 23rd 2014 at 13 degrees, 5 minutes of Pisces

Further Reading 
Keywords to Unlock Chiron and Chiron and Wholeness: A Primer, both by Joyce Mason
Zane Stein’s Chiron And Friends Website
Melanie Reinhart’s book Chiron and the Healing Journey – a new and updated edition has just been published.
By Eric Francis: An Overview of Chiron and Chiron in Pisces and Born in the Sixties (discusses the Chiron in Pisces opposition to the Uranus-Pluto conjunction in the 1960’s - the generation having or now coming up to their Chiron return)

Photo credit: http://www.mywainwrights.co.uk/2009walks/170309/170309.htm

With love, Mandi

Say Hello 2012, Wave Goodbye 2011 (and some handy survival tips)

Wishing you all a Happy New Year and I hope you enjoyed the celebrations. Of course, we weren't just saying hello to the New Year, we were letting go of the old year.

I celebrated with friends and at midnight, as we stood on the roof of their building watching the fireworks over London, someone shouted, goodbye 2011, you were c**p! Yes, without a doubt, 2011 was a year when many of us were swept up in a tide of change, challenge and difficulty.

This was reflected in the symbolism of the planetary alignments, most notably the applying square of radical, impetuous Uranus in Aries to Pluto in Capricorn, which demands sweeping transformation of our societal structures from the foundations up, including our economic and political structures and leaders. Who would have believed that 2011 would see the end of Mubarak's regime in Egypt, the overthrowing of Tunisia's President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, the assassination of Osama bin Laden,  the humiliating fall of Libya's Muammar Gaddafi and the resignation of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi? Instead, People Power was the way forward, witnessed most dramatically in the Arab Spring uprisings, but also in the riots and protests across Europe and in the worldwide Occupy movement.

Saturn continued through Libra, prompting us to question the boundaries of our relationships and alliances, on a personal level but also on a collective and political level. In the Eurozone crisis for example, relationships amongst EU countries have been strained almost to the limit over questions around who should pay to bailout failing Eurozone countries.

Neptune continued to travel hand in hand with Chiron, as both planets played out their last days in Aquarius and immersed themeselves in watery Pisces (Neptune finally leaves Aquarius behind in February). This suggests a collective (and for some, a personal) need to feel and understand sacrifice at a deep level. We're being told that, even though times are hard and set to get even harder, we're all in this together. Beware though, Neptune can be the great deceiver. Are we really all in this together? The Occupy Movement would say no we're not, the 99% are being asked to pick up the tab for the mistakes of the 1% who continue to 'get away with it'. The romanticism of Neptune in Pisces came out in the fairy tale fantasy that was the royal wedding and we were reminded of the destructive power of water by the devastating tsunami and nucleur crisis in Japan.

What will 2012 bring, more of the same? I believe it will bring the same and more.

The new People Power is only just finding its feet. It will continue to gain momentum as Uranus and Pluto make their first and second of seven exact squares in June and September 2012. Five more squares follow in 2013, 14 and 15. Exciting new leaders will begin to emerge, but in the end will they be any better than the leaders they will replace, or just different? Economically, we're set for another recession in 2012, with some even predicting a depression. I think they're correct, all the indications are there. It's a necessary step towards overhauling a system that is no longer working. We have failed to change voluntarily so we must do it the hard way. It's just a pity that this will mean suffering for so many. As for the '1%', as the Uranus and Pluto squares bed in, we will see more and more of them being held accountable for the messes they have created. Expect to see an avalanche of corporate and political heads rolling over the next three years. Again, will their replacements be any better or will the ousted leaders just be sacrificial gestures (Neptune in Pisces) so that the 1% can get back to 'business as usual' as quickly as possible? This is a time when we really can change the world, but also a time where it will be too easy to miss the opportunity if we don't fight hard enough or shout loud enough.

In October 2012, Saturn makes a clean break from Libra and enters Scorpio, where it will remain until 2015. Uneasy alliances and shaky friendships won't survive this transition. The UK coalition government will begin to break down, perhaps acrimoniously and I will be surprised if we don't see more than one country crashing out ot the Euro currency. People and communities, as well as countries, will become more secretive and more concerned about protecting what they've got, less inclined to share or compromise. Law and order, national, local and personal security and immigration will  become hot topics during Saturn's time in Scorpio. See Theodore White's article for more on Saturn in Scorpio.

Neptune in Pisces will be reflected on all levels, all at once. Expect the power of nature to make herself known over and over, but also expect to be heartened by the compassion and empathy of the human race in response to any kind of suffering or hardship. This is where Chiron in Pisces comes in and it will be those who have suffered the most that will have the most to offer others in hardship or despair. Neptune in Pisces will continue to come out through music, fashion, movies and in our spirituality. Expect a fantasy/escapism theme to emerge in all these areas. Fashion will follow film and the Maggie Thatcher look (yes, really), will be the height of glamour, closely followed by styles from The Great Gatsby. New findings into the nature of consciousness and the interconnectedness of all life will be published. Science will more and more come to feel like a religious experience, as discoveries in astrophysics push the boundaries of our comprehension and make us question reality. Lies and trickery will also be the order of Neptune in Pisces and deceptions will be uncovered. The full extent of the phone hacking scandal will emerge, including details of exactly how Piscean Rupert Murdoch played his part.

My survival tips for 2012?

Don't believe all that you see or all that you hear. Seek the answers from within and even then question yourself. In fact, this is a year to question everything,

Fight for your rights (and for the rights of others).

Stand up for who you are and be the unique person you were always meant to be.

Don't blindly follow any kind of leader, especially any kind of guru who claims to have all the answers.

Folllow your own lead.

Be your own boss.

Cut out the weed, cut down on the booze, keep a toe in reality if you're tempted to go on any flight of fantasy.

Create something beautiful.

Let go of the illusion of security and feel safe anyway.

2012 will push many of us to the edge, keeping clean and healthy in mind, body and spirit will help us to appreciate the view without falling off.

Most of all, do it all with love.

Hold on tight, our future is here

With love,
Mandi
www.mandilockley.com

Astrology for November ~ Part 1

Welcome to November, that time of the year when (in the Northern hemisphere), the nights are long and the days are short.  The Sun is in the deep, probing, mysterious sign of Scorpio, making it easy to believe that the veil between the worlds is thin at this time of year...

...However, from early November, Mercury and Venus move into idealistic, philosophical Sagittarius, that more open sign. These pave the way for the Sun’s move into Sag on the 22^nd and a Sagittarius Solar Eclipse on the 25^th.

November 2: Venus and Mercury enter Sagittarius

Venus in Sagittarius promotes generosity, enthusiasm and free-spiritedness in all our relationships. After the seductive, mysteriousness of Venus in Scorpio, Venus is now demanding openness and a full on expression of your affection for that special someone.

Mercury in Sagittarius is the truth-saying placement. Sometimes you can be too honest and direct under this transit, so don’t forget to consider the other person’s feelings before opening your mouth! It’s a time for broad mindedness, idealistic thinking and grand notions.

Use Mercury and Venus in Sagittarius to open up and tell your special someone exactly how you feel about them because now is not the time to keep them guessing! Plan a romantic adventure, connect with others who share your beliefs or debate with those who hold differing beliefs. Explore new ways of connecting on all levels, intellectually, emotionally and romantically.

Venus is in Sagittarius until November 26

Mercury is in Sagittarius until January 2012 (this is a longer than usual transit because Mercury is retrograde from November 24 to December 14.

November 9 and 10: Neptune and Chiron turn direct

On June 3, Neptune in Pisces turned retrograde, moving back into Aquarius in August. On November 9, it starts to move forward once again and will re-enter Pisces in early February 2012.

Chiron in Pisces, which also turned retrograde in June, moves forwards from 0 degrees Pisces on November 10.

If you have planets or angles anywhere between 27 degrees of the fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius) and 1-2 degrees of the mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces), these two planets turning around at the same time will touch your chart, so you should be able to feel the Piscean/Neptunian/Chironic themes playing out in your life quite strongly now and in the weeks/months to follow. (By the way, you can get your chart for free at www.alabe.com)

These themes include a heightened awareness of compassion, suffering and empathy; a desire to indulge in escapism and fantasy; feeling wiped out; feeling deceived, disillusioned or disappointed; feeling ‘lost at sea’; boundary issues; heightened imagination; a deeper appreciation of art and music; spiritual and mystical experiences; creative inspiration; increased sensitivity on any level; feeling under the weather; emotional healing experiences; maverick urges, possibly unfocussed. Because Chiron and Neptune have been travelling closely in tandem since 2010 (and have been widely conjunct since 2007), these feelings may have been bubbling under for some time. Now though, is the time to pay some attention to them and consider what they are trying to tell you about yourself and where you are at in your life.

This is a time to learn that your (perceived) weaknesses, can in fact be your strengths, because by facing your ‘weaknesses’ over the last year or more, you have become wise and have a gift to share with the world. It’s also a time to pay extra attention to your dreams and fantasies. Perhaps they can help point the way forward if you’re feeling the urge to dive beneath surface reality and enrich your life with deeper, more meaningful experiences? Remember, we have almost three more months of Neptune in Aquarius, the sign of community, brotherhood, humanitarianism and rebellion, so these themes will also come to the fore now for final resolution, if you are ready and willing to submit to the call to help.    

For more on the themes of Chiron in Pisces, see Chiron in Pisces: Water Over Rocks and for an explanation of the themes of Neptune in Pisces, see Neptune in Pisces Miscellanea.

November 10: Full Moon in Taurus

A Full Moon, because it is an opposition aspect, strives for balance. In order to find the balance, we must first seek to common ground. What Scorpio (the Sun’s sign) and Taurus (the Moon’s sign) have in common are a concern with money, control, possession and sexuality. In essence, Taurus and Scorpio oppositions ask us to balance what we desire and what we are attached to on the emotional level with what we feel we need and what we work hard to keep and maintain on the physical material level.

We all need to feel emotionally and materially secure, but perhaps we are feeling insecure in these areas under this Full Moon. Because Taurus and Scorpio are fixed signs, our response may be to cling on very tight to what, or who, we’ve got. This is the point where we can tip over into the shadow side of Taurus and Scorpio – fiscal and emotional miserliness, manipulative behaviour and a stubborn resistance to any kind of change, even good change.

During this bright Moon, remember that what we truly own will never leave us, so we don’t need to cling. If our roots are solid, we can allow branches to sway a little in the winds of change. We may even learn to enjoy the experience and the lessons it can bring.

This Full Moon also coincides with Neptune and Chiron moving direct and Mars' move into Virgo. Read the write ups on these - above and below - as this Full Moon is sure to highlight their themes.

*November 10/11: Mars enters Virgo

Mars leaves the proud, dramatic and often overbearing sign of Leo and enters the steadier, quieter sign of Virgo. Mars in Virgo urges us to put our energy into practical and useful tasks. It invites us to think twice about indulging in rash and reckless behaviour and allow ourselves the time to carefully mull over exactly how we should put our plans into action. On the downside, Mars in Virgo energy can make us over-critical and perfectionist, so try to find a balance between just going for it and taking time to work out whether the end result will be worth it.

Because Mars turns retrograde in Virgo between February and April 2012, this is an especially long transit, lasting until early July 2012. This makes it a great time to focus on working towards longer terms goals. List out everything you want to achieve. It’s easy to scatter and splinter your energies with Mars in Virgo, so when you have that list, you would be well advised to cross off a number – if not most - of those goals, so you can focus on the important ones. The discriminating nature of Mars in Virgo should help you make up decide which ones are important.

While Mars is in Virgo, your exercise routine should focus on improving your all round health (rather than on achieving the ‘body beautiful’). Punishing, ‘no pain, no gain’ exercise is not the way forward now. Instead, focus on work-outs that benefit the mind as well as the body, such as yoga, pilates and tai chi. Balance good exercise with healthy food and rest. This is a good Mars sign for those of you who would like to lose a little weight through sensible, manageable lifestyle changes.

Virgo is also the sign of service and helpfulness. Small acts of kindness and support really can add up to make a huge difference. Something to ponder on and act upon during Mars’ tenure in Virgo.

Mars is in Virgo until July 3 2012 and is retrograde in Virgo from January 24 to April 14 2012.

November 16: Mars trines Jupiter

Re-read the above piece about Mars entering Virgo... this easy trine between Mars and Jupiter in practical Taurus provides just the positive boost you need to get those Mars in Virgo goals off the ground and the staying power to follow through.

November's astro-action

November 2: Venus enters Sagittarius

November 2: Mercury enters Sagittarius

November 9: Neptune turns direct

November 10: Chiron turns direct

November 10: Full Moon in Taurus

November 10/11: Mars enters Virgo

November 16: Mars in Virgo trine Jupiter in Taurus

November 20: Sun squares Neptune (coming in part 2)

November 22: Sun enters Sagittarius (coming in part 2)

November 23: Sun trines Uranus (coming in part 2)     

November 23: Mars trines Pluto (coming in part 2)

November 24: Mercury stations retrograde (coming in part 2)

November 25: New Moon in Sagittarius, a partial Solar Eclipse (coming in part 2)

November 26: Venus enters Capricorn (coming in part 2)

November 27: Venus squares Uranus and trines Jupiter (coming in part 2)

*Where two dates are given, use the earlier date in US times zones and the later date in European/Asian time zones.

Wishing you a very healthy and happy November.  Come back mid month for Part 2 of November’s update or better still, subscribe below to receive it in your inbox.

With love, Mandi

www.mandilockley.com

Click for Void of Course Moon Times for November

Click for November’s Moon Phases

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Chiron in Pisces - Water Over Rocks

With Chiron moving into Pisces*, I have been preparing to write a post about Chiron for some days now, but felt blocked, despite preparing pages and pages of notes.

The key word most of us associate with Chiron is healing and it’s very easy to predict that in Pisces, Chiron’s healing themes comes to the foremost, presenting us with a great opportunity for healing on a collective and personal level.

But Chiron, Pisces and life just isn’t as simple as that, so this morning I decided to meditate on some of the themes of Chiron in Pisces and a very interesting image came to me, an image of crystal clear water running over rocky ground, on the face of it a calm, restful image.

However, I have also been thinking about the meaning of discomfort these past few days and I had an ‘aha’ moment which brought these two ideas together. You see, for all its themes of healing, Chiron is also an uncomfortable energy. In the myth, Chiron was wounded. Only able to heal himself partially, he was fated to walk his path in perpetual discomfort. Similarly, that beautiful clear water I dreamed up in my meditation will certainly cleanse our feet, but at the same time, the rocks the water runs over will always remain uncomfortable to walk across, despite the fact that the water will cleanse the rocks and over time, smooth away their sharper edges.

In this life, it is through our experience of discomfort and through the (physical, emotional, psychological or spiritual) wounding that causes the discomfort in the first place, that we are compelled to learn. Along the way, we discover that healing, total healing, in the sense of ‘becoming whole’, is perhaps not totally possible in just a single earthly incarnation, but it is this whole-making that we are ultimately seeking, on a soul level. So, as we walk across life’s rocky path, like Chiron, we carry our wounds with us, seeking comfort from the healing waters where we can. Then, like Chiron we can eventually learn how to use the knowledge we learn from carrying our own pain, to help others to carry their own.

However, Chiron also reminds us that real healing must be sought and asked for, if the healing process is to really be felt on a deeper, soul level. Simply giving healing to another, without them asking for it, diverts them from their healing journey, robbing them of their opportunity to learn from the discomfort of walking over the rocks. Similarly, if we simply take from someone else a metaphorical ‘magical pill’ that takes away all our pain, this denies us our own lesson. We must learn to feel the discomfort of the pain, but at the same time we must learn to understand that even in pain, we do not have to suffer unnecessarily - WE CAN ASK FOR HELP. Asking for help is a truly humbling experience and is the first step on the journey through the healing waters and across the rocky ground that lies beneath. This I feel, is the key to the healing energy of Chiron as it travels through the sign of Pisces.

*Data for Chiron in Pisces
[add one hour for daylight saving if applicable]

• Chiron moves into Pisces on 20th April 2010 at 06.31 GMT / 20th April at 01.31 Eastern Time / 19th April at 22.31 Pacific Time.
• Chiron Retrogrades back into Aquarius on 20th July 2010 at 09.42 / 20th July at 04.42 Eastern Time / 20th July at 01.42 Pacific Time.
• Chiron re-enters Pisces on 8th February 2011 at 19.57 GMT / 8th February at 14.57 Eastern Time / 8th February at 11.57 Pacific Time………..after which Chiron remains in Pisces until February 2019.

Recommended Further Reading on Chiron
Zane Stein’s Chiron And Friends Website
Melanie Reinhart’s book Chiron and the Healing Journey – a new and updated edition has just been published.
Joyce Mason’s E- book: Chiron and Wholeness – A Primer Joyce is currently running a Chiron research project. For details click here.
By Eric Francis: An Overview of Chiron & Chiron in Pisces & Born in the Sixties (discusses the Chiron in Pisces opposition to the Uranus-Pluto conjunction in the 1960’s)

Related Posts on Astroair Astrology
Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron and the New Moon
Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron – The Story So Far

Photo credit: http://www.mywainwrights.co.uk/2009walks/170309/170309.htm

With love, Mandi
http://www.mandilockley.com/