Chiron is a small body which orbits between Saturn and Uranus. It has been variously classified as a comet and a planetoid and I have lost count which verdict is currently in vogue. It was discovered in 1977 and has received with much enthusiasm by the astrological community.
Its highly eccentric orbit actually takes it within Saturn’s orbit so it is nearer to the Sun than Saturn and beyond the orbit of Uranus at various points in its orbit. It completes its journey around the zodiac in 50 years, but between Taurus and Scorpio passes through at about a sign a year, so acting like a social planet with a similar weight to Jupiter, between Scorpio and Taurus it takes much longer so acting like an outer planet. Passing both the orbit of Saturn and of Uranus, it links the visible planets and the outer planets.
Common interpretations talk about the wounded healer as represented by Chiron in myth. He was the teacher of the heroes but was wounded by Hercules with a poison arrow in mock combat and the wound never healed. Another theme of this energy is the ability to hold two ends of a paradox at one time i.e. he was wounded but was a healer – these two factors should be mutually exclusive but are not. He is also referred to as the rainbow bridge.
The idea of overcoming something to succeed is also part of this energy. Dennis Ellwell in The Cosmic Loom likens Chiron’s energy to audacity and the ability to face down authority and obstacles. You can see the fusing of Saturn and Uranus in each of these ideas.
Some astrologers have also started to use other comet/planetoids – the Centaurs – in their work. If you wish to follow up these ideas I can recommend the work of Melanie Rheinhart and Zane Stein. Steve Judd has a marvellous lecture of this material which is available on tape.
Chiron Books
Saturn, Chiron and the Centaurs: To the…
The Centaur Research Project