Continued from Part 1:
May 2009 Alignment: Neptune
(Just a reminder that this article, while containing information that may be useful for everyone, is referring especially to those born between September 1954 and February 1955; between July and September 1955; and between February and August 1956. The Neptune-Chiron-Jupiter conjunction in May 2009 will be within 2 degrees of being exactly opposite these people's natal Pluto.)
Chiron, like Neptune, is currently in Aquarius and, at the time of the May 2009 alignment, will be conjunct both Neptune and Jupiter in that sign. The energies of Chiron in Aquarius are familiar to many readers of these articles, since everyone born between February 1955 and March 1960 have Chiron in Aquarius in their birth charts.
Chiron represents a place where we feel wounded or lacking, as well as our road to healing and ascension. In Aquarius, Chiron shows a lack of clarity about how to balance independence and connection. Many of us have dealt with issues of rejection and abandonment, as well as times when we have acted out the need for individuation without awareness of its impact on others.
The promise of Chiron is that as we learn to heal and release the fears and misperceptions related to these issues, we also build a bridge to spiritual enlightenment. This is mirrored in physicality by the fact that Chiron's orbit lies primarily between Saturn and Uranus, and so acts as a stepping stone between the planets that represent social and personal issues (Saturn and inward) and the planets that represent transpersonal themes (Uranus and outward).
According to astrologer Martin Lass in his book Chiron: Healing Body and Soul, the gift of Chiron in Aquarius is:
"The gift of objectivity, of seeing the bigger picture, of being able to stand back and glimpse the view from ‘on high.' The gift of connection - of reconnecting with the universe and humanity. The gift of aloneness in which we can, paradoxically, be in silent communion with the universe... Seeing the magnificence of the divine plan is, in itself, the ultimate healing."
Transiting Neptune conjunct Transiting Chiron
Chiron is once again in Aquarius, and has been in the sign since early 2005. Neptune entered Aquarius seven years earlier, in 1998. Because Chiron moves through the zodiac more quickly, he is gradually catching up to Neptune. As mentioned in part 1 of this article, the two planets will be virtually conjunct in late May 2009 right before they both go retrograde, with their exact alignment finally occurring on February 17, 2010.
Astrologer Judy Hall, in her book Patterns of the Past, says that Neptune "is involved in clearing collective karma" and that the combination of Neptune and Chiron are:
"...part of the burning away of the old self, the time when we have to surrender to the inevitability of our transformation from what we have been to what we might be."
Martin Lass writes in his book on Chiron that the alignment between these two planets:
"...produces a resonant channel between our soul (and its experience of unconditional love) and our lower nature (and its attendant wounds and issues).
"Depending on our level of healing and evolution of consciousness, this can affect us in one of two ways (or a proportional balance of both ways):
"In its lowest expression, it can entirely disassociate us from reality and make it virtually impossible for us to touch the ground, so to speak. The result will tend to be escapist patterns and behavior. It may result in indulgence in drugs, alcohol, and other mind-numbing pursuits; it may manifest as social misconduct and/or dysfunction; it may cause us to seek out sectarian religions, cults, and fringe groups; and/or it may result in psychopathy.
"In its highest expression, this aspect can confer extraordinary healing ability and focus. It can be the mark of a mystic, saint, or prophet. It can also be the mark of a genius, because, if we can bear our wounds and issues, we are directly connected to our soul.
"The less evolved we are, the more likely this aspect will manifest its lower expression. Conversely, the more evolved we are, the more likely this aspect will manifest its higher expression. In truth, each of us will have both higher and lower expressions, manifesting in differing degrees in different areas of our lives.
"Ultimately, this aspect creates a deep need to connect with spirit as an answer to our woundedness. Through this aspect, Neptune encourages us to unconditionally love our wounds and issues - love the lost, disowned, denied, and otherwise negatively judged pieces of ourselves - and bring them lovingly back into the light.
"In the charts of persons wishing to pursue healing as a life's path - for themselves and/or for others - this aspect is a welcome addition."
While this description by Martin Lass is meant to describe a Neptune-Chiron conjunction in a birth chart, it supplies important information as to the energies involved for everyone dealing with the current Neptune-Chiron conjunction, and especially for those of us experiencing the opposition to Pluto next May.
It also says a great deal about the young ones who are being born now and through early 2011. Since they will have this Neptune-Chiron conjunction in Aquarius in their charts, their energetic presence on the planet will be an important part of the healing of our collective misperceptions of separation and isolation.
The paragraph highlighted above is consistent with my feeling about the higher intention of this alignment. The entire planet will be experiencing the energies of this conjunction - but those of us born during the times specified* will be especially challenged to use its energies to heal our fears, to connect with Spirit and, in so doing, to align with our higher purpose on the planet.
Previous Transits of Chiron to Our Natal Pluto
Because Chiron takes only 50 years to move through the entire zodiac, each of us born during the times mentioned above has already had opportunities to work with Chiron transits to our natal Pluto. Of these, the only other opposition occurred 49 years ago, and so happened very early in our lives - perhaps too early for many of us to remember. But we can also investigate other transits, when Chiron squared and conjoined our natal Pluto, for insights we can apply to the upcoming opposition.
Here are the dates of those transits; in some instances, due to going retrograde, Chiron made three exact transits, noted by (3), as compared to one exact transit, noted by (1).
Opposition (3): Spring and Summer 1959; early Winter 1960
Applying square (3): Summer and Fall 1982; early Spring 1983
Conjunction (1): Summer 1993
Separating square (1): Late Winter 1998
Personal Memories
Some of our personal memories of these times may be associated with the Chiron-Pluto transits, and some may not. It is usual for there to be more than one influence at work at any given time.
It will be helpful to know where your natal Pluto is located by house, as well as the meaning of that house, to know what kinds of events might apply. Transit themes will also relate to the placement of Chiron in your natal chart, as well as his location at the time of the transit.
(If you don't have your natal chart, visit www.astro.com and enter your birth data to see and print your chart. For house themes, please refer to the "Houses" page on my Web site at www.northpointastrology.com.)
For example, since natal Pluto is in my 10th house, I can look for events related to my life purpose, ambitions and career, and to my experience of my mother or other role model during the dates in question. With natal Chiron in Aquarius in my 4th house, I can expect all Chiron transits to help me learn to self-nurture and process emotions, as well as to heal fears of abandonment and rejection.
I'm going to share events from my personal history, to give some idea of how this all works, and hopefully to trigger memories of your own experiences. Please note that transits in very early childhood can manifest both through our own experience and through events in our parents' lives.
Fall 1959 - Transiting Chiron in Aquarius in my 4th house (representing early childhood, emotional patterning, self-nurturing, physical home environment) opposing natal Pluto in Leo in my 10th house (representing life purpose, ambitions, role models):
In October 1959, when I was age 3, my family moved into a new home (4th house theme). This new home was designed by my mother (my primary role model, a 10th house theme), and was a concrete manifestation of her vision and creativity (Pluto in Leo). The house had a very unusual floor design for the late 1950s and was separated from all neighbors by tall trees, representing my parents' desire to be unique and separate (Chiron in Aquarius). My Mom developed asthma when we moved in, excluding her from certain activities (Chiron in Aquarius wound of isolation). However, the dis-ease also required her to pay attention to her physical needs, and to self-nurture (Chiron in the 4th).
Fall 1982 - Transiting Chiron in Taurus in my 7th house (representing partnerships, commitments):
In October 1982, at age 26, I moved from California to Montana, to pursue a love affair (7th house themes). To do so, I put my own ambitions on hold (Pluto in the 10th). The move and the relationship challenged the values (Taurus theme) I had been taught in childhood, but also marked considerable improvement in my self-worth (transiting Chiron in Taurus), healing an eating disorder that had plagued my early 20s (natal Chiron in the 4th).
Summer 1993 - Transiting Chiron in Leo in my 10th house (representing life purpose, ambitions, role models):
In July 1993, at age 37, I was dealing with the disintegration of a relationship, which I had assumed to be my primary purpose (10th house theme). I was compelled to begin my life over again, with a new set of criteria that necessitated paying closer attention to my true needs and desire for a sense of belonging (transiting Chiron in Leo). That summer my golden retriever Kenya came to live with me, part of a conscious decision to bring joy back into my life and to keep my heart open (Leo). This was a major turning point in my life, when I reconnected with my own sense of purpose and missing elements of my life mission (Pluto in Leo).
Late Winter 1998 - Transiting Chiron in Scorpio in my 1st house (representing self-awareness, personal style and growth, development of individuality):
In late 1998, at age 42, I was exploring self-awareness (1st house theme) through in-depth counseling that involved significant inner child work (transiting Chiron in Scorpio, unearthing unconscious emotions and patterns). This period marked a major step in my process of healing, and gave me new understanding of how the external world mirrors our internal reality. It also renewed hope that I would be able to create the life of purpose I envisioned (natal Pluto in Leo in the 10th).
I hope that these personal examples supply a framework you can use for interpreting your own memories. Please note that with each transit, there were opportunities for significant healing and growth amidst the challenges. This silver-lining quality is the hallmark and promise of all Chiron transits.
As you research your own history of these specific dates, see if you can find:
* a healing through realizing a personal goal (for yourself or your parents) during 1959-1960 (transiting Chiron in Aquarius);
* a healing through developing stronger self-worth or personal values in 1982-1983 (transiting Chiron in Taurus);
* a healing through enhanced self-expression and creativity in 1993 (transiting Chiron in Leo);
* and a healing through exploration of deeper emotional or psychological levels in 1998 (transiting Chiron in Scorpio).
Upcoming Chiron Opposition to Our Natal Pluto
It is intriguing to note that we will experience not one, not three, but five oppositions from Chiron to our natal Pluto during 2009 and 2010. This is a rare occurrence, indicating that our natal Pluto is positioned at exactly the right degree to receive extra healing work. However, we will most likely feel the greatest effect of this transit during May 2009, since Neptune and Jupiter are also involved at that time.
At the time of the transit, Chiron will still be in Aquarius, opposite our Pluto in Leo. We should be able to use themes from that first Chiron-Pluto opposition (Spring-Summer 1959 and early Winter 1960) to find some clues to what is in store in 2009-2010. The issues we (or our parents) were dealing with then, that we have continued to work on throughout this Chiron cycle, are ready to be healed more completely now. And, because Pluto is involved, this healing can include the realization of a significant personal goal or life mission.
In part 1 of this article, I included Rob Hand's interpretation of transiting Neptune opposite natal Pluto. Here now are insights from Mr. Hand and others of how Chiron and Pluto may work together:
From Robert Hand, describing transiting Chiron opposite natal Pluto:
"Transiting Chiron opposite natal Pluto: Don't become too worried by any profound changes which may turn your life upside-down, because they will give you the necessary strength and energy to finally get rid of some of your old psychological burdens. A friend, work colleague or close family member could have the necessary therapeutic capability to help, being able to put their finger on something that you find particularly painful to discuss. Rather than intending to hurt you, their behavior will simply reopen old wounds that you suffered in your childhood or adolescence.
"The recognition that many of your problems with others are simply the result of your own tendency to cover up your weaknesses and avoid painful issues will help you gradually change your behavior. Try to overcome the compulsion to keep up appearances all the time, and admit that you also have your failings, weaknesses and inferiority complexes. You will then discover an inner strength that you thought would be lost by admitting this. Feeling powerless or having a vague sense of being controlled or manipulated will only take hold of you if you are unable to find the courage to confront your own inner demons.
"Be quietly thankful to all those people and events that are now helping to stir up regions of your unconscious which you have been so adept at repressing, a repression which has been blocking any chances of healing. If you can accept your whole self, including those influences that are painful, you can help to pave the way for a more confident and calmer future."
From Martin Lass, describing transiting Chiron opposite natal Pluto:
"This is a major healing transit. Chiron challenges us to see the benefits, blessings, lessons, and gifts in crises and calamities. Residual wounds, regrets, self-depreciation, and negative feelings may surface. We are challenged to transcend our old perspectives and biases around loss, endings, and radical changes. We are challenged to see the new forms taken by those things in our lives that we felt we lost."
From Melanie Reinhart, describing natal Chiron opposite natal Pluto:
"Chiron/Pluto people are often able to channel powerful healing to others; they may have a conscious experience of the realms beyond physical death and develop a deep instinctive understanding...the Chiron/Pluto journey involves reconnecting with and learning to trust these deep instincts...Chiron/Pluto initiates transformation through acceptance of what is, at the deepest level"
From Barbara Hand Clow, describing natal Chiron opposite natal Pluto:
"Chiron opposite Pluto is the full expression of both planets. Pluto is prodded into the depths of exploring the subconscious mind, and Chiron continually brings in the higher self to help Pluto keep going... this person is incapable of living a simple or trivial life."
Although these last two entries are describing a Chiron-Pluto opposition in the birth chart, we can use these interpretations to help flesh out our understanding of the energies involved in the transit. Ms. Clow's last sentence is particularly significant, and clearly states the reason I feel so drawn to write about this upcoming transit.
I would guess that most of us want to live a life of consequence, and that those who are interested in reading these articles are even more intentional in this regard. It is my sense that this alignment in May 2009 and continuing into 2010 supplies energies that we can utilize to manifest our higher mission on the planet, and perhaps even use to create a shared vision.
Throughout this two-year period, we will be dissolving the misperceptions that isolate us from community and the ability to work together, as well as healing our ability to use our personal power creatively and constructively. Chiron the Healer will encourage us to unlock the door that may have been blocking us from achieving our higher potential in this lifetime.
Part 3 of this series explores the effects of Jupiter, the third planet in our May 2009 Alignment.
(Continued in Part 3: Jupiter's Role)
Recommended Book:
Chiron: Healing Body and Soul,
by Martin Lass.
About the Author
Pam Younghans lives near Seattle, Washington with her husband and their two dogs. She has been interpreting charts professionally for over 20 years. If you have comments or questions about this Journal or are interested in an astrology reading, visit Pam's Web site at http://www.northpointastrology.com. or call 425-445-3775.
Pam is the author of the weekly astrology journal in InnerSelf.
