As well as the major planets in astrology, we also make use of some asteroids and minor planets. Chiron is one such celestial body that is now widely used in astrology – but what is Chiron and what does it mean for your astrological chart?

What is Chiron in Astrology?

Chiron is a minor planet. Discovered in 1977, it takes approximately 50 years to travel through the zodiac.

What is the Mythology of Chiron in Astrology?

Chiron was named for a mythological centaur – a creature which is half human, half horse. Responsible for teaching hunting, music, healing and prophecy, the mythological Chiron was brave, bold and pretty fearless.

However, legend tells us that the centaurs were persecuted and driven from their homeland until eventually, only Chiron remained. Heracles shot Chiron with a poisoned arrow – but although he was in great pain, Chiron was immortal, and could not die. Nor could he heal himself, despite his ability to heal others. His half-brother Zeus took pity on him and sent him into the sky as a constellation, from where he could inspire others with his bravery and his healing powers.

What is the Significance of Chiron in Astrology?

Following on from the mythology, the significance of Chiron in astrology is as the wounded healer in the birth chart.

What this means is that Chiron’s placement in the natal chart signifies a wound which was inflicted upon us in childhood, and from which we have never recovered. This may not be a physical wound, it may just as easily or even more likely be an emotional or psychological wound. It may not have been inflicted deliberately, but accidentally, and quite likely by someone we loved and trusted.

Chiron therefore represents our ongoing struggle to heal ourselves from this wound. However, it also represents our healing gifts, and how we may be of service to others through healing.

Because Chiron is quite slow-moving, astrologers tend to focus more on the house position of Chiron in the natal chart, rather than the zodiac sign.

Let’s take a look at what this could mean for your birth chart and your own healing potential:

Chiron in Aries or Chiron in 1st House
Here Chiron represents a wound which came about through anger or through competitiveness. Either you had to fight to make your voice heard, or alternatively you chose to make yourself invisible. For whatever reason, you were not or were unable to be as assertive as you would have liked. To heal others, you can show people how to channel their anger constructively, and how to speak up even at personal cost to themselves.

Chiron in Taurus or Chiron in 2nd House
In the second house, Chiron represents a wound which came about through a fear of change or through stubbornness and a refusal to change. You may have become wounded due to an overly materialistic nature or through too much self-indulgence. There may also have been a lack of affection towards you as a child. To heal others, you can model affectionate behavior, and you can also teach people how to seek true value rather than the values they find in materialism. You also have the gift of showing how change is always for the best, ultimately.

Chiron in Gemini or Chiron in 3rd House
Chiron in the third house is about a wound which came about due to your self-expression. Perhaps you were heavily criticized as a child and shut down as a result, or perhaps you had a stutter or were mocked for your speech. In some way, you were prevented from communicating as you would have wished. To heal others, you can teach the power of words, whether written or spoken. Teaching people to mediate and to negotiate their way through conflict is another strength of yours.

Chiron in Cancer or 4th House
With Chiron in the fourth house, you appear to have suffered a childhood wound relating to feeling safe at home. You may have felt abandoned or perhaps suffered abuse or neglect. Alternatively, your early family life may have been loving but insecure financially or materially, which led to angst at home. Your healing gift is to teach others how to reassure their inner child and how to let go of anger and blame. You may manifest this Chiron position by creating or helping to create a safe space for others.

Chiron in Leo or 5th House
Here Chiron represents a need for approval, which probably inflicted some kind of wound on you during your childhood. Perhaps you were denied the attention or approval you craved, or perhaps you did get it but found that it quickly turned sour. To heal others, your gift is the ability to teach modesty and self-effacement. You can help those with ego issues learn to respect others and in return to receive greater love for themselves.

Chiron in Virgo or 6th House
In the sixth house, Chiron suggests a childhood wound which came about through fear of judgement. You may have been judging yourself far too harshly from an early age, of perhaps you were subjected to the unfair judgement of others. To heal others, you have the ability to teach people that their own self-judgement is the only one which matters – and to help people move beyond being their own worst enemy through self-inflicted criticism.

Chiron in Libra or 7th House
In the seventh house, Chiron represents a wound which came about through fear of rejection. You may have tried too hard to please others or you may simply have been caught up in someone else’s drama, which led to you feeling rejected. You may have felt jealousy of a parent’s partner. Your gift when it comes to healing other is the power of diplomacy and balance. You can show people how to avoid hurting others through being careful with their choice of words and actions.

Chiron in Scorpio or 8th House
In the eighth house, Chiron is about a wound which came from the death of a loved one, or even the birth of a sibling. Jealousy was a key issue in this wound, or it may have left you feeling that life was pointless, resulting in self-destructive tendencies. This is a very powerful placing for Chiron, and you should seek therapy to help you come to terms with the trauma you have faced. You do have healing gifts, and in particular you can help others who have faced trauma or who have suffered through grief or jealousy.

Chiron in Sagittarius or 9th House
In the ninth house, Chiron speaks of a wound created by religion or by faith of some kind. Perhaps the faith you were raised in did not truly accept you, or perhaps you felt that some aspects of it were cruel and unkind. Perhaps it was not religion but rather a belief your parents had in hard work, or discipline, or something else which did not fit well with you. To heal others, you have the ability to show the value of diversity and inclusion. You can teach others that truth never harms one section of society for the benefit of another.

Chiron in Capricorn or 10th House
Here, Chiron speaks of a wound created by ambition and a desire for status; perhaps you took second place behind a parent’s career, or perhaps you felt that you never lived up to expectations. With this placing, you have healing gifts which include the ability to transcend materialism. Show others that success can take many forms and teach us not to place too much pressure on our young people.

Chiron in Aquarius or 11th House
In the eleventh house, Chiron represents a wound which came about due to your desire to fit in. For whatever reason, you were unable to embrace your individuality, and you may have been bullied as a result. Alternatively, it may have been your parents or your extended family who tried to make you conform to their standards, against who you truly are. Your healing gifts are founded in equality and social justice, and you can help to heal others through promoting tolerance and open-mindedness.

Chiron in Pisces or 12th House
In the twelfth house, Chiron speaks of a psychic or karmic wound, or perhaps a trauma which came about due to parental addiction or mental illness. If the wound is spiritual, you will have much work to do in this lifetime to overcome it, but that is your current calling and purpose. Your healing gifts are very strong, regardless of the source of your wound. You can heal others through energy healing, psychic healing, Reiki and the power of sympathetic listening.