The Challenge of Chiron
Zip Dobyns
We have a letter from a correspondent which we would like to share with other readers, and hope that the author does not mind. It was addressed to James Eshelman, author of the article on Chiron in the Gemini issue of The Mutable Dilemma.
After receiving Al Morrison’s ephemeris, also placed Chiron in charts beginning with a group dealing primarily with rather violent interactions between people—child abuse, murder—events of this nature that occurred locally and with a fair amount of complete data available from county records, library microfilm and some firsthand information (the by-product of my job with a State social services agency)
Just on the basis of these charts, early indications agree with the maverick and fiery qualities both you and the Morrison group noted. The lesson theme comes through very vividly! But sometimes it is the survivor/perpetrator who learns the hardest lesson and sometimes the victim—no consistency here.
One instance, the multi-witnessed murder of a young man (shot at almost point-blank range while he sat in his car with friends) by a locally prominent dentist (the boy was courting the dentist’s daughter, driving around the block, probably honking the car horn) netted the boy death several hours later, flowery last words of forgiveness re the dentist and reassurances to his mother printed in the local newspaper (this occurred in 1930). His killer, tried one year later, received a suspended sentence and $4,000 fine which with the help of a friend who was also the district judge was all quietly excused some six years later. Unfortunately, I do not have timed natal charts for any of the principals in this drama but Chiron is prominent in the event chart and at the boy’s death as well as in the solar natal charts.
Also noted several instances of violent interaction between people with Chiron natally prominent in only one person’s chart but accenting the chart of a second person and showing vividly at their last contact in time—usually the death of or severe injury to one of them.
A few charts of individuals physically abused as children (frequently with Chiron conjunct the ASC ruler) remain in somewhat distant and “controlled” contact with their abuser parents/stepparents.
The overall group showed a high frequency of Sagittarius especially on the ASC for both victims and perpetrators.
In curious contrast to the violent events in which these people participated is the good-natured, open generosity and yes, nobility of many of these people despite the lack of a noble environment and/or heredity in some instances. The female Sagittarius seemed to have the most difficulty facing reality—exhibiting an inability to see the fall coming (Jupiter s false optimism?) and a refusal to be tied down or bound to societal demands.
Since I don’t have a volume of data to test, have begun collecting as much as is available from county death records and obtaining birth times when the victim was born locally and recently enough for the time to have been recorded. Am now trying to get a random sampling of ages and causes of death (rather limited to car accidents and self-inflicted gunshot wounds, at present). If I ever get these charts done (oh, for a mini-computer!) and anything interesting shows up will share it with you, if you’re interested.
Really didn’t expect to find Chiron anything but a passing fancy. Now put it in all charts and also find it far more active than Pallas, Juno, Vesta or Ceres. Chiron does seem to work in concert with these asteroids, especially Ceres and Juno and especially with the lunar nodes and the Vertex—the latter two combined with Chiron seem at times almost like a “lesson package”. This seems to hold up not only natally but via progression and direction. Also, find Chiron prominent in the charts of people I interact with intensely but not always easily. Lessons again. Was relieved to learn someone else is finding Chiron so active. Began to wonder if the cosmos was playing a trick on me. Maybe it is—my blind spot—Chiron conjunct the midpoint of Sun conjunct ASC with Chiron at the apex of a yod to Mars and Jupiter.
Enjoyed your article—hope to hear more.
Thanks,
Gloria
I also want to add my “two cents” with some partly contrasting data, to remind people that every principle in life (and astrology) has both pleasant and painful potentials, depending on how we manifest it. I mentioned the prominence of Chiron on the Sun (and progressed Chiron exact to the degree on the natal Sun) of Jim Jones. I received a letter from a follower of Jones who was quite disturbed that I accepted the recorded birth time as well as the statements of a good many people about the actions and character of Jones. The writer, Laurie Efrein, says that she was a long-time member of the People’s Temple, and that Jones was completely innocent of any wrong-doing, and a victim of the hostility of others including government officials. In fact, Ms Efrein implies that Jones was a reincarnation of Jesus and she equates his death with the martyrdom of Jesus. At this point, it is Ms Efrein’s word against that of a good many other people concerning the character of Jones. At her request, I am reporting that she has rectified his birth time to 6:58 P.M., using a good many events in his life. Her rectified chart puts Neptune exactly on the MC and puts 21 Scorpio rising. Readers can try out the chart if they are interested, and get the CAO Times Vol. 4, No. 1, 1979 for the full text of her rectification.
My own experience with Chiron, to date, seems much in character with the principle of Jupiter and Sagittarius—a search for an ultimate Truth, meaning, faith, direction, etc. in life. This may lead one to education: solar arc Chiron was conjunct my Ascendant and solar arc Sun was opposite Chiron when I went back for my M.A. and Ph.D. in psychology at the age of 40. Another case seen recently had Chiron in a lifetime conjunction with her Ascendant since it had changed direction and remained within the one-degree orb. In spite of a heavy water emphasis in her chart (Sun, Moon, Node, Pluto closely conjunct in Cancer on the 4th cusp, Mars in the 12th house, etc.) she said she was always optimistic and cheerful; she was always taking courses in something—her friends greeted her with “what are you studying now?”, and yet her background was lower class with no value placed on knowledge. Still another case added the spiritual quest to her search for knowledge. She too came from a lower class background. Her family was only interested in beer drinking and horse racing, according to her statement. She felt forced to hide her intense desire for higher knowledge, and read and attended lectures on metaphysics and the psychic area without the knowledge of the rest of the family. Her Chiron had remained in a conjunction with Jupiter in her 6th house all her life. Still another case with Chiron in a lifetime conjunction to Jupiter but in Pisces in the first house and accompanying a stellium in Virgo in the 7th house was a nurse, working in research in her job but also active in the A.R.E., leading dream interpretation workshops, and very involved in metaphysics.
I have seen numerous other cases in which Chiron was prominent in the charts of people who were intellectual or spiritual leaders. Among our most recent charts I can mention Rollo May and Roberto Assagioli, both famous psychotherapists, who have Chiron conjunct their Ascendants within a one degree orb. Rollo May also has Vesta just over one degree from his MC. Another well-known but controversial psychotherapist, R. D. Laing, has Chiron in his first house opposite his Mercury. Werner Erhardt, founder of EST, which might be considered a controversial form of psychotherapy, has Chiron conjunct his Ascendant, though not as closely as May and Assagioli. But since Chiron squares his Sun and Venus (the latter exactly), and opposes his Moon, it is given additional emphasis. John Lilly, another prominent mind-explorer, also has Chiron opposite his Moon exactly, and it is sextile his exact Sun-Mercury conjunction. Still another mind-worker, Jose Silva, the founder of Mind Control, has Chiron widely conjunct his MC but exactly quincunx his 3rd house Sun and exactly semisextile Jupiter on one side and Moon on the other, Jupiter in the 9th house and Moon in the 11th. And Uri Geller, well-known mind-controller of material objects, has Chiron very widely conjunct his Ascendant but conjunct his East Point within 3 minutes of arc.
Among a variety of religious leaders in my files we can include the new Roman Catholic Pope with Chiron exactly trine his Jupiter-Neptune conjunction; Billy Graham with Chiron in 29 Pisces in his 12th house, exactly square his Sagittarius Moon and more widely square Mars and Pallas, exactly trioctile his Scorpio Sun, trine his Mercury, and quincunx his Saturn in Leo. A former Baptist minister who left the fold to become a psychic, Paul Solomon, has Chiron conjunct his Ceres-Sun-Antivertex in Cancer in the 11th house. Another formerly orthodox minister who moved into the psychic area has Chiron widely conjunct his Ascendant and square his Sun-MC conjunction. The founder of a new religion in Indonesia, Pak Subuh, has Chiron conjunct his Jupiter, opposite his Sun, and trine his Moon, though the orbs are wide. Three Hindu gurus with widely varying teachings and followers include Yogananda, founder of the Self-Realization Fellowship who had Chiron widely conjunct his Ascendant; Muktananda, current leader in the Shakti approach who has Chiron in his 10th house square his first house Sun; and Maharaj Ji, the young leader of mostly young followers who has Chiron trine his Ascendant and octile his Sun-Saturn conjunction.
I have also seen my share of tragic cases with Chiron, including Martin Luther King who had it conjunct Jupiter, with progressed Jupiter exact to the degree when he was killed. In two cases of suicide, one young man had Chiron conjunct his South Node in Pisces and opposite his Pluto and square his Sun, among other aspects, while the other young man had Chiron on his Vertex so opposite the Antivertex, as well as square his Neptune-Moon conjunction. And finally, Dean Corll who tortured and murdered a number of teenaged boys in Houston, Texas had Chiron conjunct his Antivertex.
If we think in terms of the Jupiter principle, we can see that its manifestation can range from “I am God and can do anything I want,” to “I am separated from God and faith and might as well give up and run away.” Or we may run to some supreme value. Chiron and Jupiter both may symbolize the need for freedom to pursue their quest wherever it takes them. (Jim Eshelman, author of the article on Chiron in our last issue, mentioned that he has now observed one connection of Chiron to relationships. He has noticed it in the gaining of independence through the breakup of relationships.) There are an impressive number of close aspects to angles, Sun, and Moon in even this brief sampling, suggesting that Chiron has considerable potential value as a clue to our search for ultimates and the dangers if our faith is misplaced or missing but the high potential if we are clear about what we trust and have our faith integrated with reality. I am not surprised to find it associated with death and with extreme criminality. Gauquelin found that the group having the highest percentage of Jupiter near the Ascendant was the Nazi leaders. I have personally always seen an aspect to Jupiter at an individual’s death, natural or otherwise. It may mean simply a trip to a higher level of life or a supreme effort to escape misery in this life. In the end, it is our faith that determines the way we go in life. Take a good look at your Chiron. It is no accident that the universe has given it to us at this time. The faith by which we live will be a decisive factor in the days ahead, maybe the decisive factor on whether we learn to share the resources of the planet or we wipe out the mess and start over, here or elsewhere.