CHIRON, HEALTHCARE REFORM,

AND THE DEATH OF TED KENNEDY

          Throughout 2008 as I anticipated the upcoming conjunctions¹ of Jupiter, Neptune, and the planetoid Chiron that were to occur during 2009 in the sign of Aquarius, I was a bit puzzled.  I could understand the potential of the Jupiter-Neptune conjunctions in this sign as signifying a time of great hope and optimism for the bettering of the human condition on a universal scale.  However, I could not grasp the meaning of Chiron’s energy as blended with the energies of Jupiter and Neptune. 

          I thought about the astrological meaning of Chiron the Centaur, the half-human, half-horse figure in Greek mythology who came to be revered as the king of the Centaurs.²  Born of an extramarital union between the god Kronos (who had temporarily changed himself into a horse to disguise himself from his jealous wife) and the sea nymph Philyra, Chiron was immortal, yet possessed half the body of a horse.  Philyra was so disgusted with Chiron’s appearance that she abandoned him, forcing him to grow up in a cave.  Chiron found companionship with the other Centaurs, who bore a likeness to him in physical appearance, yet who did not share the immortality that he had inherited from his father.  Yet Chiron was soon befriended and mentored by Apollo and Artemis, both of whom taught him survival skills, healing arts, poetry, music, divination, and higher wisdom.  Chiron thus became a master in a variety of arts, ranging from making weapons for use in hunting and battle, to using herbs as antidotes for illness and wounds, to playing musical instruments, and even to reading signs and symbols for higher understanding and prognostication.  He became highly sought after for his healing abilities, as well as his mentoring skills.  Gods and kings would send their sons to him to be mentored, and all who were mentored by him became heroes.

         Having reviewed the mythology of Chiron the Centaur, I proceeded to ponder upon its significance and to review the meanings of the planetoid Chiron in the natal chart.  I mused upon the challenge that is astrologically represented by the half-animal, half-human Chiron.  That challenge is to learn to function as a spiritual entity while being housed in a dense, physical body.  I reviewed the implications of being confronted with this type of challenge, whether they be shown by Chiron’s natal sign and house position, by natal and progressed aspects involving Chiron, or by transits of Chiron.  

When Chiron in a chart is activated by transit or progression, or when Chiron itself activates a planetary pattern in our charts, it often leads us into uncharted territory, resulting in unprecedented types of experiences.  We find ourselves on a new plateau of consciousness where the old rules no longer apply.  This new consciousness often presents us with ironies and moral conflicts, causing us to make choices based upon new rules that we must intuitively perceive. 

In my years of experience of interpreting astrological charts, I have seen Chiron as potentially opening the door to greater intuitive awareness, not just philosophical awareness, but awareness of how we can better develop and use the tools, resources, and skills we need for our physical survival.  This does not come easily.  It comes by growing pains and by the “school of hard knocks”.  However, if we follow Chiron’s lead and grow through our struggles, the ultimate result is that Chiron has taught us how to use our intuition to survive. 

It is by having one foot on the material plane and the other in the intuitive realm that we can improve our (1) spiritual, (2) mental, (3) emotional, and (4) physical well being.  In fact, Chiron is often viewed as being the father of Holistic Healing, the healing that simultaneously addresses and incorporates all of these four levels of being. 

Now, what does this all of this have to do with our current times and the healthcare reform crisis that we are facing in 2009?  At first I thought that alternative healing modes would come to light this year and become more widely accepted, but, to my knowledge, that has not been the case.  It is true, however, that we have seen a mix of energies from all four levels (spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical) enter the healthcare debate.  We have heard about the idealistic visions of the universal healthcare proponents, witnessed the intellectual arguments against our present system, viewed the emotional displays at town hall meetings, and even seen the survivalists carrying their loaded weapons into the meetings. 

This is Chiron at work.  We are being shown all of these expressions and reactions to how or whether healthcare should be improved.  And we are being confronted with the challenge of addressing them all. 

Yet, with the recent passing of Senator Ted Kennedy, another part of Chiron’s story takes prominence: 

Chiron was accidentally wounded by one of Hercules’ poisoned arrows during Hercules’ battle with the Centaurs.  On Chiron’s instructions, Hercules applied remedies to the wound, but the wound never healed, despite Chiron’s vast knowledge, experience, and success in healing the wounds of others.  Immortal by his father’s lineage, Chiron found himself entrapped in a physical body, unable to escape his pain because he was unable to heal himself.  For this reason, he is known as “The Wounded Healer”.  

The myth continues (and this DOES involve Chiron, so please bear with me) in that Hercules, in one of his final labors, encountered Prometheus, who had been permanently shackled by Zeus for the “crime” of stealing fire from the gods and giving it to Humanity.  For many years, Prometheus had been helplessly chained to a rock, his liver being eaten by a vulture.  At night his liver would grow back, only to be picked the next day by the vulture.  Hercules, desperate to relieve Prometheus’ plight, begged Zeus to set him free.  Zeus obliged by saying that Prometheus would be freed if Hercules could find an immortal who would voluntarily take Prometheus’ place.  Chiron volunteered and accepted Hercules’ offer.  This was the only way that Chiron could finally end the constant pain he suffered from his wound that would not heal.  Chiron thus gave up his immortality and chose death as a solution, freeing Prometheus.  

This is the part of Chiron's myth that flashed into my mind with the passing of Senator Kennedy at this critical juncture in the pursuit of healthcare reform -- the part about Chiron having to choose mortality and death as a solution to his dilemma.  Chiron, the great teacher and healer, who had healed others of seemingly incurable conditions, could not heal himself.  In a similar way, despite his career-long fight for universal healthcare, Senator Kennedy was unsuccessful in bringing it about.  Having begun his quest in 1964, Kennedy became the greatest long-term proponent of universal healthcare in American history.  Yet his 45-year battle had not been won at the time of his death. 

All is well that ends well.  Nine days after Chiron had sacrificed his life, Zeus chose to elevate him into a constellation of stars in the heavens.  This constellation is now known as the Southern Centaur.  It is a truly a constellation in the sky, but does not lie on the ecliptical path (the zodiac) as does the Centaur with which we are all familiar, the Centaur of Sagittarius. 

Will Senator Kennedy’s death be the catalyst that transforms the U.S. healthcare system into one that is fair for everyone, regardless of economic class?  Will his Spirit live on in the fight for true and just healthcare reform?  Despite all of the current contention on this issue, perhaps Senator Kennedy’s vision of universal access to healthcare shall one day become a reality, a shining constellation in our system, one that is on our “ecliptical path”, and one that can be experienced equally by all. 

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