Chiron was first discovered in 1977, when it was thought to be an asteroid. From what I have researched, astronomers were unclear about what they wanted it to be, until they finally decided to refer to it as a minor planet. (The astrologers with whom I associate today still do not consider it to be a planet in the way that Mars or Jupiter are, but that does not diminish its impact in the chart. I find Chiron absolutely fascinating, and it has quite the influence on occasion). I first learned about Chiron back in the early 1990s when I was a regular participant at psychic festivals in Britain. As a Virgo, I dearly wanted Chiron to be a newly discovered planet and to usurp Mercury as the ruler of Virgo. It didn't happen, and most mainstream astrologers still see Mercury as the ruler of Virgo and Gemini.

Chiron's trajectory is between Saturn and Uranus, bridging the outer planets with the inner ones, and I see it as a bridge between the conscious and the unconscious. It takes approximately half a century to make an orbit, so between forty-nine to fifty-one years of age, we all go through our Chiron return. This can be a profound time—perhaps the most fateful time of our entire lives, right between our Uranus opposition (aged approximately forty-two), and our second Saturn return (aged approximately fifty-eight). Because of Chiron's wobbly orbit, it will pass through some signs faster than others.

Why the "Wounded Healer?"
In astrology, Chiron represents our deepest wounds—those emotional injuries we experienced when we were younger, inherited from our parents, or even brought over from other lifetimes. The deeper the pain, the more potential there is for Chiron to bring healing. Chiron is named after a centaur in Greek mythology known for his wisdom and fairness and his ability to work with medicines. Even though Chiron was a great healer, he couldn't heal himself: the wounded healer.

Chiron in the natal birth chart points to areas of potential oversensitivity, where things are taken too much to heart, or where callousness may have developed as a means of coping. Through opening up and understanding this conflict, Chiron can help us to heal it by bringing us to a place of self-awareness, teaching us to accept that this is a part of us and that we would be incomplete without it. Chiron's placement is not quite generational, but it does hang around in each sign for a number of years. Many of our peers are going to have the same placement—and the same hangups! This is reflected in social patterns, such as the Wall Street crash (Chiron in Taurus, 1928–1934), the hippie movement (Chiron in Pisces, 1962–1969), and the riots of the early 1990s (Chiron in Leo, 1992–1993).

Natal Chiron
To find where Chiron is placed in your birth chart, put your natal information into one of the online chart generators. My favorite is alwaysastrology.com, but there are many out there. Just make sure that they include Chiron in their interpretations. Now, let's take a closer look.

Natal Chiron in Aries
Aries is the first sign of the zodiac and the traditional ruler of the first house, the house of personality, self, and potential. It is a cardinal fire sign, bringing energy and action to Chiron's placement. Here, Chiron's message is, "You are enough." If this is you, you'll stick up for the underdog and bet on a long shot. You see it as part of your nature to remind others they are worthy, and you'll go out of your way to make people feel appreciated and valued. However, you struggle to appreciate and value yourself. Your heart is genuine, but your head always tries to take away your confidence.

When Chiron in Aries makes its return, it asks you to sweep away what is standing in the path of true success. Has personal power been given away? If so, it's time to get it back. It's time to release what happened in the past. You do not need to be at anyone's mercy, nor should you give anyone else your authentic empowerment. This is a golden opportunity to redress the balance and create a future different to how the past unfolded.

Natal Chiron in Taurus
Taurus is the second sign of the zodiac, a fixed earth sign. It's the traditional ruler of the second house, the house of income, possessions, and values. Taurus adds sensuousness and stubbornness into Chiron's energy. Here, Chiron’s message is, "There is no room for guilt." This placement is fond of creature comforts and luxurious surroundings. It's okay to indulge, but it may be hard to accept that. You may go out of your way to see that the needs of others are met but talk yourself out of meeting your own needs, never mind pampering yourself! When you let down your hair a bit, your ego beats you up for doing so. You need security and stability, but sometimes you miss out on life's pleasures because of this.

When Chiron makes its return in Taurus, it's time to confront this need for such stability. What has caused you to become so insecure that you're practically terrified to indulge yourself now and again? Perhaps in the past you have experienced scarcity. Maybe you've gone without and know the true meaning of poverty. This Chiron return is a reminder that the past is past and we live in the now. Take advantage of this opportunity to create stability by making prudent choices, and in doing so, choose to embrace the peace of knowing that a little bit of what you fancy does you some real good.

Natal Chiron in Gemini
Gemini is the third sign of the zodiac and the traditional ruler of the third house, the house of early education and local community. It is a mutable air sign and adds communication and lightheartedness to Chiron's energy. However, some of this may be superficial. Chiron's message here is, "Find the real connection." You're probably very "mind over matter." You believe in freedom of expression and that everyone should be allowed to have a voice, but you have a problem when it comes to speaking up for yourself. You're either over the top, living life loud and proud, or you're too reserved, worrying and overthinking about what you have to say and how you should express it. Your desire to help is genuine, but maybe you go about it awkwardly.

Chiron's return is the perfect opportunity to look at what obstacles are standing in the way of real self-expression. You may feel called to teach, write, or communicate through music or art in some way but fear expressing yourself. You don't like what you create because it sounds too much like you made it, yet that is exactly what you need to learn to welcome. There's usually some deep-rooted apprehension that goes back into early life, where you felt out of your comfort zone—or perhaps even in danger—by speaking up. Take advantage of this return by learning how to reach out to others. You'll find your place in the throng by using your communication skills.

Natal Chiron in Cancer
Cancer is the fourth sign of the zodiac and the traditional ruler of the fourth house. This is the house of home and family, of traditions and ancestors. It's a cardinal water sign and its energy is moody and nurturing. Chiron in Cancer's message is, "Be at home." Natal Chiron here is an indication of someone who perhaps has not always been treated kindly. There may have been domestic troubles. Maybe you never had the opportunity to lay down roots of your own or feel you truly belonged. You go out of your way to ensure that others feel at ease yet struggle to feel at ease yourself.

When Chiron makes a return to Cancer, it's time to look at where foundations are lacking and what's keeping them from being a reality. You've stayed out of the spotlight in order to cultivate a feeling of security, but this has actually had the counter-effect: it's made you feel small and perhaps undermined your sense of value. To bring things back into balance, learn to have compassion for the child who was so mistreated, for the youth who was never heard, and for the young adult who was over-looked, and then be truly seen. It's time to reach some goals—whatever they may be—and to create a balance between family, work, and play so that all areas of life feel like home.

Natal Chiron in Leo
Leo is the fifth sign of the zodiac. It's the traditional ruler of the fifth house, the house of luck, creativity, and entertainment. Leo is a fixed fire sign, and its energy has a big heart, even if it is at times a bit of a showoff. In this position, Chiron's message is, "Take the chance." You've got the potential to stand out, to make a name for yourself, but you frequently hide. You're quick to encourage others to be the best version of themselves, to take a risk, to dare to dream, but when it comes to your path, you worry about being conceited, about being labeled a braggart, a showoff. You may even feel guilty about your achievements. You're a great life coach; you just need to learn to coach yourself in order to achieve your goals.

When Chiron makes a return to natal Leo, it's time for confrontation. Where has this fear of success originated? What's preventing that sense of adventure, the thrill of victory? What's stifling creativity and putting a damper on audacity? These questions are answered by examining the past, for often you've had it ingrained in you that taking a chance leads to exposure, to failure, to criticism, to harm. The healing comes through feeling the fear and doing it anyway. It's time not just to think outside the box but to actually step outside of it and taste all the good adventures that life has to offer.

Natal Chiron in Virgo
Virgo is the sixth sign of the zodiac, a mutable earth sign, and the traditional ruler of the sixth house. It brings a persnickety energy to everyday events and surroundings, including the work environment, health routines, and general well-being. Here, Chiron's message is, "Be open to the infinite." You’re very knowledgeable, often skilled in more than one area, and can converse on many subjects. You're an amazing counselor and seem to know exactly what is needed to put a situation to rights, yet you feel intimidated to apply this same insight to your own issues. You often feel left out, disorganized, and overwhelmed. You set high standards for yourself, usually ones that are unattainable.

This Chiron return is a time to confront why you never feel good enough. What has caused the fear of failure? Why isn't being human like everyone else enough? Why can others be forgiven for shortcomings but you can't grant the same forgiveness to yourself? Often, this is rooted in a past trauma when being yourself wasn't enough. You were expected to be perfect, and of course, that’s always going to end badly because there's no such thing. Chiron brings healing when you open yourself up to being loved, by knowing you are a work in progress just like everyone else, and by understanding that you do have a right to be here—just like everyone else.

Natal Chiron in Libra
Libra is the seventh sign of the zodiac and the traditional ruler of the seventh house. It's a cardinal air sign and deals with balance, harmony, and decisiveness. The seventh house concerns partners and relationships. Here, Chiron's message is, "Balance your personal power." You're wonderful at reaching out to others, but you question your own interpersonal skills, and this sometimes makes relationships with others complicated. There's a lot of anxiety and potential indiscretion associated with this placement.

This Chiron return is a time to look at why relationships cannot be mutually satisfying and start to redress the balance. Perhaps in the past you've been in "ownerships" rather than "partnerships," either being controlled by the other person or not flexible enough in your own attachment. It's an excellent opportunity to really dig deep into how these situations unfolded and learn the lessons they brought so history doesn't repeat itself. When you've learned to know yourself, you'll be one of the most fair and balanced people anyone could ever hope to meet.

Natal Chiron in Scorpio
Scorpio is the eighth sign of the zodiac. It's a fixed water sign, and traditionally it rules the eighth house, the house associated with inheritances, regeneration, and sexual encounters. Chiron's message here is, "Surrender control." You feel things deeply and profoundly but limit yourself as to what you share with others. You have answers for everyone else, but you're challenged when it comes to applying those philosophies to yourself. You're quite a paradox; you fear loss, yet seem driven to put yourself into situations where you might lose something—including losing control of yourself.

Chiron's return brings a chance to examine what is preventing you from surrendering control and transforming into the person you know you can be. In the past you've been singled out and chastised for your deep perceptions, so you've bottled things up, sometimes leading to explosions of temper when the emotions got too much to bear. This could be behavior that led you to being disciplined or perhaps even mistreated, which sent you even deeper into your own counsel. Now it's time to loosen the ties that bind, to lose your temper in a safe and constructive way, and hope you never have to find it again.

Natal Chiron in Sagittarius
Sagittarius is the ninth sign of the zodiac, a mutable fire sign, and traditionally it rules the ninth house of the zodiac. The ninth house pertains to travel and advanced learning. Placed here, there's a contemplative vibe to Chiron's message of, "Remember how to play." With your philosophical mindset, it's so easy to help others find their path, seek out their truths, and experience life to the fullest, but you find it hard to take the same path yourself. You have brilliant ideas, you have a unique worldview, but you worry your ideals don't have value.

When Chiron returns, it's time to seek out what's standing in the way of true freedom. It's time to learn to play again. You have the potential to be very fun loving, but earlier in life you had to grow up too quickly. Maybe you were scolded for playing, for laughing, for being carefree, or maybe you had to assume responsibilities beyond your years. Now is your time to find exuberance and the childlike wonder of life again. You're never too old to be young at heart.

Natal Chiron in Capricorn
Capricorn is the tenth sign of the zodiac. It is a cardinal earth sign with a practical and rational energy. Traditionally, Capricorn rules the tenth house of the zodiac, the house of career and social standing. Placed here, Chiron's message is, "Find your people." You're quite rigid in some ways, usually when it comes to boundaries and rules. You may be great at helping others find their boundaries or break free of their inappropriate ties but struggle with defining where your own boundaries are, not seeing where you're holding inappropriate attachments, or being too detached from the practices that would be good for you. You are either too fixed in your opinions and ways of doing things or lack the discipline needed to get ahead. There isn't a middle ground.

When Chiron returns, it creates an opportunity to see what has been keeping you from finding the balance between control and freedom. This is usually linked to how you view your social standing in some way, and often involves family. Family in this instance doesn't have to be blood; it could be work colleagues, a spiritual family, or close connections with a social organization. Real family is based on love and acceptance rather than genealogy. It is with true family that genuine family ties can be formed.

Natal Chiron in Aquarius
Aquarius is the eleventh sign of the zodiac and traditionally rules the eleventh house, the house of friendships and social activities. It's a fixed air sign with a communal and social energy. Here, Chiron's message is, "Share your insight." You're wonderfully unique and willingly encourage others to be the same. You're very humanitarian, but while you inspire and reassure others, you don't seem to be able to encourage yourself. You feel aloof and disconnected, always on the edge of things. You have a wonderful gift of insight and ingenuity, but you're self-conscious about sharing it, lest you draw negative attention toward yourself.

This Chiron return signifies a time to strip away intimidation. You could be carrying ideas that you're eccentric or weird, yet this individuality is your superpower. When you realize that going through life as the oddball is something not everyone can do, you can start to embrace your individuality and make friends with it. There are people who are waiting for the wisdom you have to impart. It's time to start sharing it.

Natal Chiron in Pisces
Pisces is the twelfth and final sign of the zodiac. As a mutable water sign, its energy is very nebulous. It traditionally rules the twelfth house, the house of dreams and things unseen. Chiron's message here is, "You are enough." You may struggle to see your true self, for you tend to distort your evaluation and find it hard to see your worth. You care deeply and you're very sensitive, and because of this, you often get hurt by getting involved with the wrong people or taking things too much to heart. You tend to cling to what needs to naturally evolve, and if you have to break free of a toxic situation, you feel guilty or feel you've let the other person down in some way.

Chiron's return in Pisces is a reminder to learn to shield, to be in the world but not of it. It is okay to feel things deeply but not when this is detrimental. Fear can be so paralyzing, and this return is a call to dig deep into natural creativity, find a spiritual path that feeds you, and have compassion not just for yourself but also for those who, in their ignorance, can be callous or thoughtless. By accepting you are enough, you can light up the world.

Further Reading
Clow, Barbara Hand. Chiron: Rainbow Bridge Between the Inner and Outer Planets. Llewellyn Worldwide, 1987.
Gainsburg, Adam. Chiron: The Wisdom of a Deeply Open Heart. Soulsign Pub., 2006.
Reinhart, Melanie. Chiron and the Healing Journey. 3rd revised edition. Starwalker Press, 2010.

Excerpted from Llewellyn's 2026 Moon Sign Book.