7 Things That Happen During Your Once-In-A-Lifetime Chiron Return
During a Chiron return, core wounds are reopened so that you can get to know your higher self and heal once more.
Sanjay Indiresh, Oghibli Art And BlenderTimer / Canva Chiron is known as the 'wounded healer' in astrology. It reveals the psychic wounds we have brought over from past lives and also marks the areas where we routinely get injured or feel pain because of external circumstances that are out of our control. The Chiron sign and astrology house in your birth chart can give you the full picture of your “wounded destiny” and how you can transmute it.
When a transiting planet, point or asteroid returns to the exact degree and zodiac sign of its natal counterpart in your birth chart, we call it a “return.” Chiron is one of the slower-moving asteroids with respect to Earth, taking about 50 years to make a full transit, meaning most people experience a Chiron return only once in their lifetime, sometime around the age of 50.
Here's what happens when you experience a Chiron return.
1. Consequences of bad decisions become obvious.
We pick up many wounds as we go through life, and we face many turning points of critical decisions (whether we realize it or not). All this adds up to either a life lived with minimal regrets and problematic decisions, or a ticking time bomb that eventually explodes. Chiron return is that ticking time bomb for many people and is partly responsible for the dreaded “mid-life crisis.” Chiron return usually makes the consequences of our actions and decisions very obvious. The wounds can no longer be suppressed or ignored and the mountain we have been trying to hide under the rug cannot be brushed aside. Chiron return makes it incredibly difficult to escape reality and the consequences of our bad decisions.
2. Painful experiences occur.
Just like the centaur Chiron was wounded accidentally in Greek mythology, Chiron return often brings a painful experience into your life that cannot be avoided. This can range from the death of a dear family member to getting into a literal traffic accident or getting laid off from your work after serving a company for 25 years. The nature of it depends on the zodiac sign and house of your natal Chiron.
3. You are given a second chance to turn things around.
If you strayed too far from your life's purpose and path, Chiron return creates circumstances that give you a second chance to make changes and realign yourself. This is not some metaphysical life purpose decided by some other entity. This is experienced when you yourself feel that you have amounted to nothing in life and are on the wrong path and desperately want to make a change.
Of course, because of Chiron's nature, the circumstances creating this turning point are painful and awkward. For some, it's literally because of the death of someone who was controlling their life that the native allowed despite repeated help sent their way from the universe. They get to confront why they were addicted to certain harmful patterns and finally choose to save themselves. Others suddenly realize that in the quest to make tons of money they destroyed their relationship with their children and are now moving in a direction where they will be alone in their elder years.
4. Wounds keep resurfacing for you to heal.
Chiron literally deals with wounds, both external and psychological. And during one's Chiron return, all wounds that were suppressed or forgotten make a comeback to allow the native to heal them once and for all. Some people are even confronted by the subconscious understanding that they are headed towards a dark future in their old age if they don't change something immediately. It becomes obvious that if you do not heal the wounds right then, the time bomb of consequences will be absolutely unmanageable in the future.
Of course, certain situations are trickier than others. And sometimes it's important to seek professional help, whether from a therapist, counselor or reader to help you understand how to heal those patterns and wounds.
5. You emerge as the “wounded healer.”
People who experience hardships either successfully defeat the challenges and vices to become stronger and hardier individuals, or they sink deeper into a spiral of bad decisions and shadowy pathways. The former are called “wounded healers” because they possess the ability to transmute their pain and can help others going through the same.
Of course, whether or not you choose to actually be a healer or helper depends on your personality. But Chiron return does unlock this hidden ability for many people. And if they choose to tap into it — much like the celebrated Chiron of Greek mythology — they become revered figures in their community and are remembered for helping others break traumatic patterns and cycles.
6. Secret gifts come to light.
Sometimes people unlock special gifts during their Chiron return. But just like in stories, the path to unlocking these gifts takes them through rough places. Most of the time it's the decision to heal one's subconscious wounds that reveals what was hiding beneath it all. Some people literally unlock psychic abilities. Others realize that they were self-sabotaging so badly that they never realized how talented they were underneath it all. The experience is different for different people.
7. Some people dramatically alter their lives.
Chiron return's mid-life crisis often makes people dramatically alter their life and relationships. Some people even go on spiritual journeys at this time to understand where they went wrong in life, or they uproot themselves completely and start over.
Like any other planetary return, experiencing one's Chiron return does not guarantee you will become stronger and wiser. Some people still choose to close their eyes and refuse to heal their wounds and mend problematic ways. And others make bad decisions while thinking they are good ones.
Ultimately, Chiron return calls you to rise to the challenge and make a positive change. But the responsibility still lies with the individual about how they choose to do it.
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Valeria Black is a tarot reader and astrology nerd with a dash of wicked humor on the side. Follow her on Instagram for more.