A few years after beginning what I call "conscious recovery", which includes sobriety and abstinence from drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, excessive sugars and addictive relationships, and the inclusion of bodywork, family of origin psychodrama, and of course the incorporation of spiritual life, I discovered deep integrative healing for the maladies of my soul.
I had been into astrology for a couple of years, reading every book I could get my hands on, including Evolutionary Astrology, to help me understand the complexity of my life. With several years of group therapy and in-patient codependency treatment under my belt, as well as, being a second semester massage student, I was ready for more support.
In the recovery world it is suggested to have sponsor to help you learn how to live sober--physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. This person, the sponsor, usually has more recovery time and has something of substance or value that one is attracted to, like a balanced life, or a behavior or willingness that we ourselves are seeking to attain. The sponsor encourages the new-comer to apply the "steps" of recovery to all their problems and affairs, assisting them in the process of discovering a "new way of life."
I had been more than willing to get a sponsor, even though I was initially fearful of it and of taking up the sponsors time. But I got over that fast. In no time I was calling my sponsor every day, sometimes three times a day, especially in the beginning. In addition to going to meetings, working the steps and talking with a sponsor regularly, I also pursued "outside help." Drugs and alcohol weren't as much of a problem for me as excruciating chronic pain, and other addictions; food, unhealthy relationships, and strained painful relationships with my parents (4th house Pluto--loaded!).
I definitely reached for outside help, mostly because the fifth dentist I had seen for TMJ suggested Neuro-muscular massage as a treatment method for my head, neck, shoulder and back pain. His suggestion was a miracle for sure (are miracles the realm of Pisces? I think so). The afternoon after my visit to the dentist, I went home and discovered a massage therapist who specialized in Neuro-muscular massage and lived right down the hall from my apartment! I was one month sober at the time.
Conscious touch-massage in combination with all the other support I was now allowing into my life opened the way for my true self to emerge. I finally experienced relief from the constant pain. The therapist gave me homework to do in-between sessions. Mainly to sit everyday, even for just five minutes and breath into my body. Oh, God that was challenging, because it hurt so much. What I learned in my sessions and in my meditation times was that I buried all my emotions and all the trauma I had gone through in my family of origin (and from past lives). I was crawling out of a black hole and was barely to the surface. My new sober spiritual life; prayer, meditation, metaphysics, new friends, helped balance out the darkness, but I was certainly depressed and weighed down by the ancestral patterns, unconscious abuse memories struggling to the surface . Thank goodness for my Jupiter in Gemini on the ascendant! and the north node in the 12th (said to be benevolent). Spirit always carried me through.
Shortly thereafter, my mother died suddenly (1993) just as Neptune and Uranus approached my natal moon in Capricorn, in the 8th house. In the first five years of recovery building up to this time, Saturn had moved through the upper left quadrant of my chart and was soon approaching my Midheaven/10th house of Pisces--my Saturn return was approaching.
Bodywork and massage addressed the excruciating pain I had been in since early adolescence.
Boundaries, energy body, porous, cellular healing....A child of the 1960's, with Uranus Pluto Venus conjunct opposing Chiron and Saturn, all square the nodes; I'm definitely not a surface individual. I need depth in my relationships and life.
I went further into addressing the Post Traumatic Stress issues I had been carrying since childhood. I had been in group therapy for several years and to treatment for codependency and adult children of alcoholics
A child of the sixties, affected by the intensity of the times via a personal signature adhered to the outer-planet aspects which defined the times, Uranus conjunct Pluto in Virgo in opposition to Chiron in Pisces.
, and A planetary signature of the 1960's, Chiron in Pisces, is once again in the sign of oneness, spirituality, compassion, intuition, medicine, and healing. For the next eight years (May 2010-May of 2018) Chiron will influence us from the mystical and sensitive realms of Neptune's domain.
The the sixties, Chiron opposed the planets Uranus/Pluto in Virgo
Pisces also rules addiction, disillusionment, overwhelm and boundaries--a lack there of.
During this eight year transit, we will witness the bridging of science, medicine, healing, and spirituality (at least if the conventional power mongers don't...). All tributaries of Pisces, merging during this time, birthing Quantum Physics full fledged into the collective paradigm.
Many additional factors will play into the next eight years as well, namely Neptune's ingress into Pisces, and the ongoing T-square dance Uranus, Pluto and Saturn are doing.
These next eight years also ushers in "Chiron Returns" for the Chiron in Pisces generation of the 1960's (those born 60-68), offering them another opportunity to directly face and heal the wounds from the past.
, integrate and become the channels of light they were born to be. Before we go into that let's keep it simple and learn about Chiron and Pisces.
Here's the short version of Chiron's mythology. Chiron, fathered by Kronus (Saturn) and the nymph, Philyra, was born half-man, half-horse, due to Philyra turning herself into a mare to quickly flee Kronus's advances. In turn, Kronus turned himself into a stallion and soon conquered and raped Philyra, and Chiron was conceived. Upon Chiron's birth Philyra was abhorred by Chiron's appearance and thus rejected and abandoned him. Fortunately, Apollo the Sun God adopted parentless Chiron and taught him to be a healer.
Today I feel motivated to write about Venus retrograde in Scorpio, even though the transit began back on October 8th. Almost everywhere I go I meet or know people who are having deep relational issues. The backward movement of Venus in the deep penetrating sign of Scorpio is forcing repressed, unconscious areas of our lives to bubble to the surface and even boil-over. For some of us, uncomfortable and painful conversations and choices are being made, while others are appreciating the healing balm Venus Scorpio brings, reaping the rewards for being in holistic relationship with ourselves. In the long run the choices made now will benefit all involved, but initially we are pushed beyond our normal limits, especially if we are not used to addressing our psychological soul selves.
