TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE in ARIES – April 8, 2024. – An opportunity to listen to Chiron

We are know walking towards the Total Solar Elipse in Aries of April 8th 2024, which will obscure part of the south of the USA, North of México and parts of Easter Canada.

In October 2023, in occasion of the Libra Solar Eclipse i wrote: ” this eclipse occurs at the threshold of a new conflict between Israel and Hamas (representative of Palestinian sentiment), just when the Lunar Nodes (evolutionary mandate) are in Aries-Libra, which speaks of the relationships between “you and me,” between “them and us.” Precisely when the Nodes have been aligning with Eris, the Goddess of Discord, and Mars, the God of War, all within a grand cross with the Moon (the tribe) in Cancer and Pluto, the God of the Underworld in its final stages through Capricorn, a sign that describes institutions and governments.” Full article here

This Eclipse on April 8th forms almost exact when the luminaries (Sun and Moon) are in opposition to the one in October 2023 and is particularly important because it occurs in exact conjunction with Chiron, the wise centaur, from whom we have so much to learn. This mythological character, immortalized in the constellation of Sagittarius, sign that correlates to our relationship with other cultures, other faith, other ideologies, is the one who helps us build a healthy ego, allowing us to strategically battle the great challenges of being human. At this moment, wandering through Aries, he accompanies the Sun and the Moon in this Total Solar Eclipse, urging us to heal old wounds about duality and separation.

Chiron, also known as the Wounded Healer, is the one who trains the great heroes of Greek mythology such as Hercules, Jason, Achilles, and also Asclepius. What does this really mean? Each of these heroes is launched into incredible adventures to reclaim what already belongs to them, to become what they already are, except that they don’t yet know it.

With six planets in Aries – Venus, Sun, Moon, Chiron, Eris, and Mercury – plus the North Node of the Moon, in some way, we are being propelled into the great adventure of being who we really are, even when we don’t realize our full immensity. An act of faith is necessary to “dare to BE oneself” and to connect with the true inner hero. It seems childish and almost comical, but the reality is that it takes a long time to become who we really are. It’s understandable because from a young age, we’re trained to be “someone” who is “socially acceptable”, who doesn’t destabilize the family, the tribe, the neighborhood, the culture, etc. Everything except who we really are. Parents, with their best intentions, invite us to alienate ourselves from ourselves and pursue an image that often has little to do with who we really are. That wound that originates when we are indoctrinated to be someone who does not correspond to the calls of the soul, and when we do not feel accepted when we are being who we really are. That is Chiron’s wound. Daring to be who one really is, even if it goes against family and cultural expectations, is Chiron’s wound, and it takes a lot of courage to undergo this process, which is indispensable for our mental and physical health.

In the myth, Chiron is wounded by his disciple and friend, without the slightest intention of doing so, but still, the arrow lands in his knee, or foot, or thigh, depending on which version you read. But always in his animal part, or unconscious. From then on, he will have to live with the pain caused by that arrow carrying the venom of the Hydra (read ancestral pain), impossible to avoid. He manages to free himself when he decides to die (read transform), exchanging his immortality with another transgressor, Prometheus, who had stolen Fire from the gods, a symbol of knowledge and technology, to pass it on to humans, for which he had been punished to remain bound to a rock on Mount Caucasus, in Greece, where every day an eagle (Zeus) ate his liver, which recovered at night because he was immortal. In ancient Greek culture, the liver was believed to be the seat of human emotions and intellect. By having the eagle repeatedly eat Prometheus’s liver, Zeus symbolically attacked his intellect and emotional resilience. Sound familiar?

The true meaning behind this myth can be interpreted in several ways:

The myth highlights the theme of sacrifice and compassion. Prometheus voluntarily gives up his immortality to alleviate Chiron’s suffering, demonstrating selflessness and empathy. At the same time, Chiron, being a symbol of wisdom and knowledge, represents the importance of these qualities in overcoming life’s challenges. His suffering despite his wisdom underscores the idea that even the wisest among us are not exempt from pain. Prometheus’s act of creating humanity and then sacrificing his immortality to alleviate Chiron’s suffering symbolizes the human condition itself. Humans, like Chiron, are mortal beings who experience pain and suffering, but we are also capable of great compassion and sacrifice, like Prometheus. Thus, the exchange between Prometheus and Chiron can be seen as a metaphor for the balance of life, where suffering and sacrifice are counterbalanced by acts of kindness and compassion.

The myth of Prometheus, who was subjected to having his liver eaten daily, reminds us of the internal doubts about our divine nature and the struggle of many educators like monks, philosophers, scientists with their own faith.

The fact that Chiron in Aries aligns with the luminaries (Sun and Moon) for this eclipse is also a magnificent allegory of this historic moment when Pluto moves in and out of Capricorn into Aquarius, ruled by Saturn and Uranus respectively, considering that Chiron moves between the orbits of these two planets, creating a bridge between these two archetypes, between the personal and the transpersonal, between the old order, the law, and human structures represented by Saturn towards a broader world of new possibilities, represented by Uranus, particularly these new technologies that are changing the world and life as we know it.

Jupiter and Uranus, almost exactly together (only 2º separate them at this moment), seem to reaffirm the need to free ourselves from those expectations and chains that prevent us from BEING in all our glory. But Mars in conjunction with Saturn in Pisces complicates the process, as the red planet, representing one of the great Heroes, Ares, son of Gods, does not have a good relationship with the Great Lord of Karma. This is a combination that confronts us with our physical and mental limitations and reminders of what is “right” and what is “wrong” in the eyes of society. It is a combination that can also denote great cruelty. The squares between Mars and Saturn in the natal chart of Hitler and Josef Mengeles are famous.

This will be the struggle presented to us with this eclipse in Aries. Internal investigation is necessary to confront what causes us pain when we have to “do” to understand what the soul asks of us and to confront the fact that this action may cause some type of separation, of non-acceptance from those we love or care about. I wonder what will happen to the Israel-Palestine relationship, taking into account that this war started with the solar eclipse of October 2023.

Lilith opposes Venus, so it is in relationships where our wildest part struggles to free itself from restrictions. Before falling into the clutches of anger, encourage yourself to BE, and DO what the soul really asks of you, even when other parts of you make it difficult. With Mercury alongside Eris, it is possible that the issue of refugees and illegal immigrants and political asylum seekers will become more important in social networks and newspapers. I wonder if Rishi Sunak, the British Prime Minister, will get his way and be able to decree the law by which he can send illegal immigrants to Rwanda and if other European countries will join such a decision.

The Sun and the Moon form a square to Ceres, so globally, we may see even more difficulties in sending food to those areas that need it most. On a personal level, if you are trying to free yourself from your parents, remember that one thing is the mother and another is the Great Mother. The mother is the woman who gave you life and helped you grow in one way or another; the Great Mother is the one who lives in your psyche, and who has extraordinary power, which the mother does not possess. The Great Mother, although she may resemble the mother, is two very different creatures, one is omnipotent and all-powerful, and the other is a simple human.

The dispositor of this Eclipse and New Moon is Mars, which is in Pisces where it struggles to be who it really is, often projecting its anger onto others, and is attacked instead of attacking, and it goes hand in hand with Saturn, which prevents it from acting in all its splendor.

It will be a struggle, but usually the best of us emanates in difficult situations (hopefully) when we are called to BE true heroes and heroines. Trust yourself and Chiron. Don’t forget that he is the one who was entrusted with the education of the greatest Heroes of Mythology.