Chiron and the Fisher King
Fisher King Fisher King – what’s that you say
Why does one fish swim the wrong way?
Swim, swim around around
Hoping the circles will cure the wound.
The Fisher King myth/legend finds the King on his deathbed: where he has been attended to by all the noted healer/physicians within the kingdom in a bid to find and apply remedy to the ailments inflicting the king: unfortunately – sadly all attempts to appease the king’s symptoms have failed leaving the king forlorn – bereft of hope. The Court Jester who clearly and dearly loves his King secretly makes his way to the king’s chambers to see his beloved master and to see if he can help. After the Jester’s visit the King’s condition appears noticeably better and all the serving staff are amazed, the physicians are dumfounded. What has happened they all wondered – how and why has the king’s poor health suddenly improved – who was last to visit?
When it was discovered that it was the Jester who was the last visitor at king’s bedside the noted physicians, Clergy and high ranking officials – (the experts) summoned him to ask what he had done to bring such relief to the king: the Jester responded by saying: ”I saw only that the king was thirsty – all I did was to give him some water”
With Chiron in Aries (from February 18th 2019 until June 19th 2026: when Chiron goes into Taurus except for a six month hiatus/retrograde back into Aries to April 15th 2027) the particular Chiron energy is about Healing of the Self. And as the Fisher King myth suggests the Healing agent is simple – however finding it, seeing this agent – can pose the challenge. It is a challenge because we are required to find humility via the admission that the way we have been viewing the world is in need of adjustment. As part of the Fisher King Legend mentioned above – it can be seen that all the expert opinion was of little or no use because the Healing agent arrived in a form of love and simple observation which precluded the ‘expert Left Brain perspective’ from seeing it. “I saw only that the king was thirsty” was the diagnosis that came via the Jester’s body wisdom –from his ‘feeling’ Right Brain intuitive Self.
Within (contemporary setting) generalised scenario -when our health is good we tend to let sleeping dogs lay: there are no presenting ‘symptoms’ so no need to ‘fix something not broken’. It is only when ‘something goes awry’ – when ‘presenting symptoms’ interfere with our chosen lifestyle that we are forced to take action i.e. to ‘do something’. This ‘doing something’ – for the vast majority – usually takes the form of accessing ‘experts opinions’ and modalities from the allopathic medical model – just as the Fisher King. The scenario goes something like: we are suddenly affected by a seemingly random ‘symptom’ e.g. a sore belly or a headache other and because our own ‘knowledge’ of health matters is limited we go to seek the advice from the experts – our G.P> M.D. our doctor. After all the using of this model has been a known and trusted longstanding arrangement where these experts have had the training – 6-8 years of rigorous study to build a database designed to give them the expertise to diagnose symptoms and render remedy. In this setting using this model we have been taught to abdicate personal responsibility with the expectation that ‘someone’ in a position of authority – will fix us.
With the new Chiron in Aries model the concept that presenting ‘symptoms’ have appeared because there is something awry due to definite reason(s), the symptom(s) are a consequence of something is also used: the point of difference, the contrast in approaches occurs when we take back our responsibility for our health, we are hands-on and we become sufficiently aware to consider the Cause Effect situation.
The current Chiron in Aries placement is concerned with – the presenting affliction, as being part of a ‘Wound’ one where symptoms are regarding the individual “Self” and also seen as operating within the collective – events that can be seen to affect the Health of the masses. A good and recent example of an ‘affliction’ occurring with the collective is the ‘Covid Pandemic’ where almost the entire world population was prompted to believe that an ‘issue’ had presented with specific ‘symptoms’. So the issue seen inside the Allopathic Model was to have its ‘symptoms’ treated in very specific ways. The ‘experts’ instructed the masses – from the old mindset, that treatment was to be administered by using the injection of unknown substances – directly into the bloodstream of those ‘soon to be afflicted’.
In the Pandemic scenario the Chiron in Aries model would take a totally different approach. Using simple observation of the presenting ‘symptoms’ along with the application of Archetypal astrological language, we are advantaged to allow for a more ‘connected’ Right Brain diagnosis/prognosis. In the Fisher King Myth fairytale – the Court Jester as archetypal Fool – represents the part of our own psyche that operates via simplicity and openness– where (the underrated) Occam’s razor can be applied to not only deliver accurate diagnosis but potentially excellent results.
And this is the standing under aspect of finding useful information. However in order to stand under we need to find humility, we need to see and accept our intrinsic links with limits and our limitations – and this it is here that the many are challenged. We like to think (from Ego left brain perspectives) that as sovereign independent entities we are in charge, capable of making decision that are in the best interests of our life and how we (choose to) live it. All Ok so far – the missing link is “Life Support” – we first need to see that we are being kept alive (tenuously one breath at a time) and it is this invisible entity (of energy) that is to be acknowledged and ‘stood under’. Many folk balk at some of the names given/applied to this ‘entity/energy’ – so in honour of the Jester and Occam’s razor I will refrain from calling it a name that brings with it unwanted, unneeded and unhelpful biases. Let’s simply call it ‘intelligent vibration’ – where the accepting of the ‘name’ and what it means – (even if just for the sake of this essay) being that it underpins, underscores EVERYTHING. And this is where and why the Ego self gets challenged and confronted. Nevertheless the recipe for Chiron’s offer for Self Healing requires of us Self Knowledge – i.e. as Socrates suggested (Oracle of Delphi) Know thy Self and to know thy Self we need assistance – we need to locate the part of our Self that can perceive and receive new information – not continually blocking and ignoring the new by preferring referring to the old.
Chiron is a Rebellious Maverick
Chiron as astronomical/astrological physical entity has an orbit that runs between Uranus and Saturn and the gravitational pull of these other bodies makes Chiron’s movement through the constellations haphazard – he’s a maverick by nature. As a consequence his orbital pattern rhythm is erratic and each circle/cycle loop can take an amount of (earth year) time duration from between 48 and 52 years with stayovers in each House/Sign – constellation lasting anywhere from 2.5 years up to almost 9 years. His current extended stay in Aries amounts to a total of about 7 years to ensure we have sufficient time to find, consider and promote all steps on the path to understanding and Healing of our own self – this is our work, our responsibility.
The ‘symptoms’ then become indicators – messages from within our own body/Self letting us know that we need to pay attention. When seen in this light – the prudent response to the knock-knocking pf bothersome intruding triggers as messages might be: “Who’s there?”
The current Chiron in Aries placement is very supportive of an approach that encourages responsibility for how we live our life. A new paradigm is surfacing that is capable of showing a new model and approach. The old Allopathic medical model came at the cost of having someone else take charge of our own bodily autonomy. The new model promotes the idea that we get intimately acquainted with our own Body/Self, where the understanding of the beautiful body/temple’s functions upon systems that become known to us as simple, awesome, intelligent electrically charged interconnected interwoven and where each part/aspect is in continuous concert and connection with all other parts.
Because with Chiron in Aries – the affliction/wound – presenting symptoms are regarding the “Self” and this is where becoming responsible and in contact with the Self and the underlying entity/energy are imperative.
The physiology, i.e. the Biological form is but a part of the whole: it is however where the aforementioned energy/entity resides. Even this notion is a bit much for some/many – operating under the idea that I am my body- my body is the Self. This notion is true enough but there are aspects of the whole that are not so obvious not so visible. And these other aspects are also prone to ‘disease/symptoms’ and it is becoming ever more apparent that the ‘emotions and the beliefs’ affect the physical Self. The myth (and when I say myth this doesn’t mean fiction) of Chiron tells of his initial wound. At the moment of his birth he was rejected – his mother (Philyra) thought him hideous beast – he was after all part human part horse and worse even than his physical form Chiron was the undeniable proof of her dalliance with his Father Cronos in the form a stallion – (giddy-up). This rejection – no mother’s love at birth became the Wound that was the emotional, spiritual scar tattooed onto Chiron’s psyche and in later life Chiron would sustain a physical injury where together these two separate injuries would combine to create the Wound that will/would not Heal. There is plenty more to this myth but for the purposes of this presentation it is sufficient just to illustrate how the language of archetype, symbolism – astrology can be used to provide information to the ‘story’ rather than the limited version that is used in the Allopathic model – where ‘experts’ treat presenting ‘symptoms’ as though not linked to the whole. So the human form becomes the crucible where symptoms can be far more than they appear. As always there are exceptions to the rule: a broken arm for instance can be attended to by Allopathic model on the physical level.
Chiron has an affliction and is determined to find a cure. Today the stresses of modern day living, environmental concerns – toxins within food and water – all contribute to the production and presentation of vague ‘symptoms’- some of which prove to be very debilitating. The MD GP doctors are in uncertain terrain here but their job/task is to define diagnose the malady- so names are ascribed, attached to vague symptom: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Depression – virus damage etc. We attend the doctor’s office in the hope that a label will also supply a treatment plan: a Silver Bullet a magik elixir, a power pill. This approach is based upon a mindset that says the symptoms are being produced by ‘something attacking us’ – as noted in the example of the Pandemic – a deadly pathogen and the ‘treatment protocol’ is to control subdue – to eventually kill the invading ‘virus’ before it consumes the host/body causing death. The Chiron in Aries approach is extension of the symptoms as being indicators – guidance for an issue borne of a ‘wholistic’ story. Let’s use the example of the Amish community during the Great pandemic where it was seen that there were very few (if indeed any) who suffered from the ‘flu-like’ symptoms. Upon being quizzed as to why there were no illnesses inside the Amish communities an Elder said simply “We don’t have/watch TV”. This tells us that there is far more to the part story than the version as delivered by the Legacy media and such obvious lopsidedness should prompt those with inquiring mind to at least ask– “what is going on here, what is the whole story?” So this essay is not just about the dubiousness of the Pandemic it is about presenting symptoms as indicators because part of Chiron’s (Hero) journey – his search for remedy required him/us to look a little deeper, to use the ‘symptoms’ as part of the total Wounding and in so doing become educated and acquainted with the Whole of Self – part of Chiron’s story says that within the Wound you can find your gift.
So here we are May of 2024 and Chiron as Healer (within inside us all) is to be found in that (Aries) part of our total Self where the emphasised energy of the Astrology can access information relative to the Self in a bid to support the Healing journey. As mentioned above the path of Self Care is based upon Self responsibility – the ability to respond via learning to understand by learning to stand-under. Preparation H is the nobility of humility, we have a body that is the Temple – the storehouse/warehouse of the entity/energy that will remain nameless unless you have a preferred name to give it-
It is also worth remembering that Care is the pivotal ingredient in our quest, our Healing journey. When the Jester sought to help his king the ‘agent’ arrived and attended from a place of Care, of kindness of Love – we need to apply these wonderful qualities to our own worthy Self.
Good luck for good health Emmett .