The descriptions of Chiron placements and aspect sometimes look suspiciously like those for Saturn. Both seem to indicate problems and obstacles that need to be overcome.

Why should this be, and what, if anything, is the difference between the two?

Saturn shows our fears. It is the area where we tend to suffer what is called "bad luck." As a result, this is the area where our defenses are up, where we feel cautious, and where we can get stuck. Frequently, we can get to work here and make the area that was our weak point a tower of strength instead. Chiron's orbit actually crosses the orbit of Saturn, so it should come as no surprise that are some similarities in the effect it has on us. But Chiron's orbit crosses the orbit as Uranus as well. Wherever Saturn is, we have to work long and hard to solve the problems. With Chiron, the problems must also be dealt with by insight (Uranus). The catch is that if we don't follow up these insights with more work (Saturn) the problems come back.

The house position shows the particular area of our life where these things will manifest. The sign position shows how they tend to work out. What follows is a brief introduction to Chiron in the horoscope. If you would like to see an in depth analysis, the best book on the subject (in my opinion) is Chiron and the Healing Journey by Melanie Reinhart. The Real Key to Dealing With Chiron Problems:

The only way to get the benefits of the sign and house that Chiron is in, or those of the planets that Chiron aspects, is to confront and deal with your own inner wounds.

Chiron in the Houses:

Chiron in the 1st house: Chiron here can make you like a knight in shining armor, always ready to fight for the underdog. Usually, while you are doing this, you are neglecting yourself. You could also be a wise councilor (especially in health matters) but you seem to have trouble taking your own advice. A 1st house Chiron can be a gifted teacher, and, of course, you can teach others how to do something better than you can do it yourself. A neat trick to get around this: Give yourself advice as if you were someone else. Then maybe you will take it.

Chiron in the 2nd house: Chiron teaches and gives advise. The 2nd house is money, possessions, and values. You can show other people how to take care of their money better than you take care of your own. In fact, your own finances could be a mess. Sometimes, this placement can make for a miser, but the money collected never brings any pleasure or get rid of the inner fear that there will be no resources. Most likely, this is because the person has a low sense of self-worth and feels that they don't really deserve any money or possessions. In other cases, they may squander or give away what they have for the same reason. It is important to remember that if there are problems with money or possessions, that these are most likely not the real issue. The sense of self-worth is the key here.

Chiron in the 3rd house: If you don't have any brothers or sisters, you may experience this Chiron placement as a lack, a hole in your life. If you do, then there could be continual problems with at least one sibling. This is a good placement for a voice coach or speech therapist. It is likely that you will be able to teach others to speak better than you do. This placement tends to increase the chance of communication problems of one sort or another. No, it does not guarantee a speech defect. Instead, there could be problems with making oneself understood. In some cases, this could indicate that one wasn't listened to as a child. That could trigger a lifelong quest to "make others listen to me." However, no matter how much they do, there is frequently a feeling that "they are still not listening." The problem is that no matter how much they listen to you now, it doesn't get rid of the pain you felt in childhood when they didn't. Mercury/Chiron stress aspects are likely to produce the same result. Recognizing this is a first step to leaving the pain behind.

Chiron in the 4th house: Well, just about everyone had some trouble or other in childhood with their parents. Chiron in the 4th house will just make it a little more noticeable. The home itself would tend to be an issue here. Perhaps one is so busy outside the home that they cannot spend much time there, or their work forces them to travel and be away frequently. The father is more likely to have been chronically ill, away from home, or emotionally unavailable. Perhaps there could be a "don't feel at home anywhere" attitude. Chiron in the 4th house might work out in other ways as well. This placement could conceivably show a person who can help everyone else with their home, while their own place is a wreck.

Chiron in the 5th house: If you need romantic advice, go to someone who has Chiron in the 5th house. Please don't ask them about their own love life, as that would embarrass them. You can also go to people who have this placement for advise on children, sports and games, gambling, and the stock market. Realistically, one does have to look at the rest of the chart because, after all, about one out of twelve people have this Chiron. And you wouldn't, of course, ask a five-year old who had it for advise. But this placement is generally good for counseling in those areas. Just remember to do as they say, but don't do as they do. Chiron in the 5th house can make for folks who are great coaches, helping players to perform better than they themselves could. It could also show people who are great with kids, but either have chronic troubles with their own, or have none of their own. This can be an indicator that you can train your children to be happier and more successful than you ever could. Watch out though. If Chiron is afflicted, you will drive your kids to succeed in the areas that you would have liked to succeed in but that they don't really like at all. The most frustrating one is the great lover who can always satisfy their partner better than they themselves could be satisfied.

Chiron in the 6th house: You can always help (or teach) co-workers do the job better than you can do it. Perhaps you are a whiz at helping everyone else get healthy (the 6th house rules health) while you still smoke and eat junk food. Learn to take care of yourself every now and then. Sometimes it works out in the opposite fashion. Someone with a 6th house Chiron might demand that everyone else serve them, and they are usually never satisfied. Of course, obviously, this causes problems too. And oh yes, let us not forget the tendency toward eating disorders. This can also manifest as strange likes and dislikes in the food department.

Chiron in the 7th house: This one might spend all of their time taking care of a partner who has some debility. It is also someone who gives great advise on marriage, while their own marriage is on the rocks (or they might not even be married). This can work for business partnerships as well. You can take great care of a partner and teach them how to do the business better than you ever could. Watch out that they don't dump you as soon as they learn all that they can from you.

Chiron in the 8th house: What a great sex therapist you can be. A more likely scenario is that you have the ability to bring out the sexual best in a romantic partner, while giving yourself the short end of the stick (no pun intended). But the 8th house rules more than sex. You could also get stuck with taking care of partnership resources because "you're so good at it," or, conversely, keep getting partners who want to "take care" of it and do you out of your fair share. Perhaps you become too dependent on money from others for support, or too much of what you earn goes to support others. You might tend to accept other people's values (your family, group or society) too readily. One other thing. The myth of Chiron can actually come alive with this placement. You could have a talent for healing or rehabilitating others, but not yourself.

Chiron in the 9th house: Perfect for a travel agent who sends everyone else on fantastic trips while they are stuck in the office doing the booking, or a publisher or writing teacher who gets everyone else's books before the public, while secretly longing to write and publish their own. Parents with this placement of Chiron frequently tend to push their children to pursue the higher education that they themselves never had a chance to get. Negatively, this could mean forcing them into studying what the parents wished that they had studied, and not what the kids really want. There could also be jealousy here (Saturn) and the parents could actually take steps to deprive their children of higher education.
The 9th house also rules religion. Sometimes this leads to thinking that the fanatic pursuit of some religious doctrine will cure all of one's inner wounds. This could also manifest as obsessive travel or study.

Chiron in the 10th house: Career and public prestige are the battlegrounds with this placement of Chiron. Yes, this is a great placement for running an organization in the medical or healing field, but frequently, no matter what the career, someone with a 10th house Chiron will feel that they are taking care of everybody and everything else except themselves. As usual, there will frequently be an uncanny ability to help everyone else succeed better than they could ever have done themselves. It could also work out the other way. There may be a total rejection of any sort of ambition or responsibility, most likely due to fear of failure. Perhaps the parents pushed you too hard to succeed and really got on your case when you slipped up (or even when you didn't). The other side of the coin is that some parents don't want their children to succeed and always put them down. You can get either reaction to an upbringing of that nature: a compulsive need to achieve or a rejection of any success or responsibility.

Chiron in the 11th house: The problem areas are friends, hopes, and wishes. On the one hand, there could be difficulty having or holding on to friends, or a fear of crowds or groups. On the other hand, one may compulsively seek out friends (or join groups, especially groups that want to change society) in order to compensate for inner fears of loneliness. You might get more than your share of "friends" who take advantage and drain you. More often, you give to friends whether they want it or not because this gives you a feeling of control (Saturn). But you could be the drainer here, always asking things of friends in order to compensate for a psychological neediness that never seems to be filled.

Chiron in the 12th house: As always, Chiron shows where we can do more for others than ourselves. A 12th house Chiron may compulsively try to take care of the poor the sick, and the unfortunate while neglecting their own needs and those of their own family. Conversely, there may be malingering and the person with this placement may themselves always seem in "need" because of one (frequently self-caused) "problem" after another. This placement tends to make a person feel tired and fatigued. If you have this one, be sure to get plenty of rest.

Chiron in the Signs:

Chiron in Aries: Aries is the sign of selfhood and with Chiron here the sense of self may be weakened. Melanie Reinhart in Chiron and the Healing Journey says that sometimes the person feels as if they don't exist and have to take their sense of identity from others. I mentioned this to a friend who had Chiron in Aries opposing her Ascendant, and she said that it was true for her. She frequently felt that way. At the time, she was on her third marriage (there was also one live-in relationship), as she couldn't bear to be alone. Having a partner (opposition to the Ascendant) was the way she dealt with that feeling of non-being.

Chiron in Taurus: Taurus is the sign of money and resources and it shows our ability to possess things. It also shows what we instinctively value, including ourselves. This is the sign that gives us our gut level sense of self-worth. Chiron here can give us a miser's urge to hold on to every penny while denying ourselves any of life's pleasures, or a rejection of "those low, materialistic values" and, consequently, a life of poverty. And guess what? Deep down inside, both are the same. They both deny themselves pleasure and enjoyment because they don't value themselves. Of course, as always with Chiron, there is the ability to give good advise to everyone else concerning their material needs and sense of self worth. People with Chiron in Taurus have to learn how to enjoy the basic physical pleasures of life. They won't be able to do this, however, until they deal with their damaged sense of self-worth.

Chiron in Gemini: Gemini is communications. Those with Chiron here may talk compulsively, or, on the other hand, seldom speak. Both were, most likely, never listened to as children. The only difference is one keeps trying while the other gave up. This sounds something like Chiron in the third house, and, of course, there are similarities. Remember though, that the sign position shows how something acts while the house position shows where in your life it will manifest. Let's take a look at an example. Suppose you have two horoscopes in front of you. One has Chiron in Taurus in the 3rd house. The other has Chiron in Gemini in the 2nd house. Yes, there are similarities. You could say that both will spend a lot of time talking about money, possessions, and values. Both could be quite good at giving financial advice. What's the difference? The one with the Taurus Chiron in the 3rd house will tend to talk in a slower, methodical, and more practical way because that's how Taurus influences function. They would also tend to give financial advice that is conservative and rock solid. The person with Chiron in Gemini in the 2nd house, by contrast, could just as easily talk about trivial financial matters. Or they may constantly shift from one financial topic to another. They would be more likely to give financial advice that is based on the latest up to date information (or the latest fad). It is always good to keep in mind the difference between where a planet works and how.

Chiron in Cancer: The superficial interpretation would be that there were childhood troubles with the mother. Brilliant deduction. Hey, who didn't have some childhood problems with both parents? The real key here is how we dealt with it. The positive part of Chiron in Cancer is that you can be very nurturing. This is a very good position for therapists and caregivers of any sort. The negative side is that you find it difficult to nurture yourself or let others nurture you. Everybody has some degree of difficulty in growing up and severing that psychological umbilical cord with mama. Chiron in Cancer people tend to take a longer time than most to do the job. Once you do this, though, and learn to accept as well as give nurturing, you should be fine. So stop whining and complaining.

Chiron in Leo: Chiron in Leo people have the ability to help others with their creativity. They could make good art teachers or art therapists. On the negative side, it could be an indicator that, as children, their creativity was either stifled or over stimulated. Some were blocked or ridiculed, ("Are you kidding? You'll never be a professional baseball player, or musician, or artist") while others were pushed by ambitious parents who liked to live through the child ("Hey, come to the Little League game and watch my kid play third base" or "My child is starring in the school play today"). Children may react by either trying extra hard to please Mommy and Daddy (even if they don't like their particular creative field) or they will shut down and stifle their own creative urge. The treatment for these Chiron problems is to get in touch with your own inner creative child again and relearn how to create for fun.

Chiron in Virgo: Virgo in our horoscope shows where we can best deal with details, and how we deal with matters of health and general well being. Chiron placed here can produce a person who is excessively critical, obsessed with insignificant details, and cleanliness. Conversely, they may simply give up the struggle and be absolutely horrible when it comes to organizing, doing a decent job, or keeping clean. Hypochondria is also a possibility, but you could also get a person who neglects their own health while giving excellent advise about it to everyone else. Perhaps there was excessive criticism in their childhood.

Chiron in Libra: Relationships are affected by this placement. Libra shows the place in our life where we need (and usually want) to cooperate. With Chiron placed here, one possibility is that we could shun any cooperation and isolate ourselves (shades of the opposite sign, Aries). Another possibility is a partner who manages to open up our old psychological wounds (or causes some new ones). Conversely, the person with this placement could be the one to open other people's old wounds. Lots of times, Chiron in Libra people will desperately want a partner, but once they get one, they will drive them away.

Chiron in Scorpio: The issue here is power. Those with Chiron in Scorpio may fear their own power and try to suppress it. Conversely, they may feel powerless and try to cover this up by acting strong (even to the point of being a bully). Sex is only one way this may work out, and yes, having compulsive sex is one possibility. Another is an avoidance of sex because it's too "dangerous" (they may try to dominate me). This would be a perfect placement for a sex therapist who can help everyone else with their sexual problems but cannot help themselves. Inheritance matters may also be a sore point. Problems and upsets would tend to come with it.

Chiron in Sagittarius: Sagittarius has to do with our ability to get the "big picture" and our ability to judge. The negative side of the sign is that it may show where we do not listen to anyone else because we already "understand" it all. For instance, if Chiron is in Sagittarius in the 2nd house (money) we may not listen to financial advice from others. We would be too busy giving our own. Always double-check any advice given to you by someone with Chiron in Sagittarius, especially if they claim to be an expert on the subject. Those with this Chiron placement who seem to be more modest and don't try to push their views on you are more likely to be the ones who give good advice.

Chiron in Capricorn: Capricorn has to do with our ability to control and organize. Chiron here can make you over organized and compulsively controlling. Conversely, there could be rebellion against being organized at all. As always, Chiron seems to do best when aimed outward, toward others. This is a good placement for an efficiency expert, or for someone whose career involves helping others organize things.

Chiron in Aquarius: This can be a sort of Svengali placement. You may have a genius for helping other people express their genius. Aquarius (being an air sign) rules ideas. Its specialty is new, far-out, revolutionary, shocking, and bizarre ideas, the ones that society hasn't caught up with yet. As always with Chiron, someone with this placement may be devoted totally to radical, new systems of thought, or reject them entirely. In both cases, they may not even consider other points of view. The solution lies in remembering that Chiron serves as a bridge between Saturn (everything old and conservative) and Uranus (out with the old, in with the new, and do it damn fast). Don't stick blindly with the old, but don't throw it out before you think about it first. Look for a way to blend the old with the new and you will make a start to dealing with your Chiron in Aquarius.

Chiron in Pisces: If you have this placement, make an extra effort to get rid of your unearned guilt. And please don't wander the world looking for people to "save," at least not until you have saved yourself first. Be careful of a tendency to play the "victim" yourself (or, more likely, to BE the victim). You do have the ability, however, to help everyone else be more imaginative and creative. In fact, doing that could be an excellent antidote for dealing with the negative side of this placement.

Chiron in Aspect:

Chiron and the Sun: The effects can be similar to Chiron in Leo (which is ruled by the Sun). Chiron aspects to the Sun can make you feel "special." There is frequently a strong sense of being here for some grand "purpose" or other. There is an ability to help others with their creativity and self-expression, but if you have this aspect, make sure not to neglect your own. Negatively, there could be an increased sensitivity to criticism of any sort. Learn to take it without feeling like you are being attacked or that they all hate you.

Chiron and the Moon: When you were a kid, did you have the feeling that your mother wanted to be doing something else instead of take care of you? One of the negative effects of Chiron in aspect to the Sun (mentioned above) is difficulty in accepting criticism. By contrast, with Chiron aspecting the Moon, you can think you are being criticized you even when you are not, and then you react to this imaginary "attack." Of course there will also be the tendency to "mother" others and help them with their emotional expression. Be careful not to smother while you mother.

Chiron and Mercury: The positive side of this combination is increased ability to communicate and teach, to stir the minds of others. These aspects can really be inspirational. But, you could feel that you have just communicated brilliantly when you actually didn't. Conversely, you might feel that your communication bombed when it was really right on target.

Chiron and Venus: Please try to get some pleasure for yourself in a relationship instead of always helping your partner to open up. Chiron/Venus aspects can make for a great art teacher who (as always with Chiron) can teach their students to create art better than they themselves could ever do. These aspects are also good for giving great financial advice (Venus rules Taurus, the money sign) while one's own handling of money matters is a disaster area.

Chiron and Mars: The difficulties here involve aggression and assertiveness. People with these aspects could be ultra aggressive as a cover for feelings of inadequacy, or, conversely, behave passively to conceal inner rage and hostility. To resolve Chiron/Mars problems, the trick is to find a balance point between the two (shades of Libra, the sign opposite Mars-ruled Aries). This is a perfect position for a coach who can teach (Chiron) others how to perform athletic feats that they themselves could never do.

Chiron and Jupiter: The stressful aspects (square, opposition, and sometimes the conjunction) can produce a person who has all the answers. Just ask them. The problem is that the crusading tendencies are usually a cover to keep from facing up to one's own inner problems. Conversely, there may be a total lack of faith or optimism. The cure in both cases is to confront the inner wounds that are really underlying the outward behavior. A big danger with this placement is that one can become a guru groupie or a seer sucker. People with Chiron/Jupiter aspects can also have the ability to inspire others more than they can inspire themselves. Indeed, they can fill others with optimism even when they themselves feel pessimistic and depressed.

Chiron and Saturn: Saturn organizes and controls. The person with a Chiron/Saturn aspect will tend to be compulsively controlling and over organized. The reason could a fear of letting go, or perhaps they are still trying to please an over restrictive parent. The other side of the coin would be someone who is highly disorganized and sloppy, or seems too fearful or depressed to make a move. A high colonic would be helpful here to remove that lead pipe (Saturn) from their rear end.

Chiron and Uranus: This type of person is the one who can say things like: "Be for peace, or I'll kill you!" The tendency is to love people in the abstract, but not in the flesh. They love the ideal of brotherhood and sisterhood of all people. It's relating to actual, live, real human beings that turns them off. This is because relating requires them to show some feelings, a concept they find alien and icky. But feelings and emotions are exactly what have to be worked on here. The Chiron/Uranus individual may produce brilliant works of genius while all the time feeling stupid. More often, they will come up with off the wall ideas that they claim are works of genius. Chiron/Uranus people may be completely "Uranian," constantly mouthing shocking opinions, or they may go to the opposite extreme and be against anything that is new in any way. If they manage to keep themselves grounded, in contact with reality and their own emotions, their true genius can flow freely.

Chiron and Neptune: Neptune rules dreams, imagination, and intuition. On the negative side, it shows where we try to avoid any reality that we find unpleasant. Sometimes this can manifest as a rejection of anything "mystical." Or the other extreme could come out and produce someone who can't make a move without consulting a psychic. The intuitive powers may feel blocked. Conversely, they may be active with a vengeance and constantly contradict the "logical" conclusions that are reached. Chiron/Neptune could make for someone who constantly "malingers" and avoids all unpleasant situations (anything requiring work or contact with reality). The alternative is a person who is hard working, "responsible" in a very conventional way, and suppresses their imaginative-creative side. Then, all of a sudden, they become an alcoholic, drug addict, or have a mental breakdown of some sort. They could also fall in "love" with someone who has these problems (or who is a con artist) and get completely drained, even ruined. A perfect example of this comes from the world of literature: the professor that Marlene Dietrich's character ruined in "The Blue Angel." The way to deal with Chiron/Neptune is to strike a balance, to let the Neptune genie out of the bottle in a constructive way, to give vent to the sympathy and imagination without giving up reality. If you've been repressing the Neptune, take a class in art (or better yet, dance). Do some volunteer charity work. If you happen to be the malingering type of Chiron/Neptune, your cover is blown. The malingering is not the real problem. It is the smokescreen you put up to hide your real problems. Wake up and deal with them.

Chiron and Pluto: Pluto is like a super version of Mars. One of the main differences is that Mars is usually open and overt, while Pluto rules hidden, subconscious forces that build unseen and then explode with volcanic power. On the negative side, Chiron/Pluto aspects can (like Chiron/Mars) cause one to be an aggressive bully. But Mars will just push others around; Pluto wants to totally dominate. A highly negative example is Francisco Assis, the Brazilian serial killer, who has the opposition of Chiron to his 5th house placement of Pluto. The 5th house rules romance. Let me remind you again that one aspect by itself does not make for a mass murderer. There are very few serial killers in the world, but because Chiron and Pluto both move slowly, almost everyone born in that same year had this aspect, and that could mean over a million people. The reason Chiron/Pluto can cause one to act in a domineering manner is to compensate for subconscious fear of being weak and helpless. The cure for this Chiron Pluto type is to confront their own inner feelings of weakness. Conversely, the Pluto power could be suppressed. The result could be someone who is always getting picked on by bullies, or coming out on the wrong end of power struggles. They are afraid of letting their power out. Most likely, when they were children, any release of that tremendous Pluto force caused their parents to come down hard, and Pluto was pushed underground. The cure here is to recognize and take responsibility for one's own power, and to find ways to let it out constructively. A more positive example of Pluto/Chiron is Jonas Salk, the inventor of the first effective anti-polio vaccine. He did not have an aspect between Chiron and Pluto, but he had the Sun opposite the Chiron/Pluto midpoint. In his case, the positive, healing side of both Chiron and Pluto came out dramatically. Another positive example is George Bernard Shaw, who had Chiron in the 9th house (philosophy, publishing, "higher" mental functions) making a square aspect with Pluto in the 12th house (restrictions, "hidden" things). His Chiron was also opposite the Sun and Venus, so the power came out mostly in intellectual matters.

Chiron and the Ascendant: Since the Ascendant is always exactly opposite the Descendant, an aspect to one is also an aspect to the other. This means if you have a Chiron/Ascendant aspect, you must have a Chiron/Descendant aspect as well. As a result, this combination affects the way we start things, our initial approach to the world, and the way people see us (Ascendant). But it also affects the way we relate to others (Descendant). People with Chiron/Ascendant aspects can be great teachers or healers, but there is a wild side that can come to the surface. It becomes easier to "wound" others or be wounded by them. A positive way to use this would be to help others work through their problems.

Rona Barrett, the gossip columnist, is a perfect example. She has Chiron in her 10th house (career) in the sign of Gemini (communications) and it is square her Ascendant. She has made a career out of making the wounds of others (Descendant) public (10th house).

Chiron and the Mid-Heaven: The Mid-Heaven and the Nadir are exactly opposite each other and have to be considered as one axis. Something aspecting one of them will also aspect the other. A Chiron aspect here could affect the career and public image (Mid-Heaven) and the domestic environment as well (Nadir). Relations with both parents are also affected. If there is a conjunction with the MC, the effect is similar to Chiron in the 10th house, and the career could be in a Chiron related field, such as education. If Chiron makes the conjunction from the 9th house side, then any potential Chiron problems would tend to be suppressed and driven into the subconscious. The result could be success in a career that one thinks they like, but is not really satisfying. A similar situation could occur with the opposition to the Mid-Heaven from the 3rd house. In this case, there could be something about the domestic environment that makes one uneasy. The cure for both of these situations is a constant effort to bring the hidden problems to the surface.

Any Chiron aspect to the Mid-Heaven/Nadir axis will affect relations with both parents, but hey, what else is new? Who doesn't have a bone to pick with their parents at one time or another? The real lesson here is to leave the past in the past and get on with our lives. Rona Barrett, the gossip columnist, is a good example here as well. She has Chiron in conjunction with the Mid-Heaven and has become famous by talking about the famous and their problems.