March 04, 2006

Cheiron, the centaur


Cheiron is the ruling emblem of this site. He was a Centaur and a teacher of the healing arts and a truly fascinating mythological figure.

Even as a healer, he could not heal his own wound. Hercules pierced his teacher's flesh with the arrows of the Hydra. The wound was poisonous and he couldn’t heal himself, even though he was a wise sage. He begged Zeus to resolve his dilemma as he could endure his agony no longer. Yet, because he was immortal, he couldn’t die. Who could bear such an eternal wound? Cheiron agreed to die, if Jupiter released Prometheus, also in agony from having his liver eaten nightly by eagles. So, Cheiron an immortal voluntarily died to free the spirit of genius in humankind.

The themes here include sensitivity to rejection, being emotionally wounded without possibility of being fully healed, the notion of being trapped between half instinctive animal and half reasoning human – and the ability to rescue sources of strength from our own life pain, to use this fruit to teach and help others with the wisdom gained. Healing is also an art.