Healing the Ancient Wound - The Journey of Chiron (Archetype)

Healing the Ancient Wound - The Journey of Chiron
by Dwight Stevers, BA, CMT

Chiron as Archetype for Bodyworkers

We have seen the connection made between the myth of Chiron and the comet Chiron, as well as how the discovery of Chiron at this time in our history corresponds to the emergence of alternative approaches to health and healing.
Bodywork and massage have reached what I think of as a rite of passage in the consciousness of our culture. The Chiron archetype of the Healer, the Wounded One, and the Wounder (a "trinity" of manifestations) seems to fit how many of us in the diverse field of massage, acupressure, energy work, somatics and other forms of bodywork view ourselves and the process of our work.
As we move through our lives, we take on (consciously or not) various modes of being which have often been linked to archetypal patterns and identifications. Insight into our human archetypes has been gained, thanks to the wisdom and intuition of people like Carl Jung and Caroline Myss. But archetypes have existed throughout all our human history. Greek and Roman mythology abound with gods and goddesses and myths that exemplify and enrich our concepts of ourselves. Astrology is another language full of archetypes and patterns and can be thought of as a map to the psyche.
Bodyworkers and touch therapies have been around since ancient times, in many cultures – at times akin to other healers and healing modalities such as medicine men, shaman, herbalists, psychics, witchcraft and "folk medicine" – and have often been misunderstood or even feared. There is still a lot of misinformation, assumptions and confusion about the role of a bodyworker – and this sometimes comes from therapists themselves as much as from the potential clients.
It's as if we have a secret knowledge that somehow was lost and is now making itself known. The archetype of the Wounded Healer touches us all in a deep place. Massage therapists and other bodyworkers may identify the manifestations of Chiron within their own lives, and particularly within their career and chosen work.
Massage and acupressure allow us to come into direct contact with "the wound" of others, and even make contact indirectly with our own wounds. As "healers" we can adopt the Chiron archetype as a means of spiritual growth and expansion, much like the constellation Sagittarius with his arrow. We can aim for the transformation of our wounds into the light of healing, for ourselves and others.

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