posted August 12, 2003 05:35 AM              

I have a question for those of you who know a bit about Chiron. After reading Bob Marks (www.bobmarksastrologer.com) description of Chiron I almost fell off my chair. I have had an eating disorder (bulimia) for almost 15 years now. Although I've been in recovery for 3 and a half years, I'm still really struggling with it. According to Bob Marks, Chiron in the 6th house deals with disordered eating and eating disorders! My Chiron is 6th house, aries. A question for me would be, where would I look to find the right way to go about recovery? Would that be in Chiron, too? Or the nodes? This is a very important issue for me, it would be so wonderful if someone has a clue. If anyone wants to look, my dob is 6.6.75 at 5:59 pm in Windsor, Ont, Canada.

posted August 12, 2003 11:37 AM              

You can't judge yourself because that is where the problem is. The pressure to be cured is enormous, and you can't do it on your own. With other women to check on your emotions you can see how you are really progressing without pressure, you can do it at your own pace.

My friend is a man and there is little help for men with this problem, I think it's easier for women to find help so that's something anyway.

I would check around to see if there is a free group near you. Astrology can help but only so far, and you can change, but it's the mindset not the body that needs help. The good thing is that you can change and help others because your mindset is strong.

With that said, catching self destructive moods, cannot be controlled with astrology, there is no interpretation for recovery. You are determined to help yourself and that is enough. Don't blame yourself further.

posted August 12, 2003 11:58 AM              

Cat gave me some links recently dealing with the nodes. There was one (astrology for the soul?) that gave the good characteristics of the signs, in their order. The homework was to put a check or an x beside each trait we do or don't possess. He goes on to say that each sign builds on the other, and when you find you're missing some characteristic, to go back to the first sign exhibiting that one and try to realize it. I think I'm going to take a look at that again. It can't hurt!

posted August 12, 2003 01:20 PM            

I'm sorry I don't have time to fully look at your chart but there are several things that "jumped out" at me - especially because you mentioned your eating problem.

The first thing I noticed is that you have an unaspected Moon in your chart. The Moon = Mother and also nuturing. (Food is one way that we nuture ourselves and others). How is your relationship with your Mother? How was that relationship when you where young?

Also you have Neptune in your 2nd house. The 2nd house = self-worth (and also money). Neptune can confuse and people with Neptune in the 2nd house can be confused with regards to their own self worth - may think they're not good enough. (I have that in my own natal chart)

You have Uranus in the 12th house. We tend to "hide things" in our 12th house. Uranus there could mean you're hiding your own originality, eccentricity, or genius. Some people with Uranus in the 12th learnt at a very early age that it was the safest thing to do - maybe because of reactions they got from other people. The potential problem is that whenever we suppress things it can cause "psychological pressure" to build up, and eventually that pressure needs to explode/blow......

Neptune is opposing your Sun in your natal chart. This can tend to increase the imagination. An opposition is considered to be a stressful aspect, while can potentially bring out the more negative side of Neptune. It also indicates you must be careful of substance abuse. How are the men in your life? Are they sometimes a bit confusing or irresponsible?

Plus you've already mentioned that you have Chiron in your 6th house (6th = health & work).

I have some info saved on my computer re unaspected planets - I'll find it and post it for you.
Sue

posted August 12, 2003 01:23 PM              

The ting about groups is that everyone is very sensitive, you don't have to share at all the entire time, just listen. no one pushes or expects. You can just sit back and have a cup of tea if you want. With therapists they are very hard and cold sometimes, to me anyway. Dont' feel like you have to push yourself.

Have you checked our your transits? That can help you plan things.

posted August 12, 2003 01:49 PM            

General Features

Unaspected planets are just as important as aspected planets. Bu unaspected planets I mean planets that are not linked by major aspect with any other planet. Even if a planet has many minor aspects, I still treat it as unaspected for our present purposes, because a planet with no major aspect manifests itself in a very specific and unmistakable way, and the interpretation must allow for this.

So what exactly is implied when a planet is unaspected?
If a planet forms some aspect, you know that the psychic factors represented connect up with certain others. Numerous factors can be joined in this manner and they indicate a continual interplay in the horoscope. An unaspected planet does not share in any of this group activity but stands rather aloof; it is neither inhibited or stimulated by other planets, but acts in isolation. Because of the lack of contact with other factors, the native may have difficulty putting it in perspective. Recognising what the planet expresses is not particularly easy; the native may sense its potential but wonders how and when this could be exploited. By virtue of its detachment from the rest of the psyche, the energy of the planet exercises a mysterious fascination over the native, who feels impelled to find out more about it. He or she feels it’s effects all right, but is somewhat at a loss to account for the causes.

Accordingly there will be an inclination to emphasise the contents of any unaspected planet. The emphasis (which is generally totally unconscious) improves the planets “visibility” for the native; but it can create problems, because others already see the planets traits clearly enough and are likely to find the overcompensation annoying.

In order to learn what the unaspected planets signify, we can proceed as follows; consider the usual meaning of each planet, add a sense of isolation, and understand that the harmonious and inharmonious activities will express in a more extreme form. The following is a how an unaspected planet may work.......

Unaspected Moon
When the Moon has no aspects, the native finds it hard to shape things. The Moon is very important in the form-giving processes and when unaspected, the natives talents are not easy to deploy; the emotional life is beset with problems, too. The orination and sensitivity of the Moon is erratic; unaspected, this can make the native extremely emotional, hypersenstive, easily influenced on one occasion and completely unapproachable on another.
Such a person will have a pressing need to give full rein to the lunar side of the nature with all the side effects that accompany that form of expression.
The Moon represents the self-protective attitude we adopt when we feel threatened or insecure. When unaspected, either we may fall prey to increasing uncertainty, or may isolate ourselves by, metaphorically speaking, going to live on our own little desert island. With no aspects to restrain it, the Moon will tend to make the native exceptionally caring, cherishing, motherly and protective.
The imagination is often well developed too. An aspectless Moon offers few handholds and little stability: by nature, the Moon has such an uncertain quality that when it is allied with a (sometimes extreme) all-or-nothing attitude, there is no telling what the native will do from one minute to the next.
Women with unaspected Moon often have difficulty in experiencing their femininity. Frequently (and this is true of both sexes), the bond with the mother is not a happy one, and they themselves may not be really maternal. In a man, there can be incomprehension of what to expect from a partner and of how to treat her, and he can flit from one type of woman to another.

posted August 18, 2003 06:31 PM              

Have you visited www.something-fishy.org ? It is a wonderful resource for anyone suffering from an eating disorder.

posted August 19, 2003 01:13 PM              

and from astrological point of view, Chiron in 6th does confer problems with health but Chiron always force the people to resolve the problem on their own delving into the wound and healing it. Its the wound in the psyche which should be dealt with. If that not helps - a move to another place of residence where the planetary placement will be changed for better is most advised.

posted August 19, 2003 01:46 PM            

What is Bulimia?

Bulimia, also called bulimia nervosa, is a psychological eating disorder. Bulimia is characterized by episodes of binge-eating followed by inappropriate methods of weight control (purging). Inappropriate methods of weight control include vomiting, fasting, enemas, excessive use of laxatives and diuretics, or compulsive exercising. Excessive shape and weight concerns are also characteristics of bulimia. A binge is an episode where an individual eats a much larger amount of food than most people would in a similar situation. Binge eating is not a response to intense hunger. It is usually a response to depression, stress, or self esteem issues. During the binge episode, the individual experiences a loss of control. However, the sense of a loss of control is also followed by a short-lived calmness. The calmness is often followed by self-loathing. The cycle of overeating and purging usually becomes an obsession and is repeated often.

Bulimia was only diagnosed as its own eating disorder in the 1980s.

People with bulimia can look perfectly normal. Most of them are of normal weight, and some may be overweight. Women with bulimia tend to be high achievers.

It is often difficult to determine whether a person is suffering from Bulimia. This occurs because binging and purging is often done in secret. Also, individuals suffering from Bulimia often deny their condition.

posted August 21, 2003 10:20 AM              

Sometimes I don't mean to binge, sometimes it is definitely on purpose. My "terrorpist" claims that bulimics force themselves to be perfect, putting them under a lot of stress to control everything. And then there comes a time when it all snaps, and you just don't have the strength to try and control anything.

Believe me, I have tried for the past 3 years to "control" this "habit". It's not like I enjoy it! Fortunately it is not a daily issue anymore(although the weight struggle and self-esteem issues are), but it still rears its head when I'm stressed or depressed. I really want to be rid of the issue!

Maybe you didn't mean your post to sound rude, but I think it's really assuming to say just control the habit...especially when you don't have any idea what it's all about.

For the others wondering what bulimia is, a non-clinic answer is:
a pressure builds and builds and builds inside you, and you can't get rid of it, and then you stuff yourself full of anything you can find until you REALLY can not put anything else into you, and then you go, sometimes crawl, into the bathroom, blood pounding in your ears, face boiling hot and vomit it all up. Then you feel exhausted, shakey, burning throat, but relieved and light. You can breathe again. The pressure's gone. And between binges you live with this little voice in your head saying "you're such a stupid f**k", "why did you say that, no one wants to hear about you", "you're such a fat pig, you can't even go one day without eating", and that goes on constantly, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, always buzzing in your head and making you tired and depressed. If you could only find the off button...

That about sums it up, bulimia nervosa.

posted August 21, 2003 12:12 PM            

I started off being Anorexic until I almost collapsed then became somewhat bulemic trying to get rid of what little I ate.

I suffered for almost 15 years and even to this day it is a battle. I cannot weigh myself for fear that I will want to keep losing weight. My form of bulemia was never about "pigging out" I never consumed mass quantities or calories in order to purge, but I would feel guilty for eating a sandwich and it would worry me to the point where I would throw it up. The release gives you a way to FEEL, which we hide so much since our main point is control. But, the idea of consuming so much food at once sitting was always too "out of control" for me. Instead, I was the one that took the time to cook the elaborate meal, or order the great plate of food, just to pick at it and wonder how I could get rid of those calories, either through exercise or other forms.

My anorexia started at first as a way to control my weight, my body, my life....it gave me the ability to have some control over my inner world at 15, when my outer world was so chaotic. My parents divorce combined with a stepmonster that told me if she looked like me should would kill herself (I was 13 and pudgy) sent me reeling.

Starving myself and exercising to the point of complete physical exhaustion made me feel alive...or at least feel something. I was, and I still am, an overachiever. I have to be the best and do the best or else my life is out of control. It could be my Aries moon, my ASC in Virgo or who knows what, but it gave me a release.

To this day, when I am totally upset, I will not eat, if I eat and I am still upset, I get sick.

It's a hard thing to face and a harder thing to conquer. Nakie, there will be times in your recovery where you will have relapse. Just take it slow.