Old Wounds, New Wisdom: Chiron Retrograde in Taurus Explained

August 3, 2026

When we are looking at astrology, we often feel the energies of our planetsMercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto—the most, along with our luminaries—the sun and the moon. However, in recent decades, many astrologers have also begun to look for deeper meaning in the cosmos, as asteroids (or sometimes referred to as comets) have been discovered and charted. One of the most famous asteroids in modern-day astrology is Chiron: the Wounded Healer. Let’s take a peek at Chiron and an important cosmic shift that is about to take place!

WHAT ARE ASTEROIDS IN ASTROLOGY?

Many of the asteroids in modern-day astrology are often associated with ancient goddesses and “feminine energies.” This is because many of the planets and the sun tend to be associated with more masculine vibrations, as can clearly be seen by Mercury (sometimes referred to as a neutral or androgynous planet, but is based on the god of communication), Mars (the warrior planet), Jupiter (in ancient times, the King of the Gods), Saturn (the ruler of time and fate), and beyond. Even Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto were named after masculine figures from ancient myths. Because of this, modern-day astrologers have sought to bring more nuance to the understanding of masculine and feminine vibrations that compose the human spirit and collective.

WHAT IS CHIRON?

Chiron, however, is not named after a feminine goddess from ancient myth. Chiron is an asteroid—or comet—that moves around our solar system and stands between Saturn, a traditional planet in astrology, and Uranus, a modern-day planet. This bridge between traditional and modern-day astrology reveals that we are learning more about the expansion of human consciousness.

Chiron, in ancient myth, was a centaur that tended to the healing of wounds. Because of this, Chiron in astrology is often called “the Wounded Healer.” When looking at one’s natal chart, Chiron shows where we may experience ancestral pain and where we must overcome it to evolve to our highest self. When Chiron transits around the solar system and through different zodiac signs, we tend to find that it teaches the human collective about the wounds that specific zodiac sign carries directly and indirectly. Chiron takes about fifty years to orbit through the entire zodiac wheel.

Currently, Chiron is orbiting in the early degrees of Taurus and has been since June 19, 2026. It will continue to do so until September 17, 2026. It will once again enter Taurus on April 14, 2027, until May 5, 2034. The last time Chiron was in Taurus was from roughly 1976 until 1984.

WHAT ARE THE THEMES OF TAURUS?

In astrology, each zodiac sign rules many different themes. Taurus is a fixed earth sign and the second zodiac sign on the wheel. It is the true embodiment of “spring” in the northern hemisphere, when the abundance of the season comes into full bloom and we revel in our senses.

Taurus rules many themes: possessions, resources, income, finances, security, stability, the economy, “the natural earth and nature,” and our senses. Taurus is ruled by Venus, which also brings forth the themes of beauty and sensuality, but also worth and value. Because of this, we can also understand that Taurus aligns with self-worth and self-value.

WHAT IS CHIRON RETROGRADE?

In our solar system, all of our planets and celestial objects—besides the sun and moon—experience retrogrades. Retrogrades are simply optical illusions. Planets and asteroids do not “actually” move backwards, but due to their orbits and the orbit of our Earth, they “appear” to slide backwards from our perspective when looking to the skies. When this occurs, the energetic frequencies become internalized, slow down, and must be reviewed not only for the collective, but also within each of our lives. When Chiron retrogrades, we must review the wounds from the past—not only in this lifetime but also on a deeper, more ancestral way.

Chiron retrograde this year begins on August 3, 2026, and will continue until January 6, 2027. However, Chiron retrogrades in Taurus only from August 3 until it slips back into the skies of Aries on September 17, 2026.

When Chiron retrogrades in Taurus, we are reviewing the pain we have felt around all of the themes that I have listed for the sign of the bull.

In the weeks ahead, expect to be reviewing your self-worth, self-value, and what you hold worth and value within. You may find that old wounds emerge and you must face them, as well as find ways to release them and find closure within them. We may also review wounds around income, finances, security, possessions, or stability. How we live in our physical world of nature and use its resources may also be something people are pondering.

Ultimately, the universe is never trying to “hurt” us. I do believe that when we experience pain, it is the natural order of growth to evolve, be reborn anew, and become stronger in the long run. Use this time to reflect, review, and dig deep into your soul, and you will be able to harness the lessons of a loving universe. You are ready.