"Keywords to Unlock Chiron" - New Book Now Available in PDF!

Dear Radical Readers,

I’m thrilled to announce the release of my new, full-length book in PDF format, Keywords to Unlock Chiron: 50 Passageways to Healing and Wholeness. In my previous post, Chiron: Wounded Healer, Wholeness Weaver, you got a preview--a collage of the 50 most important words or phrases that, together, weave the tapestry of Chiron’s meaning. 

I cover each one in depth in this new book. Not only is there a standalone chapter on each of the keywords or phrases; how they interrelate becomes obvious by the device of bolding the keywords as they are mentioned in other chapters. The same ones repeat throughout the “conversation.” You soon will see not just the big picture but the stitches of reiterating words that hold together the substance of Chiron’s interpretation. I cite the “discovery source” of each word or phrase—whether it comes from the myth of Chiron, the astronomy of the centaur planet Chiron or the cultural changes around the time Chiron was discovered. Folklore even finds its way into the mix as we learn both superstitions and some of the more frequent "omenclature" of comets, half of Chiron's astronomical identity.

Astrological interpretation is built on metaphors. Keywords reveals how the underlying concepts behind these words help us grow toward wholeness—words such as hero, mentor, healer, weaver, catalyst and stuck. As I mention in the post cited above, a good starting phrase for Chiron is Wounded Healer, Wholeness Weaver.  The book begins with Weaver and ends with Wholeness. You’ll have a sense of the process and healing curve Chiron brings into our lives. When pain or disowned parts of ourselves finally hurt enough, we are pushed by discomfort or misery to break the logjam and dare to become more of ourselves.

Chiron is both personal and outerplanetary. It is the archetype for the Third Millennium. The tight conjunction of Chiron and Pluto at the Big Turn on January 1, 2000 foretold the cosmic importance of our current global issues with the healing of power and the power of healing.

Your personal message from Chiron lies in which keywords “hit home” for you. There’s a handy reference tool at the back of the book that suggests which keywords are the likeliest home runs for you based on your Chiron sign and aspects to Chiron in your chart. Two chapters match your Chiron configuration with specific healing modalities.

The PDF version of Keywords is now available at $9.99. This is a bargain, considering it’s the download of my 25 years of research and focus on Chiron. You can purchase the PDF e-book on the sidebar of this blog or directly at The Radical Virgo Store. Other versions will become available over the months to come—e-reader and paperback with other possibilities to be determined.

Why Choose PDF?

One of Chiron’s key words is Ecology. Besides saving trees, there are many advantages to buying the book in PDF:

1. It’s the first available and the most unabridged version. You’ll have the information at your fingertips early-on. (This perk is especially for the Aries and Mars-prominent folks.)
   
   
2. You don’t need an e-reader like Kindle or Nook to access a PDF file, though most devices can read this format. You can read Keywords on your computer—and more! See below.
   
   
3.  PDF is the least expensive version, although the e-reader versions will be similarly priced. Paper costs more to produce and requires higher pricing.
   
   
4.  The PDF version is full of rich, color images just like my blogs. That makes for a more comfortable read. It’s in 12-point type, easy on the eyes. Color printing is costly. It remains to be seen how “graphic” the paperback version will be based on quality  black-and-white conversions of the images I'm sure you'll agree help "make" the book.
   
   
5. You can print out as much or as little of the book as you choose, including your favorite passages.
   
   
6. You can keep a copy on your computer and have a searchable document any time you want to look up something you want to remember or re-explore.
   
   
7. Adobe has a free application to download PDFs onto your iPad, iPhone or Android phone. You can buy this book once and enjoy it on your computer, phone or pad. You can read it on the go. My preview readers say it's an easy read on an iPad.
   
   
8.    PDFs can also be read on most devices with two simple steps:
   
   a.   From your search engine, enter how to read PDF on (name of device).
   
   b.   Follow the instructions of whichever article looks the easiest.

Here are directions for Kindle, as an example. I tested these on my B&W Kindle. There are, of course, limits, since the PDF is not designed specifically for the Kindle format. Suggestions: Using your Aa button, increase the contrast to darker or darkest.  Increasing type size really doesn't work well as the formatting goes pretty wonky. The best read is on Fit to Screen. Though the print is small, it's surprising how legible bold, small type is with increased contrast. You can also move to landscape view which gives you bigger type without funky formatting. It allows you the experience of one of the key phrases, A Different Perspective. That worked best for me, as I have one of the smaller screens without color capability. Limits: A few photos are too dark and difficult to discern and footnotes do not link. Same on footnotes reported for iPad.

If you're an avid Note reader, wait till the Kindle or other e-reader versions are available--or purchase the  PDF and read whatever Notes you want to explore on your computer. The printed version, of course, has no linkability. Are we spoiled or what?  If you've got a Kindle Fire or another color reader, some of these PDF limitations will go away with the higher technology, larger screens and the ability to reproduce the color photos as-is.

What’s Inside?

Two preview posts give abbreviated examples of the kinds of essays this book contains on each keyword: Maverick and Spirit in Matter. There’s one key word or phrase per chapter. Keywords to Unlock Chiron expands on something I’ve been doing since the early days of Chironicles newsletter in the 1990s and on this blog, the Chiron’s Keyword Corner feature. Existing Keyword Corner features have been updated and expanded, plus many more were written  exclusively for this book. The handful of Keyword Corners already posted on The Radical Virgo has grown to 50 in this new book format.

It Doesn’t Look Like Other Astrology Books

Just as Chiron the mythical centaur had very unique looks indeed, Keywords doesn’t look like your typical astrology book. It’s light on astrological technicalities. People who aren’t even into astrology will get a lot out of it. Who doesn’t need healing and wholeness? Keywords to Unlock Chiron is all about interpretation of Chiron’s archetypal meaning.

By taking the journey into the background of each keyword, you’ll have a mental and emotional storehouse of Chiron’s message for personal evolution. This will allow you to tune into the most intuitive yet accurate interpretations involving Chiron in astrology charts, including your own.

Truth in Advertising

You probably don’t want to print out the entire book unless you’re willing to sacrifice two-thirds of a ream of paper and can talk yourself out of any resulting eco-guilt. I debated whether do a PDF version of a book this length, but Keywords has been long awaited and postponed due to some of my own Chironic healing challenges—and my husband’s. (Note the adjective form of Chiron has “ironic” in it.) This format allows me to bring it to you as soon as possible. If you still can’t live without a printout, plan on getting the fattest binder you can find and making enough confetti with the paper punchings to celebrate the New Year. (Please recycle.)

You can also consider doing what I do for my favorite Astro-references. Buy the book in electronic format now and paperback later. The PDF will be searchable and readable on your computer and other devices. The paperback will be good on your reference shelf for those who like the low-tech perks and the feel of paper, as well as the sound and smell of a squeaky yellow highlighter. After all, one of Chiron’s key phrases is Not Either/Or but Both/And.

You can always purchase it later when the paperback or e-reader versions come out … but, of course, I hope you can’t wait!

What Preview Readers Are Saying

“Your writing is like getting a letter from a friend containing golden advice.” ~ JT, United Kingdom

“A delightful blend of astrology, humor and valuable insights into our own human nature, Keywords brings the magic of Chiron alive and teaches us how to apply its multidimensional wisdom to our everyday lives. It is a fabulous fun-filled guide for anyone seeking greater self-awareness or simply wanting to 'amp up' their authentic self-expression.” ~ DS, California

Your feedback is welcome! Please sent your comments on the new book to me: joyce [at] joycemason.com or feel free to Comment on this blog post.

Publication Summary

Length:  301 pages (8.5 x 11)

Format: PDF

Publisher: New Inkarnation Media

Publication Date: June 18, 2013

Price: $9.99 US

Thanks for being part of my odyssey of learning and sharing about Chiron. I’m still as excited about this archetype today as I was on Day 1.

Healing and Wholeness,
Joyce

PS - Please click on by and Like the new Keywords Facebook Page. 

Another Excerpt from "Keywords to Unlock Chiron:" Spirit in Matter

Excerpt © 2013 by Joyce Mason
All Rights Reserved

From Chapter 8: Spirit in Matter

Embodiment

Source: Myth, astronomy

We are all shooting stars, spirits hurled from the heavens toward a dense and alien planet of materiality.[1] We get caught in the Earth’s orbit for a period called a lifetime. We come from All That Is to become Someone in Particular, carrying our distinct imprint of cosmic energy, reflected in our astrological birth charts. The shock of this sudden transition must be murder on our nervous systems. Birth is traumatic not just from a physical perspective; it shakes us down to the bedrock of our being as we go from lightweight, pure spirit to human form, dense in material substance.

Like shooting stars, comets are also pulled into our solar system. Astronomical Chiron’s make-up as half comet is one of the great metaphors that reflects the mystery and challenge of being human. So does mythical Chiron’s half-and-half nature. His upper half is closest to the heavens and reminds of us of our spiritual roots accessed by the mind and heart. His lower horse half is close to the earth and all things instinctual. Instincts are just as important to develop and cherish. Like Chiron, whether we’re speaking of the planetary object or the star of the ancient myth: we, too, are composite beings.

I often hear this metaphysical truth: we are spiritual beings having a human experience. If we go on our Chironic quest for wholeness, this truth becomes more and more apparent with every initiation in life’s trials and triumphs.

We live in a world of duality: black and white, male and female, them and us, right and wrong. The end is near! We have outgrown this worldview. Chiron is once more emblematic of our species transmutation where we no longer see ourselves as separate but rather as part of One Spirit, back to where we began. As we accept ourselves—all parts of us—we disown nothing and wholeness becomes possible. Actually, inevitable.

~~~

Hope you enjoyed this partial chapter! Mail list members will receive a 15% discount during the first week and a half after the book is launched on June 18. It's not too late to join the list and get the early bird discount! Sign up by June 17, and you'll receive an announcement with the special discount link.

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NOTE

 [1] One of the reasons I resonated to the illustration for this keyword: The shooting star resembles a human sperm.

Photo Credit: Meteor Over Earth © sdecoret - Fotolia.com

Coming Attractions from "Keywords to Unlock Chiron:" Maverick

Excerpt © 2013 by Joyce Mason
All Rights Reserved

Here's a snippet from my new book available next week in PDF. I think the art for this chapter was a real find for an everyday symbol of Chiron. It's one of my favorites in the book.

From Chapter 27, Maverick

Source: Myth, astronomy and cultural changes

 

When I brought my dictionary on this keyword journey, I was surprised at times to discover new meanings within the multiple definitions of some of the words. That was the case with maverick: [1]
 

1. An unbranded range animal, especially a calf that has become separated from its mother, traditionally considered the property of the first person who brands it.
   
   
2. One that refuses to abide by the dictates of or resists adherence to a group; a dissenter.

While I was familiar with the second meaning, the first was new to me. This definition parallels the Chiron myth and his abandonment by his mother. Left to fend for himself, Apollo and Artemis claimed Chiron. They nurtured and taught him in the guise of the Sun and Moon—the consummate symbolic parents. The “brand” they left on Chiron was the brand of blending, an acceptance of both sides of himself. Like the two-toned jellybean in the illustration, Chiron was even different from the other centaurs (the other dark bean). Most memorable, he had no trouble learning and passing on skills that would be considered blends of masculine and feminine, left- and right-brained pursuits.

The second meaning of this word was reflected in a cultural icon made famous in the TV show Maverick, which aired in the US from 1957-62 at the lower edge of the Chiron discovery window. [2] A popular Western, Maverick originally starred James Garner as Bret Maverick, described as a “cagey, articulate cardsharp.” [3] He was always in and out of trouble all over the Wild West. His life was constantly threatened in ways that involved women, money or both—and he usually faced a moral dilemma of some sort. If a cultural character ever embodied the word maverick and the duality of the centaurs; Maverick was “it.” Like astronomical Chiron, the character Maverick was rightly named. Bret Maverick’s Chironic nature usually won out over his wild centaur side as he did the right thing, even if it cost him—literally . . .


As discussed in the keyword Catalyst, Chiron stirs things up and is on his own unique trajectory as a centaur planet. This characteristic seems in keeping with what people report about their Chiron transits. The possibilities are all over the place among the keywords. The only thing that’s predictable is that there will be something stirring on the wounding/healing to weaving/wholeness continuum.  [4]


In these ways, Chiron is indeed a maverick.  If Chiron is prominent in your chart, you are, too. 

Hope you enjoyed taking a look at this partial chapter! Mail list members will receive a 15% discount during the first week and a half after the book is launched on June 18. It's not too late to join the list and get the early bird discount! Sign up by June 17, and you'll receive an announcement with the special discount link.

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NOTES

[1] Maverick: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/maverick

[2] The discovery window is usually considered 15 years before and after a new planet is sighted, in Chiron's case, 1962-1992. However, this is an estimate at best—and it's best not to take the span too literally. Cultural phenomena give glimpses into the future in their own sweet time, especially when mavericks are involved.

[3] Maverick TV show: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maverick_%28TV_series%29

[4] Fear not; there are still hints. Appendix 1 in this book, Keyword Associations with Planets and Signs, offers the most likely keywords to influence you depending on the position of your natal Chiron. Transits activate the issues related to those keywords or phrases.

Photo Credit: Odd One Out © David Kolöchter - Fotolia.com