Before the Olympian gods, there were the Titans — and among them, Kronos, lord of time and harvest. He ruled the Golden Age, a time of abundance and peace, until a prophecy foretold that one of his children would overthrow him. Fearing fate, Kronos devoured each newborn the moment they were born. Yet his wife, Rhea, hid the youngest — Zeus — who would later fulfill the prophecy and cast his father into exile.

Kronos represents the devouring aspect of time — the force that creates and consumes, that fears change yet ensures it. His story reveals the tension between control and trust, between hoarding and surrendering to the natural flow of life. Though cast as tyrant, Kronos also symbolizes the wisdom of cycles: that endings make way for beginnings, and that power unshared inevitably turns inward.

When this card appears, it asks you to examine your relationship with time, control, and fear of loss. What are you clinging to out of habit or fear? What new life are you refusing to make room for? Kronos reminds you that time does not take — it transforms.

Myth and Meaning

1. The Wound —
The wound of Kronos is fear — specifically, fear of change and impermanence. It is the anxiety that everything you build will slip away. This wound drives control, rigidity, and the urge to consume or preserve beyond what is natural.

2. The Mask —
You may wear the mask of the Controller or the Provider — the one who manages everything, ensuring security through dominance or perfection. Beneath it lies the terror of the unknown and the inability to trust time’s unfolding.

3. The Trigger —
Loss, aging, or shifting power dynamics awaken this archetype’s wound. When confronted with endings or transitions, you may tighten your grip, resisting the very growth you desire.

4. The Medicine —
Surrender. The medicine of Kronos is acceptance of impermanence — to understand that every season of life has its harvest and its decay. When you stop devouring the present to preserve the past, time becomes ally rather than enemy.

5. The Gift —
Your gift is wisdom born of patience. You hold a deep understanding of natural cycles and can guide others through transitions with calm authority. When balanced, you embody steady stewardship — knowing when to hold and when to release.

6. The Path Forward —
Let go. Trust the next generation, the next version of yourself, the next unfolding. Kronos teaches that mastery lies not in controlling time, but in moving with it. Each ending is the beginning of another golden age.

Chiron Healing Journey Spread Interpretation