MEDICAL ASTROLOGY 'He who does not understand astrology is not a doctor but a fool' (Hippocrates, father of Modern Medicine (460-375BCE) Astrology as applied to medicine has its roots in the Ancient Worlds of China, Egypt and India. In Europe, its apogee was reached during the medieval time up to the beginning of the 18th century, where much influence came from the A r a b W o r l d a n d G r e e c e w h e r e m e d i c a l a s t r o l o g y w a s called Iatromathematics or the Doctor's calculations. 'As above, so below', 'as within, so without' is the guiding principle of Hermetic philosophy, which medical astrology is based upon. Disease occurs when the microcosm of the human body is out of balance with the macrocosm of Nature and the Cosmos. It follows that healing will occur when the microcosm of the body is brought back into balance with the macrocosm. As archetypes, the planets and signs serve as intermediaries between the Divine and the world of Nature and Man, underlying all the temporal phenomena of the world. So the natal chart or the decumbiture chart (drawn up at the time of the onset of an illness) are used to ascertain the nature, development and future prospects of the medical complaint. To be a medical astrologer involves a sophisticated and complex set of highly technical skills, taking different variables into consideration. The whole system is based on observation and interpretation based upon a complex set of Rulerships. Zodiac signs are assigned to rule over parts of the body and planets were to rule over organs and systems, diseases and their cures. Equally important astrological signatures are considered such as the psychological make-up of the person, how it affects their body and what best treatment to apply, their karmic history as seen within the chart, their
temperament or humor, the placements of all the signs, planets and Houses, elements and modalities, the four quadrants drawn by the four angles (Ascendant, Descendant, Nadir and Midheaven) and the important placement of planets at those junctures. All of these would be further assessed on how they all interact with each other within the context of current transits and progressions. THE NATAL CHART The medical astrologer has to interweave and interpret all this data to produce the best possible healing outcome for the client, looking at their inherent strengths and weaknesses and how these will play out in times of hard transits, their medical history, the healing challenges they may face, what best therapies to be prescribed, best times for s u r g e r y, f a s t i n g, d e t o x i f i c a t i o n programmes, conception and pregnancy, etc. Each chart has to be assessed on its own merit as no two charts have the same configuration and this requires a highly refined body of knowledge and application of Astrology and the Healing Arts. The horoscope depicts the nature of the person's body and mind and the interaction between the two. So let's look at some of these signatures: 1) The Planets are the What of the chart, the main protagonists of the chart. They have an influence on organs and systems of the body, on temperament and depict the essence of the person's body-mind. Some planets are Yang (Masculine) and some are Yin (Feminine). The Yang or emissive planets are: the Sun, Mars, Jupiter, Mercury (as the ruler of Gemini) and Uranus. The Yin or receptive planets are: the Moon, Venus, Mercury (as the ruler of Virgo), Saturn, Neptune and Pluto.
These planets must be assessed as to their dignities and debilities ( favourable and detrimental placement). The stronger the placement of a planet is, the more resilient it will be at withstanding an illness or keep it at a latent stage for most of the person's life. Even if the placement is less favourable, a medical complaint may never develop if the person is aware of that weakness and ensures they do not put unnecessary psychological or environmental stress on that weak link. However if the placement is inauspicious and the person exerts considerable pressure on that weak link over time, then it could well manifest into a medical problem. 2) The signs are the How and Why of the chart. They rule parts of the body and have an affinity with temperament. They deal with qualities, conditions and perspectives. They are grouped into four triplicities determined by the four elements: FIRE Aries, Leo, Sagittarius (Choleric ) EARTH Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn (Melancholic) AIR Gemini, Libra, Aquarius (Sanguine) WATER Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces (Phlegmatic) Fire and Air are Hot and Yang. They are extrovert, active, energetic, light and govern the vital systems of the body. Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, Aquarius. Earth and Water are Cold and Yin. They are denser, introvert, receptive, reflective and deals with the assimilation and nutrition of the body. Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn, Pisces. Chart of signs The Cosmic Wheel represents the human body in its wholeness. Each sign rules a part of the body, starting with Aries at the head and Pisces at the feet. Aries (head), Taurus (throat), Gemini (arms, hands and lungs), Cancer (breasts and stomach), Leo (the heart and spine), Virgo (intestine and pancreas), Libra (kidneys and lower back), Scorpio (urinary tract and genitals), Sagittarius (hips and thigh), Capricorn (knees, bone structure, teeth and hair), Aquarius (lower leg and ankle), Pisces (feet and toes). Furthermore, signs have three different modalities they belong to, which will inform the body reaction patterns to pathogens and subsequent illness.
Cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn) are predisposed to acute disorders with a moderate resistance to disease. The onset of an illness is clear and sudden and so is remission. Fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius) have the highest vitality and resistance to illness but their problem can become chronic. They find it hard to eliminate and detoxify because the system is more sluggish. Mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces) possess the lowest resistance to disease. Ailments come and go. They tend to have a sensitive, allergic nature. 3) The Houses are the Where of the chart. It is divided into 12 Houses which are different areas of life. 1st House - the Self, identity 2nd House - Capital, possessions, personal resources, own money 3rd House - Siblings, local trade and commerce, school education 4th House - Roots, home, family, ancestors 5th House - Children, inner child, fun, creativity 6th House - Health, day to day routine, work 7th House - Marriage and business relationships, open enemies 8th House - Death, inheritance, tax, other people's money, sex 9th House - Travel (physical and metaphysical), religion, world trade 10th House - Reputation, goals, fame, destiny, aspirations 11th House - Group network, communities 12th House - Institutions (hospitals, prisons), hidden enemies The Houses are the stage for the planets to play out their identity. They exhibit planetary energies of the mind onto the outer world of events and the dynamic between the Self and others. We already know there are affinities between signs and parts of the body, similarly there are correspondences between signs and Houses therefore, there will be affinities between Houses and parts of the body. For example, Aries rules the Head, Aries as the first sign in the wheel will correspond to the 1st House and therefore the 1st House rules the Head. Taurus rules the throat, Taurus as the second sign of the zodiac will correspond to the second House and therefore the 2nd House rules the throat and so forth.
Four Houses are particularly important in medical interpretation: the 1st, the 6th, the 8th and the 12th. The 1st House represents the nature, temperament and strengths and weaknesses of the body. The 6th House pertains to acute disorders and illnesses due to poor diet and lifestyle. The 8th House corresponds to Scorpio and is the House of transformation that can involve detoxifying, surgery or life-threatening illnesses and death as the ultimate transformation. The 12th House is the opposite of the 6th on the Health Axis and represents chronic diseases. It pertains to the repressed side of the unconscious, our blind spot. It also concerns institutionalised medicine (mental and physical). 4) The Aspects (Opposition, conjunction, square, semi-square, quincunx, sextile, semi-sextile, trine, T-Square, etc.) weave the whole chart together, defining the relationships and dynamic between the planets and how they will affect the psychological and physiological responses f the individual. The most important aspects to consider are the hard aspects - conjunction, square and opposition. They provoke or awaken crises or manifestations in the disease potential.
A) The Square (90 degrees) is an aspect of friction, conflict and aggravation. The two planets do not see eye to eye. A squaring planet that is very active and masculine, like Uranus or Mars, excites and irritates whereas a cold, denser planet like Neptune or Saturn will tend to depress or block. In the case of a T-Square where two planets oppose each other and the squaring one is at the apex of the triangle, 90 degrees apart from both, stress and tension can create dysfunction and pathology. The most stressful squares tend to be in fixed signs, the most flexible in the Mutables and the changeable ones in the Cardinals. The two squaring planets need to be worked on to achieve a state of balance. B) The Opposition (180 degrees) relates to homeostasis, a natural state of equilibrium the body always strive to achieve. It is an aspect of complementarity with one planet tending towards dominance and the subsequent dynamic of stress and challenge between the two. If the opposition is further stressed by a hard transit, then pathology may develop. If the planets involved are complementary, then the balance between the two will be the easiest to achieve. C) The Conjunction (0 degree). It is a fusion and a merging of two energies. Both planets will be affected. Because of their proximity to each other, the conjunction can be regarded as the most challenging of the hard aspects. One planet might be denser than the other and 'breathe down its neck'.
For example, a Saturn-Sun conjunction in Leo. The fusion can be harmonious or discordant. Both planets will have to be assessed as to their compatibility and differences. The House and sign in which the conjunction is taking place will have to be assessed as the terrain of that conjunction will determine whether the merging of the two will be belligerent, more amicable or neutral. All these different protagonists elucidated above, their placements and aspects to each other do not necessarily equate illness but indicate a propensity or potential for pathology that will be activated by a lack of healthcare or an astrological event like a hard transit (square, conjunction, opposition). In fact, they offer us the possibility to take better care of ourselves and take full responsability for our optimum health, once we are aware of their presence and potential impact, thus avoiding a medical condition in the process. So an appropriate knowledge of our medical chart opens the path to a great and rewarding healing journey throughout life.