Medical Astrology: Part 1

There is a basis to our maladies

Each planet emits its own cosmic color. It is the excesses and deficiencies of cosmic color that lead to health related imbalances. These imbalances are shown as tendencies in the natal chart. - Judith Hill, Medical Astrology in Action: The Transits of Health

When I told some of my friends that I was going to do a series on medical astrology, the reactions were enthusiastic: “I’ve never heard of that!” And “I am not much of a podcast person, but I would listen to those episodes!” Yet, while medical astrology may be intriguing, it is not new. Artifacts from as early as 400 BCE of Babylonian and Assyrian origin show evidence of using knowledge of celestial bodies for human bodily intervention.

Hippocrates, after which the oath taken by western physicians is named, used astrology in his practice and teaching. The names I heard in science classes, when learning the origins of modern medicine and pharmaceuticals, such as Galen, Culpepper, and Paracelcus were all knowledgeable in astrology.

In medieval times, physicians were required (until the 16th century) to hold fluency in astrology, and it is thought that the abbreviation “Rx” comes from “radix”, which was a term for the natal chart. So, the physician writing “Rx” was indicative that they stood by the treatment being given to the patient because they had seen that the patient’s natal chart provided a sound basis for the treatment.

Photo by Marek Studzinski on Unsplash

There are numerous words and symbols which persist to intertwine astrology and disease: Mercury (Hermes to the Greeks) and the caduceus, ‘menses’ and ‘lunacy’ from ‘moon’, ‘vein’ and ‘venereal’ from Venus, and the symbols for male and female which remain in medical textbooks are from the glyphs of Mars and Venus.

I recall reading a little about medical astrology in the very first astrology class I took. We used the excellent book Astrology for Yourself, by Bloch and George. They cite three important ways today’s holistically minded physician could utilize astrological knowledge, which I summarize below, and have added to [in parentheses]:

1. Physical illness does not randomly occur, rather it is correlated to the weak spots in one’s chart, either natally or by transit. The individual, if maintaining their health, may never experience consequences of the inherent vulnerability, but in times of internal and external stress, those weaknesses often manifest.

2. [It is fairly universally accepted that mental and physical health are linked, especially as evidence has mounted regarding the two way communication between the gut microbiome and brain signaling.] That we have associated Mars with aggression and Saturn with depression for thousands of years is no accident, and we see those energies influencing individuals differently depending on their signs and placements in the natal chart or by transit. Bloch and George describe these as psychic imbalances.

3. Knowledge of the historical or even potential impact of transits of certain planets on key areas of a natal chart, or simply seeing the data of increased emergency room visits when the Moon is full can inform the selection of dates for procedures, or even predict when crises are likely to occur. One can retrospectively attribute events quite tidily to astrology, as Bloch and George did regarding Richard Nixon’s health issues, exacerbated by the stress of the Watergate scandal. It is a bit involved to detail here, so I encourage you to purchase Astrology for Yourself, but here are the physical infirmities and astrological associations:

   1. Knees. Capricorn rules knees, and his Sun, Mercury, and Jupiter are in this sign.

   2. Lung/pneumonia. Mars (inflammation) conjunct Mercury (respiration) and opposing Pluto (tissue destruction) in Gemini (lungs).

   3. Circulation. Moon (distributor of life force) in Aquarius (circulation) squaring Saturn (restriction).

   4. All of these latent weaknesses were activated when Saturn transited, and in September 1974 Nixon experienced a blood clot which originated in his knees, moving to his lungs and nearly killing him.

At the time I encountered this case study, I was still in my position as an Executive Director at a pharma company, and wasn’t quite ready to work on entirely dismantling the conditioning that included categorizing astrology as an esoteric and frivolous practice. While I had learned enough that I couldn’t deny the correlation of my astrological make up to what was present in my life, it was a bridge too far to credit astrology with a breadth of wisdom and application that I now understand it to have.

A couple of years later, I became acquainted more deeply with medical astrology through my training in herbalism, taking 12 elective credits on the subject from Judith Hill (founder of The Academy for Astrological Medicine) and Matthew Wood (for which the Matthew Wood Institute of Herbalism is named), who have written (and illustrated, as both are polymaths like Da Vinci) 27 books between them.

My undergraduate degree was in Biochemistry, and the scientific rationale that plants are more efficacious and less harmful than medicinal products manufactured to serve a marketable purpose just made sense to me early on in my herbalism studies. As with astrology, I was drawn to herbalism as a means of enhancing both self-empowerment as well as connection to more than self. That both methodologies are by their nature aimed at improving harmony among life on Earth makes sense to me. Of course, animals, inclusive of humans, were using the medicine of plants to survive and thrive over millennia. It follows that other observations of nature, such as the Moon cycles and other celestial bodies would be woven into the collective wisdom.

As I am striving towards a higher sense of well-being this Holiday Season, the installments of this series may be a bit shorter than my usual weekly episodes/posts. So, today, I will leave you with some homework to do in your extra time, if you find yourself interested in this topic. It will make the subsequent installments more interesting to you, as they will be more personal.

Here is the homework:

1. List out your maladies and be specific to the body part and/or body system. E.g. arthritis in knee, or circulation to feet.

2. Know the signs of these planets in your birth chart:

• Sun

• Moon

• Mercury

• Venus

• Mars

• Jupiter

• Saturn

• Uranus

• Neptune

• Pluto

*Bonus* Study Da Vinci’s Last Supper and read this article. Do you see yourself (by mannerism or appearance) represented and does it match the sign(s) which are most dominant in your birth chart?

Wish to continue this exploration?

Medical Astrology: Part 2

Medical Astrology: Part 3

Medical Astrology Part 4: Saturn - the real emperor of all maladies?

Medical Astrology Part 5: Mars in Medical Astrology

Resources:

Astrology for Yourself

Medical Astrology: A Guide to Planetary Pathology

The Twelve Zodiac Sign Syndromes of Medical Astrology

Medical Astrology In Action: The Transits of Health

Judith Hill’s website

Matthew Wood Institute of Herbalism

NPR article on communication between the gut and the brain

NY Times article about Nixon’s health

astro.com article on Da Vinci’s Last Supper