continuation of reprint from "Health Wisdom for Women"
"Medical astrology has been well respected throughout human history. In fact, until the 18th century, study of astrology's connection to health was part of medical training. Using a person's birth chart, physicians could predict what health conditions or crises a patient was likely to experience and which type of treatment was most apt to help.
Hippocrates, the Greek physician (470-410 BC) whose oath is uttered by all physicians upon graduation from medical school, wrote, "A physician without knowledge of astrology has no right to call himself a physician." The innovative Renaissance physician Paracelsus (1493-1541) said, "Any medical doctor without thorough knowledge of astrology is a pseudomedicus" (sham doctor). Even Carl Jung, the famous Swiss psychiatrist and analyst, routinely ran astrological charts on his patients in order to gain better insight into their problems.
A body of research supports the notion that particular temperaments predispose an individual to certain types of illnesses. Consider, for example, the "Type A" personality and heart disease, or the connection between perfectionism and migraine headaches. Studies also document that certain illnesses occur more frequently in people born in certain months of the year. Schizophrenia, for example, is more common in those born during the winter months.
The more I study astrology, the more I realize that we are all indeed part of a greater universe and that we are all affected by the planets and constellations. When we're conscious of these influences, we can work with them in a positive way, even when they manifest in challenging ways.
Think of the constellations of the zodiac as a "belt" that circles the earth and encompasses the orbits of the major planets. Each sign of the zodiac governs a specific part of the body, which can be both the weakest and the strongest body part for a given person. An astrological chart always points out both gifts and challenges, a facet of astrology that really appeals to me. And even the challenges can become great strengths if an individual works consciously with them.
Consider Olympic gold medallist runner Wilma Rudolph, who had polio as a child and couldn't walk without leg braces until she was 12. Eight years later, she became the first American woman to win three Olympic gold medals. By recognizing her weak area and focusing on improving it, she turned her legs into one of her greatest strengths.
Though newspapers and magazines reduce astrology to Sun signs, none of us is influenced only by a single sign. Your Sun sign tells you which constellations the Sun was associated with when you were born, but all the other constellations and planets were present in the sky at that time, and their locations will tell you as much as (or sometimes even more than) your Sun sign. So if your personal astrological chart is heavily weighted with planets in a sign other than your Sun sign, then the health aspects of that sign may describe you more fully.
In my chart, Libra carries a lot of weight because not only is my Sun sign in Libra, but I have three planets in it. Libra rules the kidneys, ovaries, and lower back. I can attest to the truth of this: I had kidney infections as a child, and my lower back is my body's "weak link." Whenever I get overly fatigued, I get low back pain. Nothing is structurally wrong, but it's the first place that "speaks" to me when I'm not taking care of myself on all levels.
Mona Lisa has her Sun, as well as three planets, in Leo. Notice on the universal chart that Leo rules the upper back and spine. And guess where Mona Lisa has had most of her physical problems? The spine. The sign opposite her Sun is Aquarius, which rules the nervous system. Bingo again. Mona Lisa has had narcolepsy and epilepsy.
I had my first professional astrological chart done in 1981, and I continue to take advantage of updated readings, known as progressed charts, every year or so.
Once you have your natal chart, look at the universal chart shown here. It begins with the first sign of the zodiac (Aries) and ends with the last (Pisces.) The subsections are numbered because each of the 12 represents a certain theme in life and is known as a "house." The First House, for example, is the House of Self, which represents the way you present yourself to the world - your mannerisms, temperament, likes and dislikes. One of the things an astrologer looks at when they interpret your chart is which planet is in which house, because this positioning adds another layer of depth to the reading.
The universal chart is not a personal chart; it's designed to be used with your natal chart to give you an interpretation of your own health tendencies. In fact, that's the purpose of this article - to let you know which parts of your body are apt to weaken when you are fatigued or feel let down, frustrated, or attacked. Once you're aware of the susceptibilities, you're in a position to take action to rebalance yourself in the early stages of a potential disease process - idealIy Iong before you actually get a diagnosable condition.
Step One: Look at the placement of your Sun sign and the sign directly opposite your Sun sign on our chart. The opposite sign is like the other end of a lever or seesaw, and your health is balanced along the entire axis. The sign opposite my Sun sign, Libra, is Aries, which rules the head and face. Not surprisingly, I had classic migraines throughout my teens and early 20s and had to learn how to tame my inherent perfectionistic tendencies.
One of my daughters has an Aries Sun sign. She changes hairstyles frequently and enjoys wearing different types of glasses as fashion accessories. Nothing is wrong with her vision, it's just her Aries "head awareness" coming through.
Step Two: On your personal chart, find the Ascendant. It's the line on the left of the chart that divides the wheel in half. The line of the Ascendant marks the cusp of the First House and is one of the most powerful points in your chart. Or as Joanna Martine Woolfolk writes in The Only Astrology Book You Will Ever Need, "In its simplest definition, your Ascendant is the astrological sign that was rising on the eastern horizon at the moment of your birth." The health issues related to the sign at your Ascendant will probably be major ones for you.
Cancer is at the Ascendant in my personal chart, and it rules the stomach, breasts, and digestive system. Knowing this, it's no surprise that I had mastitis and a huge breast abscess when I was in my 30s. At the time, I knew nothing about medical astrology, so I never saw these ailments coming. Also, before I knew about eating a diet with adequate protein, my diet was high in carbohydrates, which caused regular heartburn flare-ups.
Step three: Find the planet Saturn in your chart. In astrology, Saturn is the planet of responsibility and self-control, tenacity and triumph over obstacles. Saturn's placement and sign indicate where we must overcome limitations and boundaries. My Saturn is in Virgo. Looking at the "Celestial Connections" chart, you'll see that Virgo rules the intestines. I've had to watch my weight since age 12, an issue related to my intestines and also to self-esteem - the two are interrelated.
Step four: Look at the sign on the cusp of your Sixth and Twelfth houses. The cusp is the line that divides your Fifth and Sixth houses and your Eleventh and Twelfth houses. In astrological charts, the Sixth is the house of health, while the Twelfth is the House of the unconscious. In the Twelfth House we meet up with the results of everything we've done in our lives and how we dealt with it, both consciously and unconsciously. Will the answers impel us to change? How will we move forward? The Sixth and Twelfth houses are very related, because much of what causes ill or good health is unconscious.
Sagittarius is on my Sixth House cusp. It rules the hips, thighs, liver, and arteries. Sure enough, I have an issue with my right hip. If I don't keep the muscles around my hip stretched and toned, I actually "freeze up" in this area and walk with a limp for a few minutes, especially after driving several hours, until I can stretch out the ligaments and muscles (particularly the psoas). This has been going on since my early 30s, though it's better than it used to be. It's nothing serious because all my hip x-rays are negative.
Gemini is on the cusp of my Twelfth House. Gemini rules the brain, mind, arms, hands, and lungs. The brain is related to my history of migraines. And though my lower back is the first to communicate with me, my lungs will suffer if I get truly run down. When I was in my 30s I often had a dry, chronic cough each winter. It rarely occurs now, but I'm aware of the tendency and take care of myself before I become that depleted.
I also have the planet Uranus in my Twelfth House. Uranus is ruled by Aquarius, which in turn rules the nervous system. The house placement of this planet is another contributing factor in my migraines, a vascular problem involving the brain.
Mona Lisa has Aquarius on the cusp of her Sixth House, so her entire house of health is affected by the sign associated with the nervous system. She also has Uranus in her Twelfth House-the nervous system again!
I hope this article has piqued your interest in medical astrology. I've only presented the basics here. Still, as I reviewed my own chart and my health tendencies for this article, I was struck by a theme: Most of my major health problems are in the past. And the same is true with Mona Lisa. Both she and I are healthier now than we've ever been.
I believe the reason for this is our willingness to look at our issues in the largest possible light and release the illusion of control. Again and again we have asked, "What is my highest purpose on Earth? What is being asked of me? What can I learn from this particular tendency?" Louise Hay's small book, Heal Your Body (Hay House, 1994), has also been immensely helpful at this juncture, giving us the right affirmation at the right time. By using these affirmations, as well as by making the appropriate preventative dietary, environmental, and behavioral changes, our health and wisdom have flourished on all levels."
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