Welcome to the first article of a two-part series on Traditional Medical Astrology, humoral medicine and its most essential tool and technique: humoral diagnosis.
We will explore how medical astrology can be a powerful healing tool in humoral medicine and the importance of accurate diagnosis in treating patients effectively.
This series aims to educate and inform alternative healers about the existence of astrological humoral diagnosis. It also addresses the importance of using the correct technique and how to diagnose health problems systematically.
The open-minded medical doctor, or any Western medicine health practitioner, can also benefit from humoral diagnosis capabilities.
Accurate, practical Medical Astrology is built upon and revolves around using astrological techniques to diagnose the humoral (or elemental) cause of physical and mental health problems. Thus, the humoral medicine healer can apply knowledgeable solutions to balance the four elements and the functions where the symptoms occur in the body, emotions, and mind.
Any healing system must first and foremost be able to produce a diagnosis. Modern medicine has various methods, ranging from blood tests to CAT Scans. Eastern medicine has pulse diagnosis and various examination methods to corroborate what the pulse says.
The diagnostic method in astrology is unique; it’s a “Horary Chart” that sets it apart from other diagnostic methods.
Understanding the paradigm of astrological humoral diagnosis is crucial for its practical application. Let’s delve into this paradigm and compare it to the one used in modern medicine.
Modern medicine operates in the paradigm of chemistry and symptoms.
It detects a problem and applies a measure to fix the problem. There are exceptions, but a common outcome of such an approach is that one may successfully squash a symptom. Still, other symptoms and side effects from the treatment will replace the original symptom simply because the underlying cause usually remains unseen and thus has not been addressed. That can go on ad-infinitum, with a person becoming progressively sicker without ever finding a suitable cure.
Traditional Medical Astrology and humoral medicine operate within the paradigm of the elements (humors), forming the underlying fabric of our physical, mental, and emotional manifestations.
This is the paradigm in which all Eastern (Chinese, Tibetan, Korean, Indian/Ayurveda), Greek (Unani-Tibb), and Andean (Kalawaya) medicine operate.
Modern medicine diagnoses symptoms only and has neither the concept nor the tools to diagnose the underlying elemental/humoral cause. Even though modern Western doctors take Hippocrates, who understood and used the elements very well, to be the “Father of Modern Medicine”! Go figure. I digress…
Cause and Symptoms
The most crucial concept in humoral medicine diagnosis is that there are two distinct levels of diagnosis and treatment: cause and symptoms.
This is important because a cold cause does not necessarily produce cold symptoms, or a hot cause produces hot symptoms. A cold cause may produce hot symptoms and vice versa. If that distinction is not understood, diagnosed accurately, and treated separately, we risk harm rather than healing.
The central concept is simple: there are four elements on two axes: Earth-Air and Water-Fire. A dynamic relative balance of the elements in any organism forms the basis of good health, and organs and systems will function well or not, mainly according to the degree of balance present.
The result of that dynamic is that illness is caused by and exacerbated by an imbalance of the elements.
Symptoms (what modern medicine calls “illness”) manifest in the weakest functions, organs, or systems affected by an element imbalance.
Of course, environmental and congenital factors affect one’s state of health. However, the elements are the factors that can be manipulated, whereas we have little or no control over the environment or genetics.
Effective horary humoral diagnosis determines which element is in excess and which is lacking and determines the affected planetary energies. The practitioner then treats the condition to restore balance while restoring the diseased organ or system to its rightful operating condition or health.
The treatment can be devised using any toolkit that takes advantage of the elements’ paradigm, regardless of name or origin. The elements and the seven functional patterns are universal.
In Traditional Medical Astrology, the seven inner planets and the twelve houses and signs represent the organism’s functions (anatomical parts, systems, organs, or mental/emotional patterns), where the elements will manifest—in a balanced or imbalanced way. The more balanced the elements are in the organism, the better it will function.
As a simplistic general example, if one has an imbalance in the Earth-Air axis where there is too much earth (coldness and dryness), one may suffer from depression, immobility, or constipation. Or an imbalance in the Fire-Water axis where there is too much fire (hot and dry), one may suffer from irritability, migraines, or burnouts. Too much air will cause one to twist one’s ankle and keep falling at every opportunity or get into endless arguments with other people. Too much water means one will cry easily or lack boundaries. Very generally speaking, that is.
Humoral medicine, which Medical Astrology is a part of, has the concept and tool (a horary chart) to diagnose the cause and symptoms separately and treat them accordingly.
It must be noted that Natal astrology (the birth chart) is not equipped to be an accurate diagnostic tool. It cannot be, as it speaks of potential, not facts. It is too vague and thus produces vague diagnostics and, therefore, ambiguous, often erroneous treatments.
However, by assessing the birth temperament, we can determine which elemental imbalances a person is likely to be prone to throughout life.
The born choleric/fiery type will be prone to choleric/fiery illnesses, the phlegmatic type will be exposed to excess water illnesses, and so on.
That assessment of temperament is invaluable for prevention. It is essential for children because the parents may know what to expect throughout their growth years and may take measures to minimize the adverse effects of any birth imbalance by adjusting the child’s diet and lifestyle.
Later in life, once an imbalance settles in, the birth chart can no longer help or even harm.
Only a horary chart cast for the moment the astrologer understands the question about the person who is ill can produce an accurate astrological diagnosis. *And the technique must be correct.*
It is in the very nature of horary to zero in on immediate issues. This gives us a pinpoint-accurate picture of the person’s health and prognosis.
Also, since it tells us precisely what the imbalance is, it tells us how to correct it and where those corrective measures should be applied in the organism.
In part two of this article series, I will demonstrate the application of the horary humoral diagnosis technique to a real-life humoral medicine case. Stay tuned.
What about Decumbiture?
The decumbiture technique is used to map, time, track, and treat health issues and must be interpreted along with either 8, 12, or 16 derived charts. If no derived charts are used, a horary is the correct tool, along with the correct horary technique, to diagnose and treat accurately and effectively.
In the medical astrology courses offered by the Academy, we study and practice the techniques and specific medical cases related to horary diagnosis. We also study natal and decumbiture techniques and assign them to their appropriate roles in the healer’s toolkit.
The primary goal of the courses is to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to accurately diagnose health problems using Traditional Medical Astrology techniques within the paradigm of the elements and answer various physical and psychological health-related questions.
With a powerful tool such as horary, the true healer, having a clear and sharp view of the elemental cause and the symptoms separately, will be in a more knowledgeable and stronger position to exercise their healing gift.
