MEDICAL ASTROLOGY AND CLIENT COUNSELING


Different Strokes for Different Folks

     The natal horoscope is a portrait of the individual's mind and personality as well as his body.  In addition to telling the Medical Astrologer what the physical problem is and how to treat it, the natal horoscope will also reveal the most effective approaches for counseling and motivating the client, and which kinds of therapeutic approaches would most appeal to him/her.
     Most Medical Astrologers are also practitioners of some kind of alternative medicine or therapy, whether it be herbal medicine, nutrition, homeopathy or whatever, but noone can be a practitioner or specialist in all forms of therapy.  And so, Medical Astrologers frequently refer clients to therapists and therapies they can't provide, if they feel that the client is especially suited to it.
     The best way to analyze the natal horoscope for matters of psychology and motivation, as well as therapeutic preferences, is to use the twelve letter astrological alphabet devised by astrologer Zipporah Dobyns.  Each letter of the astrological alphabet consists of a certain sign of the zodiac, its ruling planet, and its corresponding house. 
     The Medical Astrologer analyzes the natal horoscope to see which letter or letters of the astrological alphabet are the most prominent or emphasized.  Based on these findings, he formulates his counseling and motivational approach and his therapeutic recommendations for the client.

 

Aries  -  Mars  -  First House

     Active, sportive; into exercise, bodily expression, physical conditioning.  Not finicky or faint of heart; has a high tolerance for pain, discomfort, displeasure.  Spartan will and determination; thrives on challenges.  Easily becomes impatient with long courses of treatment; demands immediate results.  Hates to be bedridden or incapacitated; wants the quick fix to put him back into action fast.  Often has trouble following a course of therapy through to completion; will quit as soon as he feels better or good enough to get back into the game.  Can get impatient with the slow healing processes of Nature.
Therapies:  massage, bodywork, physiotherapy, exercise, yoga, martial arts, surgery, allopathic quick fixes.

 

Taurus  -  Venus  -  Second House

     Long on patience and persistence.  Excellent self-nurturing instincts.  Tendency to laziness, passivity.  Strong subconscious mind and subliminal motivations; highly suggestible.  A creature of habit; old habits may be hard to break, but once new and positive habits are formed, they tend to be long-lasting and enduring.  Sensual, indulgent and epicurean by nature; will fail on regimes that are too spartan, austere or self-denying.  Thrives on communion with the Earth, and with Nature.  Tends to get stuck in a rut, or to chew things over in his mind; takes a long time to sort out his feelings and process things mentally.  Warm, affectionate nature. 
Therapies:  herbal medicine, dietary therapy, massage, bodywork, health spas and retreats, nutrition, hiking, getting out into nature, Naturopathy, the Nature Cure

 

Gemini  -  Mercury  -  Third House

     Short on persistence and follow-through.  Restless, hyperactive but brilliant mind; can rationalize anything.  Can be very engaging and conversational; enjoys playing the devil's advocate.  Prone to sporadicness, irregularity in diet, hygiene, sleeping and living habits.
Often neglects the body in favor of the mind.  Hyperactive mind, excessive thinking can exhaust nervous system.  Needs to be reasoned with and convinced of the rationale behind the treatment to follow it.  Frank, open, candid; easy to talk to.  Short courses of treatment with quick results work best.  Needs a good social life to feel healthy; must also keep his mind busy.
Therapies:  breathing exercises, respiratory therapy, psychotherapy, group and interactive therapies, acupuncture and subtle energetic therapies, meditation, philosophical counseling, allopathic quick fixes.

 

Cancer  -  Moon  -  Fourth House

     Needs to have a close emotional rapport with doctor or therapist and establish a personal bond of trust.  Insensitive, impersonal approach so common in modern medicine doesn't work.  Needs strong emotional support.  Once personal trust and rapport are established, will share deepest feelings, concerns, vulnerabilities.  Can use illnesses and health vulnerabilities to emotionally manipulate or control others, especially children and family members.  State of physical and psychological health, wellbeing very much affected by family life and problems.  Has a deep, emotional feeling connection with the body.  Strong family ties and parental, mothering instincts.  Prone to psychosomatic or emotional disorders; women to eating disorders.  Must address the underlying emotional, psychosomatic issues for true healing.
Therapies:  depth psychology, natural childbirth and midwifery, hydrotherapy and the Water Cure, massage and bodywork, balneotherapy and health spas, thalassotherapy - sea bathing and mud packs, weight loss counseling, support groups.

 

Leo  -  Sun  -  Fifth House

     Needs to put on a good show of strength, invulnerability while hiding weaknesses, fears, vulnerabilities.  Personal performance ethic tends to take on and put up with too much; hides a lot of chronic stress.  Can be dramatic, bombastic, melodramatic, larger than life.  Needs to feel that he's the boss, that he's in control.  Sensitive ego; must feel admired or appreciated.  Very sensitive to slights and putdowns, real or imagined.  Wants only the best; will pay extra for the top specialists, state of the art facilities.  Attracted to famous, popular, established or trendy doctors and therapies.  Less inclined to try the alternative and experimental.  Will be more receptive to a course of treatment if he can be made to feel that it was really his idea.  Loves to be pampered. 
Therapies:  allopathy, sunbathing, Kundalini yoga, art or dance therapy, therapies involving creative self-expression, philosophical counseling, strong drugs or medicines, fashionable spas.

 

Virgo  -  Mercury  -  Sixth House

     Very thorough and conscientious in following doctor's orders to the letter.  Can even go beyond doctor's orders, or too far.  Needs to be educated and well-informed about all aspects of her illness or condition; can even be better-informed than the doctor.  Tends to be very sensitive to the effects of foods, drugs, medicines, herbs.  Periodically feels the need to cleanse and purify the organism.  Often troubled by nagging scruples and conscience; can worry excessively about diet, health, therapy.  Naturally inclined to be doctors and therapists.
Therapies:  herbal medicine, dietary therapy, nutrition, homeopathy, enemas and colonics, hygienic purification therapies, fasting, naturopathy.

 

Libra  -  Venus  -  Seventh House

     Very low tolerance for bitter foods or medicines, pain, disconfort, unpleasant treatments or therapies, even if for the greater long term good; needs bitter pills to be sugar coated.  Needs a beautiful, pleasing aesthetic environment.  The conoisseur, gourmet or epicure.  Motivated by beauty, aesthetics, considerations of personal appearance and vanity.  Relationships very important; will prefer a bad relationship to none at all.  Needs to feel beautiful, lovable, desirable. 
Therapies:  acupuncture; subtle energetic therapies that balance the organism, beauty makeovers and cosmetic treatments, massage, aromatherapy, tasty health food delicacies, health spas.

 

Scorpio  -  Pluto  -  Eighth House

     Not squeamish or faint of heart; high tolerance for pain, blood, discomfort.  Doesn't shy away from the forbidden, taboo, unseemly, dark side, death.  Can be shocking, provocative, unconventional.  Tends to extremes - the Golden Mean of moderation is difficult or impossible for them.  Seeks intensity, strong experiences and sensations.  Unpretentious; appreciates genuineness, honesty.  A private person, often with many secrets; doctor - patient confidentiality especially important.  Desires power and control.  Attracted to sex, sexuality for emotional intensity, personal transformation.  Can have psychic scars or wounding; history of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse common.  Prone to cynicism, gloominess, depression, nihilism; often haunted by death wish, self-destructive tendencies.  Strong awareness of, sensitivity to Kundalini, sexual or bio- energy.  Great potential to be a healer.
Therapies:  Kundalini yoga, Tantric yoga and sacred sexuality, bioenergetic healing, homeopathy: use of deadly poisons in microdoses to heal and transform; depth psychology, surgery, philosophical counseling, alchemy, fasting, enemas and colonics, purification.

 

Sagittarius  -  Jupiter  -  Ninth House

     Favors therapeutic approaches with a strong philosophical basis: macrobiotics, Oriental medicine, yoga.  Subject to fluctuations in energy level, as well as psychic state, morale; bipolar tendencies.  Prone to excess and overindulgence; moderation difficault.  A strong need to believe in the treatment for it to work.  Thrives on hope: things need to be put into the most positive terms, and kept bright and uplifting.  Appreciates honesty, directness, candor.
Therapies:  macrobiotics, Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda, yoga, meditation, philosophical counseling, tonic herb therapy, breathing exercises, respiratory therapy

 

Capricorn  -  Saturn  -  Tenth House

     Hardheaded, skeptical; must see results.  Very disciplined in following doctor's orders.  High tolerance for fasting, austere or stringent measures.  Can be too ascetic, hard on himself, self denying, especially in dietary matters.  Tends to rationalize or deny emotions, feelings, especially in public.  Thinking and behavior can get too rigid.  Tends to be conservative; very security conscious.  Can easily make sacrifices, endure pain and suffering for the greater long term good. 
Therapies:  acupuncture, chiropractic, osteopathy, tonic herb therapy, dietotherapy, nutrition, naturopathy, allopathic medicine.

 

Aquarius  -  Uranus  -  Eleventh House

     Believes in mind over matter, and over the body.  Will often drive the body hard, denying it adequate or regular food and sleep.  Can be lax or negligent about proper nutrition of the body, believing that the mind is superior.  Is drawn either to the latest cutting edge medical technology or to revolutionary new holistic approaches involving bioenergy, energetic therapies, mind power or spiritual healing.  Can be irregular in his daily habits.
Therapies:  modern high tech medicine, bioenergetic healing, kinesiology, homeopathy, acupuncture, meditation, kundalini yoga, radionics, magnetotherapy

 

Pisces  -  Neptune  -  Twelfth House

     Often a codependent, addictive personality in need of emotional healing.  Prone to excess, overindulgence, profligate behavior.  Self victimization or self sabotage.  Can place an almost religious, blind faith in the doctor or therapist, often having unrealistic or supernatural expectations.  Will often be vague or confused in relating medical history, getting the facts straight.  Needs to develop will power in following through with therapy.  Basically good-natured, tolerant, compassionate, forgiving.  Can be very sensitive to the effects of foods, drugs, medicines, herbs. 
Therapies:  Alcoholics Anonymous and twelve step programs, subtle energetic therapies, hypnotherapy, counseling and psychotherapy, foot reflexology, lymphatic detoxification, homeopathy, thalassotherapy (sea bathing)

 

     Even more than with the Four Temperaments, most of us will be a mixed bag in terms of the astrological alphabet, and have at least two or three of these "letters" prominent or emphasized in our natal astrology charts.  The Medical Astrologer must figure out the relative strength and balance of these elements, and how they will play out in the client.  This will give him an idea of how to motivate the client, which kinds of therapies to recommend, and which measures the client is likely to follow through with, and which would be impractical or unrealistic expectations.
     There are many different kinds of Medical Astrologers out there, practicing a wide variety of different holistic and alternative therapies.  Astrology affirms the uniqueness of the individual, and that each person is on his or her own unique healing journey or path through life; therefore, no single approach will be right for everyone.  Truly, it's different strokes for different folks.

 

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