#iatromathematics

luna, riding a cancer

in a medical-astrological manuscript ("iatromathematisches hausbuch"), bavaria, ca. 1474

Medicine was among the first and most popular applications of astrology until the 18th century. In its various forms, it was practiced widely across the Middle East, Western Asia and much of Europe. The medical astrology we know today follows mostly Indian, Egyptian, & Greek traditions and was further developed for modern use by Italian occultists and physicians of the 17th century who called it iatromathematics. Due to its origin at the intersection of ancient medicine & philosophy, medical astrology is one of the core defining bodies of knowledge which astrology as a whole is built upon.

Medical astrology was used to delineate an individual’s bodily constitution, strengths, vulnerabilities, and the nature of their physical reactivity to their environment. To analyze a birth chart from a medical perspective means to measure the potential biological effects of astrological arrangements with extreme precision and attention to detail; medical astrologers used every possible indicator to make concrete diagnoses, including the signs, their decans & terms, the planets, their declinations, dispositors, & trajectories, the houses & their lords, aspects, midpoints, and symbolic degrees. In order for this branch of astrology to be useful, such strict precision is absolutely necessary. When practitioners in the mid-1700s tried to over-simplify it, it became largely inaccurate & disreputable and fell out of common practice.

The principles of medical astrology originate within a conceptual system of congruence and essential similarity between all expressions of biology. The ancient Greeks characterized all natural phenomena using four fundamental qualities: hot, cold, wet, and dry. These qualities were a predominant influence on the formation of medical astrology (and astrology in general). Hot: warm, bright, changeable, rapid, expansive Cold: cool, dark, deliberate, constant, conservative Wet: moist, soft, malleable, formless, mixable Dry: parched, hard, brittle, well-defined, solid

The most dynamic measurement of the nature of these qualities is based on their combined actualization, established with Aristotle’s theory of “being and becoming” which followed a model of the four seasons. Hippocrates’ four humors were, in part, a version of those combinations applied to the body. The humors and classical elements developed alongside each other, and came to represent not only corporeal occurrences but also human temperaments.

Aristotle’s model: Spring: wet becoming hot Summer: hot becoming dry Autumn: dry becoming cold Winter: cold becoming wet

Humors | Elements | Temperaments, as informed by Aristotle’s model: Hot & dry: yellow bile (choler) | fire | choleric temperament Cold & dry: black bile (melancholy) | earth | melancholic temperament Hot & wet: blood (sanguis) | air | sanguine temperament Cold & wet: phlegm | water | phlegmatic temperament

This structure is the root of most medical associations in astrology. The body is understood through the lens of these qualities, and so are the planets and astrological signs; their correlations are a result of their congruent categorization, in addition to symbolism, mythology, chemistry, and general observation. A simple example of this would be blood -- a literally warm and wet substance, ruled by a hot/wet (air) sign, Aquarius. Bones, on the other hand, are literally dry, solid, well-defined, and long-lasting -- suited to the attitude of Saturn. The correspondences are much more complex than this, of course, but the basic idea is that there is an apparent alignment of physical reality with astrological energy. From there, astrologers developed a system of astro-physical rulerships.

*The sources I used for these rulerships drew from multiple separate practices ranging from traditional Vedic to medieval European, often presented through a contemporary perspective. I tried to narrow it down and stay consistent despite that, but some of the more specific associations are not broadly supported.

PHYSICAL RULERSHIPS:

ARIES: head, skull, cranium, brain, pineal gland, pituitary gland, face, eyes, nose, muscles, adrenal glands. TAURUS: ears, neck, throat, vocal cords, jaw, chin, mouth, lips, tonsils, tongue, thyroid gland, jugular nerve/vein, larynx, eustachian tubes. GEMINI: shoulders, arms, hands, fingers, nervous system, lungs, airways, bronchi, trachea, thymus gland. CANCER: chest, rib cage, breastbone, breasts, mammary glands, diaphragm, alimentary system, stomach, solar plexus, pancreas, ovaries, uterus. LEO: heart, spine (spinal cord, spinal column), upper back, circulation. VIRGO: hands, fingers, nails, nervous system, dorsal nerves, abdomen, pancreas, spleen, intestines, bowels, liver. LIBRA: equilibrium, bodily symmetry, lower back, loins, lumbar region, buttocks, kidneys, endocrine system, blood vessels, skin. SCORPIO: appendix, excretory system, urinary system, bladder, urethra, anus, colon, rectum, prostate, cervix, genitals. SAGITTARIUS: hips, thighs, sciatic nerve, liver, iliac arteries & veins. CAPRICORN: skeletal system, bones, teeth, knees, joints, structural & connective tissue, scar tissue, cartilage, skin, hair, gallbladder. AQUARIUS: calves, shins, ankles, joints, circulatory system, blood. PISCES: feet, toes, lymphatic system & lymph nodes, sweat glands, fat tissue.

SUN: vitality, heart, aorta, arteries & veins, blood, circulation, circulatory system, marrow, spine (spinal cord, spinal column), spinal fluid, cerebrovascular system, eyes, right eye of males, left eye of females. MOON: chest, chest cavity, rib cage & ribs, glandular tissue, mammary glands, breasts, breastbone, sweat glands, lymphatic glands, lymphatic system, lymph nodes, spleen, saliva & salivary glands, pineal gland, ovaries, uterus, pancreas, stomach, digestive system, nutrition, pregnancy & birth, infant & child growth, puberty, left eye of males, right eye of females. BOTH SUN & MOON rule the circadian rhythm; sun is associated with wakefulness & consciousness while the moon is associated with sleep. MERCURY: brain, nervous system, nerves, vagus nerve, shoulders, arms, hands, fingers, lungs, trachea, respiratory system, speech, senses, cognition. VENUS: ears, eustachian tubes, cheeks, chin, lips, gums, tongue, taste buds, neck, throat, esophagus, vocal cords, alimentary system, thyroid gland, thymus gland, kidneys, fat tissue, skin, pores, hair follicles, senses, female anatomy. MARS: sinuses, nose, gallbladder, bile, bile ducts, hair, nails, muscles, sinews, tendons, genitals, appendix, pelvis, male anatomy. JUPITER: right ear, cell growth, endocrine system, adrenal glands, pituitary gland, pineal gland, liver, pleura, sciatic nerve, legs, thighs, calves, feet, toes. SATURN: left ear, teeth, skin, structural & connective tissue, scar tissue, veins, bones, skull, skeleton, cartilage, joints, elbows, knees.

CARDINAL: short, intense, singular, and momentous illnesses. FIXED: chronic, persistent, prolonged, stable, and recurring illnesses. MUTABLE: volatile, inconsistent, rapid, and unpredictable illnesses.

Each sign & planet rules any illnesses related their respective physical rulerships (i.e. Aries governs brain abnormalities, the Moon governs stomach issues, Libra governs kidney complications, Saturn governs bone diseases, etc). The nature of an illness or injury often aligns with the energy of its astrological signification (i.e. Jupiter can denote mysterious diseases related to overgrowth & excess; Mars can denote intense, painful diseases related to high temperature & over-activity; the Moon can denote issues of fluid retention or over-sensitivity; Saturn can denote grave, burdensome long-term diseases related to contraction, blockages, or decline; Aries can denote fast-paced, acute illnesses; Taurus can denote illnesses related to over-indulgence, habit, or dependency; fire influence can denote inflammation and fevers; and so on).

The houses were not traditionally considered to rule bodily parts or processes, but were instead used to orient the condition of celestial influences on the body in a positive or negative sense, and to represent the circumstances surrounding an individual’s health. The houses also function as points of actualization, where celestial influences can be triggered to manifest. Generally, the first house & Ascendant represent an individual’s overall physique, vitality, stature, and the basic disposition of their health; the sixth, eighth, and twelfth houses are related to illness, disease, injury, and death; and the fifth & eleventh houses are related to remedies, healing, relief, and improvement.

phlebotomy man

miniature from the medical-astrological "schürstab codex", nuremberg, c. 1472

sharing a bathtub in nature

in a medical-astrological manuscript ("iatromathematisches hausbuch"), bavaria, ca. 1474

For this week’s Reading the Hermetica discussion, we’re continuing our look at some technical Hermetic texts, focusing this time on the Sacred Book of Hermēs Trismegistos to Asklēpios. One of the reasons why I like turning to the PGM so often is because it’s such a rich resource of Greco-Egyptian spiritual tech.  It’s got everything: talismans, amulets, phylacteries, exorcisms, divination,…