Medical astrology is that branch of astrology with deals with the planetary positions and various combinations, which affect the health, physical body, body functions and food habits in life A competent medical astrologer can analyze a person's birth chart and determine bodily strengths and weaknesses, proneness to various disease states, and nutritional deficiencies. In the event of illness or disease, a medical astrologer will use predictive methods to try to determine the severity and duration of the disease. Sometimes a medical astrologer can help determine the course of a disease by the use of a chart called a decumbiture chart.

Astrology has always played an important part in traditional medical systems the world over, and Graeco-Arabic Medicine was no exception. The ancient way of trying to determine information about a disease was by observing the position of the planets and stars. This may seem rather strange to some of us, since today's perception of the universe is governed by "rational" principles, that is, we tend to see the world around us in terms of how (we are told) it really exists. But the ancients saw the world and the universe in a different way than we do today; they perceived and interpreted the world around them as a reality, that is, as they experienced it both objectively and subjectively. Therefore they saw no problem in accepting the correlations they found between their own experiences and the great cosmic clock of planets and stars. To them it was not strange to use astrology to predict the weather than to predict the course of a disease. There is a lot of ancient literature available separately on astrology and medicine. However literature on medical astrology is scanty. The present day medical astrology remains deficient in many ways. The primary underlying cause remains that the astrologers are generally not trained in medicine and the best of them do not have enough understanding of the functioning of the human body. On the other side it is rare to spot the combination of a medical person being an astrologer too. Till recently members of the medical fraternity had not shown much inclination towards astrology, though there is a definite perceptive and refreshing change of late. It is essential that medical men/women take up the study of astrology in the right earnest for some degree of sound research in medical astrology. The handling of this vital area by non-medical persons may not lead to the desired outcome. Medical Astrology and India In India the first references to astronomy are to be found in the Rig Veda, which dates back to around 2000 B.C. Vedic Aryans in fact deified the Sun, Stars and Comets. Astronomy was then interwoven with astrology and since ancient times Indians have involved the planets (called Grahas) with the determination of human fortunes. The planets Shani, i.e. Saturn and Mangal i.e. Mars were considered inauspicious. In the working out of horoscopes (called Janmakundali), the position of the Navagrahas, nine planets plus Rahu and Ketu (mythical demons, evil forces) was considered. The Janmakundali was a complex mixture of science and dogma. But the concept was born out of astronomical observations and perception based on astronomical phenomenon. In ancient times personalities like Aryabhatta and Varahamihira were associated with Indian astronomy.

Disease and Medical Astrology Astrologically, diseases may be classified into the following two categories. Nija: or due to self. This type of disease can again be classified into two broad areas, the physical type, relating to the physical body or ‘shareera’, which are concerned with the eighth house and the eighth lord of the natal horoscope governing them and second are the diseases effecting the mind or the chitta, which falls under the purview of the fifth house and lord, Moon and the eighth house and lord of the natal chart. Agantuka or acquired:Would include inherited types of diseases, which can also be categorized further into two broad areas. First is the drishta, or that which is visible and due to known causes controlled by the sixth house and lord and the shadripu. Next is the adrishta, or the invisible and ostensibly caused due to unknown reasons including problems related to evil spirits and the like would also fall here. The badhak house and lord takes charge here. Systems of the Body The main systems in the human body are governed by the following planets:

SYSTEM PLANET Skeletal Sun Circulatory Moon Muscular Mars Nervous & Skin Mercury Digestive Jupiter Endocrine&Reproductive Venus Excretory (Urinary) Saturn

Problems in any particular system in the human body are likely to be caused by the planet inimical to the ruler of that system. Jupiter is the naisargika karaka for growth. Cancer is unchecked growth of toxic cells in the human body. It is indicative of Jupiter having become malefic and having withdrawn its benign protection. Koluka (Special Shastamsa) Koluka is a very important subdivision of the rashi. Each rashi comprises six kolukas of 5o each. Kolukas are associated with the drekkana, i.e each drekkana has two kolukas. The effect of the planets causing disease is relative to the drekkana/koluka they are are posited in. Planets in the first drekkana effect the upper part of the body, mainly above the neck, while those in the second drekkana effect the middle part of the body also known as the trunk and lastly the ones in the third drekkana effect the lower parts of the body. The key here is that planet in the first koluka in any drekkana effect the interior working of the concerned body part while a planet posited in the second koluka of any drekkana effects the corresponding external organ. Elements and hippocratic temperaments The four fundamental temperaments are largely determined by the predominance of planets at birth in the air, fire, earth or water zodiac signs. Of chief importance are the Sun sign, Moon sign and Ascendant (rising sign). Next in importance are the zodiac locations of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Thus the temperament is determined by the grouping of planets in the horoscope. For example, if the predominance of planets and your rising sign are in air signs at birth, your tendency is to be a Spring type. Spring-Air signs are Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius. Summer-Fire signs are Aries, Leo, Sagittarius. Autumn-Earth signs are Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn. Winter-Water signs are Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces. Medically speaking, when the Sun sign is in fire or air signs, it is considered a predominance of genetic traits to be linked to the father. When the Sun is in water or earth signs, it is considered the heredity to be linked mostly to the mother. If both the Sun and Moon are in the same elemental zodiac sign, then special attention goes to the rulers of the fourth and tenth houses, as the ruler of the fourth house is linked to the mother, and the ruler of the tenth house is linked to the father.

A medical astrologer may consider the following factors while studying a chart with respect to disease: Onset of the disease:This is the strong area of an astrologer. A sound astrologer, on examining a horoscope, should be able to indicate the time when a person is liable to fall ill. This may help in taking some preventive steps, especially the astrological remedial measures, to forestall the malady. For a medical man, it is not possible to predict a future illness. Nature of the disease:This is a weak area for the astrologer. To be sound in this will require a lot of research by medical men proficient in astrology. Outcome and severity of the disease:A patient or a consultor is, naturally, concerned about the severity of an ailment and its outcome. Generally, a medical practitioner of today, with his sound knowledge, will be able to accurately decipher the possible course that an ailment may take in a given patient. An astute astrologer, too, should be able to indicate the severity and the outcome of an illness with a fair amount of accuracy, sometimes perhaps better than the medical practitioner. Treatment and remedy:There is no doubt that medical remedies of today are far superior to and more reliable than any astrological remedies. Astrology can, however, help in two ways. Firstly, when adverse planetary influences indicate the occurrence of an ailment at a future date, and medical science understandably has no clue about it, resorting to propitiation of planets as a remedial astrological measure may be undertaken. Secondly, astrology can sometimes indicate whether or not surgical intervention is going to help, and when. In addition it is also possible that a sound astrologer may be able to point to a diseased organ or region when the medical man is finding it difficult to locate the site of illness; without doubt this happens frequently.

The purpose of medical astrology is to find and prevent conditions and disorders. Just as a doctor will look at blood chemistry report to gain an insight to diagnosis, so the medical astrologer looks at a birth or nativity map (horoscope) to gain an insight as well. The horoscope does not diagnose, rather it provides an insight into the constitution of the native, whether strong or weak, the healing potential, the metabolism whether normal, fast or sluggish, and pathological tendencies. It provides general insights, which are then modified by the native's heredity, early childhood, and environmental factors (weather, climate, exposure to radiation, toxic waste, trauma, accidents, etc.). It also provides an insight into the general psychology of the native and if psychosomatic illness could be present. The planets in the horoscope (contrary to popular belief) do not affect a person directly in the way it is expected by the layman. It is just like the mercury in the thermometer that does not affect the room temperature. It merely is used to measure the heat in the room. Similarly the positions of the planets in a horoscope are used to measure his/her Karma or the debit and credit brought forward from the previous life.