The Aspects in Your Health Horoscope

Medical Astrology 5

The planets are the active ingredients in the horoscope, the what of any event in life or personal talent. The aspects, special angles that connect them, are the why.

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They explain what dynamics lie behind the characteristics and tendencies of the planets involved.

That why works both ways: each planet's tendencies can be understood by the aspect to the other one. There is no point in trying to decide a first cause between them, since that, too, changes from one situation to another.

Complete horoscope chart with the aspects marked by lines in the inner circle.

In medical astrology, your health is understood much better by studying the aspects. Usually, health problems appear when the two sides of an aspect get unbalanced, so that one side dominates and leaves the other lacking. Two health issues can emerge from this: the weakened side can start to show symptoms, but so can the dominant side — from over-stimulation.

Of course, aspects happen between planets and similar points. Still, the Zodiac signs and Houses of those planets need to be considered for a better understanding of the consequences. They show the how and where of the effects.

Here are the planets and keywords for the kinds of health problems they can cause when obstructed or held back, like in an aspect:

Sun fatigue
Moon anxiety, gloom
Mercury uncertainty
Venus discomfort
Mars irritation
Jupiter misfortune
Saturn complication
Uranus confusion
Neptune hypochondria
Pluto malfunction
Ascendant neglect
Medium Coeli doubt

You can read more about the planets and their roles in your health on my Planets and Health web page.

Helios, the Greek sun god. Athenian red-figure krater, 5th century BC.

The aspects, too, differ in characteristics and effects. Here are the major aspects, and what health effects they have:

Conjunctions in Your Health Horoscope

Conjunction is when two or more planets are very close to one another in the complete horoscope chart. Astrologically, this means that their powers blend, so that they sort of form a new planet with its own distinctive traits. See my web page about conjunctions for more on this.

As for your health, the conjunction creates a point of great power in your horoscope. Normally, it will mean strength, and not weakness, but it is also a very demanding force. Therefore, it can cause serious problems when obstructed or held back. A conjunction needs to be lived out, or it will sort of backfire.

On the other hand, an over-stimulated conjunction can also lead to health issues. This is actually more likely than the conjunction being obstructed or restrained, since it is such a power in the complete horoscope o classical astrology — easier to overdo than to ignore.

Here are keywords for what the planets might cause when over-stimulated:

Sun exertion
Moon mood-swings
Mercury stress
Venus unpleasantness
Mars irritation
Jupiter exaggeration
Saturn burden
Uranus confusion
Neptune distraction
Pluto destruction
Ascendant obsession
Medium Coeli indulgence

To know the health hazards of a conjunction, it's easy enough to consider the Zodiac sign involved, usually being just one (if not two planets are really close, but still in different signs). Here are keywords for the body parts that the Zodiac signs govern, which may be afflicted by an obstructed conjunction:

Aries head, brain
Taurus neck, throat, ears, nose, teeth, hearing
Gemini lungs, speech, smell
Cancer skin
Leo heart, blood
Virgo food intake intestines
Libra food processing intestines, excrement
Scorpio genitals, hormones
Sagittarius eyes
Capricorn bones, spine
Aquarius arms, legs
Pisces nerves

The House is also plain to see, usually being just one, showing where the conjunction health problems may emerge — what part of life triggers them. Here is a list of the Houses, and what they suggest about where or from whom you catch a certain disease:

1st Personal habits
2nd Chronic from birth
3rd Friends
4th Home and family
5th Pastime activities
6th Work
7th Partner
8th Unknown, probably genetic
9th Travel
10th Work-place or social life
11th Strangers, the community
12th Weakness, low resistance

It is significantly more difficult to understand and interpret the power formed by the actual conjunct planets. You have to contemplate the characteristics of each planet involved, and come up with what that leads to in their blending. The possible combinations are too many to go through here. Check the keywords for the planets above. Also, see my web page about conjunctions in general.

For example, an obstructed sun can lead to fatigue, and an obstructed moon to anxiety or gloom. So, the combined effect might be an apathy difficult to snap out of. Serious loss of motivation. When over-stimulated the same aspect might lead to wearing oneself down both physically and emotionally, a cause for a time-out and patient recreation.

Use your imagination to figure out the significance of the other conjunctions, as you come across them in your own or someone else's horoscope.

The oppositions of the horoscope Zodiac and Houses.

The oppositions of the horoscope Zodiac signs and Houses.

Oppositions in Your Health Horoscope

Opposition is when two planets are on almost exact opposite sides of the complete horoscope chart — approximately 180° apart. The significance of this aspect is pretty much the same as its name: opposition, two interests colliding, so that it's either one or the other, rarely both at work at a given time.

The opposition is almost as powerful in the horoscope as the conjunction, and of great importance for your health. The two sides of the opposition are sort of at war with one another, so when one is dominating, the other suffers and will lead to some health problems. Another time their roles are reversed.

You can probably see in the horoscope what side will usually dominate: the strongest one. For example, if one side of the opposition is a conjunction of two or more planets, it will surely be the dominant one during most of your life. The other side will only take over at short periods, when stimulated by other events or forces.

The same is true for a planet that has several other aspects to other planets in the horoscope. That also increases its power, so it will be the more dominant one. When the powers on both sides of the opposition are rather equal, the dominance will swing back and forth, leading to several complications in your life, and health risks at both sides.

In understanding the health issues, consider the planets involved, the Zodiac signs they are in, and the Houses they occupy. Use the keywords listed above to make your understanding of the ingredients easier.

For further information about oppositions and how they work in general, see my web page on that aspect.

Zodiac Man. Each Zodiac sign represents a part of the body, which was traditionally used in reading the health horoscope. Painting from 1413-16.

The trines of the horoscope Zodiac signs and Houses.

Trines in Your Health Horoscope

Trine is when two planets are about 120° apart. This is an aspect of harmony, so that the two involved sides cooperate smoothly. They stimulate one another, although usually not in a very concrete way.

The positive power of this aspect makes it unlikely to cause serious health problems. Instead, mostly it makes the involved planets increasingly beneficial, so that illness is less likely than it would be without them — illness of the Zodiac signs and Houses they occupy, that is. The rest of the horoscope is mostly unaffected.

Of course it can happen at times that one side of the trine dominates to the extent that the other side is obstructed or neglected. Then the latter can cause some ailment, but rarely anything serious. Check the lists with keywords above, to figure out what that can lead to.

What is more likely is that they over-stimulate one another, so that both can express such symptoms, according to the characteristics of the involved planets, Zodiac signs, and Houses.

Here are keywords for what the planets might cause when over-stimulated:

Sun exertion
Moon mood-swings
Mercury stress
Venus unpleasantness
Mars irritation
Jupiter exaggeration
Saturn burden
Uranus confusion
Neptune distraction
Pluto destruction
Ascendant obsession
Medium Coeli indulgence

The Big Trine aspect figure. An aspect figure that appears now and then is the Big Trine, where planets on three locations in the horoscope, all of them about 120° apart, are connected with trines. That makes a triangle covering the whole horoscope circle. This increases the power and activity of the involved planets considerably, so the risk of over-stimulation also rises. Normally, though, such an aspect figure improves one's health.

The squares of the horoscope Zodiac signs and Houses.

Squares in Your Health Horoscope

Square is the aspect when planets are about 90° apart. This is a complication, where the planets involved are in conflict, working in separate directions. It's a stimulating and constructive aspect, but also one that easily leads to trouble. Much is done by it, but nothing is easy.

The health is at some risk, on both sides of the aspect. Usually both sides experience problems and health issues to about the same extent, but if one side is dominant the other is sure to suffer more. Still, no side is ever completely without problems.

See the keyword lists above for how the planets, Zodiac signs, and Houses behave when obstructed by this aspect. It is also possible that a square over-stimulates both sides of it.

Learn more about the square in general on my web page about it.
The Big Square aspect figure. In some horoscopes there can be four square aspects connecting planets into a complete geometric figure covering the whole horoscope chart. That's called the Big Square, and it's rather rare. In such an aspect figure, all the involved planets are likely to be over-stimulated, at least at times, and your health can be at risk at all the four spots. Notice also that a Big Square has two oppositions crossing the aspect figure diagonally. These aspects are even more important, and tend to dominate events.

The sextiles of the horoscope Zodiac signs and Houses.

Sextiles in Your Health Horoscope

Sextile is the aspect where planets are about 60° apart. It is a positive aspect, giving a creative boost to both sides of it. They cooperate naturally, inspiring each other to additional feats and heightened activity. It's an aspect through which much gets done — like a charm.

The sextile is not likely to cause any serious health problems, ever. It may occasionally trigger some over-stimulation, but that's rare. It's even more rare that it creates obstacles for one of the involved planets, or holds anything back.

At times there can be some unbalance in a sextile, so that one side gets somewhat dominant, and the other suffers. But that's temporary, and should not lead to any lasting discomfort.

The only exception is if one side of the sextile is enforced by additional planets in a conjunction, or by a number of aspects to other parts of the horoscope. Then the other side of the aspect might get kind of drained, working almost exclusively for the dominant side of the sextile. The losing side will at length cause some health issues. Again, this is not likely to develop into something very serious — but in the long run, it could.

See more about the sextile in general on my web page about it.

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