Spagyrics and the Natal Chart

Spagyrics and the Natal Chart

Roland Matthews (2020)

            Having a knowledge of Iatromathematics, or medical astrology is very useful for determining what types of specific physical ailments a person may suffer from, when those maladies may become activated, how acute they may be, and how long they may last.  But even as useful as that information may be, it is only half the battle.  What good is it to tell someone that they may have a potential to become ill in a certain way, at a certain time, and for a certain amount of time, without exploring the root cause of the illness and the possible remedies?

            The Ascendant of the natal chart can indicate the basic vitality available to the native, while the placement, essential dignity, and aspects to the planetary ruler of the Ascendant can also give clues.  The sign of the sixth house of health, the planetary ruler of that house, as well as planets in or aspecting it can indicate the area of the body affected.  Observing the aspects of the transits then shows the timing and nature of an illness.  These over-simplified statements are only meant to give a general understanding of the fundamental concepts as medical astrology is very complex and it would take several books to give it justice, as many authors have done.  The purpose of this paper is to discuss what to do after a decumbiture, or astrological analysis of one’s illness has taken place.     

            Assuming that the illness is of a nature that is not a medical emergency requiring immediate attention or surgery, we can suggest an herbal spagyric as a gentle remedy for a low-level sickness.  The word spagyric was coined by Paracelsus (1493 – 1541) and refers to the process of taking apart the constituents of a medicine and then recombining them into an exalted and purified state increasing its effectiveness.  One major difference between an alchemical spagyric and a medicine produced by a mass marketed pharmaceutical company is that the spagyric uses all of an herb, whereas the pharmaceutical usually isolates a specific compound considered to be useful and concentrates it.  While that can be effective in treatment, it can also have negative or unwanted side-effects.  Using the whole plant in lower concentrations is beneficial for several reasons.  First, it includes all the complementary constituents of the plant which aid in its absorption and use by the body.  Second, having a lower concentration lowers the potential for negative side-effects.  Thirdly, it enables the body to support its own natural resources instead of becoming dependent, thereby strengthening its own resilience.  This means that over time, the spagyric may no longer be necessary. 

            The spagyric is also energetically aligned so that it can clear the blockages of the subtle, astral, and etheric bodies.  What this means is that it not only addresses the physical issues, but also can aid in psychological, emotional, and spiritual healing.  This means that the root cause of the sickness can also be restored to balance, resulting in an actual cure as opposed to just glossing over the symptoms.  The way they are ‘aligned’ is through the doctrine of signatures relating the plant to specific planets, electional astrology to tie the timing of processing the plant with the planet, and astrological magic to unite those energies within the spagyric to the patient.