When Your Health was Written in the Stars: Medieval Medicine and Astrology by L. A. Kelley

It’s the middle of the Medieval Ages and you’re not feeling up to snuff. There are no HMO’s so what’s a person to do? Luckily, the local doctor has the right astrological charts to get you back in fighting shape. The basis of medieval medicine was the perceived belief in the connection between astrology and human anatomy. Astral connections weren’t unique to Europeans. The Babylonians created the first organized system of astrology, mostly as a way of divining information about political events in particular locations. Historically, kings and emperors were known to call upon designated court astrologers before going into war. The Egyptians improved on the Babylonia system and devised the zodiac around the 1st century BC. Ptolemy, who lived in Alexandria further developed horoscopic astrology into signs we know today.

Ancient peoples believed astrological bodies had the power to rule fortunes on Earth, so why not the human body, too? To treat a patient, a medieval physician needed to consult the stars, specifically the location of the moon. In the case of an operation, the first step was to check the moon’s alignment. A close relationship to a constellation signaled that a zodiac sign was active. Unlike solar counterparts, lunar signs last only two or three days, rather than an entire month.  If the moon blocked Leo then Leo was active and when a sign was active, it was dangerous to operate on associated body parts. You better hope that boil on your foot didn’t fester until the doctor considered it safe to lance.

The Middle Ages had no telescopes, so illnesses and their treatments were only ascribed to the seven planets visible with the naked eye along with the sun and the moon. Each one was believed to affect specific body parts and some were clearly holdover from ancient myths. Venus and Mars, for instance were linked to reproductive systems. Where else would you expect from the goddess of love and the uber-macho god of war? Specific diseases also had their own astrological signs. Poisoning was linked to Saturn, insanity to Mercury and liver trouble to Jupiter.

Astrological signs were connected to specific body parts and covered a person head to toe. Since Aries was the first sign in the zodiac it affected the uppermost region of the head. The next sign was Taurus who affected the throat and neck. Other signs continued the downward progression in order until reaching Pisces, the last sign of the zodiac who had responsibility for the feet and toes.

After voicing a complaint to a doctor, the diagnosis process began by determining where the moon was in location to a constellation when the patient first became ill. Doctors had special almanacs (or calendars) containing illustrated star charts, allowing them to check the positions of the stars before making a diagnosis. They often had illustration for patients, the Middle Ages equivalent of those pamphlets at your doctor’s office. How did the system work? Let’s say, an examination of your astrological chart determined the need for therapeutic bloodletting. Because the moon governed blood flow, it was best not scheduled during a full moon. Then you needed to know where the moon was in a constellation and the birth date of the patient to determine the effect on their astrological sign.

Complex and confusing, no? The presumed relationships between the heavenly bodies and the human body were so complex, numerous, and contradictory that in practice it was impossible to carry out any operation without breaking some astrological rule. Naturally, many patients died, but the reasoning was don’t blame the practitioner, blame the system. Someone simply miscalculated a star chart. It makes one wonder how many patients survived not because of medieval doctors and their lunatic diagnoses, but in spite of them.

L. A. Kelley writes science fiction and fantasy adventures with humor, romance, and a touch of sass. She can align your planets by smacking you upside the head.