The Lost Etiologies of Mental Health

December 2021

Copyright © by Judith, 2021

We tend to think of psychology and psychiatry as historically recent innovations of the twentieth century. In fact, Hellenistic and Renaissance astrologers possessed a considerable heritage of similar inquiry and diagnostic attempt. A few detailed tracts concerning the astrology of “mental illness" exists in period astrological and medical texts. In this short article, I will refer primarily to the influential works of Ptolemy, Porphyry of Tyre, (both 2nd Century AD), and Joseph Blagrave (1600s). This is enough to show that inquiry into the human mind, and its troubles, was extant in the Greek-Roman through Renaissance astrological tradition.

Claudius Ptolemy includes detailed sections in his seminal Tetrobiblios, Book 3, on “The Quality of the Mind”, and, “The Diseases of the Mind”. His ancient system of mental assessment is complex, and follows a prescribed pattern with byzantine subtlety. Obviously, he has pondered this subject thoroughly, and observed and compared the natal charts of manifold mental health sufferers. The natal chart is his tool. He discovered and described many what we call today in the business, planetary and sign based “signatures”, for various mental states.

Is this the first Western diagnostic labeling? More research is needed. We must consider too, that Ptolemy acquired some material from far earlier sources. Some of our early writers stated techniques without always providing their source. We also have an unfortunate tendency to historically date origins from the existence of “the first” article, just because we have no access to an earlier article.

As for the general mental type, Ptolemy first perused the sign, aspects, and planetary dispositors of the Moon and Mercury. The Moon governed “sensibilities”, and was not logical. Speculatively, it makes sense that he was referring to feelings, emotions, and emotional responsiveness. Conversely, Mercury, in his system, is the logical mind. With this tool, we do the accounting, study for exams, etc.

Ptolemy’s method proved spot-on accurate when tested on the natal charts of my friends. Mercury in Gemini square Mars gave an impatient, fast, and clever intellect (and someone prone to speeding tickets). Conversely, Mercury in Capricorn, conjunct Saturn, produced a slow, careful mind, content to repeatedly read the same book, and with more than a touch of OCD. However, my experience with his method extends far beyond a few examples. Ptolemy’s words ring true through countless readings completed over decades!

We see that Ptolemy was concerned with the individualistic quality of a mind. Modern psychologists also note the same basic distinction between emotion and thought that did Ptolemy. There are several other labels assigned to this difference… “conscious” vs “subconscious” springs to mind, as well “intellect” versus “feeling”.

Last night, I watched with great interest a documentary on the brain by David Eagleman. He showed how incoming data is imprinted in a sort of internal picture bank that colors, informs and overshadows all we see. Astrology has a correlative observation.

Specific zodiac signs are associated with the afferent sensory nerves (in-coming data to brain), whereas other signs are dominated by internal memories, and less by incoming, new data. It appears that the differential between external and internal reality is automatically built into the astrological paradigm.

Let’s return to Ptolemy’s “The Diseases of the Mind”.

The ancients were well aware of mental illness and epilepsy.

His ancient method includes:

a)        is there a mental illness?

b)       an extremely brief description of symptoms and behavior

c)        provision of planets and specific configurations to the symptom

d)        prognosis for recovery

Here is an example from Ptolemy: (it is realized that his language would now be disallowed.)

“For example, epilepsy generally attaches itself to all persons born when Mercury and the Moon may be unconnected either with each other, or with the oriental horizon, while Saturn and Mars may be in angles and superintend the scheme, that is to say, provided Saturn be so posited by day, and Mars by night: otherwise the converse ma happen in these schemes vi. when Saturn may have dominion by night, but Mars by day (especially in Cancer, Virgo or Pisces), the persons born will become insane.”

He continues, describing how perhaps they will be…

“afflicted with moisture of the brain, if the Moon, being in the face of the Sun, should be governed by Saturn when operating her conjunction, but by Mars when effecting her opposition; and particularly when it may happen in Sagittarius or Pisces”.

Advancing to the 17th century late English Renaissance, we find Joseph Blagrave (physician, herbalist, astrologer, and medical diarist) attributing distinctive symptoms with four types of “madness” by their “humor”.  In his day, this approach was already an ancient technology. Both Four Element and Four Humor theory were orchestrated in the last four centuries, BCE. And regretfully, in my opinion, The Four Humors were conflated with the traditional and earlier “Four Elements”. Although neither system is dependent on astrology, per se, both sets were associated with the four zodiacal signs in triplicities by Vettius Valens 125-175 A. D. “Fire”, “Earth”, “Air”, “Water”. Note: A brief historical slide show on the development and conflation of these systems is available to students in the Free Resources section of my free “Intro to Medical Astrology and Welcome Orientation” class.

Blagrave noted precise symptoms for “sanguine mad”; “choleric mad”; “melancholic mad”; and “phlegmatic mad”. (These terms would be anathema today, and considered insulting. I include them for historic accuracy only.)

The mapping of the human psyche is nothing new, nor an invention of modern Western psychological practice. However, a foremost difference between ancient and modern Western “psyche maps” is clinical psychology’s absence of the “soul” or “spirit”. It is this singular rejection of a soul that marks the “great divide” between the old and new paradigms. Of course, I realize that there are maverick schools who accept this concept, but it is neither the public or clinical face of the science.

Two recent public television “scientific” brain documentaries surprised me. Both programs overwhelmingly instructed the viewer that “you are your brain”, with no research presented to the contrary. (My favorite quote was the speaker’s confident “I am the activity of neurons in my brain”). He eloquently taught us that when the brain dies, so do we.

Because significant studies of afterlife activity do in fact exist, (in abundance), their lack of mention seemed unfortunate. The good scientist (or court) provides all the evidence. I can’t speak for others, but if there is any evidence that we survive the brain’s death, I want to know about it!

The scientist who rejects a spiritual existence would naturally reject all etiologies and human maps that depend on that viewpoint. Oddly, astrology does not depend on belief in an afterlife, or other planes of existence. Afterlife skeptics and mystics alike can, and do, both read charts! Why? Because astrology at base is a study of cosmic rays, and how these influence nations, situations, people, the weather, gardening, health etc. Therefore, astrology is not dependent on any political or religious system, while can be utilized by them all!  A plumber can read charts the same as any occultist can, or, as in days of yore, did Catholic monks.

Although individual practitioners and offshoot variant psychological schools do recognize the possibility of a spirit, and/or reincarnation, the mainstream clinical psychological practice, stemming from Freud and Jung, does not. Freud flat out didn’t believe, and Jung, while author of the magnificent quote following, did not promote this idea in a traditional manner. Rather, when asked, he went in all manner of fascinating directions, it becoming impossible here to ferret out exactly what he believed, other than his analysis of the act of believing.

“What happens after death is so unspeakably glorious that our imagination and our feelings do not suffice to form even an approximate conception of it. The dissolution of our time-bound form in eternity brings no loss of meaning”.
— Carl Jung

We do know that Jung studied astrology in enough depth to analyze natal charts, and that he borrowed considerably from the ancient Four Elements and Four Temperaments paradigm in the establishment of his four “basic functions”. Jung’s 1913 masterwork Psychological Types suggests (as new!?) four basic approaches to life, and their associated personality types: thinking (T), feeling (F), sensing/sensation (S), and intuition (N).

This seems nothing less than a repositioning of the good old Four Elements, Four Humors, and their Four Temperaments; and I wonder, had Jung credited his sources? Neither is astrology devoid of Jung’s “discovery” of “introvert” and “extrovert” typology, showcased in the same influential test. The precise idea has long existed in natal astrology as the outwardly moving “masculine” and inwardly moving “feminine” signs.

In stark contrast to Freud, the ancient Greeks were fascinated with ensoulment into the dense physical body. How does individuality arise, and how is intrinsic life purpose imprinted?  (The Moira Press publishes an accessible translation by Andrea Gehrz of Porphyry of Tyre’s Ensoulment.   (The details of Porphyry’s life are obscure. We know he lived between 234-305 AD).

It is clear that ancient Greek and Roman “astro-psychologists” were fascinated with ensoulment, fate, destiny, intrinsic character and imprinted purpose in a manner quite lost to the “new” psychology of the 1900s. This provided them, and all medieval and Renaissance practitioners a far wider palette of etiologies (causes) than afforded the modern approach. One might say in jest, that if you have a soul, there is a lot you can blame on it! Let’s call the newly avoided causes of disease “The Lost Etiologies”.

Let’s compare possible etiologies accepted by both camps for extreme mental states. (I’m aware that my lists may be incomplete, and do not include etiologies recognized in maverick branches of psychology and psychiatry.)

Modern Clinical Western Etiology

• organic brain chemistry imbalance

• brain injury

• present life trauma (PTSD)

• infancy and childhood experience (“nurture”)

• genetics

• cultural influences

• neurological and sensory disorders

Renaissance Medicine Etiology

• organic (body oriented)

• injury

• present life trauma (shock, grief, miscarriage)

• genetics (from mother and father)

• “of God”

• karmic (past life origin). Karmic origin etiology was rejected in the Christian West because reincarnation theory was considered heretical. The Hindu tradition accepts karma as well as reincarnation.

• possession (by demon, or discarnate human)

• magical attack

• ghosts and other astral beings

• elf shot

• fairy revenge

• constipation

• diet

• imbalance of humors (diet and weather often cited)

• astrological causation (a prominent etiology in its own right as well as a technology use to determine which of all these other etiologies is causative.) Additionally, a method of prognosis.

• In the East, we have the inclusion of chakra blockages or imbalances as possible causes for various expressions of emotional and mental extremes. (The same would hold for the blockage of the pingala or ida, the two pranic channels situated on either side of the spine). Planetary rays are said to first enter these subtle channels prior to influencing us on manifold levels.

To the modern mind, many Renaissance etiologies appear amusing or weird. However, the Renaissance physician would be equally disbelieving and dismayed to see our current “short list” of causations. What? No planets?

By the 1800s, the collective banishment of many ancient mental health etiologies (and astrology too); begun around 1700, was complete. Yet, modern psychology was not yet born. To fill the gaping etiological chasm, mental illness was blamed on character flaws (jealousy, greed, laziness, etc.) It was not until “mad King George III” was temporarily “cured” of what may have been syphilitic paresis, did the blame and shame associated with mental illness slowly abate. It was no longer “their fault”!

Astrology stands aside from both ancient and modern paradigms. The science of cosmic rays, and how they influence character, health and timing is useful within the confines of any mindset. Perhaps that is why astrology survives!

Astrology: The Crown Jewel of Renaissance Etiology

For the ancient or Renaissance physician, astrological causation was a primary tool, because it was used to determine all other etiologies! The ‘decumbiture’ chart was first assessed partly to determine which of the above etiologies caused the ailment.

Additionally, the astrological chart reflects, to some degree, current influences, appropriate remedials and prognosis. For the believer, astrology in a central jewel in the ancient science of mental health assessment.