Astrology Nutrition &
Health
by Robert Carl Jansky
Chapter Eight
Hormones: Chemical
Messengers
Topics in this Chapter:
The Role of
Hormones
The
Pituitary Gland
The Thyroid
Gland
The Islets
of Langerhans
The Adrenal
Glands
The
Testes and Ovaries
The Thymus Gland
The Pineal Gland
The Spleen
The Parathyroid
Glands
In this chapter we discuss the regulative role in the
metabolism played by the potent biochemical compounds called hormones. We will
relate them to their source in the body and to their planet and sign rulerships,
and we will see how certain planetary afflictions affect these regulative
processes. The importance of the diet is also discussed.
The Role of Hormones
Scattered
throughout the body are the endocrine glands, which secrete directly into the
bloodstream very small amounts of hormones, which generally speed up or slow
down some vital chemical process in the body. Hormones have a profound effect on
both the physical body and on the personality, and thus they strongly influence
our behavior. This is perhaps most evident at the onset of puberty, when the
body increases its production of sex hormones. The hormones have a regulative
effect, which puts them under the general rulership of Aries and Libra. In fact,
many of the endocrine glands are actually located in the Aries and Libra
sections of the body. Afflictions related to these signs can put the endocrine
system out of balance. In addition, each of the endocrine glands and the hormone
it produces is ruled by a particular planet.
However,
hormones may also be thought of as chemical messengers. Secreted in one area of
the body, they signal a reaction in another area to speed up or slow down. This
puts the hormones under the general rulership also of Mercury, the
messenger.
The human body is bilaterally symmetrical;
that is, many organs and structures occur in pairs, one on each side of the
body. The right and left organs act as backups for each other. The Sun is the
general ruler of all the organs on the right side of the body; the Moon is the
general ruler of those on the left - with one very important exception. The Moon
controls the right half of the brain; the Sun, the left half. Other than that,
the right eye, ear, nostril, breast, arm, kidney, testicle, ovary and leg are
under the general rulership of the Sun; the corresponding organs on the left are
controlled by the Moon.
All of these co-rulerships may
seem a bit confusing. Max Heindel, in his book The Message of the Stars,
helps sort it out with a good analogy. Heindel says: “It is as when we say that
all who live in the United States of America are citizens of that country, but
some are subject to the laws of California, others to those of Maine.” Aries -
Libra, Mercury, the Sun and/or the Moon correspond in this analogy to the whole
country, while planets that rule particular endocrine glands correspond to the
states.
In general, an oversecretion of one of the
endocrine glands is related to Jupiter; an undersecretion is indicated by
Saturn; tumors of these glands are generally Pluto-related; and infection or
inflammation is related to Mars. The connection is generally a square,
opposition, quincunx or sometimes a con-junction between the ruler of the gland
and the appropriate planet, with a sixth or twelfth house
involvement.
The Pituitary Gland
The
pituitary gland, which is ruled by Uranus and Scorpio, is called the master
control gland of the body. Not only does it regulate growth and reproductive
functions, it also regulates the other endocrine glands as well. It is a tiny
red pea-shaped gland located deep within the brain for protection. It has two
distinct lobes, each of which has a special function. The anterior, or front,
lobe rules the reproductive forces and the nerve fibers. The hormones it
secretes trigger ovulation in the female and the onset of puberty in both sexes.
Afflictions to Uranus, especially from Aries, can cause such medical conditions
as precocious puberty (the premature development of secondary sex
characteristics - as early as age five or six) and overstimulation of the other
endocrine glands, producing all sorts of physical
malfunctions.
The posterior lobe of the pituitary gland
controls circulation of fluids within the body, especially to the kidneys.
Over-or undersecretion of the hormones in this lobe can cause a person to
develop as a midget or as a giant. The natal charts of such freaks of nature
usually show Uranus as the causative agent, acting too freely on the pituitary
gland. This gland is vital to the control of nutrition and assimilation of food
and is often implicated in diseases like arthritis. Uranus is in its fall
position in Taurus, which sometimes indicates diminished activity of the
posterior lobe of the pituitary, principally through the pituitary’s close
relationship to the thyroid gland, which is located in the Taurus region of the
body.
Occultists consider the pituitary very important
in understanding our spiritual nature, for it is thought to be a spiritual
center of our being. And it is said to be stimulated or awakened by trine or
sextile transits of Neptune or Uranus to the natal position of Uranus. In any
case, medical authorities are now reasonably certain that the posterior
pituitary regulates the nutrition and growth of the body. Jupiter represents the
principle of growth, which is frequently shown in natal charts through Jupiter
aspects of Uranus. The South Node of the Moon, when close to the Ascendant, may
retard physical growth, according to a study reported by George White in his
book, The Moon’s Nodes and Their Importance in Natal
Astrology.
The Thyroid Gland
Closely
linked to the pituitary is the thyroid gland, the master regulator of the rate
of metabolism. Located in the throat area, the thyroid is ruled by Mercury and
Taurus. Its hormone, thyroxin, is secreted directly into the bloodstream. The
thyroid gland’s role in maintaining good health can hardly be overestimated,
since thyroxin regulates the body temperature, controls growth rate and
regulates the rate at which food is oxidized. To a very great extent, this gland
influences our mental and emotional balance.
The
hormone thyroxin is composed of the amino acid tyrosine, which comes from the
protein we eat, and the mineral iodine, which must be present in the daily diet.
As we shall discuss later, iodine is ruled by the Sun, and people who have the
Sun in Taurus or Scorpio frequently require more iodine in their diet for normal
thyroid function.
Thyroid disorders fall into two
general classes: 1) lack of sufficient iodine in the diet to produce the
required amount of thyroxin, and 2) a body disorder that creates such a demand
for thyroxin that the thyroid gland cannot fulfill it. Astrologically, the first
condition is often symbolized by a malefic aspect of Saturn to the Sun (which
rules iodine), while the latter condition is generally a malefic aspect of
Jupiter to the planet that rules the body region demanding the excessive amount
of thyroxin. In the first case, the thyroid gland usually enlarges to try to
produce the necessary amount of thyroxin (and iodine), and we see what is
commonly called goiter. A classic astrological indicator of goiter is an
afflicted Venus in Taurus with a sixth-house
involvement.
Atrophy of the thyroid gland produces
cretinism in children and myxoedema when it occurs later in life. Intelligence
is impaired, idiocy is not uncommon and physical development is severely
impaired. The astrological signature of this condition is generally a severe
affliction to Mercury, generally from Saturn. On the other hand, an oversupply
of thyroxin causes hyperthyroidism, with excessive nervousness, hyperactivity
and protruding eyeballs. Usually this condition is indicated by a Mars or
Jupiter affliction to Mercury, especially the
square.
Iodine is best supplied to the diet through
foods from the ocean—fish, shellfish and ocean plants like kelp. It is also
found in sea salt, which is of great benefit to those who live far from the
ocean. Drinking water contaminated with cyanides can also contribute to goiter,
as can excessive amounts of barbiturates, when there is insufficient iodine or
vitamin C (ruled by Saturn) in the diet. The foods that contain trace amounts of
natural cyanide, such as cabbage and almonds, also contain large amounts of
vitamin C to counterbalance the cyanide. But this helps only when we do not cook
all of the water-soluble vitamin C out of the food.
The Islets of Langerhans
The
pancreas, once thought to be an endocrine gland, has subsequently been found to
have two maj or functions, one for digestion and one for hormonal control of
carbohydrate metabolism. The pancreas produces a fluid that is rich in enzymes
that are essential to final digestion of fats, proteins and carbohydrates.
Pancreatic fluid is released into the small intestine, not the bloodstream.
However, within the pancreas is a series of tiny glands, not related to the
pancreas, called the islets of Langerhans, named for the man who discovered
them. These glands secrete directly into the bloodstream the hormone insulin,
which plays a vital role in carbohydrate metabolism. Insulin controls the sugar
level in the bloodstream and the rate at which the body stores sugar temporarily
as animal starch or glycogen. Its effect is like the wick of a candle, in that
the wax (sugar) will not burn without a wick (insulin). Undersecretion or total
lack of insulin produces the metabolic disease called diabetes. Oversecretion of
insulin causes the condition called low blood sugar or hypoglycemia. In this
latter disease, the islets of Langerhans have been oversensitized and thus
stimulated to produce excessive insulin. Because the blood sugar level remains
low, the hypoglycemic person is continually hungry and
tired.
The islets of Langerhans, glycogen, insulin and
fat are all ruled by Jupiter. Sugar (glucose) is ruled by Venus. Because fat
retards insulin production, it must be practically eliminated from the diet of
diabetics and added to the diet of hypoglycemics. In the natal chart, Jupiter is
at the heart of both disease conditions. With diabetics, Jupiter is restricted
in its expression, typically by some Saturn affliction, while with hypoglycemia,
Jupiter is afflicted (sensitized) by Neptune. In diabetes it is also quite
common to find Jupiter in Aries, Libra or Scorpio natally and in the first,
sixth or twelfth house, or the afflicting planet in one of these houses,
particularly the sixth. If this pattern is not found in the natal chart, it
often occurs in the progressed chart at the onset of diabetes in later life.
Recent medical research has established a definite link between diabetes in
later life and mumps in youth. The mumps virus apparently sensitizes the islets
of Langerhans in some manner that is not yet completely understood. A rather
high percentage of older diabetics had mumps in their youth, and it is strongly
recommended that those who have had mumps in their youth have their blood sugar
level carefully checked in an annual checkup.
The Adrenal Glands
The
adrenal glands are two pea-shaped glands located above each kidney. Located in
the Libra zone of the body, they are ruled by Mars. Anatomically they are
divided into two distinct regions, the outer cortex and the inner medulla. Each
region performs its own function and secretes its own particular hormones into
the blood. The adrenal cortex secretes the hormone cortin, and the medulla,
adrenalin. Both hormones are required for sugar metabolism. Cortin turns
glycogen slowly back into glucose to maintain the proper blood sugar level
between meals. Its effect is the opposite of insulin. Adrenalin has the same
effect as cortin, except that it is much more immediate, -almost instantaneous.
It is released when the body is threatened and prepares it for “fight or
flight.”
The adrenal cortex also produces sex hormones
called ketosteroids and adrenocorticosteroids, which the body manufactures from
cholesterol. Perhaps the best known of the corticosteroids is cortisone, which
is vital in the body’s resistance to disease. Cortisone’s planetary ruler has
not yet been firmly established, but it is probably Mars. The adrenal cortex and
the anterior portion of the pituitary gland are closely linked. The anterior
pituitary produces a substance called ACTH (adreno-cortico-tropic hormone),
which stimulates the production of corticosteroids by the adrenal
cortex.
Either underactivity or overactivity of the
adrenal glands can have serious health consequences, especially in a person’s
resistance to disease. In both men and women, the adrenal glands produce female
sex hormones. In the male, the adrenal sex hormones are balanced by the male sex
hormones produced by the testes. Insufficient adrenocortical hormone production
has recently been linked to alcoholism. A person’s tolerance for alcohol is
directly linked to the amount of this hormone pro-duced by the body.
Overindulgence in alcohol damages the adrenal cortex, resulting in diminished
hormone production and then addiction. Individuals with adrenocortical
insufficiency show decreased metabolism, low blood pressure, a characteristic
hair distribution and a craving for salt or sweets.
The
characteristic astrological pattern for adrenal hor-mone insufficiency is an
affliction to Mars from Jupiter, Saturn or, most frequently, Neptune or a
combination of these. A Neptune-Mars square, opposition or inconjunct is often
found in the natal charts of alcoholics as well as in the charts of teetotalers
who recognize that they can’t tolerate alcohol.
The Testes and Ovaries
The
ovaries and testes, in addition to producing ova and sperm, also produce sex
hormones, which are released into the bloodstream. The testes produce the two
major male sex hormones, testosterone and androsterone. The ovaries produce
estrogen and progesterone, female sex hormones that control the menstrual cycle
to a large extent. Both organs are in the Scorpio region of the body and are
ruled by Mars. The actual act of conception, the fusion of sperm and egg, with
its hereditary results, is ruled by Pluto, the “alpha and omega” of the
planets.
Again, malfunction of these glands is
generally indicated by Mars afflicted by Saturn, Neptune or occasionally Uranus,
with Mars or the afflicting planets located in Scorpio or Aries natally, by
progression or by transit.
The Thymus Gland
Until
recently, the thymus gland, which is located in the upper thorax near the
throat, was badly misunderstood and underrated by the medical profession. This
gland is largest during puberty, after which it begins to shrink, so it was
thought to be unimportant during adulthood. Earlier medical astrologers assigned
this gland to Venus, which was a serious mistake. The thymus gland is actually
ruled by Neptune, which explains in part why it took so long for medicine to
ascertain its true function, for Neptune obscures all it comes in contact
with.
Pisces, ruled by Neptune, rules the lymphatic
system as well as the feet. It is in the lymphatic system rather than the
circulatory system where the white blood cells fight off viral or bacterial
infection, as evidenced by the swollen lymph nodes in the neck, underarm, scalp
or groin when such battles are taking place. The thymus gland secretes a hormone
called thymosin, whose basic function is to alert the body’s defense mechanism
to attack by foreign organisms. Children who have underactive thymus glands are
particularly susceptible to bacterial and viral infections, to the point that
some must receive injections of thymosin (also Neptune ruled), which is produced
from beef thymus glands. The thymus requires lots of vitamin
A.
Little is known about hyperactivity of the thymus
gland, but underactivity is generally related to a malefic aspect to Neptune
from Saturn, often with one of these planets in Taurus (the neck
region).
The Pineal Gland
Of all the
ductless or endocrine glands, the pineal gland, a small, reddish body in the
posterior portion of the skull cavity, is causing the greatest disagreement
among astrologers as to its function and significance. Cornell describes it as
“the third eye - the spiritual center of the body - the organ of spiritual sight
and spirituality - the seat of the soul in the body - the organ of thought
transference,” and many people feel that this gland is related in some way to
extrasensory perceptive powers. Its ruler is probably Neptune, or possibly
Uranus.
We know that for a short period after a baby is
born, the top of its skull is not completely ossified, or enclosed by bone.
Until recently it was presumed that the only reason for this was to give the
skull flexibility during the birth process and to pre-vent brain damage. While
this is probably true, recent research has revealed that during the first days
after birth a certain amount of diffuse light penetrates the skull through the
fontanel and triggers a whole series of enzyme reactions as light strikes the
pineal body. Apparently these enzymatic reactions are essential in starting the
baby’s metabolic processes.
A new school of
astrological thought in England holds that the more light this region is exposed
to before the skull closes, the more psychically sensitive the child will
become. Also they believe that astrologers are wrong in using as the birth
moment the time when the child takes its first breath; rather they perceive the
true birth moment as the time when the top of the skull emerges into the light.
This is an interesting theory, which is supportable biochemically. The temporary
opening in the skull, the fontanel, has been much written about in occult
literature. Science still has much to learn about the pineal body, ruled by
Neptune, for its function is quite obscure.
The Spleen
Most astrological
discussions of the endocrine glands include the spleen, located in the Virgo
region of the body, even though it doesn’t seem to produce any specific
hormones. Its planetary ruler is generally conceded to be the Sun, and any
afflictions to the spleen are generally related to Saturn. The spleen and bone
marrow are the sources of white corpuscles, which are so necessary in fighting
invasions of bacteria and virus. As we pointed out earlier, this fight occurs in
the lymphatic system, ruled by Pisces - Virgo’s opposite
sign.
Esoteric astrology places great emphasis on the
spleen, claiming that the solar forces enter the body through this organ. The
spleen is said to be the focal point of the astral body and the connecting point
between the physical and astral worlds. The lower dorsal vertebrae, the area of
the spine that houses and protects the nerves to the spleen, is also said to be
important, in that any blockage here to the splenic nerves impedes the vital
energies entering the body.
To the medical doctor and
the physiologist, the spleen is vital to the normal protective mechanisms of the
body. As aging occurs and the bone marrow is used up, the spleen becomes even
more important as the source of blood cells. It is involved in many forms of
anemia as well as leukemia, and injury to or removal of the spleen affects the
body’s defense against disease.
The Parathyroid Glands
No
discussion of hormones or the endocrine glands would be complete without some
discussion of the two pairs of parathyroid glands, located in the neck close to
the thyroid gland. They play an especially vital role in the metabolism of
calcium. Their discovery is comparatively recent.
Saturn, which rules
calcium, is thought to be the ruler of the parathyroid glands, but Pluto is also
thought to influence them strongly, because Mars and Pluto co-rule
phosphate.
We have seen in this chapter the vital role
that hormones play in good nutrition and health. The body forms these hormones
from the foods we eat, many from unsaturated fats and proteins. Mercury is the
general ruler of all hormones, because hormones secreted in one part of the body
act as chemical messengers to other areas.
Each hormone
and the endocrine gland that secretes it is ruled by a particular planet and by
the sign that controls that body region. In the older astrological literature,
the rulerships of the various endocrine glands are quite confused, because at
that time physiology was not well understood. For example, Heindel and others
speak of the spinal fluid as an etheric substance, which we know is untrue; it
is a liquid of high protein content. However, while their specific knowledge of
physiology was somewhat lacking, the ancients were remarkably accurate in
as-signing many rulerships.
When Jupiter, Saturn, Pluto
or Mars (or sometimes Neptune) is located in the sixth or the twelfth house and
in malefic aspect to the planet that rules one of the endocrine glands, there
may be overactivity, underactivity, tumors or inflammation of that gland. This
seems to be true also when the afflicted ruler is located in the sixth or the
twelfth house.
In many cases the disease condition can
be corrected or alleviated by taking particular vitamins, minerals or cell salts
that are associated with the afflicted planet and/or the sign on the cusp of the
sixth and/or the twelfth house - usually a combination of substances related to
the signs on the sixth and the twelfth house cusps.
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