Gailing - Planetary apothecary: an astrological approach to health and wellness

DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this book is based on the experience and research of the author. It is not intended as a substitute for consulting with your physician or other health-care provider. Any attempt to diagnose and treat an illness should be done under the direction of a health-care professional. The publisher and author are not responsible for any adverse effects or consequences resulting from the use of any of the suggestions, preparations, or procedures discussed in this book.

Copyright 2009 by Stephanie Gailing

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, except brief excerpts for the purpose of review, without written permission of the publisher.

Crossing Press
an imprint of Ten Speed Press
PO Box 7123
Berkeley, California 94707
www.tenspeed.com

Distributed in Australia by Simon and Schuster Australia, in Canada by Ten Speed Press Canada, in New Zealand by Southern Publishers Group, in South Africa by Real Books, and in the United Kingdom and Europe by Publishers Group UK.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Gailing, Stephanie.
Planetary apothecary : an astrological approach to health and wellness / Stephanie Gailing.
p. cm.
Summary: A guide to medical astrology that provides health and wellness therapies, holistic remedies, and self-care tips for each sign of the zodiacProvided by publisher.
eISBN: 978-0-307-81587-3
1. Medical astrology. I. Title.

BF1718.G26 2009
133.5861dc22

v3.1

To everyone who shares their love and wisdom with the world

Planetary Apothecary has been my labor of love. And yet it would not have been possible without the gracious and kind individuals who shared their wisdom, insight, and inspiration with me and to whom I am deeply grateful:

My dear family and friends, for their outpouring of love and support

My grandfather, Abe Ginsburg, for always encouraging me to write and share my ideas with the world

Sophie, Maeve, and Ari, for being beacons of light

Alexander Carrillo, for his brilliant mind filled with never-ending creative ideas, incredibly astute editing skills, and unconditional support

Aimee Hartstein, who served as a compassionate and instructive sounding board for me during the writing of this book

Ingrid Emerick, editing consultant extraordinaire, for her vision and uncanny ability to help me refine my ideas and the words used to express them

Melina Meza, for inspiring my creativity as well as for her valuable contributions to the yoga poses sections

Laurie Baum, for her dedicated and intuitive astrological guidance

George Mateljan, Buck Levin, and Tenji Cowan, for sharing their passion for nutrition and whole foods with me

My friends and colleagues who read and reviewed the manuscript and who provided me with valuable feedback

Everyone at Crossing Press who helped to transform my manuscript into the book you are holding in your hands today, including acquiring editor Julie Bennett, for believing in the book; editor Brie Mazurek, for her on-point insights and support; designer Betsy Stromberg, for designing a beautiful book; and copy editor Laura Quilling and proofreader Mike Ashby, for their attention to detail

And finally, to all the astrologers and health-care practitioners, past and present, whose contributions to the healing arts inspire and enable us to more readily pursue a life of conscious well-being

YEARS AGO, TO MY DELIGHT , I discovered that there was a healing art that combined two of my greatest passions: natural health and astrology. Always looking for ways to inspire people to achieve their optimal well-being, I decided to write Planetary Apothecary to bring this elegant, time-honored healing traditionknown as medical astrologyto modern-day readers who are looking to further enhance their health.

While many people turn to astrology to garner insights into relationships, career, and unfolding life events, your planetary profile can also guide the way you approach personal wellness. It can help you identify natural remedies and healing techniques that are best suited for your unique temperament and individual health needs.

A stellar approach to evaluating health and proposing therapies to foster vitality, medical astrology has a long and legendary past: It was documented by ancient Greek scholars, taught in medieval medical schools, and practiced by Renaissance physicians. Up until the early twentieth century, many doctors employed its observations alongside other methods of treatment. The study of the stars was so integral to the work of many healers that none other than the father of modern medicine, Hippocrates himself, was reported as saying, He who does not understand astrology is not a doctor but a fool. Today you will find astrology professionals and health-care practitioners worldwide studying, and relying on, this graceful method of insight to offer clients an instructive way to approach their health-care needs.

At the heart of medical astrology is the tenet As above, so below, reflecting the long-held belief in the connection between the celestial bodies and our own bodies. The zodiac signs and their ruling planets are associated with various body parts, physiological functions, and emotional tendencies (with some areas of health cogoverned by more than one astrological signifier). In addition, the signs and planets have alliances with different members of the plant, mineral, and animal kingdoms. For example, Aries is the first sign in the zodiac and is associated with the head, while Pisces is the last sign and is associated with the feet. Leo, ruled by the Sun, has an affinity for yellow flowers such as sunflower and chamomile, while Taurus, governed by feminine Venus, has a kinship with trees that bear sweet fruits such as peaches and plums.

Practitioners who use medical astrology utilize the information gleaned from their clients personalized astrology charts to offer them custom-designed wellness solutions. They employ these insights as a tool to assess health strengths and weaknesses, determine the best remedies and therapies, suggest the timing of proposed treatments, and evaluate underlying psycho-emotional patterns that may stand in the way of healing. They dont use this astrologically derived information as the sole means of diagnosis and treatment, but rather as a complement to traditional methods of health-care investigation and advice.