Astrological Significators of Mental Illness

by Michael Bryant Msw Asw

http://www.bava.org/astrological-significators-of-mental-illness/
Mental illness is a subject not often addressed in astrology. One reason may be the emphasis
on prediction in Vedic astrology, leaving psychological astrology to Western astrologers.
Another, more probable reason may be because many astrologers, Vedic or otherise, simply
do not feel e!uipped or "noledgeable enough to deal ith this subject. #his may be deemed
an area best left to therapists or medical professionals.
We may come across the charts of individuals or or" ith clients ho e$perience e$istential
or neurotic crises. %oever, it is an altogether different matter hen addressing the issues
ranging from borderline psychosis to actively psychotic conditions such as schi&ophrenia or
manic depressive states 'or (i)polar Affective *isorder + the less pejorative contemporary
medical term.,
As an e$perienced psychiatric social or"er and counsellor, - have or"ed for over tenty
years in both America and .ngland ith individuals ho suffer from mental illness. When
individuals ith a history of chronic psychiatric illness are in remission and ell, it may be
impossible for a lay person to identify that only recently they may have been e$periencing
hellish hallucinations or perhaps felt suicidal.
My point is not to stigmatise or scaremonger, but rather to emphasise that as practising
astrologers, e have an obligation to be aare that people may see" astrological advice
during difficult periods in their lives. -f an astrologer gives advice and cannot recognise the
potential mental health problems from the natal chart, they are doing the client an e$treme
disfavour. %o then do e gain the "noledge of this aspect of astrology/
-nterestingly, classical astrological te$ts did address some of the possible indicators of severe
mental illness.
As ith any astrological or", listings of any medical 0 spiritual illnesses should not be ta"en in
a literal coo"boo" fashion, but applied in a studied, judicious manner, after e$amining the
hole chart.
The Jataka Tattva lists some of the following conditions as
possible combinations for mental illness
1. 2upiter in the ascendant and Mars in the seventh house or vice versa.
3. 4aturn in the lagna and Mars in the 5th, 6th or 7th house.
8. 4aturn in the 13th house associated ith a aning Moon.
9. 4aturn in the lagna, 4un in the 13th house and Mars or the Moon in a trine.
5. Association of 4aturn and the lord of the second house ith the 4un or Mars.
:. (irth in the hora of 4aturn or Mars, a 4un)Moon conjunction in the lagna, the 5th or
the 7th, and 2upiter in a !uadrant.
6. Mandi 'the malefic sub)planet that has no physical e$istence but has a 4aturn)li"e
!uality, in the 6th, afflicted by a malefic. #he same result may apply if Mandi is in the 5th
house.
;. <ahu and the Moon in the =agna, and malefics in the trines. 'i.e., >ishacha ?rasta
@oga, a combination for being overta"en by the spirits, indicative of phobias.,
As previo!sly stated this m!st be corroborated by other
indicators s!ch as
1. Afflictions to the Moon 'mind,, Mercury 'nervous system, and 2upiter 'maturity 0
isdom,. >articularly, hen all three of these planets are afflicted, conditions leading to
mental illness are highly possible.
3. An afflicted fifth lord. #he fifth house can correspond to thin"ing, logic and isdom.
8. #he lagna and or Aries, both hich indicates the head, if afflicted.
9. Aemadruma @oga + #his is a condition occurs hen the moon has no planets in either
of the signs surrounding it. When there is no planet in the 3nd or the 13th from the moon, the
soundness of the mind may become an issue. Again, the entire chart needs to be vieed.
Alays loo" for confluence in the chart, before ma"ing such a serious decision. -f there is a
li"elihood of mental illness, these indicators ill often sho up not only in the rasi chart, but
also the Bavamsha and possibly other divisional 'harmonic, charts.
"ase St!dy
-n an attempt to illustrate some of the above astrological indicators, hat follos is a case
study of a schi&ophrenic man.
'see chart + Chart detailsD *.o.b. 16.7.17:E, #ime of (irthD 1:h8E (4#, =ondon,.
#his individual lives at home ith his elderly mother and has been under the care of B%4)
based community mental health teams since the onset of his schi&ophrenic illness in 17;1.
Although he has remained ell enough to not necessitate fre!uent hospitalisation, and has
never been a danger to himself nor others, he is unable to or" due to constant problems ith
his hearing voices. #he medical model ould understand these voices as auditory
hallucinations.
Although these voices are not frightening to him, they are e$tremely distracting and ea"en
his concentration. #he medication he regularly ta"es as prescribed by psychiatrists ta"es an
edge off of hat ould be a disturbing !uality, but does not remove the chonic persistence of
his voices. %e regularly dialogues ith these voices, forgetting ho is around him. -ronically,
he is an avid reader of nespapers and can hold for brief moments, informed conversations
about current events. #his usually is not sustainable and he reverts to a form of
communication that is childli"e, tangential and incapable of any abstract thin"ing or
comple$ity.
#eneral chart overview
Many of the planetary combination indicators given above both from the 2ata"a #attva and the
additional indicators list are present in this particular chartD
1. 2upiter is in the lagna and is opposing the seventh house Mars. '-t is interesting that even
though 2upiter should be strong in its on sign of 4agittarius, this does not prevent
schi&ophrenia, in this case. -t may hoever, lead to the fact that this individual is a relatively
ell schi&ophrenic.,
3. 4aturn is also in the lagna, associated ith 2upiter. #his ould create a restriction on the
otherise strong 2upiter in 4agittarius.
8. According to the above list ta"en from the 2ata"a #attva, the ne$t possible indicator of
mental illness ould be if 4aturn is in the 13th house associated ith a aning Moon.
-n the <asi chart, although the Moon is indeed aning, 4aturn is at 1; degrees and the
Ascendant at nearly 38 degrees 4agittarius, so even though 4aturn precedes the lagna, it is
still by Vedic standards in the 1st house. %oever, in the Bavamsha the situation is reversed,
there is a ne moon, but 4aturn is in the 13th house. -n balance, this could arguably !ualify
to meet the given indicator being discussed here.
9. #he fourth indicator does not apply. #he 4un is not in the 13th house, nor does Mars or
Moon trine 4aturn.
5. #he ne$t indicator does apply as 4aturn is the lord of the second house and aspects both
the 4un and Mars. #he second house is relevant as it may refer to speech. #his ould be very
applicable given the description ana, this individualFs difficulty ith communication.
:. Another area that does not fully apply. %oever, it is interesting that parts of this more
comple$ combination applies or nearly applies. Gor instance, 2upiter is in a !uadrant and in the
Bavamsha there is a 4un)Moon conjunction, although not in given houses.
6. Mandi is at nearly nine degrees Virgo in the tenth house. Mandi is not in the seventh house,
but it is doubly afflicted by both Mars and 4aturn. Mandi is conjunct the 4un, Mercury
'e$alted, and Venus, all of hom share this unfortunate dual aspect from Mars and 4aturn.
-nterestingly, the individual under discussion has felt severe shame about his inability to
maintain employment. %e "eenly desires to or", yet fears a repeat of his brief early
employment e$periences, hich preceded the onset of his first mental illness. -t as then that
he began to suffer from his inability to concentrate due to hearing voices.
;. #his indicator does not apply as <ahu and the Moon are not in the lagna.
In terms of the additional indicators given above
MoonFs conditionD #he Moon, hile not in a Aemadruma @oga is surrounded in both adjacent
houses by malefics, Mars and <ahu, giving a >apa Aartari @oga. #his does not bode ell for the
planet that is the significator of feelings and emotional reactions.
MercuryFs conditionD Mercury, significator of reason and intellect, although in Virgo,
unfortunately e$periences aspects from both 4aturn, Mars and the 4un in the rasi chart.
-n the Bavamsha, Mercury is formidably opposed by Mars in 4corpio.
2upiterFs conditionD 2upiter, planet of isdom, as previously mentioned, is conjunct 4aturn and
opposed by Mars in the rasi. -n the Bavamsha it is conjunct Aetu in Aries in the seventh
house.
=agnaFs conditionD #he lagna is, as previously mentioned is also conjunct 4aturn and opposed
by Mars in the rasi. -n the Bavamsha, it is conjunct <ahu and surrounded in adjacent houses
by both Mars and 4aturn.
$akshatras
Bo Vedic chart can be fully interpreted until the connections of planets and the Ba"shatras
'constellations, and Ba"shatra rulers are e$amined. - ill not go into a description of the
meanings of the Ba"shatras here, as this is a separate area of essential study for anyone
interested in Vedic astrology. What - am attempting to do here is simply to sho the
interconnection of the planets and the Ba"shatra rulers that they are located inD
1. =agna lord 2upiter is in the Ba"shatra of Mula, hich is ruled by Aetu. Aetu, in turn is in
>urva (hadra, hich is ruled by 2upiter. #his establishes not only a 2upiter 0 Aetu connection,
but also a connection beteen the first, third and second houses, dealing ith the self '1st,,
the mind '8rd, and the home, private life, mother and peace of mind '9th,.
3. #he Moon is in Ashlesha ruled by Mercury. Mercury, in turn is in %asta, hich is ruled by the
Moon. #he houses affected here are the seventh, eighth and tenth. #he Moon itself is in the
eighth, a dushsthana 'malefic, house. #he eighth can be associated ith mental sufferings
and psychological afflictions.
8. =agna and 4aturn are both in Ba"shatra >urva Ashada, ruled by Venus. Venus is in Chitra
ruled by Mars. Mars is in Mrigashira, its on constellation.
#he planets are located the first0seventh0tenth houses and on si$ of the telve chart houses.
4o here is a very poerful connection for deeper analysis. <ahu is also in a Venus)ruled
Ba"shatra + >urva >halguni.
9. #he 4un is in its on na"shatra of Httara >halguni.
"oncl!sion
What - have attempted to do is to sho the poer of some of the ancient classics in terms of
diagnostic tools perfected centuries ago. Meanhile, psychiatry and psychology still grapple
ith clumsy, constantly revised diagnostic tools, such as the *iagnostic and 4tatistical Manual
-V '*4M)-V,, the boo" by hich all psychiatric clinical diagnoses are measured.
Aeep in mind that all of the above has been e$amined ithout even beginning to loo" at an
analysis of significant life events and corresponding *asha 0 (hu"ti planetary or transits or
progressions.
#he ne$t logical progression ould be to then approach the area of remedial measures, an
area effectively bloc"ed by the medical profession and the pervading contemporary approach
to healing. Bevertheless, this should illustrate that the area of mental health diagnoses is
certainly not an area that originates ith estern psychiatry or 4igmund Greud.
The planetary positions and relationships at the dates of
birth of a cohort of Nigerian schizophrenics.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10456154
Ohaeri JU.
Source
Department of Psychiatry, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria.
Abstract
ome astrological hypotheses related to predisposition to severe mental illness !ere tested by
analysing the "odiacal signs, the interactions bet!een planetary #$alities %aspects&, and the
occ$rrence of f$ll and ne! moon dates, on the dates of birth of ''( schi"ophrenics, compared
!ith ((' normal s$b)ects. *he s$n signs of the schi"ophrenics !ere significantly more li+ely to be
in the signs associated !ith introversion, !hile those of the control pop$lation !ere significantly
more li+ely to be in the o$tgoing signs. , significantly higher proportion of schi"ophrenics had
their -ars %i.e., symbol of aggressiveness& in the o$tgoing signs than the normal pop$lation. ,
significantly higher proportion of control s$b)ects f$lfilled operational criteria for ade#$acy of
n$mber of aspects bet!een the s$n and the other planets. *he tendency for a higher proportion
of schi"ophrenics to have .diffic$lt. aspects )$st failed to reach significance. , significantly higher
proportion of control s$b)ects had aspects bet!een the s$n and mars/ and also a significantly
higher proportion of control s$b)ects had .soft. %helpf$l& aspects bet!een the s$n and mars.
*hese findings are in +eeping !ith the !ell0+no!n oddity of schi"ophrenia %schi" 1 split/ phren 1
mind&/ s$ch that, a gro$p !hich collectively is characterised by an .introverted. self %i.e. s$n sign&,
has a coe2isting aggressive tendency %i.e. strong mars& and poor integration bet!een the
elements of the psyche and the self %i.e. inade#$acy of aspects bet!een $n and other planets&.
Ho!ever, the findings give only partial s$pport to +ey astrological post$lates beca$se there !as a
non0significant trend for more schi"ophrenics to be born in .!ater. signs and on f$ll moon dates.
http://www.cirodiscepolo.it/english_corner/schizophrenia.htm
strologic <esearch on 4chi&ophrenia
by Ciro Discepolo
*!o reasons in partic$lar bro$ght me to deal !ith this topic. 3irst, it is not fre#$ently st$died,
th$s it re#$ires more attention by people s$ch as I !ho !ish to give their contrib$tion to
e2perimental research in the field. econd, I believe that astrological research sho$ld foc$s
on those areas !here the so0called official science is either silent or says ne2t to nothing. 3or
instance, it seems to me totally $seless to st$dy !hich planetary aspects the chronic
a"otemia refers to, since this pathology is easily diagnosable by means of a simple chemical
e2am. ,lso, the astrological diagnosis of an $lcer is not indispensable as one might thin+. In
fact, any good physician can do it, by analy"ing the patient4s body, the symptoms, the clinic
anamnesis and the character of the s$b)ect. In my opinion, it is m$ch more $sef$l to
investigate illnesses that nobody has so far been able to treat s$ch as schi"ophrenia and
cancer.
,s far as cancer is concerned, no!adays there e2ists an incredible amo$nt of researches on
it. Plenty of scholars in any discipline, astrology too, have been !or+ing for many years !ith
this topic, trying to fig$re o$t the meaningf$l +ey. I decided to deepen the astrological st$dy
of schi"ophrenia, since a fe! astrologers have treated the latter, even then only s$perficially.
In order to analy"e schi"ophrenia from an astrological point of vie!, it is necessary to provide
the readers !ith a brief s$mmary of the res$lts that psychiatry has so far reached, and !ith
the opinions of the main scientists of the past and the present.
*he most important contemporary scholar involved in the st$dy of schi"ophrenia is Professor
ilvano ,rieti, !ho is c$rrently !or+ing in the U,. He is the a$thor of the boo+
5Interpreta"ione della chi"ofrenia6 %Interpretation of chi"ophrenia&, translated into many
lang$ages and $sed as te2tboo+ in many $niversities. *his !or+, considered a classic on the
s$b)ect, contains the history of the medical research on schi"ophrenia, the s$mmary of the
ideas of the ma)or scholars !ho devoted their careers to the illness and finally the
concl$sions dra!n by the a$thor himself. No!adays, this topic is still ob)ect of a strong
debate. 7specially controversial is the origin of the illness and its therapy. Here, !e shall only
deal !ith the diagnosis !ith regards to the origin of schi"ophrenia.
*here are vario$s and discordant opinions abo$t the nat$re of schi"ophrenia. Ho!ever, there
e2ist basically t!o approaches !hich refer to t!o schools8 the organicistic school and the
psychodynamic school. *he former claims that schi"ophrenia has organic origins and that
the psychical pathological manifestations of the illness are a secondary effect of the organic
illness. *he latter maintains that the origins of schi"ophrenia lay in a serio$s an2iety
developing from fr$strating interpersonal relationships. *he psychodynamic school also
claims that the somatic manifestations of schi"ophrenia, together !ith the biological and
physical alterations that it involves, are the effects of this illness, not its reason to be.
C$rrently, the people belonging to the organicistic school o$tn$mber the follo!ers of the
psychodynamic school. Ho!ever, the former have failed to provide any evidence to s$pport
their theories. On the other hand, the members of the psychodynamic school, to !hich the
most famo$s scholars of psychiatry and psychology belong, have been able to sho! the
validity of their hypothesis. *his has been possible by means of the increasing n$mber of
therape$tic s$ccesses gained. ,mong these people one sho$ld mention 9raepelin, :le$er,
-eyer, 3re$d, J$ng, $llivan and ,rieti.
$llivan reached the concl$sion that, li+e other psychiatric maladies, schi"ophrenia !as
ca$sed by $nsatisfactory interpersonal relationships ; especially the parents0child relation.
J$ng pointed o$t the follo!ing8 the schi"ophrenics have to be classified as introverted as
opposed to the hysterics, !ho are e2troverted. ,lso, according to J$ng, schi"ophrenia can
develop in s$b)ects that at birth sho! a very !ell0developed $nconscio$s and a !ea+ ego.
*his is possible even tho$gh one is dealing !ith a psychological illness !ith psychosomatic
conse#$ences.
,rieti defines schi"ophrenia as follo!s8 5<it is a specific reaction to a serio$s state of
an2iety, !hich finds its origins in childhood and that it is e2perienced again, more strongly, in
a s$ccessive stage of life6.
*hese are some points of vie! of the official science. =et4s see !hat is the opinion of some
of the astrologers !ho dealt !ith this topic.
Dr. >illiam *$c+er, in his 5,stromedical Diagnosis6 points o$t the mechanisms of dissociation
bet!een rational behavior and o$t0of0control emotional e2periences that the schi"ophrenics
$ndergo. He believes that the con)$nction $n0J$piter s#$ared to -ars is the main indication
of schi"ophrenia.
In the 57ncyclopaedia of Psychological ,strology6, Charles Carter claims that schi"ophrenia,
and mental illnesses in general, are visible in horoscopes !ith a great amo$nt of negative
aspects. -oreover, he is of the opinion that often -ars badly affects the governor of the mind
and that Uran$s !ea+ens one or both of the l$minars. Carter contin$es by saying that the
-oon and -erc$ry are often in negative aspect to -ars and Uran$s. *he $n is $s$ally
afflicted and the ('th Ho$se is generally prominent. Carter concl$des that the ''nd degree
of Pisces is the most related to schi"ophrenia.
In his 5,strology and Health6, Omar ?arrison lists the follo!ing aspects $nder the entry
5chi"ophrenia68
(. corpio and -oon occ$py the (st, @th and Ath Ho$ses, together !ith -ars, at$rn,
Uran$s, Pl$to and the =$nar Nodes %more than one, sometimes&/
'. corpio, -oon and -erc$ry are all in the (st Ho$se/
B. -erc$ry is in the Brd, Cth, Dth or ('th Ho$se, together !ith -ars, at$rn, Uran$s,
Pl$to and the =$nar Nodes %more than one&/
E. J$piter is in the (st Ho$se, at$rn and Uran$s are in the Fth/
@. at$rn is in the (st Ho$se, -ars in the (st, @th, Fth, or Ath Ho$se/
C. corpio, -oon and at$rn in the ('th Ho$se/
F. at$rn is in the (st Ho$se and J$piter in the ('th/ -ars or the -oon are in the (st,
@th or Ath Ho$se/
D. at$rn r$les the 'nd Ho$se !ith -ars, Uran$s, Pl$to and the =$nar Nodes %more
than one of the planets&/
A. *he r$ler of the 'nd Ho$se and at$rn in con)$nction or nearby $n or -ars/
(G. Cancer, corpio, Pisces or the controller of the Brd Ho$se are in the (st Ho$se !ith
J$piter/
((. *he $n or the r$ler of the (st Ho$se is in the (st or in the Eth Ho$ses.
Henri ?o$chon, in the last edition of his famo$s 5Dictionnaire ,strologi#$e6 ro$ghly
describes the concl$sion of a paper presented by the astrologer Co$nrand to a (ABF
Congress held in Paris. Co$nrand collected the horoscopes of C'A male schi"ophrenics born
bet!een (D'F and (A'E. *hese data lac+ in the positions of Uran$s, Nept$ne and Pl$to.
3rom these horoscopes, almost al!ays dra!n for noon, emerge the follo!ing8
(. *he $n prefers Hen$sian signs/
'. *he -oon is often in Capricorn and very rarely in corpio ; the second aspect is
$n$s$al/
B. -erc$ry is often in Hirgo, Pisces or agittari$s. -erc$ry is rarely in ?emini, b$t
fre#$ent in m$table and earth signs/
E. Hen$s is in a m$table sign or in Cancer, rarely in =ion/
@. -ars is most often in *a$r$s or corpio, e2tremely rarely in agittari$s. ,lso, -ars
prefers fi2ed signs !hen Hen$s and -erc$ry are in m$table signs/
C. J$piter is often fo$nd in Cancer, =ion, Hirgo and =ibra/
F. ,mong the most fre#$ent aspects, one sho$ld mention the follo!ing8 the -oon in
opposition or s#$ared to Hen$s or in con)$nction to at$rn or s#$ared to Nept$ne
and -ars/ -erc$ry s#$ared to J$piter, or at$rn, or Uran$s or Nept$ne/ Hen$s in
con)$nction to -ars or s#$ared to at$rn or Uran$s. -ars s#$ared to at$rn.
-oreover, the s#$ares o$tn$mber the trines of '(' $nits.
?o$chon analy"es these data claiming that it is not possible to diagnose the illness only on
the basis of the horoscope. One needs to have available also information on the pathologic
heredity of the s$b)ect. He believes that there e2ists more than one pathologic feat$re, !hich
might allo! the identification of schi"ophrenia. ?o$chon points o$t that almost all the
horoscopes sho! evidence for hyper0emotion and affective disorders. He concl$des by
listing a fe! feat$res that he came across !ith8
(. $n in *a$r$s
'. -oon in Capricorn
B. -erc$ry in *a$r$s
E. -ars in Pisces
@. J$piter in =ion
C. at$rn in corpio
F. -ars s#$ared to Nept$ne
D. Hen$s s#$ared to J$piter
A. at$rn in con)$nction !ith Uran$s
(G. Nept$ne in Cth Ho$se, in opposition to the ,scendant


I know that there are other scholars interested in this problem, but I am not aware of
their works.
,s yo$ might have noticed, almost all the astrological combinations have been cited to
e2plain schi"ophrenia, sometimes clearly in contradiction !ith each other. I mentioned in an
e2ha$stive !ay these lists of planetary positions !ith the p$rpose of stressing the lac+ of
specificity of the vario$s feat$res. *hey cannot be connected to schi"ophrenia. Iather, they
do not indicate anything at all.
I dissent !ith the methodology !hich the above0mentioned scholars have $sed, beca$se I
thin+ that the statistical method cannot be applied to s$ch a comple2 illness as
schi"ophrenia. :y $sing the term comple2, I imply not only the diagnostic diffic$lties, b$t also
the pl$rality and variety of the elements that ca$se this illness.
Ho! is it possible to ascribe schi"ophrenia to a simple s#$are of -ars to at$rnJ Or even to
the simple s$m of many s#$ares and oppositionsJ I believe that the statistical method is
m$ch more effective !hen it is $sed !ith relation to simple variables. It is possible to create
statistics of planetary transits !ith regards to episodes s$ch as hammering one4s finger or
getting a p$nct$re. Ho!ever, it is a m$ch more complicated matter !hen dealing !ith s$icide
or homicide. *his happens beca$se s$icide and homicide depend on s$ch a variety of
factors that only a combined analysis of these factors4 #$alitative and #$antitative
relationships can act$ally provide some ans!ers.
I f$lly agree !ith ,ndrK :arba$lt !hen, in his 53rom Psychoanalysis to ,strology6, he claims8
5<as far as the investigative capability of statistics is concerned, it is so limited to be
comparable to the $se the mallet to cr$sh a !aln$t< Previo$s investigations emphasi"ed
the fre#$ency of martian and sat$rnian dissonances among gro$ps of pathological interest8
vario$s illnesses, madness, malformation, accidents< Ho!ever, these dissonances
appeared in one gro$p or the other !itho$t specificity. *h$s, to attrib$te a given illness to the
fre#$ency of the dissonant participation of -ars and at$rn corresponds to claim that that
same illness is characteri"ed by fever, general discomfort and fasting. *hese are typical
symptoms in almost all the pathologies, as the presence of -ars and at$rn is typical in the
h$man disgraces6.
In concl$sion, I personally believe in the invalidity of the statistical method in these cases.
ince statistics is based on a ca$se0effect principle, it needs to trace a specific ca$se for
each effect, and this is not possible, beca$se of the m$ltiple variables of the e#$ation.
I too+ advantage of ,strology in order to individ$ate the ca$ses that $s$ally bring abo$t
schi"ophrenia, instead of loo+ing at the illness in itself. In order to accomplish this goal, I
considered the follo!ing8
(. 3r$strating relationships !ith the parents, the relatives and the environment,
$nderstood as isolation of the s$b)ect from !hat is close to himLher
'. Psychological val$es pointing to introversion
B. trong $nconscio$s !ith respect to a normal conscio$s ego or normal $nconscio$s
and !ea+ conscio$s ego
E. *he dissociation val$es have to be $nderstood as the res$lts of an $nbalanced
personality, or one !hich discords from the libido vie!point
@. *he negative astrological aspects o$tn$mber the positive ones, and there are vario$s
signs of !ea+ness.
Using the above0mentioned elements as a starting point, I as+ed myself the follo!ing
#$estions8
(. Is it possible to diagnose schi"ophrenia by means of the astrological analysis of
these elementsJ
'. Is it possible to differentiate schi"ophrenia from other mental pathologiesJ
B. ,bove all, it is possible to disting$ish the horoscope of a schi"ophrenic from the
horoscope of a serio$s ne$roticJ

I !ill ans!er these #$estions in my concl$sions. In the meantime, I !o$ld li+e to sho! the
charts of some cases that I !as able to e2amine. *he first horoscope belongs to a male,
born in Naples on GEL''L(AB@ at B8BG P-, as it emerges from the birth certificate released by
the to!n of birth. ,ll these data have been provided by the Psychiatric Hospital 53r$lloni6 in
Naples. *he calc$lations are appro2imate to the degree, since it is not possible to co$nt on
an on0min$te precision for the ho$r of birth.
*he first stri+ing element of this horoscope is the m$ltit$de of negative aspects, !hich
e2press the inner s$ffering of this person. One cannot classify him as introverted, b$t he is
not an e2troverted either, since the val$es that might point in that direction are in antithesis
and not eno$gh to allo! $s a clear0c$t classification. 7verything else is ho!ever in
agreement !ith the initial statements. *he damaged l$minaries, the dissonant -oon in the
Brd Ho$se, the r$ler of the ((th Ho$se damaged in the Dth, -ars, r$ler of the Brd in the (st
Ho$se, all of these factors clearly indicate malad)$stment and fr$stration !ith respect to
family and environment. *he $nconscio$s val$es dominate the conscio$s ones ; notice that
the t!o dominant planets are the -oon and Nept$ne, !hich are s#$ared and signify the
$nconscio$s.
In partic$lar, the position of Nept$ne is negative, since it is retrograde, ang$lar %in the ('th
Ho$se& and s#$ared to the -oon. *his feat$re in itself is an indication of strong mental
disorders or an2iety, obsession and conf$sion. -oreover, Nept$ne is the r$ler of the Ho$se
of Health, in opposition to at$rn, located in it and s#$ared to Hen$s, dominating the (st
Ho$se. In another occasion I e2pressed the idea that Nept$ne plays an important role in the
identification of mental diseases and ne$rotic disorders. Nept$ne governs the Pisces, as
opposed to -erc$ry, r$ling Hirgo. -erc$ry represents intelligence, precision, b$t also
conf$sion and clo$ding over the mind. ometimes, this planet can be defined as the
5$nconscio$s transferred in the brain6.
*he con)$nction of the $n !ith Uran$s and -erc$ry, leader of the ,scendant in the Dth
Ho$se and damaged on both sides represents a #$ite ro$gh aspect, !hich clarifies this case
very nicely. *his e2ample is also interesting from the point of vie! of the 5libido6. I $se the
term 5libido6 in the J$ngian sense of 5psychic $ndifferentiated energy6. One has to point o$t
ho! diffic$lt it is to separate it from the psychic f$nctions of the schi"ophrenic $nder analysis.
*he most energetic val$es of this s$b)ect are located in the Ho$se of Death, of tests,
illnesses and of the close relations. *h$s, the s$b)ect4s 5libido6 did not have the chance to set
its fo$ndations on anything vital, healthy and therape$tic. *he tests, grief, death ; both in the
abstract and real sense ; illnesses, bad interpersonal relations represented the real mirror of
the psychic val$es of this man. *his horoscope, !hich can be considered as a h$ge disaster
of Nat$re, sho!s !onderf$lly the synthesis of schi"ophrenia8 many e2ternal and devastating
forces/ lac+ of fo$ndation for an attempt to fight bac+/ strong $nconscio$s elements opposed
to a !ea+ rational ego/ poor interpersonal relationships, conf$sion and mental disorders.
,lso in the second e2ample, !hich !ill be considered shortly, the above0mentioned negative
val$es are fo$nd. ,s in the previo$s case, the -oon and Nept$ne are ang$lar and they
!itness a !ell0developed $nconscio$s. On the other hand, by loo+ing at the bad position of
the $n at birth, one finds !ea+ rational val$es. *he $n is in e2ile in ,#$ari$s, r$ler of the
('th Ho$se, the Ho$se of sic+ness. *he $n is also perfectly in con)$nction !ith the o$th
=$nar Node and th$s e2actly opposite to the Northern. -oreover, the $n is also in
opposition to Nept$ne in the ('th Ho$se and s#$ared to at$rn, governing the Cth Ho$se
and located in the Brd. In the horoscopes of the schi"ophrenics I noticed the fre#$ent
occ$rrence of very specific negative aspects, mostly !ith an orbit of G or ( degree.
In o$r e2ample, it sho$ld be noticed that the (Eth degree of ,#$ari$s is not very reno!ned
and it is indicated by the astrologer l4Mclair as the indicator of a definitive and ill0omened
change in the lifetime. *he damaged -oon in the (Gth Ho$se in ?emini implies the presence
of an $nresolved mother comple2, an attempt to emancipate, to gain independence, to gro!
$p, all of !hich failed. at$rn damaged in the Brd Ho$se and =eader of the Cth ma+es me
thin+ of bad relations !ith the environment and !ith the closest relatives. -oreover, the
horoscope is characteri"ed by many negative elements, !hich provide $s !ith a rather solid
portrait of the psychic str$ct$re of this person.
To sum up, we found that:

(. Overall, the horoscope is negative8 many proofs are evident
'. *he $n and the -oon are strongly damaged
B. *here is evidence for a po!erf$l $nconscio$s
E. *here is evidence for a !ea+ and conf$sed rational ego
@. *here is evidence for a lac+ of character
C. *here is evidence for fr$strating relations !ith the parents
F. *here is evidence for fr$strating relationships and isolation from the o$tside
D. *here is evidence for incapability to react.
ince I co$ld not +no! the anamnesis of the ill people and I did not have a s$mmary of the
most important events of his life, I !as not able to establish the trigger that p$t the illness in
motion, altho$gh I $sed the transits.
Psychiatry teaches us that schizophrenia is the reaction to a bad state of anxiety, which is
shaped during childhood and reappears later in the life in a tumultuous way. This happens
when such conditions occur, that are in an analogous relationship with the conditions which
caused the first tension in the subject. They bring him/her back to the past anxiety.
*his is the !ay !e tal+ abo$t psychodynamics of schi"ophrenia.In the previo$s analy"ed
case, there are basic elements, !hich )$stify the possibility to get the illness. Ho!ever, if !e
did not +no! that !e !ere dealing !ith a schi"ophrenic, !e !o$ld have been stopped by the
do$bt.
>e needed to +no! !hether one or more happenings that forced him to find ref$ge in his
mental illness had act$ally occ$rred. >itho$t +no!ing the history of this man and a
posteriori, !e can try to propose a hypothesis as it is s$ggested by the horoscope. *he
person had a very diffic$lt childhood, beca$se of bad relationships !ith his parents and the
environment s$rro$nding him. He s$ffered beca$se of his emotional instability and his
incapability to balance it !ith the reason.
He tried, !itho$t m$ch l$c+, to create a protective shell, a condition independent from the
family. Probably, for a fe! years he !as able to gain a pse$do0e#$ilibrate state, maybe !ith
the help of some +ind of ne$rosis, $ntil some episode bro+e this e#$ilibri$m and dragged him
into psychosis. *he episode might have consisted in some type of organic illness, !hich
forced him into depending $pon his family, th$s re0creating that ancient state of an2iety for
insec$rity and malad)$stment. *he an2iety !as so over!helming that he preferred not to
e2perience it again and too+ ref$ge into schi"ophrenia.
,t this point, I cannot e2amine other cases of schi"ophrenia. Ho!ever, before presenting the
concl$sions of this introd$ctory st$dy, I !ill briefly analy"e the horoscope of a !oman
affected by a ro$gh ne$rosis. *he person, !hom I met personally, is c$rrently in therapy. I
thin+ it !ill be interesting to compare this horoscope !ith the above0mentioned ones, in the
attempt to find some ans!ers to the problem of the relations bet!een psychosis and
ne$rosis.
ilvano ,rieti, in the te2t that I mentioned at the beginning of this paper, points o$t that many
potential schi"ophrenics are able to escape the malady by finding ref$ge in a ne$rotic state.
In other !ords, they canali"e their an2iety in a ne$rosis that becomes the safety valve for
their evolving psychotic state. In o$r e2ample, !e can see that the necessary elements to
diagnosing schi"ophrenia are lac+ing, even tho$gh there are signs of a ne$rotic
state.
One can see identity problems bet!een the feminine and masc$line val$es of the s$b)ect. In
partic$lar, the con)$nction Hen$s0-ars in the same degree of ?emini, con)$nction that is
isolated in the birth conte2t, e2presses an identity crisis in the feminine and masc$line
feat$res. In the case of the s$b)ect $nder analysis, this aspect created a ne$rotic state that
bro$ght abo$t se2$al problems.
*he horoscope also emphasi"es a set of family diffic$lties, connected to !hat has )$st been
said. *his ensemble represents the psycho0pathologic n$cle$s of this !oman, !ho is
ho!ever not in danger to become a schi"ophrenic, since there are also positive aspects.
-oreover, the ne$rosis sho$ld be considered as the e2pression of a reaction that the ill
person activates, sho!ing the strength to oppose to the illness.


rom this study, I drew the following conclusions

(. I believe that it is possible to diagnose schi"ophrenia astrologically, or at least to
indicate the potentiality in a s$b)ect. *his can happen only by accepting that one
cannot see+ for it in the horoscope, since schi"ophrenia is aspecific !ith regards to
the astrological symbols li+e !ith regards to any scientific discipline that might try to
red$ce it to the stillness of a form$la. On the other hand, I thin+ it is possible to see+
for it by e2trapolating from the horoscope those val$es, !hich the modern psychiatry
indicates as determining factors of the rising of the illness, either !hen they appear
partially or completely.
'. :y means of ,strology, it is possible to differentiate schi"ophrenia from other mental
illnesses and especially from the ne$rosis, since the former is the res$lt of the
combined action of factors that are different from the ones ca$sing the other +inds of
psychosis and ne$rosis.
*hese statements might seem too optimistic, b$t they are valid, as long as the ,strologer,
!ith his capabilities, is able to find and read the information that the horoscope contains. I
thin+ that a horoscope contains ideally the information needed. Ho!ever, they are e2pressed
symbolically, th$s the goal of the astrologer is decoding and reading these symbols.
It becomes th$s evident that the diagnosis is m$ch more acc$rate !hen the one !ho does it
is m$ch more er$dite in the field. In this sense, one might reach the optim$m if the diagnosis
of schi"ophrenia !as made by a psychiatrist !ith some +no!ledge of ,strology. I am totally
in agreement !ith ?o$chon !hen he claims that in order to diagnose this illness it is
necessary to ta+e into consideration the horoscopes of the relatives of the schi"ophrenic.
,lso, I believe it is e2tremely important to follo! these charts in their longit$dinal evol$tion in
time. If it is tr$e, as J$ng tho$ght, that there are typical birth factors, !hich bring to
schi"ophrenia, it is also tr$e that, as $llivan and others pointed o$t, that the interpersonal
relationships have a strong !eight in the development of this illness.
,s I have already mentioned, it is very important to be able to follo! !hat happens in time to
a person !hose horoscope sho!ed potential schi"ophrenia. ,s a matter of fact, the s$b)ect4s
psychic condition !ill evolve in one direction or in the other, depending $pon !hether he !ill
move to!ards a sit$ation of increasing tran#$illity or rather to!ards contin$o$s steps bac+,
so ro$gh that they might compromise hisLher safety.
I do not thin+ that these negative events can be prognosticated from the chart, since the
astrological symbols do not allo! $s to specify the #$ality and the #$antity of a given
happening. 7ven if this !ere possible, one !o$ld never be able to tell the impact of the
happening $pon the ill person. I believe that ,strology can provide a !orth noticing
contrib$tion to the fight against schi"ophrenia. *his can happen in a preventive !ay, since
,strology can recogni"e the potential schi"ophrenic people since their birth, th$s offering to
the physicians the possibility to intervene in time, in order to stop the malady before its
development.
>hat I have e2posed is the res$lt of a year0long research on a limited n$mber of cases, th$s
this !or+ cannot be considered e2ha$stive. Ho!ever, it is an e2perimental and introd$ctory
st$dy, !hich !aits for a confrontation !ith f$t$re st$dies by a$thors interested in both
,strology and Psychiatry, !hich I hope, !ill follo!.
Neaples (AF@ ; Paper read at the (st International Conference of ,strology, -ilan, -$se$m
of cience and *echni#$e, and later p$blished often, among other in 3rance in
the Astrologue, directed by ,ndrK :arba$lt.