Medical Astrology in History
Melothesia and the humours, taught as history rather than health advice.
Course names, family names and outlines are shown in English. Lessons use English when a published translation is unavailable; the lesson shows a notice when this happens.
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Level 1Units: 5
Level 1 · Unit 1
Melothesia: the zodiac body
The zodiac-body map: the signs from head to feet, Ptolemy's planetary scheme, the Zodiac Man and the Moon rule of bloodletting calendars, studied as history only.
- The zodiac from head to feet
- Planets and the body
- The Zodiac Man in books
- The Moon and the bloodletting calendar
- Checkpoint: Melothesia
Level 1 · Unit 2
Humours and temperaments
The four humours of Hippocratic and Galenic medicine, hot, cold, wet and dry, the temperaments and planetary qualities, studied as history, not health advice.
- The four humours
- Hot, cold, wet and dry
- The four temperaments
- Planets, signs and qualities
- Checkpoint: Humours and temperaments
Level 1 · Unit 3
Decumbiture as history
Physician-astrologers, Nicholas Culpeper, the decumbiture chart and critical days, the decline of astrological medicine and modern ethics. History, never health advice.
- Physician-astrologers
- Nicholas Culpeper
- The decumbiture chart and critical days
- Decline and modern ethics
- Checkpoint: Decumbiture as history
Level 1 · Unit 4
Sources and transmission
How medical astrology travelled from Greek medicine through Arabic scholarship into Latin Europe, then Ficino and Paracelsus. History only, never health advice.
- Greek roots
- Through Arabic into Latin
- Ficino, Saturn and melancholy
- Paracelsus and signatures
- Checkpoint: Sources and transmission
Level 1 · Unit 5
Medical astrology as a historian sees it
Reading primary sources such as almanacs, why the old system convinced people, how fair testing replaced it, and studying it responsibly today. History only.
- Reading an almanac page
- Why it seemed convincing
- From authority to evidence
- Studying it responsibly today
- Checkpoint: Medical astrology as a historian sees it