The PLANETS in Medical Astrology

Medical astrology is a fascinating way to understand the connections between physical and mental illness, overall health and wellness, and literally everything you encounter in your life.

From childhood trauma, emotional patterns, environmental influences, behaviors, major life events, relationships, and food choices to movement… and SO MUCH MORE—medical astrology gives us an intricate, nuanced look at how it’s all connected to our health. 

AND the planets are fundamental to understanding it all. 

In medical astrology, each planet is connected to the function of different organ systems and specific actions within the body. 

The planets are also tied to things like vitamins, minerals, macronutrients, herbs, flower essences, energetic remedies, and so much more. 

In the video below, we’ll cover all 10 astrological planets and what they mean in medical astrology.

Medical AstrologyPlanets

The Sun:  

The Sun is the ruler of Leo, which is the sign connected to the heart, thymus, back and spinal cord. 

With its connection to Leo, you probably won’t be surprised to learn that Leo is connected to the function of the heart.  

The Sun is the lifeforce of our solar system and, as such, it’s also connected to our energy and vital force. 

The Sun is involved in temperature regulation, cellular function, and metabolism and is also connected to our vision, representing the right eye of a man and the left eye of a woman. 

Our consciousness, meaning our awakened, aware state is also ruled by the Sun. In fact, I’ve seen many instances where loss of consciousness was connected to specific solar alignments in the birth chart.

In its actions, the Sun illuminates or emphasizes the body region associated with the sign that it’s in. For example, if the Sun is in Capricorn, with Capricorn being the sign connected to the bones, joints, ligaments, connective tissue, teeth, and gallbladder, these are of the body will be made more important in some way.

Notice how I say it’s made more important—and that this simply implies prominence and not that something is made more positive or more negative by the influence of the Sun. The type of prominence will be shown by the Sun’s dignity and planetary aspects. 

Because the Sun is literally connected to the Sun’s influence on our health and our ability to take in and synthesize natural sunlight—the Sun is also connected to Vitamin D. 

The Moon:

The Moon is the ruler of Cancer, which is the sign connected to the waters and fluids of the body. Cancer rules the stomach, pericardium, mucus membranes, meninges, female reproductive organs, limbic system and posterior pituitary gland. It also rules the gums.  

Because of the Moon’s connection to the sign of Cancer, the Moon also has a connection to the function of all of these body areas. 

Zooming out a bit, the Moon is super important in medical astrology because, in traditional astrology, it’s known to be the general significator for the body and bodily health. 

While the Sun is connected to our life force energy, the Moon is the distributor of our life force energy.

Because of its ties to the limbic system, the Moon also plays a huge role in memory (especially episodic memory). You can tell a lot about how good a person’s memory is by looking at the placement of their moon. 

Another interesting thing about the Moon and the nervous is its connection to myelination. 

Basically, all protective membranes and “sacs” within the body are connected to the lunar energies in some way, along with the fluid balance and lubrication within our body.

In its actions, the Moon is connected to our biological rhythms along with our food preferences and eating habits.

Unconscious habits, in general, are ruled by the Moon, including the ones that impact our health.

Nutrition-wise, the Moon is believed to be connected to Potassium, which is a nutrient necessary for maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance.   

Mercury: 

Mercury rules the sign of Gemini, which is connected to the respiratory system, upper body, arms, shoulders, hands, fingers, ears, and nerves, and the nervous system, which is co-ruled by all of the mutable signs.

Mercury also rules Virgo, which is connected to the intestines (especially the small intestine), the diaphragm, the spleen, and the pancreas, and is the co-ruler of the liver with Sagittarius. Virgo is also connected to the nervous system, especially the autonomic and enteric nervous systems. It’s the co-ruler of the immune system, along with Pisces. 

(Are you starting to see a pattern here, with signs of the same modality sharing rulership over certain body areas… we’ll cover this way more in detail in my free Medical Astrology 101 workshop—CLICK HERE TO REGISTER).

So, as ruler of Gemini and Virgo, Mercury is connected to the function of all of the areas and organ systems we just discussed, especially the brain and nervous system.

Mercury corresponds to the learning and attention functions of the brain and is also connected to speech and language processing. 

Speech isn’t the only aspect of communication, which is generally ruled by Mercury, hearing is a part of it as well.

Mercury rules over our fine motor skills and sensory processing. Due to its connection to the respiratory system via its rulership over Gemini, Mercury is also tied to the function of breathing. 

Some sources attribute all of the B vitamins to Mercury, but my favorite resource (which is the book Medical Astrology by Eileen Nauman, DHM) ties Mercury to B-1 or thiamine, specifically. 

This makes sense because thiamine deficiency can cause a specific type of dementia called Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, which is often alcohol induced. 

Venus:

Venus rules the signs of Taurus and Libra. In medical astrology, Taurus rules the lower jaw, throat, tonsils, saliva glands, tongue, thyroid, neck, upper esophagus, vocal cords, and certain parts of the brain stem. 

On the flip side, Libra rules the kidneys, hips, endocrine system, and the homeostatic systems within the body. To put it simply, Libra is associated with balance and harmony within the body.

Due to its ties to Libra, Venus has a lot to do with our hormonal balance within the body and is especially linked to both thyroid and female hormones.  

Also due to its Libra connection, Venus is tied to kidney function. Venus is linked to physiological homeostasis through its influence on the endocrine system and maintaining proper fluid and electrolyte balance via the kidneys.  

Venus is known as the planet of beauty, so it should come as no surprise that Venus is connected to our skin and physical appearance (with Saturn having true rulership over the structure and integrity of the skin, and Venus ruling over the skin’s appearance). Certain Venus placements are tied to cysts and other benign growths.  

Venus is the energy of relaxation in both general and medical astrology. It can cause tissues to become weak, loose, and leaky. It’s also an indulgent energy and, in certain placements, brings a sweet tooth! 

And, along those same lines, Venus is linked to sugar and carbohydrate metabolism, among other things. 

Mars: 

Mars rules the signs of both Aries and Scorpio. Aries is connected to the head, including the eyes, skull and optic nerves. The sign of action and willpower is also tied to the adrenals and the frontal lobe of the brain, which is co-ruled by all of the fire signs.

Scorpio, on the other hand, is tied to all of the excretory systems of the body along with the prostate, cervix, urinary tract, sweat glands, nose and sinuses. 

Mars is the planet of war and, as such, it shows us how the body defends itself against illness and injury. It rules the immune function, which is the body’s defense against illness, as well as adrenal hormones and sympathetic nervous system function, which is the body’s defense against attack. 

Mars is a traditional malefic planet and, as such, it’s considered to be inflammatory and is associated with injury, blood, fevers, and pain. Mars is one of the planets connected with surgeries and is most often associated with acute conditions.

It represents the action and function of the muscles, and in men, it’s tied to sperm and testosterone levels. 

The main thing Mars rules in terms of nutrition is Protein and Iron. People with a strong Mars placement, especially in the 1st or 6th house, tend to do best on a diet that includes a healthy amount of meat. 

Jupiter:

Jupiter rules Sagittarius and, in traditional astrology, it also rules Pisces. Sagittarius is most famous for ruling the liver, but it’s also connected to the butt, thighs, lower spinal cord and sacrum, sciatic nerve, hypothalamus and effernt nervous system—which is the part of the peripheral nervous system that transmits information from the brain to the rest of the body. 

Due to its connection to Sagittarius, Jupiter rules liver function along with fat digestion and metabolism, which involves the liver, pancreas and gallbladder.  

Also in line with its Sagittarius rulership, Jupiter rules the general condition and function of the cerebrum of the brain as well as higher level cognitive functions.

The most well-known medical astrology association for Pisces is the feet, but Pisces has rulership over so much more. Pisces rules the lymphatic system, appendix, and the pineal gland. Pisces is also the co-ruler of the immune system with Virgo.

Additional areas under the rulership of Jupiter include arterial blood circulation and body fat and is known for its connection to diseases of excess.

Nutrition-wise, Jupiter rules fats and cholesterol, among other things.  

Saturn: 

Saturn rules both Capricorn and Aquarius. Capricorn rules all of the structures of the body, including the bones, joints, spine, and connective tissue. It also rules our hair, skin, nails, and teeth, along with the gallbladder and anterior pituitary gland. 

As the ruler of Capricorn, Saturn is connected to the skeletal system in general and all of the bones of the body, including the bones of the inner ear. Saturn also rules the function of joints and connective tissue.

Saturn also rules bone formation (ossification) and the calcification of tissues within the body. 

Because Capricorn rules the gallbladder and often you'll see gallbladder issues tied to its planetary ruler, Saturn. 

Aquarius, on the other hand, rules the calves, ankles, and Achilles tendon. It’s also tied to the circulatory system and the electrical system of the body. And all of these systems have some connection to Saturn, although the electrical systems of the body are more closely tied to Uranus, which we’ll be discussing next.  

In its actions within the body, Saturn hardens, restricts and slows things down. It’s associated with chronic illness and diseases of aging. In terms of mental health, Saturn can be an important influence in cases of depression.  

As the planet that rules ossification, it makes sense that Saturn would have rulership over calcium, among other nutrients.  

Uranus: 

When we reach the non-traditional outer planets, the medical astrology associations tend to work a bit differently. Uranus does have close ties to the sign of Aquarius in modern astrology, and as I mentioned previously, it does have a lot to do with electrical impulses within the body.  

The medical astrology rulerships associated with Uranus are a bit more abstract than previously discussed. Uranus is associated with the body’s “electrics,” meaning the consistency and flow of electrical currents and signals within the body. This includes the electrical systems well established in Eastern medicine as well as the electrical communication systems of the body now formally recognized by modern, Western medical science. 

Uranus is also connected with the coordination of body “rhythms,” especially electrical rhythms such as the electrical rhythms of the heart and nervous system. Uranus also rules nerve impulses.  

The influence of Uranus on the body is disruptive, spasmodic, inflammatory, and speedy. In terms of pathology, it can be tied to things like seizures and sensory processing disorders. 

Neptune:

Weirdly, Neptune’s connections in medical astrology are a little less abstract and nebulous than those of the planet Uranus.

Neptune rules lymphatic fluid, along with the moon, and is most closely tied to pineal gland function. Among other things, the pineal gland is responsible for regulating our sleep-wake cycles. The pineal gland is specifically impacted by light and electromagnetic frequency.

One of the functions of the pineal glad is to release melatonin, which is a hormone important for regulating our circadian rhythms. Melatonin also has an anti-inflammatory effect on the central nervous system and plays a role in regulating the immune system.

Neptune also rules altered states of consciousness, including sleep, dreams, psychedelic experiences, and hypnosis.

Certain Neptune placements and transits have been linked to unpleasant health issues such as fungal infections, mold illness, and parasites.  

On a more general level, Neptune is tied to allergies and autoimmunity and shows up strongly (and negatively) in charts of people with allergies and immune dysfunction.

Neptune makes a person or body region sensitive on all levels: emotional, psychological, energetic, spiritual, and physical. Diseases that are psychic in origin are also connected to Neptune.

One of the big things astrologers have noted with Neptune in medical astrology is its clear connection to confusing, difficult-to-diagnose chronic conditions as well as its influence on misdiagnosis. 

Pluto:

In general astrology, pluto is tied to psychological intensity and that can translate to mental health issues in medical astrology as well.

On a strictly physical level, Pluto is connected to surgeries, especially amputations and organ removal. It’s the element of removal, detoxification, purging, and letting things go in a very literal sense in the body.

As the planet associated with death in modern astrology, it should come as no surprise that Pluto rules tissue and cell death in medical astrology.

Tumors and malignancies have been linked to Pluto along with viral infections.  

All that said, Pluto’s most notable influence in medical astrology is its influence on psychological health. Pluto is often implicated in cases of obsessive thoughts, compulsive behavior, and full-blown OCD.

It’s the planet of addiction and fixation and it’s also closely associated with emotional trauma and commonly a major player in cases of PTSD.

That being said, Pluto breeds resilience. Often people with strong Pluto placements who are at the receiving end of the darker side of its energy have extraordinary powers of regeneration.