Only the planets and similar points are really active forces in your horoscope. But the Zodiac signs they are in will tell you much about the nature of their actions, also in regard to your health. The planets cause illnesses, but the Zodiac signs reveal much about the nature of those illnesses, and the body parts afflicted by them.


Zodiac Man. Each Zodiac sign represents a part of the body. Illustration from 1399.

Zodiac Man
Traditionally, the twelve Zodiac signs are said to represent twelve body parts, from the head down. It's referred to as Zodiac Man, or Astrological Man, and it's a very common motif in illustrations and art of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. You see several examples of such images on this webpage.
     History is not in total agreement about what body part belongs to what sign, but the pattern is mainly the same – from Aries and the head down to Pisces and the feet. Here is a list of the Zodiac signs and the body parts they are in most traditions said to be connected to:
    Aries   head
    Taurus   neck, throat, ears
    Gemini   lungs, arms, fingers
    Cancer   chest
    Leo   heart, blood
    Virgo   abdomen
    Libra   hips, kidneys
    Scorpio   genitals, rectum
    Sagittarius   thighs
    Capricorn   knees
    Aquarius   ankles
    Pisces   feet



     The Zodiac is very helpful in astrological diagnosis, but the meaning of each sign needs to be modified somewhat. Here is what I suggest:

Aries governs the head and brain, and their ailments – damages to the skull as well as headaches and brain hemorrhage. Aries is the sign of challenge and impatience, so high tempo and excitement is not unlikely to lead to problems of the head, for example stress leading to migraine and even to brain hemorrhage. On the other hand, people who have Aries strengthened by planets in the sign can take a lot of heat.

Taurus governs the throat, neck and ears, also the nose, teeth, and hearing. A strong Taurus gives good hearing and fine teeth, but still an openness to colds and flues. A weakened Taurus often results in getting a cold or a flue, but also hoarseness and problems with the teeth.

Gemini governs speech, smell, and the lungs – all things dependent on the flow of air in breathing. Therefore, a strong as well as weakened Gemini tends to attract common colds, whereas a weakened Gemini is also sensitive to flue and cough.

Cancer governs the skin, which is the organ for the sense of touch. A weakened Cancer creates skin problems of all kinds. Also a strong Cancer is open to some skin ailments – but it usually results in very healthy skin, sometimes almost radiant.

Leo governs the heart and the blood. A weakened Leo influences the heart beat and how the blood flows in one's body, which is cause for concern. A strengthened Leo makes the heart sturdy and the blood healthy – up to a point.

Virgo governs the food intake and related intestines, for example and especially the stomach. A weakened Virgo leads to eating disorders and stomach ache. Those with a strengthened Virgo can eat just about anything.

Libra governs the food processing intestines that absorb nutrition, and the excrement. A weakened Libra results in digestion problems, also things like constipation or the opposite. A strong Libra can lead to similar problems, but mostly makes the metabolism like clockwork.

Scorpio governs the genitals and the hormones. A weakened Scorpio can lead to a diminished sex drive, and a strengthened Scorpio to the opposite. Venereal disease is very much related to Scorpio, and so is the urine. The effects on the hormones are usually subtle and difficult to observe.

Sagittarius governs the eyes and eyesight. A weakened Sagittarius leads to impaired vision, whereas a strengthened Sagittarius is likely to give perfect eyesight, especially at distance.

Capricorn governs the bones of the body. They are strong if Capricorn is, and weak when Capricorn is. Also accidents involving the bones can be spotted in Capricorn. Especially the spine is a Capricorn thing, therefore also one's posture.

Aquarius governs the arms and legs, and one's ability to move about in general. A weakened Aquarius causes impaired movement, for example clumsiness, whereas a strengthened Aquarius gives stamina and elegance to the movements. Also the hands and feet are related to Aquarius, but they tend also to be influenced by some other signs, depending on the situation and ailment.

Pisces governs the nervous system, therefore also the reflexes. A weakened Pisces can lead to erratic behavior and some unintentional body spasms, whereas a strengthened Pisces leads to composition and calmness – up to a point. Several but not all ailments of the psyche are related to Pisces.


Zodiac Man. Illumination from a book by John of Arderne, 14th Century.

Muscles
Far from all the body parts and organs are included in the lists above. For example, there is no mention of the muscles, although they are certainly essential to survival. That's because they can't be connected to one single Zodiac sign. Muscular qualities vary according to their functions and other things – and planets play a role in their development as well as their durability.
     The major but not only planet of muscular power is Mars. If you have Mars in Taurus, you are likely to be quite strong in a sturdy way. If it's in Capricorn your muscles are sufficient and resourceful, if it's in Leo they are evident and impress others, and so on. With Mars in Pisces or Gemini, chances are that you're not that muscular at all.
     Also the sun indicates muscular status, pretty much the same way Mars does.

Power in Zodiac signs
The Zodiac is a background in the horoscope. It doesn't represent actual powers or energies at play. Instead, it gives certain characteristics to them. The working powers in the horoscope are the planets, including the sun and moon, the Ascendant and Medium Coeli. These are the active ingredients in the horoscope.
     A Zodiac sign without any of the planets is not really weakened, from a health perspective. Rather, it implies that health issues belonging to that Zodiac sign are no real problems. The empty Zodiac signs in your horoscope show that you rarely have ailments in the body parts those signs govern.
     There are three exceptions: if a Zodiac sign is in the 12th, 6th or 8th House, it can cause some trouble whether it's empty or not. More about that below, when the role of the Houses in your health is discussed.
     As for Zodiac signs that have planets in your horoscope, it generally means they are enhanced. A planet brings energy to the Zodiac sign, so it becomes stronger and more important – also the body part that it governs.
     But there are exceptions to the rule, and several things to consider. A planet in a Zodiac sign can just as well lead to complications. You have to look at the whole picture.



Parts of the Zodiac sign
A Zodiac sign is not exactly the same all through its 30° of the complete Zodiac circle. The beginning of a sign is forceful, whereas the end of it is kind of dissolving, and there are many nuances in between.
     A traditional way of taking this into account is the division of a sign into three parts of 10° each, called decanate or decan. The first decan is cardinal (leading), the middle fixed, and the third is mutable (following). These three qualitites are also divided among the Zodiac signs in whole, so that some are cardinal, others fixed or mutable. There is great order to it: Each of the four Greek elements (fire, air, earth, and water) have three Zodiac signs, and these three are of one quality each. Here are the elements and qualitites of the Zodiac signs:

	FIRE	EARTH	AIR	WATER
CARDINAL	Aries	Capricorn	Libra	Cancer
FIXED	Leo	Taurus	Aquarius	Scorpio
MUTABLE	Sagittarius	Virgo	Gemini	Pisces

Zodiac Man. Illustration from a book by Johannes de Ketham, 1494.

     Since the decans of a Zodiac sign can also be divided into cardinal, fixed, and mutable, a decan of a Zodiac sign tends to be slightly similar to the sign of that element with the quality of that decan. It also means that a Zodiac sign is the most typical and characteristic in the decan of the quality that sign itself belongs to.
     For example: Aries is the cardinal fire sign, so its first decan, the cardinal one, shows the most distinct Aries characteristics. Its second decan, the fixed one, is slightly similar to the fixed fire sign Leo, and its last and mutable decan has some similarities with the mutable fire sign Sagittarius.
     Therefore, a Zodiac sign is its strongest in the decan of the quality that sign belongs to, which is where it is the most characteristic, and weaker in the other decans. A cardinal sign is at the very weakest, quite frustrated, at its mutable decan, and the other way around. A fixed sign is usually weaker in its mutable decan than in its cardinal decan, but the difference is not that great.
     Here are the Zodiac signs, and what other sign they have similarities to in their decans. A sign is the most characteristic in the decan that is associated with itself.

SIGN	1st Decan	2nd Decan	3rd Decan
Aries	Aries	Leo	Sagittarius
Taurus	Capricorn	Taurus	Virgo
Gemini	Libra	Aquarius	Gemini
Cancer	Cancer	Scorpio	Pisces
Leo	Aries	Leo	Sagittarius
Virgo	Capricorn	Taurus	Virgo
Libra	Libra	Aquarius	Gemini
Scorpio	Cancer	Scorpio	Pisces
Sagittarius	Aries	Leo	Sagittarius
Capricorn	Capricorn	Taurus	Virgo
Aquarius	Libra	Aquarius	Gemini
Pisces	Cancer	Scorpio	Pisces

Zodiac Man. Illustration from 1512.

     Regarding your health in your horoscope, you should pay attention to what decan of the Zodiac a planet is in. That tells you much more about the constitution of that planet, what ailments it might cause, and to what extent.
     Each decan of a Zodiac sing tends to narrow down the body part inflicted, or the kind of infliction. It is not that certain or exact, but the table below gives clues to how the decans modify physical ailments and problems of each sign. These are indications, only, Don't take them too literally.

SIGN	1st Decan	2nd Decan	3rd Decan
Aries	Skull	Migraine	Concentration
Taurus	Nose	Throat	Ears
Gemini	Smell	Lungs	Speech
Cancer	Skin	Hair	Touch
Leo	Heart	Blood	Circulation
Virgo	Appetite	Stomach	Digestion
Libra	Metabolism	Bowels	Excrement
Scorpio	Sexuality	Genitals	Hormones
Sagittarius	Far-sight	Eyes	Near-sight
Capricorn	Spine	Bones	Joints
Aquarius	Arms	Legs	Movement
Pisces	Coordination	Nerves	Reflexes

Zodiac Man. Painting from 1413-16.

     Some Zodiac signs are more prone to cause mental disorders than physical ones. That's even more true about some planets. Still, any mental disorder tends to lead also to some kind of physical malfunction or ailment – and then the above gives a good indication to what.

© Stefan Stenudd
     1. Your health in your horoscope
     2. The Zodiac and your health
     3. The Planets and your health
     4. The Houses and your health
     5. The Aspects and your health
     6. The Transits and your health
     7. Disease in your horoscope
     8. Examples: Madonna, Justin Timberlake
         Angelina Jolie, David Beckham