STUDY GUIDES IN ASTROLOGY
Breast Cancer:
An Astrological View
LAUREN DELSACK
Study Guides in Astrology: Breast Cancer - An Astrological View © 2012 by Lauren Delsack. Published by Lauren Delsack at Smashwords.
Nothing presented here by its author should be construed as being in the nature of a medical diagnosis, medical prognosis or medical treatment. Nothing in this book is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only.
Author’s Website: http://www.laurendelsack.com
In this study guide, we will be focusing on breast cancer; the emotional conflicts associated with a woman's breasts, and as well, how to prevent 'dis-ease.' This study guide is designed to help astrologers work with individuals diagnosed with breast cancer, and as well, to help better understand the astrological indicators of potential health concern.
We must be very sensitive about how we present this information. As astrologers we do not have an ethical right to determine if someone will or will not become ill. This, in my opinion, is utterly irresponsible, and predictive astrology should not be used this way. I believe we do however have a responsibility to share information that can help prevent illness and disease, and help save lives. This is what I hope to share through this study guide.
We will be studying the client-case of "Abbey" in my book, How Emotional Conflicts Trigger Disease: An Astrological View ((available on my website at www(dot)laurendelsack(dot)com)) in order to demonstrate how we are able to pinpoint the unexpected emotional conflict that likely triggered the onset of breast cancer.
One of the most important theories we must understand surrounding Dr. Ryke Geerd Hamer's work called the German New Medicine, is that each human being has a unique mindset and set of eyes in which they see and interpret the world, life events and emotional conflicts.
For example, we may think an unexpected emotional conflict that shocked one individual is absurd and could have no bearing on illness. However we must work objectively. We cannot involve our subjective opinion about whether we think a particular conflict triggered someone else's illness or not.
As astrologers we want to illicit corroboration from the individual in how they perceived an unexpected emotional conflict of a shocking nature. In other words, an event that jolted them, caught them completely off guard, or on the wrong foot, or occurred out of the blue.
An unexpected emotional conflict that can trigger disease is not the same as an intellectual conflict that someone has time to reason about the moment it occurs.
An unexpected emotional conflict that triggers disease literally occurs within an instant. The brain does not have time to reason. For example, imagine a mother on the sidewalk with her child. The child runs out into the middle of the street and gets hit by a car. There is no time to reason about the accident. It registers as a shock.
Another example is receiving an unexpected phone call that a loved one has suddenly passed away. That event can also register as a shock. However it does not mean that a shocking event will automatically cause illness. We will discuss this further in this study guide, but I want to convey the difference between an intellectual conflict and what Dr. Hamer refers to as a biological conflict wherein the brain has no time to reason about the event. An unexpected biological conflict literally shocks the brain, and that shock shows up on a CT brain scan as a lesion or wound in a particular area of the brain associated with that biological conflict.
When working with an individual medically diagnosed with disease (or not), we need to prepare and interpret the natal horoscope in order to understand the individual's behavioral needs, how they express their energy and how they need to think in order to feel fulfilled. In terms of the individual's perspective or mindset, we need to study the planet Mercury in the natal chart, and as well, the condition of the 3rd house --- their way of seeing the world.
Let us begin by preparing Abbey's natal horoscope, as well as a time-flow listing of measurements from the recent past, through the present time and into the near future.
Notice in the aspect grid on the natal horoscope, I have circled the conjunction with the natal Sun and Mercury. Further, Mercury is semisquare to Venus. This alerts us to idealism, an idealistic mindset. We note that the Sun rules the 11th house of lovability, and feeling loved and recognized by others.
We also note that the hemisphere emphasis of natal planets is below the horizon and as well toward the west suggesting issues of unfinished business from the early childhood or home life (north), which created a tendency to give herself away to others in the hope of receiving appreciation, and leave her needs behind (west).
There is a major square between natal Pluto and Mars, and both planets are situated at the Aries Point (the last two degrees of a mutable sign or the first two degrees of a cardinal sign). When a planet is situated at the Aries Point (AP) it is brought forward publicly for others to easily see, as if the person wears that behavior on their sleeve.
Pluto rules the self-worth 2nd house. Mars in Sagittarius suggests an extreme need to express opinions. Mars rules the 7th house of relationships. Her need to express her opinions (Mars in Sagittarius) sits in the mindset 3rd house and is linked to self-worth issues (through Pluto). There is tension in relationships in terms of self-worth and too much argumentation, combativeness or expression of words (Pluto square Mars). This is likely a defense mechanism that began in the early home life.
When we look to the 2nd house, we see Neptune conjunct Jupiter suggesting confusion, doubt, idealism or a religious rationale linked to her mindset (Jupiter rules the 3rd house). Confusion may spill over into matters of cooperation dynamics in relationships (Neptune rules the 6th house).
We note that Neptune forms a quindecile aspect (165 degrees) to natal Saturn in the 8th house, ruler of the 4th house. This links self-worth issues back to the early home life and one parent in particular (4th house), possibly the father figure (Saturn). Saturn situated in the 8th house is somewhat hidden, remote, reserved or difficult to reach. We would need to talk to Abbey about her relationship with her father.
Natal Pluto in the 12th house can suggest Abbey feels misunderstood by the world. We see how this impacts her mindset with Mars in the 3rd house, and Neptune conjunct Jupiter ruler of the 3rd house. In addition, we see that Neptune forms a square to the Moon in the 11th house of lovability, ruling the 10th house, the other parent. It is undoubtedly clear that self worth concerns are front-and-center, impacting her mindset and linked to one or both parents.
Uranus is conjunct the Ascendant. It is considered peregrine, as it makes no contact with another natal planet by conjunction, sextile, square, trine or opposition aspect. Therefore the tendency is for Uranus to run wild by being highly independent, unique, and potentially rebellious. Uranus can suggest an irritation as well, and ruling the 5th house the irritation can be with not being able to give love easily, or issues surrounding sexual sharing, children or motherhood.
Studying the natal midpoints pictures, we note that Pluto and Mars are configured with the midpoints of Venus/Saturn and Sun/Uranus, all situated at the Aries Point and projected publicly. This midpoint string (Pluto=Mars=Venus/Saturn=Sun/Uranus) suggests strong tensions toward separation, wasting emotions, disputes, driving a wedge into relationship harmony, and wanting more than there is in relationships. Pluto square Mars suggests combativeness. It is echoed through the midpoint configuration. Certainly her relationships are going to take the brunt of these energies with Mars ruling the 7th house.
We see the Ascendant configured with the Midheaven (MC) and Sun/Saturn. The midpoints configured with the Ascendant are important because the Ascendant is symbolic of the health center, and may indicate issues linked with health. The configuration with the Ascendant (Asc=Sun/Saturn) suggests a tendency to feel alone, misunderstood and devalued --- an echo of natal Pluto in the 12th house.
Natal midpoints and horoscope preparation are discussed in great detail in my study guide in astrology, Horoscope Preparation: Managing the Process Swiftly and Efficiently. Midpoint combinations of inner planets with outer planets such as here Sun/Saturn, Venus/Saturn, and Sun/Uranus, will be most important.
We can as well look at two areas of the horoscope that are most important for health: the 12th house of critical illness, and the Ascendant, the health center. Planets situated in the 12th and 1st houses, the Ascendant itself, the ruler of the Ascendant, and the ruler of the 12th house are the most important variables when analyzing health concerns in a horoscope.
We will as well prepare Abbey's past and study major times of life development when solar arcs and transits hit off the natal Angles (Ascendant and Midheaven), the Sun and the Moon.
In Abbey's case, age 7 was a very important time in her life. Transiting Pluto was conjunct the Ascendant, a major perspective change and perhaps as well health considerations. Transiting Pluto was also square the MC, and transiting Neptune was conjunct the Sun --- all taking place toward the final months of 1978 into the beginning of 1979.
In discussion with Abbey, this time period was precisely when her father left the home and her parents separated. She said, "My father left home when I was 7 years old. For most of life I had fears about my mother dying early. Shortly after I married my fears centered on my husband being unfaithful and dying at an early age."
We would make creative connections and put two and two together, and realize there is a major abandonment theme running throughout her life rooted in her father leaving home at age 7. It most likely created enormous fear and anxiety, as well as idealism. Now the horoscope starts to come alive and we can see how insecurities about her value and self worth spill over to affect her adult relationships.
It is also interesting that natal Saturn is hidden away in the 8th house corroborating the loss of the father early on in the home life. This could also suggest the fear and sense of loss linked to death concerns of others (8th house matters). Neptune (uncertainty, doubt) is quindecile (165 degrees) to Saturn (an authority or father-figure).
The horoscope is starting to come together. We need to understand how that event in her childhood would have impacted her way of seeing the world. It impacts how she will interpret life events. We want to go through her past in order to understand the developmental theme in her life, and how it affects her mindset that in turn affects how she interprets emotional conflicts of a shocking nature that can instigate disease.
It is important to understand that laterality (hand dominance) needs to be taken into account because the brain plays an integral role in Dr. Hamer's theories and the German New Medicine.
Our dominant hand determines which side of the brain an emotional conflict impacts, and which side of the body will be affected. People who are right-hand dominant develop problems on the opposite side of the body from those who are left-hand dominant.
If a right-hand dominant woman suffers a conflict with her mother or child or nest (the primary territory of a woman such as her home, work place, pets, etc.), then the left side of the body will be affected (such as, the left breast). If the conflict is with a partner or others (anyone except the mother or child, such as a husband, lover, friend, sibling, or father-figure), then the right side will respond (such as, the right breast). For left-hand dominant people the situation is reversed, i.e. a conflict with the mother or child registers on the right side of the body, and a conflict with a partner or with others registers on the left side.
A clapping test can determine whether someone is right or left-hand dominant (regardless of the hand they write with). To establish this, one would clap spontaneously as if they were in a theatre. The hand on top striking the other hand is the leading hand and will determine which cerebral hemisphere is predominant and will first suffer a conflict. In Abbey's case, her right hand is on top, and she was diagnosed with cancer in her right breast.
Most often, the glands of the breast are linked to a 'nest' conflict, worries or arguments, caring and nurturing within what a woman considers to be her nest such as her children, mother, pets, partner, her home or work place. The worry can also be over a health concern of a loved one, or being thrown out of her 'nest' such as the loss of her job or work place.
The milk ducts are often affiliated with intra-ductal carcinoma, a separation conflict or the loss of physical contact such as a conflict of "my child or my mother or my partner has been torn from my breast." For example, it can involve a relationship break-up, or an abortion or miscarriage.
Each bodily part/system and its associated conflicts are outlined in the Appendix of my book, How Emotional Conflicts Trigger Disease: An Astrological View (the breasts and associated conflicts are found under the Glandular System).
Dr. Hamer determined that an unexpected emotional conflict of a shocking nature occurs one to three years prior to the onset of physical symptoms or medical diagnosis whichever comes first. In my work with medical astrology, I have found Dr. Hamer's time span of one to three years to be correct and extremely accurate.
It is possible as well that an unexpected emotional conflict can occur six months before physical symptoms appear, however that conflict may be a secondary conflict that retriggers an initial conflict that occurred earlier within this one-to-three year time span. Therefore we want to create a time flow listing of astrological measurements for the three years leading up to medical diagnosis or physical symptoms first appearing.
As outlined in the time flow listing below, we want to include solar arcs (SA) to natal planets and angles (the Ascendant and Midheaven) using 8th harmonic hard aspects: the conjunction (0 degrees), semisquare (45 degrees), square (90 degrees), sesquiquadrate (135 degrees), and the opposition (180 degrees). We want to include as well transits from Pluto, Neptune, Uranus and Saturn to natal planets and angles using 8th harmonic aspects.
We can also incorporate indirect solar arcs: solar arc planets and solar arc angles in hard aspect to natal midpoint configurations using 8th harmonic aspects.
When we talk about early warning signs of critical illness, we want to focus on solar arcs and transits particularly from Pluto, Neptune and Saturn to the natal Ascendant, the Sun, the Moon, and planets ruling the Ascendant and 12th house, and as well natal planets situated in the 12th and 1st houses. I have not included transiting Uranus in the listing because it is a secondary indicator or support for what we are already seeing from transiting Pluto, Neptune, and Saturn.
We also want to look for solar arcs from the ruler of the Ascendant or the 12th house. For example in Abbey's horoscope, Venus rules her Ascendant and Mercury rules her 12th house. We would then look for SA Venus or SA Mercury arcing to the natal Angles, Sun, Moon, or to a major natal aspect configuration.
A solar arc planet carries with it the matters of the house it rules. It makes sense that if SA Venus is arcing to the Ascendant (which normally would suggest a joyful time), it is carrying the symbolism of the health center with it and will therefore be important. The same is true of Mercury ruling the 12th house of critical illness.
As well we want to look for a natal aspect configuration, for example natal Pluto square to natal Mars, arcing to the Ascendant or to the Ascendant ruler Venus or to Mercury ruler of the 12th house because it is arcing to natal planets linked to health.
Further if we see through solar arc or transit activity that Pluto is configured with Neptune (or vice-versa, Neptune to Pluto), this can indicate a time of potential health crisis if accompanied by other astrological signs of critical illness.
The same can hold true for solar arcs or transits involving Pluto to Saturn, or Saturn to Pluto because this is a challenging aspect suggesting hard, hard work, and potential loss or self-destruction.
We must be aware that these measurements do not always manifest as illness (as I explain in greater detail in my book, How Emotional Conflicts Trigger Disease: An Astrological View). For example, if transiting Pluto is conjunct the Ascendant there can be many possible manifestations occurring in a person's life such as a major change of perspective, a major relationship start or ending, a relocation or move, and potential health concerns, just to name a few. This is why it is critically important to be very careful with predictive astrology. It would be terribly wrong and irresponsible for an astrologer to predict an illness. However when we do see a build-up of astrological measurements suggesting the potential for health concern, we can alert the individual to the potential of taking on an emotional conflict, and the importance of finding resolution to emotional conflicts.
In preparation for a consultation with an individual medically diagnosed with disease, we can help by honing-in on when an unexpected emotional conflict likely occurred that triggered the onset of disease. We want to know the date or month when physical symptoms first appeared or medically diagnosed occurred whichever came first.
For example, in Abbey's case, physical symptoms first appeared in June 2003 when her breast became sore and she noticed a lump. The following month, July 2003, she had a biopsy and was diagnosed with breast cancer in her right breast.
Abbey is right-hand dominant with cancer in her right breast. According to Dr. Hamer's theories, the unexpected conflict would be associated with her partner or with others, possibly involving worries, an argument or a separation conflict as if to say that person was being torn from her breast.
We want to prepare the horoscope for consultation as we have already done in order to highlight key concerns in her development and how they can impact her perception of life events. Abbey corroborated that abandonment issues are a highly sensitive concern, involving anxiety about her husband being unfaithful or dying at an early age. This was initiated in her early home life at age 7 when her father left the family. Her fears then augmented to her mother abandoning her, and then into her adult life, with abandonment issues in her marriage.
We want to prepare a time flow listing of Abbey's past for the three years leading up to July 2003 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer --- from July 2000 through July 2003.
When we study the time flow table, we can highlight strong time periods that need to be discussed with Abbey in order to pinpoint the unexpected emotional conflict that likely triggered breast cancer.
I have highlighted the year 2000. We see in July 2000 transiting Saturn was square the Moon for the first hit. As we move toward the latter part of 2000 into the beginning of 2001, we see the last hit of transiting Neptune semisquare the Sun in October 2000.
We see a very serious grouping of measurements from around February 2001 until May 2001. We have the first hit of transiting Neptune semisquare Mercury, and conjunct Venus. Remember we want to focus on hard aspects to the natal Sun, Moon, Ascendant, the Ascendant ruler, and to the ruler of the 12th house.
We know by looking at the natal aspect grid that when a transiting planet is conjunct natal Mercury the ruler of the 12th house it will also simultaneously semisquare Venus because these two planets are semisquare in the natal horoscope.
The first hit of transiting Neptune to Mercury and Venus in February 2001 occurs simultaneously with the last hit of transiting Saturn square the Moon. We also see an indirect solar arc within this time period, SA Neptune conjunct Sun/Ascendant suggesting high sensitivity, being duped or being disregarded. This flavors the time period.
We also see in May 2001, transiting Saturn in hard aspect with the Ascendant. When I asked Abbey about this time period, she said it was around April that her dreams (Neptune) and fears (Saturn) intensified strongly about her husband dying, abandoning her or having an extra-marital affair. She also said it was around that time that she was no longer working outside of the home and felt financially dependent on her husband and less fulfilled as a housewife and a mother. As well, transiting Saturn to the Moon can suggest depression.
Moving ahead we see in August 2001 the retrograde hit of transiting Neptune conjunct Venus, and semisquare Mercury. This will be important. As we arrive toward the end of 2001 we see the last hit of Neptune's transit.
Thus far we have outlined that we need to talk to Abbey about the beginning of 2001 from February through May. We need to talk to her about the possibility that an unexpected emotional event may have occurred on the retrograde hit in August 2001 and/or on the final hit in December 2001.
When we study the measurements into 2002, we see activity augment in the months June and July. We see transiting Saturn is square the Sun, and then moves on to square Mercury and form a hard aspect to Venus. When we look two months ahead from June-July, we see the first hit of transiting Saturn square Pluto. Just prior, the previous month, we see solar arc Uranus hooking up with natal Pluto. We know that Uranus to Pluto or Pluto to Uranus is a time of reorganization or reorientation within a person's life. Things can get turned upside down as well. Here we have four months of great importance. The measurements are developing and moving forward. We must discuss June through September with Abbey.
Studying the measurements at the beginning of 2003, we see a real eye opener in January 2003 with transiting Pluto square the natal Sun. This can have a sense of attack or stress on Abbey's life energy (the Sun). This is a telltale sign when we already see measurements leading up to this from transiting Neptune and transiting Saturn in hard aspect to the two health rulers of the health system, Mercury and Venus. Then we see transiting Pluto potentially threatening her Sun, her life energy, for the first hit in January 2003. In this January/February time period, we have the solar arc Moon conjunct Pluto in the 12th house of critical illness! We must be aware that the Moon rules over the breasts in medical astrology. Here we see the Moon has arced to the natal Pluto square Mars configuration. Aha! It seems that the Moon symbolic of the breasts is now arriving in life development to natal Pluto square Mars. Mars rules her 7th house of marriage, her husband. When we put the symbols together with SA Moon square Mars and SA Moon conjunct Pluto, it carries an emotional excitement or emotional extremism with it.
We also see an indirect solar arc, SA Moon=Mars/Pluto. Mars/Pluto can suggest a sense of attack or brutality. We feel the Solar Arc Moon symbolic of the breasts coming to the 12th house of critical illness to conjunct natal Pluto. This is highlighting an extremely important month in Abbey's life.
If we were to recap the most important times to discuss with Abbey, we would start with February to May 2001, then August to December 2001, then mid-2002 (June to September) with transiting Saturn in hard aspect to Mercury and Venus, and square Pluto, and then finally the first two months of 2003.
When we discuss these time periods with Abbey, we need to inform her about what the conflict could be associated with. In this case, with the right breast and the right-hand dominant, the conflict revolves around a partner or others involving a separation conflict or a worry or anxiety conflict with that person.
In order to help refresh Abbey's memory when we go over these important times in her past, we need to ask open-ended questions to assist in triggering her memory. We must keep in mind that we are looking for a conflict of a shocking nature, something unexpected that caught Abbey off-guard and literally jolted her. If the event was not of an unexpected or shocking nature then it probably did not have any impact on health. We are looking for an event that the person did not have time to intellectualize.
In conversation with Abbey we were able to determine that in January 2003 ---just six months leading up to her breast cancer diagnosis --- Abbey's husband went for his usual annual visit to the dentist. During that visit, the dentist saw an abnormal growth on her husband's tongue and called for an immediate biopsy. Abbey corroborated this came as a complete shock to her. It took one week for the biopsy results to come back, and during that week she was terrified while waiting for the results.
We are dealing with Abbey, a person who already has enormous fears regarding her husband abandoning her or dying early. Therefore this event was monumental to Abbey. Please remember, it does not matter what we or anyone else thinks is shocking. The only thing that matters is Abbey and her perspective or perception of the event.
This event makes a great deal of sense when we look back at the activity around January/February 2003 with SA Moon as a potential trigger for self-worth anxiety over the possibility of losing her husband, with Pluto ruling the 2nd house of self-worth and Mars ruling the 7th house of relationships. The event took place under SA Moon conjunct Pluto in the 12th house of critical illness!
We do not know whether this event was the initial trigger for Abbey's breast cancer or whether this event retriggered an earlier conflict. For example, we know her fears augmented a great deal around April 2001. Some event may have occurred at that time, but Abbey did not remember anything shocking or jolting. Abbey vividly remembers her husband's visit to the dentist. Although the biopsy results came back clean and there was need to worry, is irrelevant. It does not matter. Her husband's visit to the dentist occurred and jolted her. It left an impression in/on her brain.
The unexpected emotional conflict usually occurs one to three years prior to the onset of physical symptoms or medical diagnosis. In Abbey's case, the conflict with her husband occurred approximately six months before her diagnosis. That can be, however this emotional conflict may have retriggered a previous emotional event that also occurred within this three-year time period leading up to symptoms and diagnosis.
How can we confirm that this event was most likely linked to the development of breast cancer? We can create a Tertiary Progressed (TP) chart and study the Tertiary Progressed (TP) Moon as a timer.
We create the TP chart for January 20th, 2003 because that date sits in between January 17th and January 25th when we see significant activity in her natal horoscope. I could have just as easily chose January 15th or January 25th.
When we study the TP Chart on the outer wheel with the natal chart on the inner wheel, we see on January 20th, 2003, the TP Moon was precisely conjunct Mercury ruler of the 12th house of critical illness! We also see TP Venus in precise aspect with the dominant natal square between Pluto and Mars that was activated by the Solar Arc Moon at this time. This is an important date signaling the potential onset of illness particularly because Venus rules her Ascendant, her health center. That would be significant enough, but we can also see that the TP Sun is conjunct Saturn in the 8th house of death circumstances of others, such as a male or a father figure through Saturn. Saturn rules the 4th house of the home, the family, domestic affairs, and possibly one parent in particular.
The TP Sun is also quindecile (165 degrees) to Neptune, ruler of the 6th house. The 6th house is a backup in terms of health, secondary to the Ascendant and the 12th house. It is very clear when we pull up a TP Chart, as if the universe is confirming that yes indeed, that moment was extremely important and may very well have triggered the onset of disease for Abbey.
When we use a Tertiary Progressed chart, we want to study the TP Moon particularly, but as well the inner planets in the TP Chart and how they hit off natal planets and configurations. Again we are concerned particularly with the Sun, Moon, the Ascendant, the Ascendant ruler, and the ruler of the 12th house in either the natal chart or the TP chart.
Once we have determined the likely unexpected emotional conflict that triggered the onset of disease, we can determine whether the conflict has been resolved or not. According to Dr. Hamer once the emotional conflict is resolved, the body will automatically heal itself.
How can we determine if an emotional conflict is resolved or not? If the person still has an emotional reaction when discussing the emotional conflict then this is a good indicator that the conflict is likely unresolved. If the person is losing sleep at night or does not have an appetite, then these are additional signs that the conflict is likely not resolved. However it is not the astrologer's responsibility to determine this or resolve the conflict for the individual. Every person needs to find the most feasible and logical resolution. They need to find a solution that is practical for them. There is no one-size-fits-all solution for everyone. Each conflict has a multitude of solutions.
In Abbey's case, the conflict may have resolved itself once her husband received the results of the biopsy. Abbey's body may have begun to heal at that point, but because there was a lump on her breast and she went to have it medically checked, she likely received a secondary shock from the medical diagnosis of breast cancer. My book, How Emotional Conflicts Trigger Disease: An Astrological View discusses secondary emotional conflicts in greater detail.
As astrologers we can help pinpoint unexpected emotional conflicts associated with the onset of illness and dis-ease, and offer support and suggestions in how to find resolution, but the decision, responsibility and power lies within the individual in terms of treatment and conflict resolution.
For further information on Dr. Hamer and the German New Medicine, visit www(dot)germannewmedicine(dot)ca.
For more in-depth study, please see my book, How Emotional Conflicts Trigger Disease: An Astrological View, at www(dot)laurendelsack(dot)com.