Diagnosing mental illness through Astrology

By Sandagomi
Mental illness is not a subject alien to Astrology. In fact, mental disease is an integral part of Medical Astrology based on principles propounded by the ancient sages in India. However, it appears that in recent times, it is the Western Astrologers who have evinced a greater interest in research on Medical Astrology – Mental illness in particular than the practitioners of 
Vedic Astrology. 

Natal Chart providing the clue to diagnosing mental illness

Meanwhile, some medical practitioners specialized in Western Medicine and proficient in Astrology as well have created a new wave of awareness and interest in the subject of mental illness in particular among the astrologers in India with their findings that the Natal Chart of an individual is more useful in diagnosing the nature of a mental illness than the most modern diagnostic means available to a psychiatrist today.  

Disentangling complexities

Certain medical specialists have concluded through studies over the years that the Natal Chart of an individual helps in determining:

The true nature of the mental disorder

The degree of the severity of the disorder and  as to when the illness turns very severe and how long the symptoms last.

Astrological explanation for ‘spontaneous remission’ 

It has astounded medical specialists to observe that the condition of mental patients shows a dramatic improvement when the adverse transit of a malefic planet or a Dasa of a such a malefic planet comes to an end. This condition in Western Medicine is referred to as ‘spontaneous remission.’

A basic understanding of the nature of mental disorders and what planets are responsible for causing mental disorders and why their malefic influence cause these illnesses is necessary to appreciate the rationale for this phenomenon. 

A broad classification of mental disorders 

The entire gamut of mental illnesses, according to medical specialists, could be brought under two categories namely:
Major mental disorders where the individual loses touch with reality and is unaware that he is mentally unsound and 
Minor mental disorders where the individual is aware that there is something mentally wrong 
with him. 

Sub-groupings

Those belonging to the category 2 are divided into two subgroups:
Those constantly plagued by anxiety and concomitant conditions such as irritability, fear, worry, nervousness, trepidation, stress and apprehension and
Those suffering from depression and conditions like guilt, despair, despondency, melancholy, prolonged bereavement and loss of interest. 

It is a paradox that almost all planets who are responsible for causing mental disorders are natural benefics. However, they get the power to cause them when they are afflicted.

Planets giving or denying good health

The planets mainly responsible for sound or unsound mental health are the Moon, Mercury and Jupiter. These planets together either keep a native in perfect good mental health or cause him mental illness.  The Moon in a Natal Chart rules the mind and the thinking of the native, Mercury intellect, rationality, logic and the nervous system and Jupiter wisdom. When these three planets are afflicted, what they rule too get adversely affected. 

The role of the Sun

Most astrologers agree that an afflicted Sun too could contribute towards making an individual unsound in mind, because the Sun rules the soul and the general health of an individual. The natural malefics such as Mars, Saturn, Rahu and Ketu are responsible for afflicting the benefics such as Jupiter, Mercury and the Moon. They afflict the Sun too who himself is considered a malefic.In the matter of judging the mental condition or the mental health of an individual, the status of the 1st, 4th and 5th Houses too should be taken into consideration. Because 1st House represents the head and the brain as well as the self, the 4th House the feelings and emotions and the 5th House the intellect, intelligence and thinking. 

Understanding afflicted and afflicting planets 

An Indian psychiatrist who has obtained positive results from research and experimentation on diagnosing major mental disorders says that the nature of the mental illness can be ascertained from the relationship between the afflicted and the afflicting planets aided by a good understanding of the inherent qualities of such afflicted and afflicting planets. The natural qualities the 
planets rule are:
Moon: feelings, emotions, love, attachment, intuition and tenderness.

Mercury: deep thoughts, logic, analysis, mathematics, rationality, planning.
Mars:  hot temperament, impulsiveness, knee-jerk reactions, violence and anger
 Saturn: cunning, obstacle, suffering, stoic behaviour and suppression
Rahu: Evil thoughts, suffering, inciting, tempting, fantasizing
(To be continued)