MEDICAL “HORARY” IN THE RENAISSANCE ERA

January 2024

copyright © 2024 by Judith Hill

A medical horary chart is a horoscope calculated for a medical question. The medical question is timed from either the moment of “taking to the bed”, i.e. first realizing one is sick, or (in lieu of that time), from the minute the doctor understands the question. This specific use of horary astrology is quite ancient, having begun in Helenistic Greece.

But why did Renaissance Physicians rely so heavily on medically-oriented “horary” charts in place of the more enlightening natal and transit charts?

This is an essential question, be it that horary methods are the precise theme of my upcoming February class, “Renaissance Techniques of Medical Astrology”.

There are two primary reasons for this reliance. First, it was very difficult to obtain precisely timed natal charts in the Renaissance period, and next to impossibly so for the country-born commoner. Generally speaking, watches as worn time pieces didn’t become popular as status proclaiming gentleman’s wear until the 1800’s.

Secondly, Pope John’s Tridentine Council (1545-63), defined that whereas medical astrology was legal, natal astrology was not! This placed all era physicians in a pickle, because natal charts are a supremely accurate medical tool.

The wary physician’s way around this predicament was to avoid using natal charts entirely (and avoid confinement in the Tower of London!), and to rely on non-natal alternatives.

Thus, the use of “decumbiture” charts, “consulting” charts and “crucial circle” charts became mainstay medical practices. All three methods are variants of horary techniques. Lucky for those who are fascinated with this era, I will be demonstrating the use of medical horary charts in our upcoming February class - where we will also compare the methods of four “Masters of Decumbiture”: William Lilly, Nicolas Culpeper, Richard Saunders, and Joseph Blagrave.

All four Englishmen wrote extensive medical horary texts, with Culpeper and Saunders having produced dedicated books on the subject.

Are you signed in for February’s Renaissance Medical Techniques class? Enhance your learning experience with the optionally suggested class textbook and desk charts below.

Did you know that Judith wrote the Introduction to a new publication of Nicolas Culpeper’s classic 1600s astrological text on this exact topic?! Your gift coupon is below!  Scroll further down for link to her personally crafted desk charts.

Nicholas Culpeper, Astrological Judgement of Diseases from the Decumbiture of the Sick, 1655, Introduction by Judith Hill      https://microcosmpublishing.com/

10% COUPON CODE:    DECUMBITURE