Different types of drugs = different rulers?

[FedorFan]

I believe so. Here's a list I came up with.

1.) Meth (Aries) -- Obviously.
2.) PCP (Leo) -- Gives the feeling that you are better than anyone and can do anything. Also gives you "retard" strength and you can't feel anything.
3.) Marijuana (Libra) -- Makes everything at peace, calm and relaxed.
4.) Ecstasy (Cancer) -- Gets you extremely emotional and in touch with your innerself. Also you'll probably experience the highest high and lowest low in the same day.
5.) LSD (Pisces) -- You see patterns in everything and puts in you in a different world entirely.
6.) Alcohol (Sagittarius) -- Makes you happier than anything else, laughing, etc. In excess, as with anything ruled by Sag, it can be deadly. There is too much of a good thing.

[AineB]

Hmmm.. I'm not so sure on this one. For one, you've partially only focused on narcotics, other than alcohol... and where's cocaine, heroin, or mushrooms? Secondly, is the actual use and make of the drug. You don't smoke ecstasy, and LSD is a liquid.. LOL! All drugs also effect different receptive areas in the brain. I don't know if you would pick a sign as a ruler as much as a planet. Like ecstasy could be ruled by Venus, meth by Mars.. maybe?! I know there is another post about drugs on here, but I think they were broken down more by whether they were taken in pill form, injected, etc.. I'll see if I can track it down! :)

[starlink]

Fedor Fan, I moved your thread from the Natal Astrology to "Other branches of Astrology" as you can see. The topic is not really about a natal chart.

Starlink

[Radu]

You make it sound that these drugs were actually any good.

The word alcohol is associated with Algol (this name comes from Arabic, actually both have the same origin), the worst fixed star on the heavens, to one that makes people lose their head figuratively (alcohol) or literally (Algol - beheading).

So, beware!

[archergirl]

All drugs, whether medicinal or recreational, fall under Neptune; but especially recreational, since the 'recreation' is actually an escape from reality.

I also think your 'interpretation' of different drugs and their effects is highly subjective and not based on fact. Marijuana does not make all people 'peaceful', alcohol doesn't make everyone laugh (my ex boyfriend's father used to get out his shotgun after drinking too much). I fail to see the connection between PCP and Leo. Particularly 'retard strength' [sic].

AG:)

[AineB]

Marijuana does not make all people 'peaceful', alcohol doesn't make everyone laugh (my ex boyfriend's father used to get out his shotgun after drinking too much).

AG:)

Yeah I agree with that!! I know someone who had tried smoking MJ a few times and every time they would end up violently sick!! Throwing up every where! I don't think that would be very peaceful! LOL! I totally abhor alcohol these days... I can't even drink a glass of wine anymore without getting a splitting headache within 20 minutes! I can count the number of times I drink in a year on one hand. :rolleyes:

[FedorFan]

I also think your 'interpretation' of different drugs and their effects is highly subjective and not based on fact..

Of course.

Marijuana does not make all people 'peaceful', alcohol doesn't make everyone laugh (my ex boyfriend's father used to get out his shotgun after drinking too much). I fail to see the connection between PCP and Leo. Particularly 'retard strength' [sic].

The same why not all Leo sun signs are full of themselves and who don't just go by the ruler of planets.

If Alcohol was ruled by Jupiter, it could very well explain the extreme happiness/laughter (Sagittarius) and the depressive effects (Pisces).

[The_Sundance_Kid]

I think Neptune is the most appropriate ruler. I think Neptune can explain the extreme happiness and laughter just as much as Jupiter, but Neptune adds a certain amount of illusion that is inevitable with any drug because it changes perception to something other than what the body naturally experiences.

I also think marijuana could be ruled by Neptune, as the feelings of peace etc and any other feeling- paranoia- irrational fear, could be rather Neptunian (and Venus is exalted there so I feel the Libra energy is ultimately moving toward that place.)

I think all opiates must be Neptunian as they kill pain. That is the ultimate goal of Pisces (I think Neptune is better at wallowing in pain than Pisces.)

And as for stimulants, I think we forget that Neptune is not just a weak and pansy planet, it is capable of having alot of energy and even aggression- it is a water sign after all. Its just that the energies have a transience and fakeness about them. And I think the word 'recreational' is useful as it re-enforces what I perceive as Neptunes exaltation in Leo. It literally re-creates, a type of energy originally association with the sun.

[piercethevale]

Greetings. First off I would like to remind you all that the word 'drug' refers to a substance that has been altered from its' natural state. Thus Marijuana, mushrooms, peyote and the like should not be refered to as 'drugs'. This perpetuates and substantiates an attempt by a certain segment of society that wishes to keep these naturally occuring substances controlled and or illegal. This definition of 'drug' applies both legally and medically by true definition.
As to what I understand about psychadelic substances they can be classified as yin and yang. That is alkaline based or acid based. The alkaline substances include peyote and others of that ilk. The acid are mushrooms, ergot mold [which is what LSD is, i.e. the synthasized active ingrediant in ergot mold]...things of a sphoric nature. I would classify all alkaline substances with the Sun and the acid with the Moon.

[Shining Ray]

I think Neptune is the most appropriate ruler. I think Neptune can explain the extreme happiness and laughter just as much as Jupiter, but Neptune adds a certain amount of illusion that is inevitable with any drug because it changes perception to something other than what the body naturally experiences.

I also think marijuana could be ruled by Neptune, as the feelings of peace etc and any other feeling- paranoia- irrational fear, could be rather Neptunian (and Venus is exalted there so I feel the Libra energy is ultimately moving toward that place.)

I think all opiates must be Neptunian as they kill pain. That is the ultimate goal of Pisces (I think Neptune is better at wallowing in pain than Pisces.)

And as for stimulants, I think we forget that Neptune is not just a weak and pansy planet, it is capable of having alot of energy and even aggression- it is a water sign after all. Its just that the energies have a transience and fakeness about them. And I think the word 'recreational' is useful as it re-enforces what I perceive as Neptunes exaltation in Leo. It literally re-creates, a type of energy originally association with the sun.

I agree with Sundance on happiness, and Pisces can achieve this state. Pisces aren't always mopey, with sad lost faces :D . When I am in the right mood I can feel extremely peaceful and happy. Pisces's moods shift rapidly. Drugs are mood stimulator's. Neptunians or people under transits of Neptune are warned to keep away from drugs because we become most addicted.

I tell you what I have noticed which isn't a science to work out, but people with extreme rage mostly turn to cannabis for the calm relaxed feeling. Mars in hard aspect to Saturn or sometimes Pluto a chart were anger is blocked. Maybe a choice of drug comes down to other characteristics in the personality. Drugs are often used for a confidence boost. It all goes back to Neptune in the end with the urge to lose reality in search of the 'spirit'.

[venusfriend]

Hmmm.. I'm not so sure on this one. For one, you've partially only focused on narcotics, other than alcohol... and where's cocaine, heroin, or mushrooms? Secondly, is the actual use and make of the drug. You don't smoke ecstasy, and LSD is a liquid.. LOL! All drugs also effect different receptive areas in the brain. I don't know if you would pick a sign as a ruler as much as a planet. Like ecstasy could be ruled by Venus, meth by Mars.. maybe?! I know there is another post about drugs on here, but I think they were broken down more by whether they were taken in pill form, injected, etc.. I'll see if I can track it down! :)

Culpeper assigned herbs to the planets:

Herbs in astrology, ruling planets (http://www.anniesremedy.com/astrology.php)

mairjuana belonged to saturn because it is a very drying herb. planetary rulership does make more sense than sun signs.

i prefer the term entheogen to drugs. if used wisely they can assist in astrological insight. with addiction the spiritual benefits diminish.

Entheogen - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entheogen)

neptune is supposed to rule drugs in general. i wonder is different ones set off different chakras or endoncrine glands?

i felt that MDMA and ecstasy would belong to uranus because of the spiritual "awakening" feeling. i do believe that the opiates are the domain of pluto - death and destruction, but also transformation and evolution of the soul once the addiction is overcome. i've only tried acid once and am not sure if there is a planet to desricbe that experience.

[The_Sundance_Kid]

I think when analysing with rulerships in such a way we must be cautious. When we are saying which planet or sign 'rules' something else we should do so with a particular theme in mind. So in the link with Culpeper the particular theme is medicine and herbs. In that capacity hemp is being compared to other herbs for nutritional value and the like. That is a completely separate sphere of discussion, and so the astrology will have a different tone. For instance there, as a herb, the physicality of the leaf itself is of more importance and so the discussion leads to Saturn.

The same object may be classified in astrology in different ways depending on what purpose or what circumstance it is being discussed. Horary is always a good example. A book is an object of the 2nd house when we are talking about its physicality, the 9th house when we discuss its ideas and the 3rd house when we discuss its reading.

So here, when describing different types of drugs, the unifying factor in comparing drugs is that they are drugs. So contrary to PTV I thought the definition of a drug was that which chemically alters the function or state of a person. And if we are discussing non-medical drugs then we enter the sphere of drugs which alter perception or mood or character.

So the question now becomes what rulership can we assign to these things for that function. And I think Neptune is still the most appropriate.



i felt that MDMA and ecstasy would belong to uranus because of the spiritual "awakening" feeling. i do believe that the opiates are the domain of pluto - death and destruction, but also transformation and evolution of the soul once the addiction is overcome. i've only tried acid once and am not sure if there is a planet to desricbe that experience.



I've bolded these terms to highlight what I mean. If Uranus rules spiritual awakening (and it might do in a genius intellectual way) then Neptune rules the feeling of awakening. The feeling of awakening is not the same as an actual spiritual awakening. An actual spiritual awakening would be something that actually changed a person for good, or for a long time at least. No matter what it was it would be something Uranian. But a feeling of enlightenment betrays the fact that it is only a perception, one step removed from the actual thing itself. If MDMA was enlightenment itself, society would be revolutionised. But it isn't, it is an imitation. It is like winning a trip to Disneyland and being dressed up in a Princess's clothes. And saying I feel like a princess. Yet the experience is not a Leonine one, it is peculiarly Neptunian. It is pastiche, even if the clothes came from a real princess.

Even if the chemical state of the brain is exactly the same in the person wearing those clothes as in an actual princess, even then we could not say they are both the same, as the meaning is derived from the human context and not the chemical state.

So even if MDMA realised the trigger in the brain that we could show the Dalai Lama has, it would not mean that MDMA= Dalai Lama for astrological purposes as context is everything. And if we reduce it to chemical formulae then astrology, like most subjects (except math) would break down.

Death and destruction was associated with opiates. Now actual death and destruction is Plutonian but a feeling of it, an induced one, is still Neptunian. Similarly an addiction is also Plutonian.

So in conclusion I think we might try and describe different experiences with different drugs using astrological language, but these can never really extend beyond MDMA as a Uranus-Neptune influence, and Opiates as a Pluto-Neptune influence. To omit the Neptune is to omit the very thing that unites them all together into the discussion in the first place, that they are drugs. And it is important not to forget that, as that would lead to a distinction between the real and artificial, between pastiche and authenticity, which this Kid thinks is already something Neptune in mundane astrology has been dissolving.

[The_Sundance_Kid]

That aside, I think cannabis often has a rather temporary Taurean effect on people. That rough and raw cheeriness and slowness. This is how most of my schoolfriends who smoked it acted like. But I hated the smell.

I would characterise the experience in that way, but that is not the same as suggesting rulerships and I felt duty bound to point out the above post.

As for cocaine and meth and the like, I think when under that influence the subject is something akin to a Mars square Uranus- dynamic and electrically energetic, but somehow malco-ordinated and 'edgy'. I would assume a trine might have a smoothness to it, and be less raw.

Lastly, as me and Shining Ray pointed out, Neptune as an imitator and ruler of art and as an important significator of drama and acting, can be all of these things as well. I know alot of pretty colourful Pisceans. So at the end of the day all of these descriptions ultimately fall under Neptune.

[FleetingDasein]

I'm gonna have to agree with everyone here.

Neptune is the natural ruler of drugs, and for good reason. Drugs are about opening the doors of perception, switching realities. If that's not Neptune then I don't know what is.

I'm curious as to why you would assign Cancer to Ecstacy. I'd give that one to Aquarius or Pisces. Even the word is a deadgive away. That Drug is definitely not about emotions. Sensations, energy, transcendensce.

[venusfriend]

I think when analysing with rulerships in such a way we must be cautious. When we are saying which planet or sign 'rules' something else we should do so with a particular theme in mind. So in the link with Culpeper the particular theme is medicine and herbs. In that capacity hemp is being compared to other herbs for nutritional value and the like. That is a completely separate sphere of discussion, and so the astrology will have a different tone. For instance there, as a herb, the physicality of the leaf itself is of more importance and so the discussion leads to Saturn.
hemp has always been smoked though. lots of herbs were burnt in temples, still are. the main point is that is is an herb as saturn regardless of use. (Culpeper said he was a smoker but couldn't give up - he didn't specify what he was smoking)

The same object may be classified in astrology in different ways depending on what purpose or what circumstance it is being discussed. Horary is always a good example. A book is an object of the 2nd house when we are talking about its physicality, the 9th house when we discuss its ideas and the 3rd house when we discuss its reading. in this case, to which house would you assign drugs, the 5th for recreation, 6th for health?

So here, when describing different types of drugs, the unifying factor in comparing drugs is that they are drugs. So contrary to PTV I thought the definition of a drug was that which chemically alters the function or state of a person. And if we are discussing non-medical drugs then we enter the sphere of drugs which alter perception or mood or character. it is extremely difficult to differentiate drugs as being medical or non medical. prescription drugs are only different to street drugs in that they are legal and cheaper. opium is a widely use meical drug, the best painkiller there is. opium is also a widely used street drug. i know junkies who don't have to live such a desperate life now because they found sympathetic doctors who prescribed them opiates. many prescription drugs have mind altering effects. antidepressants for one.


So the question now becomes what rulership can we assign to these things for that function. And I think Neptune is still the most appropriate.
yes

I've bolded these terms to highlight what I mean. If Uranus rules spiritual awakening (and it might do in a genius intellectual way) then Neptune rules the feeling of awakening. The feeling of awakening is not the same as an actual spiritual awakening. An actual spiritual awakening would be something that actually changed a person for good, or for a long time at least. No matter what it was it would be something Uranian. But a feeling of enlightenment betrays the fact that it is only a perception, one step removed from the actual thing itself. If MDMA was enlightenment itself, society would be revolutionised. But it isn't, it is an imitation. It is like winning a trip to Disneyland and being dressed up in a Princess's clothes. And saying I feel like a princess. Yet the experience is not a Leonine one, it is peculiarly Neptunian. It is pastiche, even if the clothes came from a real princess.
have you tried MDMA or ecstacy? i had 2 MDMA capsules before a past life regression (view more (http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=426848466&blogId=472347638)). no illusion, just truth, that's why it's called truth serum and why it has been used by psychologists in the USA.

i will be come back to the rest of your post later. it's very interesting, especially about mars/uranus and amphetimines.

[The_Sundance_Kid]

Maybe truth is an overused word. On the most philosophical level we say that all our perceptions, our entire lives, are lived through our brains. As in the matrix. And so there is no external or internal.

Even this is not the whole story, as if all our perceptions are not external, then how can we even know what 'external' 'internal' and 'brain' mean? The only reason you know what I am talking about is because of your own experiences with ideas such as 'brain' and 'you' and 'not you'.

So let's assume that there is in fact a world out there. A tangible, and potentially intangible reality. That in some form or other we can perceive. I think Neptune would rule all of these things that alter our experience of that reality. For good or bad. So when I was referring to feeling before, for this discussion I meant it in as much as it is internal and not external (ie during your past life regression australopithecus didn't actually walk around the room, it was a memory or creation or what not.)

So a past life regression or any such thing would to me be Neptunian. Whether it is good or not would depend on how we see Neptune. I personally think of Neptune as slightly on the malefic side but that's not for this discussion. The discussion of Neptune as 'truth' rather than perception is a separate one.

So in as much as we're talking about the effects of a drug, that drug I think is ruled by Neptune.

As for hemp, I was thinking more along the lines of hemp being used in the textile industry. The tough sinewy feel of textile produced I think is very Saturnine. So as far as hemp is used in textiles I think it is ruled by Saturn.

You're right, it is tough to draw a line between medicinal and non medicinal, but I do think Neptune kind of covers both. As for houses, I'm not sure. As the signs and planets bear upon rulership more, I think the houses are based much more on circumstance. So recreational use would be 5th house, medicinal use I would think is 12th house (I think of 6th house as about routine, so maybe the 6th would cover habitual use and issues of addiction.)

I think the bit I disagree on is with the concept of rulership. I think Neptune must rule these things, but in terms of analogising, or looking at how a chart or astrology in general might uncover these things, that's when the discussion might arise. So for instance I wouldn't think Saturn in the 5th was an indicator of cannabis use because Saturn 'ruled' cannabis. But if Neptune was in the 5th and in Taurus I might think cannabis.

I hope that explains the position. If you want I could describe the herb stuff some more. The language of astrology is a fluid one, and a house (2nd house) can be a home, and a home can be a house, and a house or home can be brainchildren of master architects (5th) and an institution (10th, 11th) can become a home but no matter the context we find a link to Cancer as these concepts have such an important and unitary feature to them (home) which in turn is of central importance to the human experience. That to me is the difference between talking about rulerships and merely analogising or discussing.

[Indigojade1]

Greetings. First off I would like to remind you all that the word 'drug' refers to a substance that has been altered from its' natural state. Thus Marijuana, mushrooms, peyote and the like should not be refered to as 'drugs'. This perpetuates and substantiates an attempt by a certain segment of society that wishes to keep these naturally occuring substances controlled and or illegal. This definition of 'drug' applies both legally and medically by true definition.
As to what I understand about psychadelic substances they can be classified as yin and yang. That is alkaline based or acid based. The alkaline substances include peyote and others of that ilk. The acid are mushrooms, ergot mold [which is what LSD is, i.e. the synthasized active ingrediant in ergot mold]...things of a sphoric nature. I would classify all alkaline substances with the Sun and the acid with the Moon.


WOW that is one of the best write ups I have ever read on "DRUGS" lol... that was so insightful and made such sense. Thanks for that!

[piercethevale]

Well, as I was born May 6, 1953 and am well aware of the Saturn/Neptune conjunction that week this lil' tidbit came to my attention the other day while researching note worthy events of the year I was born i.e. 1953: [from wikapedia]

5 May (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_5) - Aldous Huxley (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldous_Huxley) first tries the psychedelic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychedelic) hallucinogen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallucinogen) mescaline (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mescaline), inspiring his book The Doors of Perception (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Doors_of_Perception).

...here's an event chart for England at noon that day. Note the strong Saturn/Neptune conjunction in double retrograde and that Pluto is in the 21st degree of Leo, the Sabian Symbol for which is "The Premature Expansion of Conciousness" {Rudhyar}...and that the Moon and it"s Noth Node will be conjunct. in the 7th degree of Aquarius, the Symbol for which is about 'The Cosmic Egg...the Emergence of Global Man'...the "Hiranyagharbaya'!

[piercethevale]

Here's Alous Huxleys chart...the time given is 1:30 am which I take to be an approximation: [from www.astrotheme.com (http://www.astrotheme.com) ]

[piercethevale]

...and for more of that matter...here's Dr. Tim Learys' chart.[source; astrotheme]

[alternativebeliefs]

I believe so. Here's a list I came up with.

1.) Meth (Aries) -- Obviously.
2.) PCP (Leo) -- Gives the feeling that you are better than anyone and can do anything. Also gives you "retard" strength and you can't feel anything.
3.) Marijuana (Libra) -- Makes everything at peace, calm and relaxed.
4.) Ecstasy (Cancer) -- Gets you extremely emotional and in touch with your innerself. Also you'll probably experience the highest high and lowest low in the same day.
5.) LSD (Pisces) -- You see patterns in everything and puts in you in a different world entirely.
6.) Alcohol (Sagittarius) -- Makes you happier than anything else, laughing, etc. In excess, as with anything ruled by Sag, it can be deadly. There is too much of a good thing.

I was wondering, did creating this list involve many hours of painstaking experimenting, in the interest of furthering man's understanding of astrology?

[waybread]

Folks, I would also suggest you consider the link between Neptune as the ruler of mind-altering substances (drugs, alcohol) and escapism. Transcendance, maybe: a few million hippies back in the Woodstock era couldn't all be wrong. But escapism and possibly dependency or addiction, for sure. Neptune square sun seems to be one of the signatures for people with chemical dependencies.

I would just recommend anyone using these substances and trying to figure out their astrology consider the global drug trade as it exists today, and then look again at Neptune's key word, "escapism" on the part of users who think non-prescription drugs are a victimless crime. Ask yourself, where do drugs come from? Who processes them? How do they travel? Who controls the drug trade? How do they control it? What is their involvement with armed violence? Which drugs are addictive or create dependencies?

The argument that if drugs were only legalized, then drug problems (violent Mexican drug cartels, the Taliban forcing Afghan farmers to grow heroin to support their arms shipments, &c) would go away, derives from the malfunction of Prohibition in the US nearly a century ago. Unfortunately, circumstances are very different today. Major drug cartels will not give up their highly lucrative business if California legalizes marijuana: they will merely infiltrate government regulatory agencies and law inforcement more than they have to date.

Has anyone seen teenagers with serious meth addictions (decaying teeth, skin lesions), or heard the news reports about drug-related beheadings in northern Mexico? Does anyone know people who grew up with parents who were drug addicts, and learned what that was like? If not, hopefully you will wake up and smell the coffee. Coffee is addictive, but not at these criminal levels.

Ordinary reality is never good enough for Neptune. But he can be very two-faced. The search for transcendance may lead to bitter disillusionment and addiction.

[divine g]

Off the top of my head:
sun-rules clarity so no drugs here..maybe coffee("rise and shine!":)
moon-alcohol, weed, pcp(will put you in the "looney bin"-12th),
mercury-cocaine and caffeine(speeds everything up especially speech)
venus-ecstasy(loves everybody), weed(inspires music,peace,possibly love for everbody, alcohol(loosens inhibitions,good for socializing,think bars,drunk girls singing, one night stands)
mars-alcohol(think barfights), cocaine(high energy,driven,)
jupiter-light alcohol(champagne),mind-expanding drugs like lsd,weed(happy "buddha" laughing,(I also agree with whoever said Taurus rules weed..comes from the earth,feel "stoned", 'rooted', stuck in one spot forever lol)
*SATURN-definition of sober..responsible..the "designated driver, the authority figure who says "dont do drugs",probably needs some ;)
Chiron-Alternative medicine, Chinese herbs, medical marijuana
Uranus-lsd,mushrooms(visions of future),
Neptune-ALL drugs,esp.prescription(12th house hospitals),anasthesia, nitrous oxide at dentist,opium,heroin, and of course alcohol. any drug that can lead to death.
Pluto-Poison, crack, (sex as a drug?)

Just a rough draft, there are no strict boundaries here(neptune dissolves all boundaries) so I would agree with all those who said Neptune rules all drugs. I have Neptune retrograde in 5th house Sage, so I've explored recreationally. Pluto just left this house so I'm more health conscious. Now even a glass of wine gets me down a bit(alcohol is a depressant). I think the moon and neptune are the co-rulers of drugs in general. And they're both in my 5th house!(5th-creativity,fun,hobbies, gambling). So drugs is a 5th house thing for most people, until it it's a daily thing (6th house problem,addiction) which can lead to hospital,death or jail(12th house, so it all comes back to Neptune.)

[HeyPlayGirl]

Ordinary reality is never good enough for Neptune. But he can be very two-faced. The search for transcendance may lead to bitter disillusionment and addiction.


wow, that is worded so well. it's so true. i have 6 neptune contacts including sun squre neptune and moon opp neptune and i def. enjoy mind altering drugs. your description fits perfectly.

[Northstar10]

Sun= cocaine for ego tripping coke snobs
Mercury= meth for jibbering speed demons
Venus= ecstasy for drooling love doves
Moon= mushrooms for loony bins
Mars= steroids for ragers
Jupiter= booze, the troof serum for expansive beer bellies
Saturn= jenkem, depressive highs for the junkiest of us
Neptune= Peyote, find me a watery oasis in the desert, sacred friend.
Uranus= LSD. This isn't Kansas anymore, is it, Todo. Todo, why do you look like a giant dinosaur?
Pluto= PCP. I'm already dead. I can do anything!

Now, depending on which planet rules your sign, time to visit your local dealer.

Just kidding, kids. Don't do drugs! Drink milk!

[pudinnpop]

I know this post is rather old ,but where would perscription drugs fit in astrology such as antibiotics,drugs for chemo,even topical drugs such as creams for exema??

[dr. farr]

The astrological classification of medicinal substances (natural or otherwise) is a quite complex issue, and one I have given much attention to over the years (obviously so, in my line of work!) There are conflicting indications from astrological (and esoteric) authorities, so much so, that I've done my own reworking of the entire matter over the past couple of years, so as to have a workable basis in actual practice (this could be the subject of another thread in the Medical section if enough AW members express their interest)

However, in response to this current question, let me state that, historically, there have been several ways in which medicinal substances have been classified vis-a-vis astrological considerations:

Method 1) by elemental quality:
-aka "humor" or "temperament"; the effect of the substance (relative to taste, meridian element affected, heating or cooling qualities) is used to classify the substance according to elemental category: in the West, these categories are: fire (warm/dry), water (cool/moist), air (warm/moist), earth (cool/dry)

[Note: this method is similar to the classification systems found in Unani-Tibb, Ayruveda, and Oriental Medicine]

1-a) the sub-category of the above is the further allocation of the substance according to its elemental affinity to planetary elementary qualities (this method is what I have principally applied in determining my own remedy astrological classifications)

-Under this elemental classification method, rx drugs such as pain killers, antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (eg Prozac), analgesics, birth control pills, anti-hypertensives and narcotics, would all come under "cool+dry" elemental quality, ie, under the element earth, and would be mostly Saturn-quality affinitive.
-Stimulants, diuretics, most hormonal stimulative drugs, natural and synthetic hormones, laxatives, etc will mostly fall under the elemental quality of fire, and be affinitive with Mars and the Sun (many of the hormones and their agonists, as well as most diuretics and laxatives will be of the water quality and be mostly affinitive with the Moon)

Method 2) by signature:
-that is, by the physical appearance of the substance (rather than by its medicinal effects); thus a thorny substance would be under Mars, a white powder under the Moon, a hard, dark colored substance under Saturn, a sweet smelling substance under Jupiter (or Venus), etc. Many of these signature allocations are to be found in the older astrological literature: my personal opinion is that this is by far the most unreliable method of allocation.

Method 3) by organotropicity:
-that is, by the tissue/organ affinity/affinities of the medicinal substance. This is the Paracelsan/spagyric classification system, followed to a certain extent by German and Swiss astro-medical practitioners (anthroposophical medicine; Cosmobiologie, etc) Here, the known affinity of a medicine for an organ or tissue system shows its affinity to signs and planets having "rulership" (affinity) to that same organ or tissue. For example, medicines affecting the liver would be under Jupiter (and to a certain extent, Venus), affecting the kidneys under Libra (and Venus), the thyroid gland under Taurus and Mercury, the parathyroids under Saturn (and Taurus and Capricorn, to a certain extent)
In my reworking of natural remedy astrological affinities I have applied this method to some extent, more especially relative to astro-classification of various homeopathic medicines.

4) by generic medicinal affect:
-in this method, the known generic effect of the medicine is looked at as being similar to the quality of planetary influences: for example, a soporific (or narcotic) is under Saturn; a general tonic is under the Sun; an outright stimulant to blood and muscles under Mars; a pain reliever (not up to narcotic or soporific effect) under Venus; a laxative or diuretic under the Moon; a stimulant to the nerves and brain, under Mercury; something to build up the weight, Jupiter, etc.
In my opinion this also can be an effective classification method: Daath and, to a certain extent, Cornell (astro-medical authorities active in the early 20th century) applied this astro-therapeutic medicinal classification system to a considerable degree.


The above is merely a very succinct and highly limited discussion of this complex and important subject, however, I hope it sheds some light in answering your question:biggrin:...

[pudinnpop]

Thanks Dr .Farr..This was indeed helpful!!!

[Earth Sign]

Carl Payne Tobey said that Virgo represented the legal types of drugs, and Pisces represented the illegal types of drugs. Legal drugs, for medical purposes, are definitely associated with Virgo's hypochondria, nevertheless they are still drugs and still harmful and still altering in many cases. Pisces, as everyone has already stated, is associated with illegal drugs for social escape into other worlds.

[Caprising]

I think that there needs to be another classification for "natural" drugs and "man-made" drugs. I would describe "Natural" drugs as those which havn't been modified from their natural state by pharmacutical companies changing the molecular structure in order to patent and "own" the new creation. Maybe the proliferation of so many new pharmacutical products over the last decade or 2 is the manifestation of my generations input (pluto conjunct uranus in virgo sextile neptune in scorpio) , after all the vast majority of experienced pharmacists probably arn't going to be 25 years old!.. As far as legal and illegal drugs go, there are too many grey areas, e.g. U.S.A. marijuana laws back in the early nineteenth century forced farmers to grow the crop, it was "illegal" to not grow it! Now it's illegal to grow it in most areas that I am aware of. Here in Australia it's illegal to grow it in some states and has been decriminalised in others! Too complex to be workable!

[Earth Sign]

The main difference between the legal/illegal thing is whether or not it's used for medicinal purposes. When Marijuana is medicinal I'm sure Virgo would use it, but so would Pisces for it's altering effects. Purely altering drugs are usually illegal, and because Pisces is such an escapist it's going to largely turn to the altering/illegal drugs. Virgo is a hypochondriac usually, health conscious, so it goes for medicinal/legal drugs provided by the pharmacy, such drugs are legal because they are supposedly healthy. That's what I think the theory was saying, just to clarify.