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Greek Medicine: MIDPOINTS

MIDPOINTS Pinpoints of Pathology
One modern technique that's extremely valuable in Medical Astrology is that of midpoints. T he use of planetary midpoints in astrology was brought to a high level of development and perf ection by Reinhold Ebertin and his Cosmobiology school, also known as Uranian Astrology. A midpoint is the point midway, or equidistant between two planets or points in the natal horoscope on the shortest arc or angular distance between them. Because it divides the arc between two planets into two equal halves, a midpoint is similar in its essential dynamics to an opposition. But whereas not all planets in the natal horoscope are in opposition, every pair of planets or points has a midpoint. Midpoints are the points of balance or interf ace between the physiological f unctions indicated by the two base planets or points. Like the opposition, a midpoint shows where the balance or homeostasis of the organism is challenged and vulnerable to pathology - but only if it's active. For a midpoint to be active, it must f orm a hard Uranian aspect to another planet or important point in the natal horoscope. T he Uranian aspects are the conjunction, square, opposition, semisquare and sesquiquadrate. To be active, these aspects must be within an orb of 1.5 dgrees or less. T he midpoint and the planet or point it targets or activates f orm a kind of equation known as a midpoint equivalency. T he midpoint itself symbolizes the tension or conf lict between the two physiological f unctions represented by the base planets, and the planet or point targeted is the f ocus of that conf lict or disharmony. In some midpoints, the base planets themselves are activated by the midpoint. T hese midpoints are called self-reactive. In such cases, the base planets themselves are usually in hard aspect, with a very tight orb. And so, midpoints have a lot in common with the conventional hard aspects.

The Sun / Moon Midpoint

T he most important midpoint in astrology, medical or otherwise, is the Sun / Moon midpoint. Medically, it represents the f ocal or balance point between metabolic Fire and metabolic Water. Psychically, it represents the f ocal point or essence of your personality and its expression. T he sign placement of your Sun / Moon midpoint will show the overall character and essence of your metabolism. If it's in Cancer, f or example, the overall character of your metabolism will be Phlegmatic; if it's in Aries, it will be Choleric. T he house placement of your Sun / Moon midpoint will show which lif e area is most essential to your happiness, health and wellbeing. T he planet activated by your Sun / Moon midpoint will be central to the overall health and soundness of your metabolism. If this planet is challenged, debilitated or af f licted, it will represent key health problems to be overcome; if it's strong and well-placed, it will represent a bulwark of health and vitality.

Mars / Neptune: The Immune Midpoint

Mars concerns the overall strength and vitality of the immune response, whereas Neptune shows immune weaknesses and vulnerabilities. T he point of balance or interf ace between the two is the Immune Midpoint. T he planet targeted by the Immune Midpoint represents an organ or f unction that is immunologically challenged, or whose immunity is weak.

Jupiter / Saturn: The Metabolic Midpoint

Jupiter and Saturn are important regulators of metabolism, with Jupiter f avoring Sanguine excess and Saturn f avoring Melancholic def iciency. Where they meet represents the balance point of the overall nutrition and metabolism of the organism. T he planet targeted by Juppiter / Saturn represents a critical organ or f unction that's problematic in the overall metabolic and nutritive balance of the organism. Its placement, debilities and af f lictions, if any, will give f urther clues as to the nature of the metabolic imbalance.

The Humoral Midpoints

We all have our own innate constitutional balance or makeup of humor and temperament. Health consists of being in balance with our original constitutional nature. What the humoral midpoints indicate is not our constitutional makeup, but rather a tendency towards excess or aggravation of a certain humor, with its associated pathological manif estations. With the Choleric midpoint active, f or example, there will be a tendency towards biliousness, f ever, inf lammation, etc... If a humoral midpoint targets or activates a third planet, that planet represents an organ, f unction or body part that's the f ocal point of the pathology in question. If the Choleric midpoint targets Jupiter, f or example, the liver would be the f ocal point of Choleric pathology; with Saturn activated, it would be the spleen, or perhaps the bones, joints and connective tissue. Of ten, the two base planets themselves are targeted or activated by the humoral midpoint. In these cases, the two base planets are usually in hard aspect themselves. And so, hard aspects between the base planets themselves are reliable and specif ic indicators, or signatures, of pathological predisposition. In these cases, the humor itself is problematic, and subject to morbidity and pathology. T he sign and/or house placement of the midpoint itself will give f urther clues as to which organs or parts of the body might be af f ected when both base planets are activated. T he sign placements concern natal or innate conditions, whereas the house placements concern those that become manif est later on in lif e. T he base planets of a humoral midpoint are those whose basic nature and temperament pertain to the humor in question. T he humoral midpoints are as f ollows: Sun / Mars: T he Choleric Midpoint Venus / Jupiter: T he Sanguine Midpoint Mercury / Saturn: T he Melancholic Midpoint Moon / Neptune: T he Phlegmatic Midpoint

The Axial Midpoints

Planetary oppositions in the natal horoscope align along pairs of opposing signs called Medical Axes, which higlight domains of pathology. T he Axial Midpoints are those whose base planets rule or disposit the pairs of opposing signs involved in the Medical Axes. T hey pertain to the same domains of pathology as their corresponding Medical Axes. T he Axial Midpoints are as f ollows: Mars / Venus (Aries / Libra) - T he Renal Midpoint Venus / Pluto (Taurus / Scorpio) - T he Generative Midpoint Mercury / Jupiter (Gemini / Sagittarius) - T he Respiratory Midpoint Moon / Saturn (Cancer / Capricorn) - T he Nutritive / Structural Midpoint Sun / Uranus (Leo / Aquarius) - T he Circulatory Midpoint Mercury / Neptune (Virgo / Pisces) - T he Digestive / Immune Midpoint As with the humoral midpoints, the Axial Midpoints can also be self -reactive, and are stronger indicators of axial pathology when they are. Here again, all this points to the power of hard aspects as indicators of pathological potential and stress.

Other Important Midpoints

T here are several other important midpoints that the Medical Astrologer must assess when analyzing the natal horoscope. T he major ones are as f ollows:

Jupiter / Neptune
T he point of toxicity and intoxication. Indicates toxicity in the liver; also a tendency towards addiction or intoxication with drugs and/or alcohol. T he targeted planet will indicate an organ, f unction or body part that's particularly vulnerable to the intoxication, toxicity or addiction.

Jupiter / Pluto
Associated with cysts, tumors, and abnormal growths. Jupiter indicates expansion and growth, and Pluto malignancy. T he planet targeted represents the vulnerable organ or body part.

Saturn / Neptune
According to Medical Astrologer Marcia Starck, this is one of the most important midpoints in the entire natal horoscope. T he planet it targets or activates will represent an organ or f unction that is chronically weak or vulnerable in the organism.

Venus / Neptune
T his midpoint is associated with chronic inf ections of the f emale organs. It can also indicate putref action or f ermentation in general, since Venus is associated with f ermentation and Neptune with molds, yeasts, and f ungi.

Mars / Saturn
T he point of obstruction or blockage. Can also indicate great structural stress, injury or trauma. Choleric Mars excites and spurs onwards, whereas Melancholic Saturn obstructs and inhibits.

Mars / Uranus
Associated with accidents, injuries, trauma. Planet targeted can represent an organ or body part that's vulnerable to trauma or injury.

Mars / Pluto
Can indicate, malignancey, cell death, destruction of tissue, with planet targeted representing the f ocal point of this pathological potential.

Transits to Midpoints
In the beginning of this article, I introduced midpoints as being a highly specialized type of hard aspect. Although that's one way of looking at midpoints, midpoints are also sensitive trigger points that can be activated by transits and progressions to them just like any other planet or major point in the horoscope. And so, the pathological potential indicated by a midpoint in the natal horoscope can remain dormant until activated into manif est pathology by a major progression or outer planet transit. But in order f or there to be pathological potential, either latent or manif est, the midpoint in question must target or activate either the base planets themselves or a third planet.

Internet Resources on Midpoints

According to my research, there are a lot of articles on midpoints up on the internet, but the vast majority of them seem to be of a very general or introductory nature. And the sources of reliable, specif ic inf ormation when it comes to midpoints in Medical Astrology seem to be even scarcer and harder to f ind. Perhaps the best and most detailed material on the use of midpoints in conventional astrology is on the site www.caf eastrology.com . Marcia Starck has some good material on midpoints in her book, Medical Astrology: Healing f or the 21st Century, which is self published by her and available of f her website www.earthmedicineways.com. But if you really want to go back to the source, get Reinhold Ebertin's classic ref erence work on the subject, the midpoint bible: T he Combination of Stellar Inf luences.