Planetary Sympathy and Astrotherapeutics

When people hear the phrase “sympathetic medicine” it’s usually quite misunderstood. Is it when you have the utmost empathy and care for the people you work with? Hopefully, you have those things when working with clients, but in the context of medical philosophy that’s not what is meant by sympathetic medicine.

Sympathetic medicine dates back to Paracelsus, the Swiss alchemist, physician, and medical revolutionary. It is also deeply rooted in the Hermetic tradition (often in the form of sympathetic magic), alchemical philosophy, and is exemplified in the development of homeopathy by Samuel Hahnemann.

The concept of sympathetic medicine is by its nature rather difficult to explain. It’s best described in contrast to the opposite approach, which is antipathetic medicine, so let’s start there.

 Antipathetic vs. Sympathetic Medicine

The basis of antipathetic medicine is that opposites facilitate balance. If someone is too hot, you cool them down. If they’re too dry, you moisten them. If they’re too moist, you dry them out a bit. If they’re too tense, help them relax. Antipathetic medicine is the basis of most systems of herbal medicine worldwide. Ayurveda and Chinese medicine are antipathetic systems of medicine. Greek humoral medicine and Unani-Tibb are also antipathetic systems. In antipathetic medicine, we use opposite qualities in the remedies to balance the quality of the disease within the person. It’s a very logical system, and it’s easy to see how it makes sense.

Sympathetic medicine does not make sense in an obvious way- it is in a way beyond logic. We usually see sympathetic medicine discussed in the context of homeopathy, the premise of which is that “like treats like,” embodied in the classic homeopathic latin phrase similia similibus curantur. 

When you take a remedy in a very high dose it can generate the symptoms it would address in a lower dose. In homeopathic medicine, this dose is essentially physically non-existent, meaning that it is so dilute there is very little chemical activity left in the medicine.  Of course, there’s a whole system regarding how those medicines are diluted and potentized and which layer of the person they support—acute or chronic, deep or superficial, etc. 

While I’m not an expert in homeopathy, it’s a great example of the application of sympathetic medicine. What’s interesting is that for many medicinal plants, the indications of usage for their homeopathic preparation is quite similar to how we tend to use them in herbalism as water extracts, tinctures, powders, etc. The homeopathic materia medica is quite vast, including many otherwise toxic substances such as metals. It’s worth noting that many of these metallic medicines originated from medical alchemy, where they were prepared in a very different manner than the homeopathic dilutions. 

Considering the principle of sympathetic medicine through the lens of alchemy and medical astrology sheds a very different light beyond the premise of the remedy treating the condition it produces in toxic doses. 

Planetary Sympathy to Plants

In alchemy and Paracelsian medicine, the principle of sympathy is based on another core tenet of alchemical philosophy: the doctrine of correspondence. This states that everything in creation exists in patterns of interconnectivity and relationship, most notably between the “above and the below.” The core pattern of the heavens is the planetary bodies, which are seen as archetypal forces that not only influence all of life, but are embodied within each expression of life. In this way, each plant that grows here on Earth corresponds to and is in sympathetic harmony with a primary planetary body. We generally refer to these as plant to planet correspondences.. 

These correspondences are typically determined first by understanding the medical implications of the planets, such as which organs, systems, and tissues they govern, what their energetic qualities are in regards to temperature, moisture and tone, and even what types of herbal actions that planet would represent. Planetary qualities can also be observed in a plant’s environment, its morphology, color, texture, and other such details. These “chains of correspondence” provide a map for seeing patterns of relationship between the two. 

The premise of alchemical medicine is that when a plant is prepared according to the spagyric method, it not only concentrates the medicinal virtue of the plant but also the planetary force the plant is sympathetic to. This astral force is then conveyed to the person who takes the remedy.

The idea is that each planet cures the ailments it influences. This was well summarized by Paracelsus when he said “every planet cures its own disease.” When working within an alchemical framework of herbal medicine, we assess the person as a whole—we observe their symptom patterns, constitution, and emotional-psychological state — to identify the primary afflicting planet. We look into the archetypal force behind their struggles to choose a remedy that is sympathetic to that planetary force to correct the imbalance within the person. 

Some take what is in my opinion, an overly simplified approach: “Here’s a list of Mars herbs; just pick one to fix a Mars issue.” As an herbalist, I know Mars plants vary widely in their actions and qualities. Nettle leaf (Urtica dioica) is different from Echinacea flower (Echinacea angustifolia) and is distinct from Cayenne (Capsicum annuum). While they are all sympathetic to Mars, they express it uniquely, each suited to different manifestations of Martian imbalances. As you can see, the concept of sympathetic medicine in this approach can get rather complicated. 

I can remember when I was writing the sympathetic medicine section in my book Evolutionary Herbalism getting frustrated trying to explain it. My friend and colleague Matthew Wood, who helped review the book, said he too has always had difficulty writing on the topic because it’s like a Zen koan. What’s the sound of one hand clapping? Everything about sympathetic medicine is paradoxical, illogical, non-rational. As such, it appears to operate on a wholly different plane of influence than the more rational antipathetic approach. One could say it’s operating beyond the realm of duality, and thus touches us closer to our essence. 

Layers of Sympathy between Planets, Plants and Physiology

The foundation of medical astrology is learning the organ, system, and tissue affinities of the planets. In this layer, planets sympathetically correspond to certain parts of the body. Plants that correspond to the same parts of the body tend to be sympathetic to those planets and those parts of the body. There’s a triangulation that happens.

While there are deep and complex layers of sympathy between planets and our anatomy and physiology, a quick overview looks something like this:

• Venus governs the kidneys and the female reproductive system. 
• Mars governs the immune system, the adrenal glands, and the male reproductive system. 
• Jupiter governs the liver and metabolism. 
• Saturn relates to the bones, teeth, structural tissues, and the joints. 
• The Sun governs the heart, circulation, and vital force. 
• The Moon relates to the stomach, fluids, and the mucosa. 
• Mercury governs the respiratory system, brain, and nerves. 

This triangulation demonstrates one layer of sympathy between plant, planet, and person. An herb that influences the blood, immune system, and the male reproductive system, such as Nettles, has a strong sympathetic correlation to Mars. It is a good example of the principle of sympathy regarding the herbs’ organ system and tissue affinity.

Energetics are another layer of sympathy. This is an important concept in holistic herbalism, where we look at a remedy’s impact on the body’s ecological state rather than reducing the effects to its biochemical effects. This is a simple but powerful principle. 

Energetics is typically broken up into three primary qualities: temperature, moisture, and tone. Thus we have warming and cooling, moistening and drying, tonifying/astringing and relaxing herbs. 

Warming herbs are governed by Mars, the Sun, and Jupiter, to a lesser degree. Cooling herbs are governed by Saturn or the Moon, the predominant moistening celestial body. Venus is also moistening, and Jupiter is moistening in terms of its oiliness. Ayurveda sees the water element as a grand archetype; the body’s hydration is twofold— oil is the pitta form of the Water element, and water is the kapha form of the Water element. Jupiter encompasses that in the way it rules fats and oils. 

The Sun and Mars are very drying through their heating quality. Saturn is drying, tonifying, and astringent. Mercury can be drying, too, because it’s very movement-oriented and excess movement can tend to promote dryness. Mercury and Venus are relaxants and Saturn tends to be tonic astringent. These are some of the ways we can understand planets sympathetically through their energetics, and this, in combination with organ affinities, can lend a lot of insight into an herb and which planet is most sympathetic to that herb.

We can go into greater depth on herbal actions, thinking through the actions of a plant. For example, demulcent herbs moisten the mucosal membranes, which the Moon rules. This is a good example of a sympathetic property of the Moon.

We can draw some interesting correlations between herbal actions and planetary qualities. I recommend starting there to begin building a case. We can map the herb out in terms of its organ and tissue affinities, actions, and energetics. Then, we can look at the correspondence to each of those characteristics. With this we can build a case to attribute planetary correspondence to plants. 

Aside from energetics and organ system tissue affinity, another piece we can work with is what types of diseases the remedy treats. Often, this is synonymous with organ system and tissue affinity as well as actions. We have a couple of factors to consider if we’re looking for an herb that treats respiratory tract infections. Mercury relates to the respiratory tract, but Mars relates to infections, the immune system, and the ensuing inflammatory process. We can drill down deeper to ask what type of herb it is. Osha and Marshmallow both treat respiratory tract infections, but they’re entirely different herbs. That’s where it helps to dig into the quality of the energetics and the actions to clarify. 

Another example here would be conditions such as anemia, general blood deficiency, and hemochromatosis, all of which are blood disorders. These are mainly associated with Mars, due to its primary governance of the blood. Thus there is a strong organ correlation between disease, pathology, and rulerships. However, there are many instances where further details are required.

Constipation is a great example. It happens in the digestive system. Aspects of the Moon are involved, as the ruler of the stomach and mucosa. Generally, Virgo governs the intestinal tract, specifically the small intestine, and Scorpio rules the large intestine. This can lend a Mercury (from Virgo) or Mars (from Scorpio) influence on digestion. But people get constipated for different reasons. Sometimes, it’s a deficiency of the Moon and too much dryness. Sometimes, there is a deficiency of heat and cold present in the digestive system—a lack of Sun or Mars, or maybe an excess of Saturn causes the issue. 

Thus we can look not only at the area of the body and the ruler of that area, but also the functional or ecological state of the tissue and what planet is generating that, either from a relative state of excess or deficiency. For example, dryness causing constipation could be from either a deficiency of the Moon causing lack of secretion, an excess of Mars causing an excess of heat that then dries out the tissues, or an excess of Saturn causing cold, dryness, and hypertonicity. Based on these insights, we would select sympathetic remedies that are appropriate for the person, such as bitter tonics, demulcents, or carminatives. 

Planetary Sympathy and Antipathy in a Single Plant

Now we get into the complexity of this type of system, where a single plant can have both sympathetic and antipathetic attributes to a planet. An interesting example of this is Nettles and Mars. Nettle leaf (Urtica dioica) is sympathetic to Mars in that it nourishes the blood. It builds blood, yet it’s alterative and cleanses and purifies it. The root has an affinity for the prostate gland, also ruled by Mars. Morphologically, Nettles has Mars signatures with its pricky, sharp, stinging qualities. It induces redness, heat, and inflammation when you touch it. 

And yet, Nettles can treat an excess of Mars—heat, irritation, allergies, and immune hypersensitivity. This shows us how, in one way, it’s sympathetic to Mars in its organ affinities and the fact that it treats Mars conditions, which in some ways could be seen as being antipathetic. I prefer to think of Nettles as reducing Mars in some ways, and strengthening Mars in others. This is an important point, just because a plant is sympathetic to a planet doesn’t necessarily mean its effect on that planet will be increasing.

Nettles also relates to the opposite planet, Venus, because it’s a diuretic and operates through the kidneys and urinary tract. So, we can consider some very interesting spectrums of sympathy and antipathy within a plant.

Agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria) is an herb I place under Venus because it has a strong affinity for the urinary tract and the kidneys. Kidney and urinary tract remedies tend to be Venusian. Yet, it is astringent and tonifying, which makes it ideal for people with an excess of Venus, which causes too much relaxation in the bladder and urinary tract. Agrimony tonifies, tightens, and astringes and brings structural definition and tone to the tissues of the urinary tract. It treats an excess of Venus in the form of relaxation in the Venus organ system. So it’s interesting, because a main quality of Venus is relaxation, so one might expect all Venus plants to relax tissues, but here Agrimony does the opposite: it’s actively tightening and toning excess relaxation.

Astringency is generally considered a Saturnian quality that treats excessive Venus relaxation. But here we see a Venus herb treating the Venusian imbalance of relaxation. Again, every planet cures its own disease. Matthew Wood talks about Agrimony in flower essences as a remedy for psychological tension and hierarchical issues within relationships, especially work relationships and challenges with authority. Having issues with your boss at work, for example. Another characteristic of the “Agrimony person” is that they tend to wear a façade—they try to hide their true emotions. They’re not doing well, and you know they’re not doing well, and you ask, “How are you doing?” And they say, “I’m fine.” But you know they aren’t fine. There is an underlying tension in their voice that you can feel. That’s one of the patterns of Agrimony—the façade that’s not convincing anyone. There is a disharmony between the inner state and what is being expressed externally. There are issues in their relationships. There is an underlying tension that needs to be relaxed. These dynamics of the flower essence are all notably Venusian in nature.   

I’ve been thinking about a more in-depth way to classify and understand planetary correspondences. Typically, people think of a planetary-plant correspondence like this: a planet rules an herb—Venus rules Agrimony, Mars rules Nettles. It’s a good starting place, and I’ve worked with it like this for years. But over time as I’ve developed my method to working with these correspondences, I’ve realized this is too simplistic of an approach and doesn’t capture the true complexity of herbal medicines. 

The Triune System of Planetary Correspondences

It dawned on me a few years ago while studying with the great herbalist David Winston, who teaches the system of formulation and classification that he learned from William LeSassier. LeSassier taught some of the great herbalists of our modern era: Matthew Wood, Margi Flint, and David Winston, among many others. They’re all fantastic herbalists. LeSassier’s system is called the Triune System, which is a way of classifying plants based on organ affinities and whether an herb is a builder, an eliminator, or a neutral to an organ system. 

Each organ system has different factors regarding what qualifies an herb as a builder, neutral or eliminator. Trophorestoratives, tonics, and demulcents are respiratory tract builders that nourish and build respiratory tissue. Eliminators are stimulant expectorants, for example. In this way each organ system has different parameters for what would make an herb either building, eliminating, or neutral to that system.

If you’ve been following me for some time, you know I’m a big fan of patterns, and I love threefold patterns because they’re universal. Vata, pitta, and kapha of Ayurveda are good examples. Mercury, Sulfur, Salt of Alchemy; Cardinal, Mutable, and Fixed of astrology are also examples of this pattern. Sheldon’s Constitutional System, the Mesomorph, Ectomorph, and Endomorph, are very similar to vata, pitta, and kapha. To me, LeSassier’s triune classification system fits this pattern quite nicely. I find that the builder is like the Salt quality from an Alchemy perspective. Neutrals relate to Mercury, the balancing force. Eliminators relate to Sulfur, which is hot, fiery, and destructive—it is eliminating and stimulating.

We can take this triune pattern and apply it to how we understand planetary correspondences to make them more specific, nuanced, and refined. For example, with Nettles, in terms of the blood, we can think of it as a builder to Mars. It builds Mars because it’s full of minerals and iron and builds blood. Yet, it’s Mars eliminating, too, because it clears heat and stagnation. It is alterative; it clears damp heat and irritation.

It is also eliminating to Venus because it’s a diuretic. There is an aspect of Mars eliminating in the root. It addresses benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH—abnormal swelling of the prostate gland—because it eliminates excess. So that’s Mars eliminating. I believe that Nettles is Mars neutral, too. I find it to be a balancing force to the archetype of Mars.

I’m incorporating the builder, neutral, and eliminator framework into my planetary classification system. I’m going through all of my plant-planet and element-plant correspondences and overlaying this framework because it clarifies what an herb is doing in relation to a planet. I think it helps to eliminate some of the confusion that can arise with applying the principle of sympathetic medicine, where we say, “It’s sympathetic to this organ system. Yet, it’s antipathetic because it’s opposing or balancing an excess of that planet.” That’s not quite right; it is still a sympathetic influence. It’s just an eliminator to an excess of that planet, not a builder/increasing to that planet.

This is an approach I encourage all astro and alchemical herbalists to consider that work with planetary correspondences in plants, as I believe it will help further clarify our system of classification and understanding of how the herbs are influencing the planetary forces. 

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If that made your head totally spin, I suggest checking out some of our more introductory posts on how to integrate medical astrology into your practice of herbalism.

• Astral Polarities & Organ Systems

• Medical Astrology’s Insights into Holistic Herbalism

• The Celestial Language of Plants