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Bio: Marcia Starck

You can write to Marcia with your health questions c/o Medical Alchemy, The Sun, 1807 Second St. #29, Santa Fe, NM 87505. Please include your date, time, and place of birth.

Marcia Starck is an astrologer who works with Medical Astrology, psychological astrology and relationships, and Astro*Carto*Graphy®. She also facilitates and conducts rituals. Marcia has authored six books on astrology, healing, women's rituals, and the shadow side; the most recent being Healing with Astrology.

Editor's Note:
Please consult your health care practitioner to ensure that the information given in Medical Alchemy is appropriate in your individual case.

Pisces — a time of healing, a time to re-generate the immune system after the long winter, a time to plant creative seeds for the spring equinox. The Sun, Venus, and Mercury are in Pisces most of March; the Sun enters Aries on the 20th, Venus enters Aries on the 22nd, and Mercury enters Aries on the 15th. Our nervous systems are recuperating from the strong electrical energy of the Jupiter/Uranus conjunction in mid-February and the line up of planets in Aquarius.

Neptune, the ruler of Pisces, is the planet of dreams and illusion, music, dance, poetry, and photography. Neptune also governs the immune system and the lymphatic system. When we are experiencing a transit by the planet Neptune, we can become incredibly sensitive; we may have a strong psychic or spiritual opening and we may also feel tired, depleted, susceptible to colds or viruses. Our physical vehicles become more sensitized just as our emotional bodies do.

Our bodies want to release toxins that have been accumulating all winter. If we don't do some cleansing now, we may become prone to spring allergies. This is a good time for an intestinal cleanse; staying on a simple vegetable diet for a couple of weeks while we use some psyllium husks and bentonite to clear out the small intestine is recommended. Having a colonic irrigation is also another important part of the body's spring cleansing. Paying attention to the liver is crucial if we suffer from allergies. The liver, our largest organ, has the ability to de-toxify foreign substances to which we are exposed. Reducing fats in our diet is a good idea; taking some liquid chlorophyll, wheatgrass juice, and eating plenty of dark green leafy vegetables is also important. The bitter taste is what helps to cleanse the liver. A good herb is golden seal leaf (not the powder) which can be steeped as a tea and drunk a few times a week. If our liver is toxic or congested, our immune system will never function properly.

With these organs cleansed, we are ready to build up our immune system. Perhaps the most important thing is an anti-oxidant (dark green vegetables and chlorophyll are good anti-oxidants). Other products are germanium, pycogenol, Co-enzyme Q-10, and octacosonal (octacosanol is used by athletes to bring more oxygen into the muscles; it also works very well with the lungs). Herbs include chaparral, echinacea root, and yarrow which are excellent blood purifiers and immune enhancers. These herbs work best drunk as teas and may not be so helpful in tinctures where they are diluted with alcohol. For bacterial and parasitic infections, chaparral works well (you can steep it with spearmint to offset the very bitter taste); for candida, pau d'arco tea is helpful. Potassium supplements, often combined with magnesium, help the body to become less acidic and better able to get rid of these conditions.

Treatments that might be appropriate at this time are lymphatic massage, which helps the lymph glands de-congest and deep tissue work, which penetrates to all the cells of the body. Good aerobic exercise is also important to boost the circulation and enhance the immune system.

Many people with strong Pisces planets or under a transit of Neptune tend to pick up the emotional and psychic states of others; they then feel totally depleted themselves. Flower essences can be helpful in providing a sense of protection and balance. Bach remedies include Aspen, which helps to dispel fears that come from unknown sources, and Clematis, which helps those who are dreamy or "spaced out". FES remedies (from the Flower Essence Society, in Nevada City, CA) include Yarrow, which protects against picking up psychically from others, and also from environmental influences. Manzanita works with grounding and balancing for those opening up to greater spiritual awareness while Lotus is used for the opening of the chakras.

Aromatherapy utilizes various oils which can protect individuals who are psychically sensitive and often enhance the immune system. Clary sage is different from common sage; its oil has a more pleasant floral quality while its taste is warm and bitter. Clary sage is a good nerve tonic for depression and also beneficial for those who feel weak and fearful. Myrrh oil is stimulating and strengthens the pulmonary system. (According to legend, the name myrrh originated from the tears of Myrrha, daughter of Cinyrus, King of Cyprus, who had been metamorphosed into a shrub.) It is used in incense and perfumes to bring in a more ethereal vibration.

Here is a letter from one of our readers:

Dear Marcia,
Until a few years ago I worked in landscape architecture. Then my allergies got so bad that I could not be outdoors certain times of the year. I also feel very exhausted frequently. I have tried some other work, which keeps me indoors but is not as satisfying to me. Could you recommend from my chart what I could do to re-gain my health, eliminate the allergies, and go back to what I love doing. I was born March 8, 1951 in San Diego, California.

Dear Pisces,
Your natal horoscope shows three planets in Pisces, in addition to the north node of the Moon. With your Sun conjoined the planet Mercury, you would have a sensitive respiratory system. Your Sun conjoined Jupiter and the sign Sagittarius rising shows that your liver and pancreas need work. The cleansing suggestions above as regards the small intestine, the colon, and the liver would be appropriate for you. Also a diet that balances your blood sugar, high in the dark green leafy vegetables and root vegetables, low in carbohydrates and fats. If you're not already doing it, eliminate all sugars, dairy products, and wheat, which form a lot of mucus in the system. Your vital energy is strong natally and can be renewed as your Moon in Aries conjuncts Mars in addition to having a fire sign rising.

© Copyright: Marcia Starck

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