Eating Disorder

Anorexia Nervosa and Bulemia are eating disorders that involve low body weight and body image. The disorder involves an obsession about not gaining body weight and the various controlling behaviours to achieve that. The person with an eating disorder in most cases dislikes something about their reflection no matter how slim they appear.

Not eating will eventually lead to starvation and death so the behaviour is a serious impasse. Most mental health issues involve areas of either neuropsychology and or developmental psychology;  The way we are open to receiving the particular kind of early nurturing from our parents plays a major role in the development of personality and mental health issues.

I must admit that it is a very tricky business diagnosing mental health disorders by way of Astrology. It is very unlikely for an astrologer to look at a chart and say “this person has an eating disorder”. There are however potential mental health themes that consistently reveal themselves in astrology charts. The components of mental health themes in Astrology include familiar planets and aspects which describe emotional drives and cognitive patterns.

Eating disorders in my view require a great deal of control and manipulation of ones body and family environment. Anorexia Nervosa is an extremely complex psychological disorder so one would assume there would be complex interconnecting patterns in the Astrology chart. Below is a series of the same chart where I have isolated the different aspect patterns to reveal a potential physical disorder for this this person. 

One can quickly see that the Ascendant degree is the food loving sign of Taurus  however the the ruler of Taurus, Venus is conjunct Saturn. Saturn has a restrictive and limiting symbology in astrology however its not all bad. Unfortunately for this person the early expression of personality is potentially curtailed in some way.

The horseshoe symbol at the top of the chart is the South Node. This point is very important in establishing re occuring negative patterns in life. Its position at the top of the chart tends to show how the person motivates theself to achieve self respect and dignity. Usually this happens through career goals. Its position there is also known in the charts of adopted children or where there might be a question mark over biological parents. The person is consistently searching for recognition or strokes for their abilities. In discussing these points above we have already uncovered two issues of potential self esteem and personality expressions for the person.        

The same chart above is showing a selected grouping of planets all of which are interconnected. This is not uncommon in astrology however the grouping shows various motivational drives that are supporting the Venus-Saturn affliction. Venus-Saturn in a generic sense points to attachment and relational concerns. One could say the other planets are working as defense mechanisms or psychological drives in the personality.

Moon-Pluto is referring to emotional control;

Moon-Uranus tends to show rebelliousness, independence and not wanting to listen (to parents)

Mars-Uranus is reaction based and shows outbursts of rebellious energy that leaves her and others cut off.

Mars-Pluto can be the indicator of wilful control and in this case a challenging aspect for dominance in the persons life. All of the above aspects independant of one another are strong personality potentials in any chart however here we see them tightly interconnected in the same chart.    

The Asteroid Chiron is seen as the ‘key’-like symbol in the top left of the chart. Chiron represents emotional wounding such as rejection and abandonment. Here we see the ascendant ruler Venus in connection to Chiron. The luminaries, Sun and Moon represent the father and mother in life amoungst other things and here they are also both connected to Chiron. The two lumiaries are also connected to Neptune. This can explain emotional uninvolvemnt on behalf of the parents and highlight attachment issues once again.

There are other interpretations of these planets and aspects which offer more therapeutical descriptions in the process of an individual reading. However for the purpose of interpretation (the work the Astrologer assesses prior to a reading) one could say that this person has a complex array of strong psychological survival patterns and underlaying vulnerable emotional issues.

The Ascendant degree and it’s ruler will show how physical or somatic conditions are brought to bare in any astrology chart. Saturn’s restrictive and limiting symbolism is clearly identifying problematic personal and physical expression for this individual. In this case, an eating disorder was apparent and to the degree where the person ended up in hospital refusing to eat.

The person nearly died in hospital however at the same time managed to express her power and control over the entire family. In a way her eating disorder was the only way she could exersize her otherwise extremely repressed emotional expression.   

Kingsley