Noel Tyl - "The Basics of Critical Illness in Medical Astrology"
By:  Ivan Halvorson

"My degree is in Psychology from Harvard. I'm the guy who put psychoanalytic theory into Astrological symbols and brought us into the psychological century, about twenty-five years ago." Those are the words of Noel Tyl, one of the worlds most influential astrologers.  After writing twenty-three books and conducting successful lectures around the world, Noel continued to search for new challenges. "What else is there for me? What confuses me most?" He asked. The answer came without warning. In Noel's words, "Front and center came the words MEDICAL ASTROLOGY."

Hence was born one of the world's leading Medical Astrologers.  Noel research was triggered by an observation that demanded an explanation. In his words, "How have I, in my private consultations, on many occasions, been able to spot something critically important? Did this come intuitively or am I looking at a pattern that I am not able yet to articulate?" He then pointed out that the answer did not come from old Astrology books where little Capricorn are running around people's knee caps.   Noel continued, "I started to investigate and found we have a lot of things that are misunderstood in what we call Medical Astrology. For example, wouldn't it be nice if the sign referred to an organ and the planet referred to a function. Think how neat that would be. That would be wonderful. But it doesn't work that way."

Noel explained how traditionally the moon has been associated with the brain. Yet in all his studies of the brain, the moon was never involved.  "Jupiter is the biggest planet in the system so it should rule the biggest organ of the body, but it doesn't. The biggest organ of the body is the skin and that is Saturn." Noel said. "And the reason for that is rather poetical. Saturn gives FORM." (The skin outlines the body giving it form. That is the poetic connection.)

Noel continued, "We know empirically Jupiter has a tremendous affinity with the liver. I have tested this in sixteen countries, for ten to twelve years, in every audience I had and some of them were very large."  "I've asked anybody with Venus and Jupiter in conjunction, square or opposition, to raise their hands and identify themselves." And next, "How many of you have a history of diabetes in your family and maybe two out of thirty hands will go down. It is that prevalent."

"You don't know this. I'm telling it to you. That's the signature."   "Jupiter is the liver and Venus is the sugar so there is the metabolic tie-up. Now we are getting to something functional."  Noel then explained how the planets became connected with the signs of the Zodiac? "The sign archetypes evolved because of planetary behavior observed in the sky.... Then the poetry started. And then the order, that we need as human beings, evolved and structured itself in the sky."   Noel asked himself what this all has to do with Medical Astrology. He knew the signs did not equate to organs nor the planets to functions.

There was a lot of confusion in the old system.  Noel began his search by looking for connections between the stars and critical illness -- choosing critical illness because it provided well defined and extreme examples. Many connection soon became apparent.

In his words, "In spite of all the confusion in what we call Medical Astrology, a lot of interesting TRUTHS have evolved and emerged empirically."  "The way we learn best, in any study, is to realize there is a lot of confusion and we got to go and straighten it out. To perpetuate confusion is not to learn."

The good news is that Astrology can be used as a form of EARLY WARNING SYSTEM for critical illness.  "I'm going to show you how I have taken the confusion out of diagnosis and calmed things down. I don't mean it's perfect but, boy, is it practical and functional."

On the subject of client relations Noel's explained how he communicates with the client information found in their horoscope indicating serious illness.  He begins, "I'm not a medical doctor, but a horoscope has a way of suggesting certain weak places in the body and I'd like to review some of those places with you, please."

In one horoscope, Noel showed the audience seven indicators of illness.  This client, in real life, agreed six of them were genuine concerns.  When Noel discovers something in the horoscope he tells the client see a doctor and have it checked out. It matters not if the client has any knowledge of the problem. The horoscope suggests something, that concerns Noel Tyl, and the client is told to have it checked out.

It is surprising how many times Noel is correct and how often the client is eternally grateful for the life saving advice.  On the subject of his success, Noel said, "This is not abnormal when you know what you are looking for."  Noel is looking for indicators of the development process. He begins by asking himself where the client's tension goes. He knows it goes into the body, accumulates over time and contributes to aging process. But exactly where in the body it will manifest itself as illness is what Noel is looking for.

Everybody wants change. Change provides the opportunity for progress but it also carries potential for frustration. "Where does that frustration go? It goes to the parts of the body that are signified by the symbols within the tension aspect itself." Noel said.  He used as an example a race car driver with ten automobile accidents in his past but who remembers only his winnings and trophies. It is only natural he will wonder why he has severe migraine headaches and a heart condition so bad that his doctors can not get him health insurance even if they lie.  If this driver is your client you must ask yourself what is going to happen to him when he can't race anymore?   Being driven to illness is the flip side of ambition. You have to be strong, powerful and driven to accomplish great things but they come at a cost. There is a trade off. At a glance the trained Astrologer can see both sides of the coin. That is the magic in their art.

Noel said, "I have came up with a concept I call ACCUMULATED DEVELOPMENTAL DEFICIT. We all need tension. How we assimilate it tells how we grow."   "It's the fulfillment of a reigning need of personality development.   It's pushing against rocks of tension to reach the sun.... These are the points behind critical illness."

"And your body breaks down where those weak places are indicated in your natal horoscope. That is not a threatening statement. That is a natural observation." Noel said. "That is what a consultation is about."  Noel showed the audience several birth horoscopes where accumulated developmental deficits were clearly indicated. He then went on to demonstrated some very sophisticated uses for Astrology in terms of solar arcs, transits and warnings of critical illness, all of which help to save lives.   There are some astrological symbols that seem to promote health. The Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and the ascendant are all health related.

Some twenty years ago Noel Tyl documented the connection between the moon and motherhood. In his words, "Anytime that the nodal axis of the moon is conjunct or squared by any planet or point the influence of the Mother is so extreme -- in terms of that planet, its need profile and behavioral facilitates -- as not to be believed."   "These are the rudiments of analytical astrology in a psychodynamic vein that are terribly important and are the building blocks of accumulative developmental deficit."

Noel advised Astrologers, "It gets very scary. But there are ways to talk about it and there are ways to approach it. And I promise you, that before you leave here tonight, you will be approaching (it) with a light at the end of the tunnel."   Noel has discovered that people are whole beings, not a collection of isolated parts. "Another law is that every major first impression that you can get out of a horoscope is going to be repeated, over and over again. Don't look for fragmentation. Look for homogeneity." With great conviction and force, Noel then emphasized, "I kid you not. We are all whole. Those of us who are not homogeneous in our behavioral profile are schizoid and problematic to the extreme."

Noel then touched on idealism. "Idealism is the greatest defense mechanism of all times. Why are we idealistic? You are not just idealistic to be idealistic. It was very easy for Saint Mother Teresa to become a nun because of all her emotional relationship problems early on.  I'm not being critical. I'm not making value judgments. I'm being observant."  "Anytime I see anything that is so highly pronounced I suggest it is perhaps a over compensation for something."

There is more than genetics involved in your inheritance. There is the forces that pulled and pushed your parents into a the relationship resulted in you being born. Many people married someone like their mother or father? "This is repetition. We have to see this in our astrology." Noel emphasized.  Noel stressed, "We have to ask the right questions to get the (clients) past history. Part of my particular skill as an Astrologer analyst, is that I'm able to sum things up rather nifty, rather tightly, rather soon. To soon sometimes."

"The more tension you have early in life, the more your behavioral routines are patterned to defend the organism." As the years pass, these behavioral routines have physical consequences, some good and some bad. Astrologers must take this into account when working with critical illness.

Modern astrologers have the tools to see behavioral routines that lead to illness and they have the knowledge to recommend behaviors that will facilitate health. Much of this knowledge can be attributed to the hard work of Noel Tyl.