Homeopathy and astrology have joined to provide an extraordinary series of astrological tonics, one particularly suited to each of the zodiac signs, Aries through Pisces. These are called "homeopathic cell salts" or "biochemical cell salts." They can be used by those without a medical background to improve the quality of health for themselves, their families and their friends. Cell salts are available in most health food stores and are inexpensive and easy to take.
They are very popular with children, who like the tiny, sweet pellets that easily dissolve in the mouth. In adolescence, the cell salts are invaluable, as teen bodies are easily depleted by hormonal activity and growth spurts. Cell salts are also used extensively with elderly people because of their gentleness and tonic support to tissues and functions that are beginning to falter.
Cell salts are not drugs, but highly purified compounds of naturally occurring minerals that are normal constituents of the human body. They are found in trace amounts in foods and--like vitamins--are used up in the complex chemical reactions of the cells. They must be replenished in order to maintain healthy cells and tissues. For more details about the cell salts and how to use them, see the explanation of remedies.
IMPORTANT: This information is given for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prescribe actual medical conditions. Flower essences, homeopathic remedies, and cell salts should never be used as a substitute for competent medical attention when a disease condition is present, so be sure to consult a qualified health care practitioner with any persistent health concerns. The remedies described here are natural substances with a profound tonic effect--to prevent disease and maintain good health.
People born under different signs are prone to particular health problems. Virgo is liable to suffer from digestive and intestinal difficulties, the sign Cancer has an easily disturbed stomach, and Taurus has a sensitive throat. A medical astrologer knows that the complete horoscope, with all the planets and their interactions delineated, gives a fuller, more accurate picture of an individual's unique constitution.
However, even the novice astrologer, possessing the absolute basic information--that of the date of birth--can make a considerable contribution to the health of those around them by suggesting the use of the cell salt that correlates with the Sun sign. Each person needs more of their birth salt than any other. Use it in times of stress as a tonic to prevent a crisis or a lingering debility.
Cell salts can also be used for specific conditions, from acute first aid to more chronic conditions. For example Kali mur. is used to clear the residual effects of colds and flu such as fluid in the ear or excessive mucus in nose and throat. Calc fluor. is useful for people prone to varicose veins--helping the veins regain their elasticity. Ferrum phos. is a natural source of iron for anemia.
Although the most common use of cell salts is based upon correlation with the sun sign, there are times when one would choose to use the cell salt which correlates with the Moon sign and supports its function. Lunar cell salts are based on the position of the Moon in the individual's horoscope, frequently placed in a sign other than the Sun sign. Although cell salts have a significant effect upon physical problems, they also profoundly influence the subtle energy bodies--including the emotional, mental, etheric, and spiritual.
Under tremendous emotional stress, people use more of the cell salt associated with their Moon sign. When the body becomes depleted in this salt, people experience symptoms such as anxiety, panic attacks, depression and fearfulness about even simple daily circumstances. Use of the cell salt related to the Moon sign will restore their sense of safety and emotional resilience. In the first seven years of life, when the Moon is the most influential planet, lunar cell salts are the most appropriate choice as a tonic. For specific health problems, take both the salt of the Moon and the salt that pertains to the specific condition.
The special needs and vulnerabilities of each sign of the zodiac are reviewed below. Check your Sun sign to see if that rings any bells, but you can get even more detail about the salts that would help you personally if you also check under your Moon sign and rising sign. (If you don't know what they are, you might want to order a computerized printout of your chart from Llewellyn.)
ARIES (March 21-April 20): KALI PHOS. (Potassium phosphate) is the Aries cell salt. It is a nerve nutrient with a significant effect on the nerve cells, especially the brain cells. It is used for all forms of mental fatigue, as well as for depression, insomnia, irritability, hysteria and headaches. Nervous disorders and fatigue from long hours of concentration and overwork are particularly responsive to Kali phos.
TAURUS (April 21-May20): NAT SULPH. (Sodium sulfate) is the Taurus cell salt and the first to use when a person born under Taurus becomes ill. Its main function is to remove excess fluids from the body. It is one of the most important salts affecting the digestive organs. The bile of the liver, pancreatic juices and secretions of the kidneys are all regulated by Nat sulph. A deficiency of Nat sulph. is shown by symptoms such as tiredness and sluggishness upon waking, gall stones, constipation and jaundice.
Complaints caused or aggravated by living in damp conditions, such as rheumatism or asthma, benefit from use of this cell salt. Taurus rules the throat, tonsils, thyroid, lower jaw and metabolic system. Colds and sore throats occur with increased frequency when the digestive organs are not functioning harmoniously. Their tendency to recur with every minor stress can be eliminated with Nat sulph.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): KALI MUR. (Potassium chloride) is the cell salt for Gemini. Gemini rules the lungs, bronchial tree, shoulders, arms and hands, the tubes of the body and the central nervous system. Kali mur. is the cell salt essential to the formation of most cells in the body except the bone cells and helps cells retain their shape.
Symptoms of a deficiency of Kali mur. are congestion of the bronchial tubes, excessive mucus in the nose and sinuses, or swollen glands, including mumps and tonsillitis. Chronic inflammation of the mucus membranes can occur when the body is unable to break down nutrients and they are being run off in the form of mucus. Kali mur. breaks down mucus and allows the body to effectively create new tissue from dietary intake.
CANCER (June 21-July 20): CALC FLUOR. (Calcium fluoride) is the Cancer cell salt. It is an important constituent of the hard tissue of the body, teeth, bones, fingernails, the lens of the eye and elastic fibers in muscle tissue. In deficiency, it causes loss of elasticity in tissue and malnutrition of the bones. Cancer rules the stomach, breasts, body fluids and mucus membranes.
Calc fluor. provides nourishment to the structures that contain and support the body. It also provide the flexibility needed for optimum function of the Cancer-ruled organs. It keeps abdominal and breast tissue supple and restores resilience to boggy or fissured mucus membranes. On an emotional level, it prevents the armoring Cancerians are prone to in their desire to protect their natural sensitivity.
LEO (July 21-August 22): MAG PHOS (Magnesium phosphate) is the cell salt for Leo. Physiologically, Leo rules the heart, upper back, diaphragm and cardiac system. Magnesium has recently been identified in allopathic medicine as a critical mineral for the prevention of heart attacks. In naturopathic medicine, the cell salt Mag phos. has a long-standing tradition of use in situations involving cramp, convulsions, spasms or paralysis. Mag phos. is the great anti-pain salt, a natural aspirin without side effects, and is indicated in all conditions of cramp and spasm--headaches, angina, neuralgia's, menstrual cramps, even the bronchial spasms of an acute asthma attack.
VIRGO (August 23-September 22): KALI SULPH. (Potassium sulfate) is the salt attributed to those born under the sign of Virgo. Virgo rules the small intestine, spleen and lower alimentary system. Kali sulph. improves the body's ability to take up nutrition efficiently, and particularly to make and distribute oils throughout the system. As we age, our decreasing ability to effectively use what we eat shows up in dryness of the skin and hair. Kali sulph. assists (with another cell salt, Ferrum phos.) in the oxygenation of skin cells, and is the lubricant that keeps the body machinery functioning. A deficiency of Kali sulph. can cause eczema, dandruff, psoriasis, or any diseases where there has been a rash or scaling of the skin.
LIBRA (September 23-October 22): NAT PHOS. (Sodium phosphate) is the Libra cell salt. Libra rules the kidneys and lower back, and the acid/alkaline balance of the body. Nat phos. prevents excess acidity or alkalinity, especially in the bloodstream. It assists the kidneys in their function and is used to treat gout, kidney stones, ulcers and stomach acidity. Emotionally Nat phos. is helpful in restoring emotional equilibrium, especially after mental exertion, or exposure to extremely stressful or tense environments.
SCORPIO (October 23-November 21): CALC SULPH. is the Scorpio cell salt. Calcium sulfate is an important constituent of all connective tissue and is essential to the healing process as a purifying agent. Scorpio rules the colon, sexual organs, large intestine, eliminative channels and outlets and the prostate gland. Calc sulph. provides a protective coating to these organs. When it is lacking we get boils, skin eruptions, fistulas or chronic constipation or diarrhea. Another manifestation is barrenness or impotence, as the body is incapable of providing a competent protective coating for egg and sperm.
SAGITTARIUS (November 23-December 22): SILICA
is the cell salt for those born under the sign of Sagittarius. It is of use whenever there is pus to be discharged,
such as in boils, abscesses or splinters. Taking silica after surgery helps minimize scar formation, and can assist
the body to expel foreign objects such as splinters. Sagittarius rules the liver, hips, thighs, sciatic nerve and
autonomic nervous system. Sagittarians under stress use up their Silica, leaving themselves prone to chronic problems
involving liver function or hip degeneration later on in life. Silica is an important constituent of the cells of the
connective tissue and the epidermis, of the bones, teeth, even the lens of the eye. Inadequate silica can make the teeth
susceptible to decay, the hair dull and the nails brittle.
CAPRICORN (December 21-January 20): CALC PHOS. Calcium phosphate is the cell salt of Capricorn. It is an important constituent of the bones. Capricorn rules the skeletal system, especially the teeth, the knees and the joints, the gall bladder and the skin. The body requires larger amounts of Calc phos. than any other, especially during childhood and growth spurts, or when recovering from broken bones. Skeletal problems such as rickets, curvature of the spine and tooth decay respond well to this cell salt.
Elderly people are particularly responsive to Calc phos. because it not only adds calcium to the system but improves gastric digestive function so all vitamins and minerals are better assimilated. Pregnant women find this form of calcium gentle and well received by the body, as do children, who can develop overly strong bones too early if given supplemental calcium in other forms.
AQUARIUS (January 21-February 19): NAT MUR. (Natrum muriaticum) is the cell salt of Aquarius. Nat mur. has the effect of attracting or drawing away water from affected parts of the body, to redistribute it wherever it is needed. Symptoms of insufficient Nat mur. are watery colds, dryness or excessive salivation of the mouth, constipation, malaria, even herpes or any watery blisters on the skin or mucus membranes.
Aquarius rules the blood and circulation, the ankles, the spinal cord, and the electrical force of the nerves. Nat mur. supports the smooth and even flow of electricity through and across the nerves. Lack of Nat mur. can cause sleeplessness and prevent proper nerve synapse firing--with consequent learning and speaking difficulties and intermittent nerve pains.
PISCES (February 20-March 20): FERRUM PHOS. (Iron phosphate) is the cell salt for Pisces. It is the only common metal salt among the twelve cell salts, and is critically important in its function of making all of the other cell salts more effective. It is required for healthy red blood cells; lack of it can cause anemia.
Pisces rules the lymphatic system and the feet. Ferrum phos. distributes oxygen to all body organs and tissues, and is indicated in all cases of inflammation and fever. It enables the blood and the lymph to carry waste and poisons away from affected tissue. It is especially indicated for people who are nervous and sensitive, who come down with every transient cold or flu.
TO CONTACT GRETCHEN: Gretchen, an astrologer and naturopath of many years experience, can be reached at P.O. Box 753, Langley, WA 98260. For consultations, call her at (360)221-4341 or e-mail to light@whidbey.com.
DESIGN CREDITS: The astrological glyphs come from Elated Web Toolbox. The animated stars and Sun came from The Animation Factory. For other sources, see lost art.