The 6th House // Eleuthero + Licorice Root
As we sail out of Virgo season, many of us are recovering from sickness or general ickiness, a common occurrence with planets clustered in Virgo’s sign. The archetype of Virgo has a strong resonance to health and wellness, as the two are closely linked in theory and practice. When we talk about Virgo, we have to mention the 6th house, which is the house of Virgo’s rulership, as well as Mercury, who is the planetary ruler of Virgo.
In medical astrology, it is a well-established fact that there are a few houses one looks at when making a health assessment: the 6th house of disease, the 8th house of surgery and the 12th house of hospitalization. The 1st house is also studied to glean information on the native’s physical strengths and weaknesses, but in general, the 6th house provides us with most of the information we need to start painting a health picture.
What are the houses?
We’ve touched on this a bit in previous articles, but the houses can best be described as rooms in a larger house. The rooms are connected, but each one serves its own purpose and function, and each one can look quite different based on any inhabitants a.k.a. natal planets that may be occupying the space. The 6th house, ruled by the planet Mercury and the sign of Virgo, represents the meeting of the internal world and the external world, otherwise known as the physical body. In terms of rooms of the house, I would liken it to boiler room that contains much of the plumbing--it is a nexus point where the inhabitants of the house can interface with the internal functioning of the house and get a gauge on the house’s overall “health,” if you will.
The location of the 6th house in the chart wheel tells us much about its function--houses that sit below the horizon, or on the bottom half of the chart, often play more internal, psychological or emotional roles in our lives. They may represent parts of ourselves that not a lot of people get to see. For example, the 3rd house of communication is largely shaped by early life experiences that condition our brain to adopt certain patterning, which manifests into the 9th house of our beliefs while the connection between the 3rd and 9th may be hidden from the world at large. The 6th house is where we take what we love to do, explored in the 5th house during early childhood development, and figure out how to use that skill to be of service to the world at large. This can project into the 12th house, where we can find ourselves bound to a larger social calling whether our ego wants that or not.
I believe that one of the reasons why the 6th house shares a resonance with health is because it’s the last internal house we get to work through things before we start interacting with the public world. Therefore, developmental issues that result in emotional blockages or psychological complexes occurring in houses 1-6 get kicked over to the 6th house for assimilation before we begin relating to others in house 7. In the traditional house/body part correlation chart, pictured below again for your convenience, the 6th house represents the intestines and digestive organs south of the stomach, quite a large area of the body which is responsible for the task of assimilation as well.
Mercury and its’ Relation to Health and the 6th House
We haven’t yet discussed Mercury and it’s associated element of water, but our discussion today of Mercury ruling the 6th house touches upon his mythological role as the alchemist, or one who changes the material nature of a substance through chemical and magical processes. As such, it makes sense that one of the functions of Mercury would be to transmute substances from poison into medicine and vice versa. It also follows that Mercury’s skills in alchemy lends itself to translating the vibrational resonance of emotions into the physical conditions we know as disease. While the sign of Gemini relates to the transmutation of thought into various types of communication via language, Virgo as an earth sign has a much more physical nature. This means that Mercury’s function when it comes to Virgo is to translate intangible vibrational patterns such as thought or emotion into tangible ones, such as diseases.
Searching for Clues in Mythology
Virgo plays many roles in various cultural mythologies--she is said to represent Persephone, who was the daughter of the harvest goddess Demeter, or Ceres. In this myth, she was abducted by Hades and taken as his bride in the underworld, causing her mother to go on a violent rampage across the earth in search of her missing daughter. The destruction she caused was so catastrophic that Zeus eventually intervened, forcing Hades to return Persephone. However, one of the stipulations was that she must not eat any food of the underworld. Hades had given her a pomegranate, knowing that she would be tempted to snack on the seeds, and indeed he was right. Upon her return, Zeus saw her red-stained lips and knew that she had eaten food from the underworld. Because of this, she was bound to return for 4 months out of the year, during which time the winter season descended upon the earth, while her reunion with her mother would align with the spring and summer months.
This myth was used to record the movements of the Virgo constellation, who appears on the eastern horizon at nightfall by March, and disappears below the horizon in July. In this story we can see many weavings of early Christian prototypal myth, such as the story of Adam and Eve, as well as allusions to the themes of assimilation, shadow work/shamanism and the dark night of the soul. Virgo appears in myths from multiple other cultures as well--to the Greeks she was known as Astraea, to the Egyptians she was the goddess Isis. Spica, the binary star system that represents the chaff of wheat that Virgo holds, was also given a place of prominence in mythology for many eastern, middle eastern and native american cultures, often being related to a successful bounty or harvest.
The connection between the more modern archetype of “virgin” perhaps shares a connection with the unfertilized seed, which represents the pure untapped potential of growth that exists before the physical, karmic realities of the growth process begins. It is the perfection found in this state that is often sought after by Virgoan types, for this is the source of each body’s innate healing capacities.
6th House Maladies
When reading a chart, the sign that is on the cusp of the 6th gives us a major clue when it comes to anticipating health conditions of the native. Additionally, if there are any natal planets in the 6th, they can hint the energetic nature of the diseases that may arise. Let’s get into this a bit more...
Aries on the 6th -- issues of the blood and circulation, also adversely affects the eyes and vision
Taurus on the 6th -- diseases arising from indulgence in rich/fatty foods or sedentary lifestyles, as well as imbalances with the thyroid
Gemini on the 6th -- diseases of the lungs or sinuses--asthma, bronchitis, allergies, etc. Also a propensity for anxious conditions and nervous system hyper-sensitivity
Cancer on the 6th -- challenged digestion, allergies, low levels of digestive fluids leading to food stagnation. Also cystic breasts or breast cancer
Leo on the 6th -- congenital challenges to the heart or circulatory system
Virgo on the 6th -- anxiety, digestive issues, eating disorders, imbalance in digestive secretions leading to conditions such as pancreatitis or diabetes
Libra on the 6th -- similar to Taurus in the 6th, this placement can manifest in diseases that arise from a sedentary lifestyle or too much sweet, fatty or processed foods. Kidney issues, hormonal/endocrine imbalances and diabetes are also common
Scorpio on the 6th -- issues with the reproductive system, cysts/fibroids/tumors, infertility, menstrual irregularities
Sagittarius on the 6th -- diseases that affect the liver--hepatitis, jaundice, alcoholism, certain bacterial or viral infections, impaired fat metabolism
Capricorn on the 6th -- this is an auspicious placement for health, as the strength of Capricorn usually lends to a strong constitution. Issues may arise from stiffness affecting the bones or joints, such as arthritis. Care must be taken to avoid stone formation as with cancers, gallstones, kidney stones, etc. Overwork often contributes to health issues
Aquarius on the 6th -- Irregularity to one’s schedule causes health problems with this placement, affecting the body’s natural circadian rhythm. It is common to see disturbed sleep/insomnia, dysregulation of hormonal systems or issues with peripheral nerves
Pisces on the 6th -- the immune system is weak with this position, manifesting in frequent bacterial/viral/fungal infections, allergies, chemical sensitivity, auto-immune disorders or issues with drug or alcohol addiction
The occurrence of health imbalances is greatly increased if there is a natal planet in the 6th house, especially if that planet is a problematic one like Mars. The Sun and Saturn tend to strengthen health overall, giving the native a certain resiliency--Sun in the 6th will manifest in someone whose soul path it is to live a life of service healing others in some way.
Mercury and Uranus give the native a talent in healing professions, although they agitate the body system through nervous tension. Venus and Jupiter in the 6th can predispose the native to health conditions due to rich foods, luxurious living or a lack of exercise, but can similarly give the native a gift in the healing arts. The moon can indicate fluctuating health, as well as a sensitivity to the native’s emotional state. This person can easily become sick when processing challenging emotions or dealing with traumatic situations, and may have inherited certain medical conditions from the mother’s ancestral line.
The most problematic planets in the 6th tend to be Neptune, Pluto, the South Node and Mars. Neptune weakens the health overall, leading to a lack of energy and vitality and disposing one to extended periods of bed rest. Mars almost always causes issues here due to internal inflammations related to suppressed anger. The south node points to inherited constitutional weaknesses, and Pluto is often indicative of a need to remove an organ or some type of surgery. The native’s health journey may include some type of life or death intersection.
As a final note, I think it’s important to mention the connection between Chiron and the 6th house. Some astrologers assign rulership of the 6th house to Chiron rather than Mercury because of Chiron’s reputation as a medicine-maker. I touched upon the myth of Chiron in a previous article, and the most important aspect of his story is that he comes to the healer’s path from a place of personal wounding. This is true for placements in the 6th house as well--for those who deal with a life-changing health condition, it often acts as a trigger to call them to a path of higher service, namely, the path of the healer. Planets in the 6th may spell out a fight for health at some point in the life of the native, but it also marks them as special souls fated to healing roles.
Herbal Teachers
The herbal focus with 6th house maladies greatly depends on what sign rules the house, as well as which planets are occupying the house, but in general, much support can be found with the adaptogenic class of herbs, as they support the body’s innate healing capacity and resilience against stress. So this month, I chose to focus on two adaptogens: eleuthero and licorice root.
Eleutherococcus Senticosus
Siberian Ginseng
The term “adaptogen” was coined by a Soviet researcher who was studying the root of this plant and noted its ability to help the body modulate and resist the stress response while improving performance under stressful conditions. For this research, athletes were studied at high altitude conditions under various types of physical duress while recording oxygen uptake, heart rate, total work, and exhaustion time. In all categories, the group taking eleuthero extract performed better. In another study that took place over the course of 3 months, concentration, selective memory, cognitive function, and well-being were recorded against a control group and again, the group taking eleuthero recorded higher in each category except for concentration.
Studies like these are rare in the world of herbal medicine, and it’s one of the reasons why Siberian Ginseng has been used so reliably by many cultures across the globe--in China it has been used for thousands of years, and it also has a documented history of use in Korea and Russian folk medicine. Other studies of Eleuthero note it’s benefits for radiation exposure, type 2 diabetes, herpes simplex 2, low white blood cell count, glaucoma, eye burns, myopia and color blindness. Aside from its use in assisting the body cope with the ravages of stress, it has also been used specifically for bronchitis, heart ailments, and rheumatism. It has noted blood-thinning effects, as well as hypoglycemic actions. This suggests actions on multiple body systems, including the respiratory, circulatory, immune and nervous systems.
It is the root cortex that is used in medicinal preparations, and eleuthero’s best use is as a tonic over time for those who have been experiencing chronic inflammation, fatigue, debility or convalescence. Anyone dealing with the physical or emotional ramifications of stress would find this herb to be a tremendous ally. Although it shares a nickname with Panax Ginseng, the two are different and should be understood in different contexts. In my experience, Siberian Ginseng is not stimulating while panax ginseng might be for some, and is much better suited for those in a weakened or depleted state rather than panax ginseng, which might cause false heat due to over-stimulation.
As we here in the northern hemisphere are transitioning into the fall season, eleuthero is a wonderful herb to consider taking in an immune-boosting tonic, especially for those prone to the low mood brought on by the shrinking daylight hours. Both tincture and decoction are effective. There is contradictory information regarding taking eleuthero with high blood pressure--some studies caution against it, but in traditional Chinese medicine, it’s one of the indications for use! When I traced the source of these studies, I found that it was linked to one report that noted elevated blood pressure in a group of people who had rheumatic heart lesions taking eleuthero. So if you have heart damage it might be wise to consult an herbalist before using eleuthero with caution, but otherwise I tend to trust the years of traditional usage.
Glycyrrhiza Glabra
Licorice Root
Licorice is another herb that has beneficial effects on the body’s ability to handle stress. One of the reasons is due to a compound called glycyrrhizin, a compound which inhibits the breakdown of cortisol (a stress hormone), lowering the body’s need to produce more of it, which triggers imbalances in the HPA axis. Glycyrrhizin is also what gives licorice its signature sweetness--50 times that of sugar--making it a great alternative sweetener.
Licorice root increases the flow of juiciness in the body. It contains phytoestrogens, which protect the body from more harmful forms of xenoestrogens and calm some of the symptoms of PMS, and increases bile production, helping with the digestive process. It has been used for ulcers, indigestion, constipation, high cholesterol (specifically LDL), hepatitis and inflammation and spasms in the digestive tract. Licorice has also been used for allergies, possibly due to its effects on the adrenal glands. Overall, it kind of just soothes things out and is a wonderful remedy for those who are feeling run down, worn out or otherwise low.
One of the other ways it helps with the body’s resiliency against stress is by strengthening the immune system. It boosts levels of interferon, a chemical that fight off attacking viruses, and also contains antioxidants and other constituents that are antibacterial and antiviral. In fact, you often find licorice root used in preparations for cold sores. For those who are experiencing a cold or flu-type of infection, licorice can also help by thinning mucous, soothing bronchial spasms and relieving pain.
Again, either the tincture or decoction made from the root is effective, although it does pack quite a punch of sweetness which some may find to be unpleasant in tea preparations. Others may actually enjoy this sweetness and use it specifically for that! I find the tincture to be preferable myself, as it makes it super easy to use for topical viral infections such as herpes cold sores. Licorice is also seldom used on it’s own--historically, it tends to be used in formulations as a catalyst and synergist. Using it in combination with other herbs can help target certain actions to get the most specific benefit out of this plant.
Licorice also shares some contraindications for those with high blood pressure, and I do suggest heeding these warnings. The same thing that makes licorice beneficial to the adrenals (it’s inhibition of the breakdown of cortisol), leads to potassium secretion by the kidneys. As the kidneys continue excreting potassium, the body can no longer use it for nerve transmission, leading to elevated heart pressure along with a host of other conditions. Granted, this might take a lot of licorice, but those with a disposition to high blood pressure should still take caution and perhaps try another adaptogenic herb.
That’s wraps it up for this month; for those of you in the northern hemisphere, enjoy the loveliness of the fall season! Be well
