FOUR TEMPERAMENT Introduction to Temperament
In the medieval tradition, the temperament analysis of a native is the first step to be done when interpreting a natal chart. chart.1 This initial procedure provides provides a base for the astrologer astrologer to understand the underlying needs and concerns of of the native. Though not not as extensive or specific as a full chart delineation, the information provided by the temperament analysis can still be informative and useful. The purpose of a temperament analysis is to identify excessive qualities in a person’s life and find helpful and constructive ways to bring that person back to center. uch like Taoist Taoist preventive medicine or !y !yuredic medicine of the "ast, the goal of the #estern #estern temperament theory is to be as balanced as possible in order to avoid the difficult extremes excess can bring.$ bring.$ %y identifying the overabundance overabundance of qualities that make up a person’s inner inner constitution, we can develop strategies to balance them out both in personality and in health concerns. There’s a time and place for every temperament, and being too much like one can put the individual at a disadvantage as they approach the complex complex workings of day&to&day life that demand flexibility. flexibili ty. "ach of the four temperaments is related to a classical #estern element, but these elements are composed of simpler materials called qualities. There are four qualities 'heat, cold, moisture, and dryness( and they combine in pairs to create the four elements and temperaments. In the diagram to the the left, the two qualities closest on either side of the element are the qualities that compose it. )or instance #ater #ater has the quality #et #et closest to its left and the quality *old closest to its right and so #ater is made up of the pairing of the qualities #et #et and *old. The elemental temperament and its two qualities will each have special considerations when it comes to their effects on the native’s personality and body with special attention paid to which one of the two qualities is more abundant.
Development of Temperament Theory: Empedocle and !ippocrate The +reek philosopher "mpedocles taught that the world was composed of four primary elements fire, earth, water, and and air. These elements were indivisible and present present in all things.
-ippocrates applied this teaching to the human body, insisting that if the universe were made of these four building blocks, so too were people. -ippocrates equated the four elements with the four fluids of the human body body 'fire was the yellow bile, earth was the black bile, air represented the blood, and water was the phlegm( and the seasons 'fire is summer, earth is autumn, water is winter, and air is spring(. )ollowing the logic of these seasonal assignments -ippocrates broke "mpedocless rules by breaking the elements down into lesser components. /oting that winter time was remarkably cold and wet and so too was water, -ippocrates reasoned there must be a coldness and wetness quality that winter, water, and thus phlegm all share. These assignments for the other humors can be seen in the image above. !s the cycle of the seasons progressed, humors of individuals would be be affected. In 0ummer heat would increase which would would impose more heat on the populace. populace. The effect this additional heat would have on these individuals would largely depend on their own innate humoral balance. Individuals with more cold are likely to feel more energied energied and active, though uncomfortable while those with more heat are likely to become more angry and abrupt. If excessive heat caused individuals to experience negative emotional reactions, it does not seem so absurd to suggest that these excessive or imbalanced humors effected physical, emotional, and mental health. In response to this, -ippocrates -ippocrates advocated that a truly healthy body was one that kept all four bodily humors in balance.
ARI"TOTE#IAN Phyic !ristotle was one of historys most prolific philosophers who wrote on 2ust about every branch of science and philosophy. philosophy. -is works on natural philosophy, philosophy, Physics Physics and and On the Heavenly Spheres, were particularly influential to our sub2ect matter. !ristotle postulated that each of the four elements had its own natural motion, this is what caused rocks to fall when dropped and fire to flicker towards the sky. sky. #ith these observations in mind, the philosopher agreed with his teachers placement of the elements '3lato had described the placement of the elements on "arth in his Timeaus Timeaus,, fire was at the top, air beneath it, water beneath air, and earth supporting the others(, but assigned them directions. !ccording to !ristotle, earth naturally moved downwards and sat at the bottom. #ater also naturally moved downwards 'as rivers move downstream and rain falls from the sky(, but since it was of a less solid material it must sit on top of earth. !ir is inclined to move upwards 'as the wind blows trees that are taller than people( and it is less solid than water, so must be on top of it. )inally, fire naturally moves upwards and is the least solid element, so sits at the top. !pplying -ippocratess logic more thoroughly, !ristotle !ristotle also made another important change to the pre&existing theory of of the elements transformation. -ippocrates had assigned the elements their seasonal qualities and he also allowed for the seasons to change into one another, but !ristotle applied this same change to the elements themselves. This transformational property allowed elements that shared a quality to cyclically morph into one another, mimicking the seasons. -ot and wet air could become hot and dry dry fire,
which became cold and dry earth, and then cold and wet water before becoming hot and wet air again.
$alenic Medicine +alen was a second century *" physician who embraced and combined -ippocratess humoral theory and !ristotles theory of the elements and qualities. +alens synthesis of these two theories was the final step necessary for temperament theory to become a fully functional system. Throughout his work +alen suggests such thing as pure mixtures of the temperaments 'a pure choler or phlegm( that are not physically possible in people, but are theoretically possible. -e goes on to describe the difference between qualities, elements and humors, suggesting that the four elements are the physical manifestations of the bodily fluids. -e names the qualites the primary or first causes and the elements are thus secondary qualities as they are the result of the mixing of qualities. It is also +alen who we find some of the first references to the qualities as having psychological as well as physiological effects. 4This being assumed therefore the sharp and intelligent character in the soul will be due to the bilious humor. humor. The steadfast and firm character due to the melancholic humor. humor. !nd the simple and stupid character due to blood. The nature of phlegm is most useless in the formation of character, and it appears to have its necessary origin in the breakdown of foods.4 Though the 3re&0ocratic philosopher -eraclitus may have beaten +alen to it, with his statement about how wine makes men drunk because it makes them more wet. 5
uch of +alens terminology would be adapted adapted later by other philosophical philosophical systems. The magical systems and philosophical worldview of the !rabs would utilie these +alenic 4causes4 or 4principles4 with the qualites of heat, coldness, moisture, and dryness serving as the 4simple natures4. !fter these simple natures come composite natures or causes. The first composite natures are hot, cold, moisture, and dryness the combination of a simple nature and an ob2ect, such as heat combining with a rock to make a hot rock. The second composite natures are the combinations of the first composite natures hot and dry, cold cold and dry, etc. Third composite natures are the elements, fourth is the seasons, the fifth are the bodily humors, and the sixth are plants, rocks, animals, people and other natural things . 6
The %ualitie #hile serving as the first causes in +alens medical theory and the physics of the !rabians, each of the four qualities qualities have their own effects. -eat and moisture are the most most conducive to life and growth while cold and dryness dryness are counter&productive to development. This concept can be observed most easily in the plant world. ! seed requires water 'moisture( and sunlight 'heat( to sprout and grow, but if the seed freees or lacks the necessary water, it will not flourish. To further emphasie this point, 3tolemy says of the qualities7 qualities7 48f the four temperaments or qualities above mentioned, two are nutritive and prolific, vi heat and moisture by these all matter coalesces and is nourished7 the other two are noxious and destructive, vi dryness and cold by these all mater is decayed and dissipated.4
*haracteriing the qualities further, heat is active and expansive, coldness is passive and condensing, moisture is connective connective and flowing, and dryness is separative and resistant. 9ust by combining these keywords keywords for the qualities we can create an accurate but oversimplified portrait of the four temperaments. #ith this method, method, sanguine becomes characteried as active, expansive, connective, and flowing. )urther investigation of the temperaments and the psychological and physiological effects on people is required to gain a more accurate and complete understanding of each temperaments powers.
"an&uine
0anguine is associated with the springtime season and this time of year is classically thought of as moist becoming hot. This mirrors the seasonal changes changes as the rains and general moisture from #inter continues, but the 0un’s reemergence and climb in the 0outhern sky begins to heat the "arth. These qualities of heat and moisture combine with the !ristotelian idea of /atural 3lace to make sanguine one of the more positive and desirable temperaments in classical astrology. !ccording to the idea of /atural 3lace, air naturally seeks to rise and so the children of the sanguine temperament are naturally motivated. The planetary ruler of the sanguine temperament is 9upiter who who is himself sanguine. There is a lot of the 2ovial spirit in the sanguine person as they are very social and 2olly with their predominating disposition being :2oy; :2oy; or otherwise contentment. 8ptimistic, happy&go& lucky, socially fluent, and supportive are all words that accurately describe the sanguine temperament. Its not all sunshine and rainbows, those with the sanguine temperament can also come off as very shallow and superficial as their knowledge of things and people is wide but not very deep. This can often cause them to come at odds with their peers and make make them susceptible to feelings of shame, but the sanguine are a forgiving lot and not one to let their optimism be crushed. The moist quality brings a sense of connection and flexibility to this temperament that choler lacks. This is what differentiates differentiates the two as social and non&social non&social as sanguine has a desire to connect while choler has the desire to be left alone. !t the same time, heat provides an active quality and a sense of cheerfulness, optimism, and ambition that phlegmatic lacks. This differentiates these two temperaments as sanguine has a desire to seek out new opportunities to experience, new things to learn about, or new people to meet. 3hlegmatics on the other hand lacks this and will continue to connect with the same people, places, or things over and over again.
3hysically, sanguines will suffer from an overabundance of either heat or moisture, but tend to suffer most from moisture as it is their main quality. quality. This can lead to issues with weight management and obesity due to overeating and drinking. 0anguines have quite the sweet tooth and this needs to be watched and controlled. 0anguine also tends to have difficulties with swelling 'particularly around the 2oints( as well as fatty deposits on the body. body. 0ince the sanguine temperaments relates directly to the blood in classical medicine it can also suffer from blood disorders and impurities.
'holer
*holer is classically associated with the 0ummertime season and this time of the year is considered to be hot becoming dry. dry. The heat of 0pring continues and intensifies, intensifies, and as a result the moisture evaporates and dryness begins to set in. !ccording to the !ristotelian idea of /atural 3lace, )ire naturally sits at the top of the universe 'in the form of stars( and so the combination of this and the qualities of choler makes it one of the most desirable temperaments in classical literature as the children of this temperament are seen as naturally successful and motivated. There are two planetary rulers for choler ars and the 0un. These two planets embody embody the positive and negative manifestations of this temperament. The 0un is considered to be :temperate; hot and dry because he is classically considered to create these qualities himself and therefore is unharmed by them. In this way, some positive solar terms that the choleric individual displays are ambition, honor, honor, glory, glory, strong will, and leadership qualities. qualities. ars, on the other hand is classically considered to be intemperate and has excessive dryness due to his proximity to the 0un in the 3tolemaic 3tolemaic
accomplishing. It’s the old active=passive dichotomy where where melancholy will think about doing it, but choler has already finished it. There’s also a self&esteem issue as choler’s heat naturally wants to rise and think well of itself, whereas melancholy’s cold likes to second guess its own abilities. 3hysically, cholerics will suffer from conditions that arise from an overabundance in heat or dryness, but they typically suffer from heat as it is their primary quality. quality. This can lead to physical overexertion, headaches and migraines, fevers, and burns or other physical physical in2uries due to clumsiness or recklessness. It is very important for a choleric to slow down down as self& inflicted in2uries are all too common. It’s also important to reduce the amount of hot, fatty, and salty foods, as in classical medical astrology the seat of the choleric temperament is the gallbladder and it’s important to keep foods that overstimulate this organ or reduce the water in the blood out of one’s diet.
Melancholy
elancholy is associated with autumn and this time of year is classically considered to be dry becoming cold. The dryness and lack of rain of the previous previous summer season continues on, but the reduction in daylight hours hours and the apparent weakening of the 0un brings the the temperatures down. In the theory of /atural 3lace, "arth 'the element associated with melancholy( is on the bottom of the universe universe as everything else sits on top of it. #ith this combination of qualities and 3lace, we start to move into the classically undesirable temperaments. elancholy is undesirable for two reasons7 firstly because the natives tend to be more sickly than others 'coldness and dryness are the two qualities antithetical to life, and here they are combined into a single temperament(, and secondly now we start to move into temperaments that are not as naturally motivated as sanguines and cholerics are. elancholy has two planetary planetary rulers ercury and 0aturn. >ike choler’s two rulers, these two embody the positive and negative aspects of their temperament. ercury takes the melancholic down the path of learning and skill building, whereas 0aturn tends to be the more moody, moody, somber, loner type. *hildren of the malencholic temperament are much more detailed and deliberate in their actions and don’t really commit to anything without having weighed it all out first. 0uccess only comes to the melancholic through hard hard work and persistence, and as a result of this they tend to have the :life isn’t fair; attitude that begins as a healthy realistic attitude but can quickly quickly turn into self&pity and pessimism. This tends to make melancholics notice how :lucky; they perceive other people as being and will shy away from those types of people as comparison makes them them feel worse. This causes an odd non&
social streak that forces the melancholic to be isolated while simultaneously hating being alone. The inherit coldness in melancholy keeps it from having the ambition and optimism that choler has, but it also keeps the melancholy on the more precautious and safe side of things. elancholy asks :is this a good good idea?; and choler says says :hey guys, watch this@;. %oth temperaments are good at planning and doing detail&oriented work, but melancholy is more likely to succeed the first time due to forethought and superior reflection skills that coldness gives. The dryness of melancholy keeps it from having the social interactions that the the phlegmatic temperament experiences, this leaves melancholy with the smallest circles of friends as they tend to have :best friends; and :acquaintances; with no inbetween. This also plays out in the structure and rigidity of the dryness dryness quality, it’s it’s much easier for melancholy to make plans and goals and stick to them 'such as diets or weight loss goals, exercise goals, long term pro2ects, etc(, whereas phelgmatic struggles with sticking to anything due to its moisture 3hysically, melancholics will suffer from either an abundance of coldness or dryness, but will typically suffer from dry conditions as it is the dominating quality. quality. This means that melancholics will suffer from dry mouths, troublesome coughs, and sensitive skin issues. They can also suffer from arthritis in the 2oints 'the wrists and knees are particularly susceptible( and 2aundice. This increased dryness dryness can also cause some slight mental mental problems in the form of paranoia and irrational fear. It’s very important important for melancholics to limit the amount of dry foods they put into their system and to introduce more healthy sources of fat into their diet.
Phle&m
3hlegm is associated with the winter season, and this time of year is considered to be cold becoming moist. The drop in temperatures that was introduced in the previous previous autumn season continues and intensifies while the rains, sleets, and snows begin to blanket the earth to introduce moisture. !ccording to /atural 3lace, #ater #ater constantly seeks to fall as most commonly seen in waterfalls or in the natural flow of rivers which naturally take downhill paths. This combination of the falling direction and the the cold and wet qualities make phelgm the least desirable classical temperament due to the difficulty in motivating and controlling it. The phlegmatic temperament also has two planetary rulers7 Aen Aenus us and the oon.
support. *hildren of phlegm are reserved, shy, shy, and contemplative, but they tend to think deeply about rather mundane sub2ects which gives the impression of someone who likes to contemplate their navel rather than come up with practical solutions to real problems. The phelgmatic temperament has difficulties with addictions, these can range anywhere from something relatively harmless 'like sweets(, to be a serious problem 'like substance abuse( as phlegm is only successfully motivated by its desires or emotions. 3hlegm can be best represented by a spilled glass of water it spreads over its surface in a large area, but only thinly, it lacks direction so it ends up everywhere and it’s difficult to direct. The cold quality of phlegm keeps the more adventurous moist quality reigned in more than its brother the sanguine temperament does. 3helgm tends to be more of a homebody homebody that doesn’t like to get out and do things very often. If they do go out, it’s it’s usually to the same places over and over again, establishing an emotional connection with it or having it operate as something like a secondary home. 3hlegm is a creature of habit, habit, which is something sanguine is very much not. This also plays out in relationships where sanguine sanguine will try to make many connections and acquaintances, whereas phlegm does not see the point and will be social with the same people or group over and over over again and sees outsiders or new introductions to these groups as invasive and uncomfortable. 3hlegm’s moisture makes it more personable and caring than the other cold temperament melancholy. It’s much easier to win the heart of a phelgmatic and they concern themselves more with others than melancholy who tends to keep to itself. -owever, the moisture also causes issues with structure and responsibilities. It’s not uncommon for phelgmatic to be the the first temperament to drop some kind of plan they make for themselves 'such as diets and exercise or study regiments( and phlegm is very good at ignoring problems and hoping they go away rather than dealing with them directly. 3hysically people with a predominate phlegmatic temperament will suffer from an excess of either cold or moisture, but but more commonly cold since it is dominating. dominating. This can manifest in colds, allergies, and other other communicable diseases 'so be careful around flu season(. This is also the cause of people being :cold natured;, or more likely to be cold in temperatures most would consider :comfortable; and can cause a coldness or numbness in extremities and all of these things may be symptoms of anemia or weak pulse which is also common in people with predominate coldness. 3hlegm also holds on to body fat more tightly than other temperaments partly due to its qualities and partly due to a lack of energy and slow metabolism and digestive system. It is not recommended that that those natives who are predominately phlegmatic take part in a vegetarian lifestyle.
Evolution of Peronal Temperament Temperaments change in response to external stimuli, much like the seasons they are associated with. The seasons shift from one one to the next in response to atmospheric phenomenon and the human human body and soul can do something similar. The most profound influences on temperament are age and diet, but worldy experiences and immediate environment are significant forces as well. )urthermore, it is believed that spiritual powers can intercede in these matters by bathing an individuals with spiritual influences.
The four seasons are classically related to the four ages of man 0pring is youth, 0ummer is young adulthood, !utumn is middle middle age, and #inter #inter is equated with old age. The temperament associations are also applicable here where youth is associated with sanguine, young adulthood with choler, middle age with melancholy, and old age with phelgmatic. B
This suggests that individuals at roughly the same ages will display certain generalied bodily and personality characteristics as their natural temperament will display itself from under a glae of the general life stage temperament. *hildren in the 0pring 0pring stage grow and explore their surroundings, young adults experience a desire to rebel against their parents while defining their personal identity, identit y, middle aged adults seek se ek authority and security, and the elderly consolidate their life experiences. Ciet and regimen are another large influence on personal temperament, especially to the body and the temperaments physical expression. 4D 4Dou ou are what you you eat4 is an appropriate saying that captures the essence of this consideration. consideration. %y eating foods that are categoried as more cold, we introduce coldness into the body that can express itself positively or negatively. The expression of the coldness will depend on if it is correcting an imbalance 'cold foods being consumed by someone naturally more hot( or producing one 'an individual with more natural coldness consuming cold food(. E
0imilarly, activities can be classified as being similar to or productive of a humor or quality. If someone has a deficiency in choler, they may take up some sport that increases heart rate to cultivate choler or heat. This allows a multi&faceted multi&faceted approach for combating excessive and destructive temperament influences. F
)urthermore, the daily environment one finds oneself can have more minor influences on the temperament. #o #orking rking in a library or in retail, for example, necessitate two very different approaches and skill sets while maintaining different atmospheres. >ibraries are calm, organied, and quiet while retail is more connective and persuasive. 8ver time this effects the individuals who spend their work weeks there. G
This also applies to the home in what might be called 4#estern 4#estern )eng 0hui4. 0hui4. >ight exposure, color, dHcor, and inhabitants can influence the temperament of the people residing there. %rightly colored homes are more conducive to heat than their darker counterparts, while certain pet types can introduce their own natural humors or qualities cats are cold and dry, whereas fish are cold and wet, for example. ! final, and more controversial, method of influencing temperament is something more explicitly related to planetary magic. any believe it is possible possible to augment the temperament of an individual by utiliing the spiritual rays of the the planets. ! person with excessive coldness can be remediated r emediated with a Aenus, Aenus, 0un, or 9upiter talisman ta lisman or with things that are of the nature of those three planets, planets, for example. This is the mechanism for for many of the considerations in the previous paragraph cats are cold and dry because they are ruled by 0aturn, fish are cold and wet because they are ruled by the oon . These different methods are all effective at augmenting the temperament and should be used in con2unction with one another for the greatest greatest and most prolonged effects. %y opening our minds and exposing ourselves to new and uncomfortable situations, we force ourselves to do or consider things differently than we normally would if we stayed within a comfort one.
It’s these experiences that change us into new and better people and forces the sanguine to be constant, the choleric to be compassionate, the melancholic to be content, and the phlegmatic to be courageous.
'alculatin& the Temperament "xact calculation methods differ from astrologer to astrologer, but there are some consistent themes. 3lacement of the 0un, oon, and !scendant are consistently a factor, sometimes sometimes their dispositors or rulers or included, and many will consider the aspects the oon and !scendant make or receive to the other planets. )or all intents and purposes here, we will be using #illiam >illys calculations for the temperament. The list is as follows7 •
!scendant 0ign and its >ord
•
3lanets in the first house and planets aspecting the !scendant.
•
The oons sign and phase and planets she aspects.
•
The season.
•
The !lmuten of the )igure
8ur instructions here are to consider each placement in regards to their qualities, and tally up their totals. *ontinuing, >illy says7 4Dou must deal wearily in the collection of the testimonies of the four humours, of -eat, -umidity, *old, and Cryness, for it may come to pass that the qualities of the planet and sign may obtain the same equal number of testimonies, and the one have as many testimonies of -eat as the other of *old, these being repugnant qualities, the one takes off the other and they are not numbered or counted.4 0o after the significators are identified and the qualities properly assigned, we count up the opposing qualities 'cold and heat, moisture and dryness( and subtract them from one another. %elow is a list of the qualities for each of the signs, planets, and phases. 0igns •
!ir signs are hot and wet
•
)ire signs are hot and dry
•
"arth signs are cold and dry
•
#ater #a ter signs are cold and wet
3lanets
•
9upiter is hot and wet
•
ars and the 0un are hot and dry
•
0aturn and ercury are cold and dry
•
Aenus Aenus and the oon are cold and wet
0easons •
If the 0un is in !ries, Taurus, Taurus, or +emini, it is 0pring which is hot and wet
•
The 0un in *ancer, >eo, or Airgo means it is 0ummer and is hot and dry
•
The 0un in >ibra, 0corpio, or 0agittarius shows the season s eason is !utumn and cold and dry
•
The 0un in *apricorn, !quarius, or 3isces identifies the season as #inter #inter and cold and wet
oon 3hase •
/ew oon to )irst Juarter is hot and wet
•
)irst Juarter to )ull is hot and dry
•
)ull oon to >ast Juarter is cold and dry
•
>ast Juarter to /ew oon is cold and wet.
A 'ae "Tudy arsilio )icino is in many ways the epitome of the melancholic temperament. !ware of this fact, )icino penned a three volume set that was essentially a guide to help his fellow melancholic scholars achieve a longer and healthier life. -is Three Books on Life remains Life remains a classic of the astrological medical and magical tradition. )icinos !scendant is in !quarius, giving him the qualities of hot and wet, his !scendant lord is 0aturn 'cold and dry( who is also placed in !quarius 'hot and wet(. The 0un was in 0corpio at his birth, which means he was born during !utumn !utumn 'cold and dry( dr y( and the oon is in *apricorn 'cold and dry( and she is in her first quarter 'hot and wet(. 0aturn is in the !scendant, giving an extra dose of cold and dry while the oon receives an aspect from
Aenus 'cold and wet( in Airgo Aenus Airgo 'cold and dry(. )inally, 0aturn is the !lmuten of )icinos )igure, so imparts additional cold and dry to our native.
•
!scendant 0ign7 !quarius, -ot and #et
•
!scendant >ord7 0aturn, *old and Cry
•
!scendant >ords 0ign7 !quarius, -ot and #et
•
0eason7 !utumn, *old and Cry
•
oons 0ign7 *apricorn, *old and Cry
•
oons 3hase7 )irst Juarter, -ot and #et
•
oons !spects7 Aenus, *old and #et, Airgo, *old and Cry
•
3lanets in the )irst7 0aturn, *old and Cry.
•
!lmuten of the )igure7 0aturn, *old and Cry.
-eat7 5
*old7 F
#et7 #e t7 6
Cry7 E
-eat has three reptitions and *old has F, so 5 units are deducted from each and 6 *old remains. The same is done with #et #et and Cry, Cry, leaving $ Cry as the remainder. remainder.
!s )icino himself suspected, the temperament calculation does suggest he is excessively cold and dry, with cold being the most abundant abundant quality in his chart. To this we would prescribe a diet with more warm foods, temperance in consuming grains, fruit, and vegetables, some vigorous exercise, plenty of time outdoors, and some solar influences.
Manifetation of Temperament There is no person on this earth who is a pure temperament type. type. In his writings, +alen was quick to point this out, saying that we only call people or things 4hot4 when heat is their most dominate quality not their only quality. only quality. "veryone is a mixture of all four qualities, but it is very rare that they all exist within equal amounts. That is the goal, but is never the initial state. ! more accurate representation of temperament and its psychological effects would be to imagine a bag with several marbles in it. 0ome marbles are black, some are blue, some are yellow, and some are red. #henever a person encounters some situation in their lives, they will reach into this bag, pull out out a random marble, and react to the situation in the manner of that temperament. ! choleric individual will have more yellow marbles than any of the other three colors, so is more likely to react to situations in a direct, confrontational, or angry manner. The blue, red, and black marbles are still in the bag, but there is less of a chance of a natural choleric reacting to a situation in a manner that is characteristic of another temperament. In this analogy, the point of remediating an excessive temperament or quality would be to even out the number of the different colored marbles, making each reaction equally likely. )urthermore, this process of balancing will have a natural effect of turning the opaque bag transparent, thus allowing the individual to actively select the appropriate response instead of randomly draw it.
'oncluion Temperament can be a quick and easy method to assess the body and form of an individual as well as gain insight into the medical or emotional conditions they may struggle with throughout their life. %y identifying the excessive qualities in a persons life, real remedial measures can be taken to ensure the -ippocratic balance is achieved and maintained. This shift towards the center is not a quick and fast plan for recovery, but a prolonged commitment an individual makes to improve their health and quality of life.
note 1. #illiam >illy, >illy, *hristian !strology !strology %ook III
$. -ippocrates %ook IA pg. 11 5. -istory of 3hilosophy7 -eraclitus 6. The 3icatrix, %ook %ook II, *hapter *hapter AIII B. +uido %onatti, %ook %ook of !stronomy, !stronomy, %ook II, *hapter II. %onatti quotes al&Jabisi and !bu ashar in identifying the quarters quarters of the houses. /ote that each quarter has a season, humor, and lifestage associated with it. E. arsilio )icino, 8n a >ong >ife, *hapter A F. arsilio )icino, 8n a >ong >ife, *hapter AIII G. arsilio )icino, 8n a >ong >ife, *hapter KII . arsilio )icino, 8n 8btaining >ife )rom the -eavens, *hapter II
Temperament Assessment: A Short Method This audio is a brief tutorial in the short method that I use to determine the temperament from the natal chart. Dou’ll Dou’ll find the example e xample chart '3ope %enedict KAI( for this tutorial tutoria l below. In later tutorials, I will survey additional steps in traditional natal analysis, using this same chart. In traditional astrology, the four temperaments L 0anguine, *holeric, elancholic and 3hlegmatic L are the bedrock of natal delineation. !nd that’s because because they encompass the th e fundamental qualities of everything that that exists. In the main, I am following #illiam >illy’s method, method, striking a balance between his :short : short form; on p. 1$M of *hristian *hristia n !strology, !strology, %ook I and his long method in %ook III 'pp. B5$&6(. I do not incorporate planetary orientality=occidentality into my method, mainly because there are inconsistencies in the source materials that I haven’t worked out to my satisfaction. !lso, I am reserving a consideration of the >ord of the +eniture for another audio. This worksheet worksheet provides provides the basic values that I’m working with. It’s a work in progress. I’ll post any significant revisions to this blog. Cr. *hristopher agnus
Temperament Assessment: Which is the Right Way? 9uly 1M, $MME by admin
In light of Thomas’s quiz (see previous post), and my post on melancholy, the question came up: which is the right method for assessing temperament, anyway? very traditional astrology has his or her pet method, none of which wor! "##$ of the time% &ith people who are strongly tilted toward one or two temperaments, all of the methods will arrive at very similar if not identical conclusions% &ith individuals who are more 'alanced, and have only a slightly predominating humor or two, we will wil l see a greater discrepancy with using various techniques% et us ta!e the eample of *aul +ewman% I got interested in +ewman’s horoscope while writing -piritual .irection in the /oroscope,0 an article that will 'e pu'lished in the net issue of the .utch traditional magazine 1nima 1strologiae% +ewman has a pretty 'alanced temperament, so the results will vary depending on the method we use% /ere is +ewman’s horoscope:
/ere is the result we get if we use .orian 2reen'aum’s method (discussed in her 'oo! on temperament) which she has developed 'y her study of various traditional sources (all of whom, in turn, had their own methods3): •
1scendant sign element 4 5apricorn 4 6elancholic (7 points)
•
1scendant ruler intrinsic quality 4 -aturn 4 6elancholic (" point)
•
1scendant almuten (de8ned as planet with most essential dignities in a given degree) intrinsic quality 4 6ars and -aturn are tied, so 5holeric and 6elancholic (" point each) 4 we’ll pay attention to these if there is need for a tie'rea!er%
•
6oon sign element 4 *isces 4 *hlegmatic *hlegmati c (7 points)
•
6oon ruler 'y sign 4 9upiter in 5apricorn 4 6elancholic (" point)
•
6oon phase (using illy’s method here) 4 " st uarter 4 -anguine (" point)
•
-eason of 'irth 4 &inter 4 *hlegmatic *hlegmati c (7 points)
The grand total is: 6elancholic (;%<), (;%<), 5holeric (%<), *hlegmatic (;), -anguine (" point)% -o according to 2reen'aum’s method, we have a melancholic=phlegmatic, me lancholic=phlegmatic,
a hard>wor!ing, practical pra ctical type with wi th an emotional, self>protective tendency% tendency% This analysis gives us a very cold temperament, with some diculty getting the heat going, 'oth physically and emotionally% et’s use a di@erent method to compare and contrast% 9ohn Arawley, in his Beal 1strology 1pplied, goes through a temperamental analysis 'ased closely on &illiam illy’s method% Csing the Arawley=illy method, +ewman’s temperament temperame nt would loo! something li!e this: •
1scending sign: 5apricorn 4 5old 4 .ry . ry 4 (a slightly melancholic 1scendant) o
o
o
•
1spected 'y 6ercury in 5apricorn, oriental, /ot (5apricorn gives some .ry) 1spected 'y Denus in 5apricorn, oriental (slightly /ot and 6oist) 1spected 'y -aturn in -corpio, oriental (and on the 65) (very 5old and 6oist)
ord of the 1scendant: -aturn in -corpio, oriental: 5old 4 and 6oist E o
1spected 'y 6ercury in 5apricorn, oriental (/ot and somewhat . ry)
o
1spected 'y Denus in 5apricorn, oriental (slightly /ot and 6oist)
•
The -un in a &inter &inter -ign 4 5old and 6oist
•
The 6oon in *isces in in "st uarter 4 /ot 4 and 6oist E
•
The ord of the the 2eniture 4 6ars in 1ries, occidental 4 /ot (due to placement in 1ries) and .ry E % 6ars is the o2, as it is the only strongly essentially digni8ed planet in the chart%
This gives us 5old>, 5old>, 5old, /ot>, /ot, .ry>, .ry>, .ryE, 6oistE, 6oist, 6oist, 6oistE% Csing Arawley’s Arawley’s method of com'ining the most frequent elements, we see that +ewman is pretty well 'alanced, and gives us a slightly predominantly phlegmatic (cold and moist) temperament% -o we still get a cold temperament, 'ut one that is only a little cold, whereas 2reen'aum’s method gives us a downright glacial temperament% &e don’t !now *aul +ewman well enough to decide which is correct, 'ut our guess is that the latter method descri'es him 'etter% 'etter% /e is !nown for f or ta!ing a relaed approach to his career, and even his hugely successful charity food line, +ewman’s Fwn G, happened sort of 'y accident, as he tells it% This is not to say that 2reen'aum’s method is wrong 4 any solid solid method will succeed H< or #$ of the time% /owever, nothing in our su'lunary sphere is "##$, and astrology, or rather the astrologer, is the same% This is the point of traditional astrology 4 'ecause we astrologers tend toward imperfection, we see!
out methods that have passed to us from f rom higher, more lasting spheres than our own% To To have your temperament analyzed with suggestions on how to 'etter 'etter 'alance it, consider a professional astrological consultation with +ina 2ryphon%
!ndrew on 9anuary 1Bth, $MMF $MMF 1$7$G pm
-ere is my own modification 'an elemental modification( of the +reenbaum temperament assessment formula applied to the nativity of 3aul /ewman7 !scendant sign 'by element( N $ points !scendant domicile ruler 'by intrinsic quality( N 1 point !scendant exaltation ruler 'by intrinsic quality( N 1 point oon sign 'by element( N $ points oon ruler 'by sign( N 1 point oon phase '>illy( N 1 point 0eason of birth N $ points /ote that I employ the ascendant exaltation ruler instead of the ascendant almuten7 why? In medieval astrology, the domicile ruler is the primary ruler responsible for the ascendant, but orin de Aillefranche informs us that the exaltation ruler also influences the ascendant. oreover, if one uses "gyptian terms and all three Corothean triplicity rulers, then the almuten of any single position in the odiac will always be either the domicile or exaltation ruler. This approach dispenses with the need to use any of the four extant almuten systems, and is consistent with the results 'with one or two exceptions( given in +reenbaum’s book. The scores for 3aul /ewman7 0anguinic N 1, *holeric N 1, elancholic N 6, 3hlegmatic N 6. #e need a tie&breaker7 as +reenbaum notes in her book, %lessed Oamon >lull 'Coctor Illuminatus( assigns a hierarchy of dominance to the elemental cycle which rotates counter& clockwise, so that !ir dominates #ater, #ater, #ater #ater dominates "arth, "arth dominates )ire, and )ire dominates !ir. Therefore, since #ater #ater dominates "arth, in my 'completely idiosyncratic( modification of the +reenbaum temperament assessment formula, 3aul /ewman comes out as 3hlegmatic=elancholic rather than elancholic=3hlegmatic 'as indicated in +reenbaum’s book Pp. 1$Q(. I thought I would share my approach with you and your readers in the event that anyone is interested in a little experimentation and further research R "x astris, !ndrew *arter
!ndrew on 9anuary 1Fth, $MMF F7B am
Thank you so much for your interest and encouragement. y academic and professional background is in the field of educational psychology psychology and social science with a concentration in counselling skills and archetypal theory. I have come to believe that the analytical psychology developed by *arl 9ung and his followers can best be applied to the elucidation of ancient and medieval rather than modern and contemporary astrological concepts. It sometimes seems that many astrologers who favour the use of traditional techniques often react against rather than reflect upon the ideas and insights of depth psychology. This, in my opinion, is unfortunate, as each can enrich the other. In my own work, I have extended the application of temperament theory into psychological type in the manner indicated below7 If the dominant humour is phlegmatic, then the inferior humour is melancholic. If the dominant humour is sanguinic, then the inferior humour is choleric. If the dominant humor is choleric, then the inferior humour is sanguinic. If the dominant humor is melancholic, then the inferior humour is phlegmatic. In the temperament assessment of 3aul /ewman, his primary humour is phlegmatic and his secondary humour is melancholic since his dominant humour is phlegmatic, his inferior humour is melancholic. /ote that these have the cold quality in common. -owever, in the temperament assessment of !dolf -itler, his primary humour is sanguinic and his secondary humour is melancholic since his dominant humour is sanguinic, his inferior humour is choleric. /ote that these have no quality in common. The inferior humour manifests without conscious intention and attempts to overwhelm or possess the dominant humour. humour. In the case of 3aul /ewman, this this manifested in drink and depression, which led to his redemption a quality in common. In the case of !dolf -itler, this manifested in rage and resentment, which led to his destruction no quality in common. "x astris, !ndrew
some notes about temperaments *osted on 7"=#J=7## 7"=#J=7## 'y 'y margherita 8orello
*an a star of whatever whatever planetary planetary nature nature with the 0un decidin deciding g the temperam temperament ent as a traditional astrologer, author of a CAC about humours and temperament states? #hen does 9ohn )rawley say that an oriental 0aturn is cold and dry he is talking according the tradition? 8ne of the most interesting point in astrology is the assessment of the temperament of a native. The doctrine of the four temperaments& the melancholic, the phlegmatic, the choleric and the sangu sanguin ine& e& is very very comp compos osit itee and and can be foun found d here here and and ther theree especi especial ally ly in 3oly 3olybu buss '-ippocrates’ pupil and son in law who gave a coherent order to the *orpus -ippocraticus(, 3lato and +alen. It’s especially +alen to develop this theory and describe temperaments as we know. In the !rt of 3hysic he wrote7 0anguine7 they cannot be awaken without difficulty when they are sleeping, they are both sleepy and sleepless and exuberant in their dreams, their eyesight is not sharp and their senses are dull. They are ready to act as the choleric type, they don’t have a violent soul, but they are ready to wrath. *holeric7 #ith sharp senses and inclined to insomnia, they soon become bald. Oeady to act, hot headed, quick, violent, wild, bold, insolent, despotic and short tempered, it’s not easy to calm them. elancholic7 In youth their senses are sharp and ready, but with time they soon decline. "arly in everything connected with the head, they soon become white. They are far from wrath, and if obliged they can control it. 3hlegmatic7 Their minds are slow, and sleepy and dull, they never become bald. They are shy and scared and lay, la y, they they never get angry, and they are not ready to wrath. >et us introduce the sub2ect with a well known diagram7
This is the classification classification we are accustomed accustomed to. -ow can we see this from a birthchart? birthchart? The most famous example is surely the one given by #illiam >illy, so for the moment let put it aside
*ome back a little earlier, and let us consider 3tolemy. 3tolemy is a follower of !ristotles’ threefold division of the soul in vegetative, sensitive and rational rational part7 in the the third book of Tetrabiblo etrabiblos, s, after having talked about the introductory introductory theme of the birth of the native, his parents, and if he will survive to infancy and how long he will live, in the last four chapters, he talks about the body 'the vegetative soul( and the emotive 'i.e sensitive( and rational mind and their diseases. %ut before going on in reading the chapter about the body let us consider the eential virtue of the seven wandering stars which 3tolemy lists in the first part of Tetrabiblos. 'I,6(
#hat 3tolemy writes about ercury is central in his astrological philosophy7 planets change their nature according their position in the epicyle, i.e. according their position to the 0un, which is their accidental virtue . It could be useful to stress that the oon and the other wandering stars act according the same natural law, and there is not difference between outer and inner planets. 'I,G(
8bviously we shall adapt the rule to the different motion of inner and outer planets, so inner ones will perform twice because they have two con2unctions with the 0un. 0un. "ventually planets change their nature according season and quadrant. 'I, 1$(
I’m conscious that +reenbaum 'and 3tolemy in the following chapter to the mentioned one( write that the !scendant is dry, while Cescendant is wet but I’m sure that here 3tolemy is contradicting himse imself lf
becau ecause se all all the the incr increa easi sing ng thin things gs are are moi moist st in natu ature, re, wh while ile on on the the con contrar trary y all the decreasing things are dry.
ade all these necessary general considerations, let us come back to 3tolemy’s method to determine the native temperament, presented in the chapter 1$ of the III book. 0ure that after all these classifications his reader is confused, 3tolemy recapitulates the nature of the planets, considering both their essential nature and their accidental 'according their epicycle( one.
This table, makes us think about something we already know? 0ure, it’s (illiam #illySs table, better it’s the table made by >illy according this chapter of Tetrabiblos. Tetrabiblos. It cannot be different.
0o when 9ohn )rawley changes 0aturn qualities stating that an 8riental 0aturn is dry, he is changing a Tradition which is the same at least since Tetrabiblos. Tetrabiblos. /ow let’s see the rest of 3tolemy method, and it is not a surprise.
In regard to the body, therefore, it is in all cases requisite to observe the oriental horion, and to ascertain what planets may preside or have dominion over it, and also to pay particular attention to the oon. )or, )or, from both both these places, and from their rulers, as well as from the natural formation and contemperament appertaining to every species of the human race, and also also from from the the figu figure re ascr ascrib ibed ed to thos thosee fixe fixed d star starss whic which h may may be co&a co&asc scen endi ding ng,, the the conformatio conformation n of the body is to be inferred. inferred. The planets planets possessing possessing dominion dominion have the chief influence, and the proper qualities of their places co&operate with them. %efore entering in details we see that it is almost the same method >illy mentions. %ut I should say :almost; at least in my opinion, because there is no mention of the 0un and the quarter of the year. It’s true that in the end of chapter 3tolemy mentions the meaning of quadrants but I could not find any reference to the 0un, rather it seems to be a reference to the planets which cooperate in producing the shape of the personal figure, and contribute also towards the temperament !nd -aly Ibn Oidwan in his comment to this text adds in fact7 #hat 3tolemy means is that each of those quadrants concurs with the works of the planet which is in agreement with it, but damages the work of the planet with which doesn’t agree. 0o according 3tolemy, 3tolemy, as commented by -aly in the assessment of the temperament temperament The elements to which we should put our attention are three. )irstly, the !scendant and the place of the oon secondly, the rulers of these places, places , thirdly the mixture between them and the other stars. !nd then he shows which is the most important between them. !nd so he says that the first one is the meaning of the rulers, then the place of the oon, and thirdly the mixture mixture between those and the stars. !nd according according the beginning beginning of the chapter it is useful we prefer the general meaning to the particular one and so we should 2udge especially from the the meaning of the !scendant and its ruler rather than the oon and her ruler. %efore giving an example of the method, we should add that here the word :stars; implies the fact that we can know the body shape shape and every condition concerning the body from the nature nature of the !scendant and the nature of the place of the oon and the nature of the planets ruling these two places and from the mixture of these elements with the fixed stars which are with them in one of the circles we talked about. about. !nd !nd when he says those fixed fixed stars which may be co& ascending, it means the stars which are in the !scendant in the degree of the horion and the stars with the oon in the same circle, and the stars with whatever ruler of these places. 0o we should disagree with the famous author of the course on temperaments mentioned in the first lines7 a fixed star with the 0un means nothing about temperament and shape of body, and the same if the planet is in a doriphory& doriphory& especially especially when this word means means 2ust a large aspect out of every possible orb, in the other other case an aspect with the oon oon would be taken into consideration 'and mentioned(.
>et see an example.
5arrie Aisher
*arrie )isher is well known for her role in Star !ars as !ars as 3rincess >eia and as istery #oman in The Blues Brothers 0he Brothers 0he was always frank about her problems with drugs, her battles with bipolar disorder, and overcoming an addiction to prescription medication. In her book, Corian +reenbaum mentions )isher’s chart between phlegmatic temperament examples at page 1MM of her book. #hat do ancients say about melancholic women? 0aint -ildegard writes There are women, skinny flesh, great veins, common bones, with the blood more mucous than fluid and with a grey and black face. They are light and flickle in their mind, tormented by annoying diseases, and by a changing nature, so they often suffer with melancholyR. !nd sometimes they suffer with gout, or with back aches, or some disease of the mind caused by the melancholy. It’s It’s neces necessar sary y to say that that in fact fact accor accordi ding ng humo humoral ral medi medicin cinee ment mental al dist distur urbe bess were were associated with the coction of the black bile, which is turned into atrabilis, a dense and over& cooked humor which generated generated fumes and vapours which ascending to the brain darken the place of imagination, mind and soul. 8n the other other hand, if the madnes madnesss is accompani accompanied ed with freny it does does not derive derive from melancholy but from an over cooked cholera.
Coes *arrie )isher’s birth chart as melancholic temperament fit with 3tolemy’s 3tolemy’s method? >et >et us try. >et us see which planets have the greater rights on the !scendant and oon place. In doing this I have not considered as usually 0un and oon.
!scendant, which has the priority in our investigation is clearly ruled by 0aturn, being in its domicile and in applying aspect with it. 0aturn has a right on oon by terms and face and aspect. Aenus has some presence too, because she rules *apricorn by triplicity and Taurus by domicile and triplicity. 9upiter could have some influence too because it is separating aspect both from !scendant and oon, still it has no dignity in their places. 0o let’s say *arrie )isher is born under 0aturn with some Aenu Aenusian sian influence too. >et us check fixed stars with the !scendant7
Cabih in the horn of *apricorn is rising with !scendant. This is a star of Aenus&ars nature which is listed as :helpful star; in the text of !nonymous 5F, i.e. a star which can support the native in some s ome way. This This star star has the same same nature nature of the !scend !scendant ant '*aprico '*apricorn rn is Aenus triplicit triplicity y and ars triplicity and term( so it has some influence on the native. In fact we should be careful to consider 2ust the stars which are in agreement with the the place we are considering, because stars promise according the nature of significator they mix with7 they have prominent effects when they have the same nature, but limited and dimmed when they have a different nature . '*ardano, *omment to Tetrabiblos(. Tetrabiblos(. !nd accordin according g the same same *ardano *ardano stars with the nature of "ars and #enus #enus give great and sudden luck, and make the natives beautiful when young but ugly when adults$ and give awful events, and pleasures become pains %nd native will have bad habits . '!phorisms, IA.1$6( It’s not far from truth if we look at her picture. picture. 0he is not ugly, ugly, true, but she looks looks much older than BM. !nd her life was surely not easy after the success and the fame.
!ccording !strolabium 3lanum a bear faces backwards arises with these part of sky ' notice * at $F *apricorn(
5od% *al% germ% HJ7
!bano is repeating repeating what !lbumasar !lbumasar in his chapter his chapter about paranatellonta writes paranatellonta writes for the third facie of *apricorn7 !ccording to 3tolemy, in this facie there arise the hinder parts of Ura Minor, the coil in the body of DracoR /ow let us check 3leiades which are with the oon7
oon is in the 5rd mansion. 'I’m following 3aul unitsch as quoted in my translation about translation about oon ansions from Aat.Oeg. 1$G5( which is proper for proper for talismans and works concerning with women and medicines for them & and who is born in this mansion will be lucky .
*icture from *ingree>ippincott KIL+ 1>/1TI6 1>/1TI6 F+ T/ T1I-61+ T1I-61+- FA T/ C+1B C+1B 61+-IF+-K
3leiades have the nature of oon and ars. They are a little pesty in nature and according )irmicus7 Those who are born when these are rising are always involved in luxury and lust. They are always drenched in perfumes, given to too much wine drinking, impudent in speech, so that in banquets and lovemaking they attack their companions with sarcastic wit. It sounds like -ollywood, true? 0o a 0aturn 0aturnian ian temper temperame ament nt mixed mixed with with some some Aenusian nusian nuance nuance seems seems possib possible le for the actress. In every case we can end our experiment with the usual method7 1( !scendant7 *apricorn is cold and dry dr y. $( Ouler of the !scendant7 0aturn is a cold and dry planet. It is occidental to the 0un, so again it’s cold cold and dry, but but in the first quadrant quadrant it’s little moister and warmer, warmer, and it is in opposition with the oon in an earth sign, so I would say that it is definitely cold and dry. 5( !ngular planets7 the only angular planets are 0aturn at * which is cold and dry 'see point $( and the oon in the the 6th house. 6( oon is in an "arth sign, cold and dry, but hot and dry because she is almost at the )ull oon. /ear the I* very cold. B( oon is separating separating from Ae Aenus, in an "arth sign, matutine, matutine, in the last phase before its heliacal setting, dry. oon is separating separating from 9upiter, 9upiter, moist star in an "arth sign, oriental oriental to the 0un so hot and moister. oon is applying to 0aturn, cold and dry.
E( Ouler if the oon7 Aenus.
0o again we have the 0aturnian temperament 'i.e. melancholic as +reenbaum states( with some phlegmatic notes. I should say that I cannot find a better conclusion than what >uis Oibeiro writes in the end of his article7 :The method is coherent throughout all the authors regarding its theory and significators. There is only one method.; !nyway I’m open to change my mind with quotes and references, as usually. 3erfection unfortunately is not in this our world, at least after the fall of "ve.
1l'recht .urer> 1dam and ve ("<#;)
In fact !dam and "ve before the original sin had a perfectly balanced temperament, while the four animals& imperfect in their nature& show the the four temperaments7 the rabbit the sanguine, sanguine, the cat the choleric, the ox the phlegmatic, the deer the melancholic. UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU UUUU %I%>I8+O!3-D !/C I/03IO!TI8/ 'in mixed order(7 /icholas *ulpeper , 'alen(s 'alen(s art of physick) translated into *nglish, and largely commented on toge togeth ther er with with conv conven enie ient nt medi medicin cines es for for all all part particu icula larr diste distemp mper erss of the the parts parts,, a description of the comple+ions, their conditions, and what diet and e+ercise is fittest for them >ond >ondon on 1EB$ 1EB$ Cori Corian an +iese +iesele ler. r. +ree +reenb nbaum aum,, Temperame emperament) nt) astrolo astrology( gy(ss forgotten forgotten key '%ournemou '%ournemouth, th, "ngland7 "ngland7 #e #essex ssex !strologer !strologer >imited, >imited, $MMB( $MMB( +raeme Tobyn, Tobyn, ulpeper(s medicine) a practice of western holistic medicine '0haftesbury, medicine '0haftesbury, Corset Oockport, ass.7 "lement, 1F( >uis Oibeiro, -udging Oibeiro, -udging the Temperament) Temperament) a study of the method but but especially *ieloe *ieloeT Terra erra teachin teachings, gs, in partic particular ular +iusep +iuseppe pe %ea, %ea, Transl ranslatio ation n of Haly Haly .bn /idwan /idwan comment to Tetrabiblos, Tetrabiblos , ario *ostantino, *ostantino, 0ualit1 prime, elementi ed umori. umori . '>inguaggi '>inguaggio o
!strale !strale 1MG, septemb september er 1F( 1F( +iusep +iuseppe pe %ea, %ea, Seminari di /oma /oma +iancarlo e2ioni Scuola ida di /oma) il temperamento
ASSESSING CNSTIT!TINA" TEM#ERAMENT The $ey to Astrotherapy In +reek edical !strology, !strology, the most most important important key to all diagnosis and treatment is assessing the natal horoscope to determine the individuals constitutional nature and temperament. This is the heart heart and core of the personalied owners owners manual to your your body and mind. nowing your your individual constitutional nature and temperament is the key to optimal hygiene and self care, and nowhere is it depicted with such depth, sophistication and detail as in your natal horoscope. )or each of the )our Temperaments, there are a number of distinctive planetary configurations or signatures. The edical !strologer must familiarie himself thoroughly thoroughly each of thes configurations or signatures, and learn to recognie them in the natal horoscope. The primary indicators for each of the )our Temperaments Temperaments are as as follows7 follows7
Sanguine Temperame emperament nt & & & & & +
! predominance of planets in Air signs )upiter and = or *enu dignified or emphasied in the natal horoscope )upiter and = or *enu in an Air sign The Acendant in an Air sign, or con2unct )upiter or *enu The "un con2unct or aspecting )upiter or *enu The Moon con2unct or aspecting )upiter or *enu, the Ne- Moon or the (a.in& 'recent & ! con2unction or hard aspect between )upiter and *enu
Cho%eric Temperament predominance of planets in Fire signs + ! predominance & Mar/ and to a lesser extent the "un/ dignified, exalted or otherwise emphasied in the natal horoscope & Mar or the "un in a Fire sign & The Acendant in a Fire sign, or con2unct Mar or the "un/ especially 0un in !ries & The "un con2unct the Midheaven/ or con2unct or in hard aspect to Mar + The Moon con2unct or in hard aspect to Mar/ or a Firt %uarter Moon + *on2unction or hard aspects between the "un and Mar
Me%ancho%ic & Ner'ous Temperament + ! predominance predominance of planets in Earth signs & Mercury and = or "aturn dignified or emphasied in the natal chart also, Uranu emphasied or critically placed & Mercury and = or "aturn in Earth signs & The Acendant in an Earth sign, or con2unct or in hard aspect to Mercury or "aturn + "un con2unct the Decendant/ or con2unct or in hard aspect to "aturn or Uranu + The Moon con2unct or in hard aspect to Mercury/ "aturn/ or Uranu, the Full Moon + -ard aspects or con2unctions between Mercury/ "aturn/ Uranu
#h%egmatic Temperament ! predominance predominance of planets in (ater signs The Moon and = or Neptune dignified or emphasied in the natal chart The Moon in a (ater sign Neptune in a (ater houe The Acendant in a (ater sign, or con2unct the Moon or Neptune The "un in a (ater sign, or con2unct the Nadir The Moon con2unct or aspecting Neptune/ and to a lesser extent *enu/ especially in a (ater sign the Third %uarter Moon0 + *enu *enu in a (ater sign
+ & & + + +
Assessing Indi'idua% Temperament 3ure types are rare, and very few individuals will have only the indicators for a single temperament. The vast ma2ority of us are of mixed temperament, which will show show up in our natal horoscopes as an assortment of planetary indicators involving two or more temperaments. /evertheless, patterns of relative dominance will emerge. The beauty of medical astrology is the incredible level of depth, sophistication and detail with which it portrays portrays individual constitution and temperament. The natal horoscope will show which parts of your physiology physiology and metabolim are of which temperament. !gainst a general background of relative balance or planetary makeup by element, or temperament, the core factors of the birthchart & the 0un, oon and !scendant & will each show certain inclinations of humor and temperament7 The Acendant will show the nature and temperament of your physical body. body. The "un will show the nature and temperament of your .gnis, your .gnis, Aital )orce, Innate -eat and Thymos & your metabolic )ire. The Moon will show the nature and temperament of your fluid metabolism and the condition of your Oadical oisture & your metabolic #ater. #ater.
Assessing Nata% 'ersus E'o%'ing Temperament "ach of us is born or comes into the world with a certain constitutional nature and temperament. 8ver the course of a lifetime, various various exogenous or environmental stresses, influences and pathogenic risk factors work on the individual individual to mold, shape or change change him or her in a certain direction. The 2uxtaposition or or contrast between ones inherent constitutional nature and temperament and the nature of the forces shaping his or her evolving temperament is a key consideration for assessing the individuals overall health karma in life. In edical !strology, !strology, ones natal temperament is indicated by the i&n placements of ones planets and !scendant. 8nes evolvin& temperament is indicated by the houe placements of ones planets and !scendant !scendant Ouler. 0oimetimes, the natal temperament and the evolving temperament will be quite similar sometimes, there will be radical differences between the two. The nature and temperament of the first type of person will change little over the course of his or her lifetime the nature and temperament of the second type of person will change radically and profoundly, especially past middle age. There is a relatively quick quick and simple procedure for assessing your your natal versus versus evolving evolving temperament. It uses a point system system to place different levels of emphasis emphasis on the various planetary factors in your natal horoscope, according to their relative levels of importance, with the core factors of 0un, oon and !scendant being given the most weight :
Acendant or Acendant Ruler + 1 point "un and Moon + 2 point each Planet Mercury thru "aturn + 3 point each The Outer Planet + 4 point each
/ow, take a blank piece of lined paper. !t the beginning of the first four lines, write out the names of the )our "lements & )ire, !ir, "arth and #ater #ater & in that order. !t the beginning of the next three lines, write out the names of the three odalities7 *ardinal, )ixed and utable. /ow, fill in the chart with the symbols of the planets pertaining to each classification of element and modality. modality.
temperament will be especially important to consider past middle age. The element and modality of a house is derived from its natural or essential correspondence with a sign of the odiac. )or example, the 0econd -ouse 'Taurus( 'Taurus( is )ixed "arth, whereas the /inth -ouse '0agittarius( is utable )ire. -owever, a special problem arises when tallying up the !scendant. %ecause the !scendant is always the cusp of the )irst -ouse '!ries( in everyones natal horoscope, using the !scendant would unduly bias the tally in favor of the )ire element and the *ardinal modality, since !ries !ries is *ardinal *ar dinal )ire. This problem or bias is overcome by using the !scendant Ouler's( instead of the !scendant in the tally by house placement. The !scendant !scendant Ouler is the planet that rules the sign on the !scendant7 if the !scendant is in Taurus, that planet would be Aenus Aenus if the !scendant is in 0agittarius, that planet would be 9upiter. The planet that is the !scendant Ouler is tallied once as the !scendant Ouler, receiving four points, and again as a regular planet, receiving its usual allotment of points. )or !scendant signs having both a modern and a classical classic al ruler, like 0corpio, !quarius or 3isces, the four points allotted to the !scendant Ouler would be split equally between both rulers, each of which would be tallied again as an ordinary planet. 3lanets placed within three degrees before the cusp of a certain house would be counted as belonging to that succeeding house. If whole sign houses are used, the sign placement of the planet would automatically indicate its house placement, regardless of its degree. This is a quick and dirty4 assessment system that leaves out many factors, such as angularity and the like, that can also affect a planets dignity and emphasis in the natal horoscope. /evertheless, it does give you a good rough rough overview of your natal temperament, your evolving temperament, and the nature of the various exogenous environmental influences affecting your health karma in life.
T(E )!R TEM#ERAMENTS
The *asis o+ Constitutiona% Medicine The )our Temperaments Temperaments are the the basic basic constitutional constitutional bodymind types of +reek edicine. "ach one is named after a certain humor, and is characteried by the predominance of that humor and its associated basic qualities. The )our Temperaments Temperaments are the basic basic of all constitutional constitutional notions notions of diagnosis and treatment in +reek edicine. now your constitutional type type and you know how how to eat, live and medicate yourself properly for optimum health maintenance and disease prevention. "ach of the the )our )our Temperaments Temperaments can be recognied by certain basic traits of physique, physiology, physiology, digestion and metabolism, metabolism, personality and character. The )our Temperaments Temperaments and their distinguishing traits are as follows7
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Sanguine Temperament !umor: %lood 5aic %ualitie: -ot and #et '#arm and oist( +enerally considered to be the most desirable temperament, temperament, since blood is the the essence of vitality and health, but not without its drawbacks. drawbacks. Its traits are7 Face: 8val or acorn&shaped face and head. Celicate, well&formed mouth and lips. %eautiful almond shaped eyes, eyes, often brown. !n elegant, swanlike swanlike neck.
Phyi6ue: In youth, balanced, neither too fat nor too too thin. oderate frame and build. "legant, statuesque form, with ample, luxuriant flesh. 9oints well&formed bones, tendons, tendons, veins not prominent. *an put on weight past forty, forty, mostly around hips, hips, thighs, buttocks. !air: Thick, luxuriant, wavy. wavy. !bundant !bundant facial and body hair in men. "7in: 3ink, rosy, rosy, blushing complexion. complexion. 0oft, creamy smooth luxurious luxurious feel. 3leasantly warm to the touch. Appetite: Juite hearty, often greater than digestive capacity. ! predeliction for rich gourmet foods. The epicure. moderate balanced. *an be overwhelmed by excessive food. Di&etion: +ood to moderate Meta8olim: oderate, balanced. %owel tone can be a bit lax. Cigestive, respiratory, respiratory, genitourinary mucosa can be problem areas. Predipoition: etabolic excesses of the blood7 uremia, gout, diabetes, high cholesterol. Intestinal sluggishness, sluggishness, putrefaction. *ongested, sluggish liver and pancreas. *ongested blood, bleeding disorders. Oespiratory catarrh, congestion, asthma.
Cho%eric Temperament !umor: Dellow %ile 5aic %ualitie: -ot and Cry The *holeric temperament is the hottest, most active and catabolic of all. Its traits are7 2aw. 0harp nose, high cheekbones. 0harp, angular facial features. Oeddish Face: %road 2aw. face common. 0harp, fiery, fiery, brilliant, penetrating eyes. Phyi6ue: *ompact, lean, wiry. +ood muscle muscle tone, definition. 3rominent veins veins and tendons. %road chest common. !n active, sportive type. #e #eight ight gain usually in chest, arms, belly, upper body. body. !air: 8ften curly. curly. *an also be thin, fine. %alding common common in men. %londe or or reddish hair common. "7in: Ouddy or reddish color if heat predominates sallow or bright yellow if bile predominates. Oough and dry, dry, quite warm.
Appetite: 0harp and quick. 0oon overcome by ravenous hunger. )ond of meat, fried foods, salty or spicy foods, alcohol, intense or stimulating taste sensations. quick. Tendency Tendency towards gastritis, hyperacidity, hyperacidity, acid reflux. #hen Di&etion: 0harp and quick. balanced and healthy, can have a 4cast iron stomach4, able to digest anything. Meta8olim: 0trong, fast, active catabolic dominant. 0trong Innate -eat of metabolism. >iver and bile bile metabolism can be be problematic. Cigestive secretions strong, bowel bowel transit time short. !drenals, sympathetic nervous system dominant. dominant. 0trong inflammatory reactions. Predipoition: )evers, infections, inflammation. -ives, rashes, urticaria. )atty liver, bilious conditions. -yperacidity, acid reflux, inflammatory and ulcerative conditions of middle +I tract. -eadaches, migraines, irritability. "yestrain, red sore eyes. 3urulent conditions. -igh cholesterol, cardiovascular disorders. +ingivitis. %leeding disorders from excess heat, choler in the blood. -ypertension, stress disorders. Urine: Tends Tends to be scanty, scanty, dark, thin. *an be hot or burning. Tends towards diarrhea, loose stools. *an have a yellowish color, foul odor. "tool: Tends "-eat: 3rofuse, especially in summer, or with vigorous vigorous physical activity. 0trong body odor. 0ensitive to hot weather, suffers greatly in summer. summer. indigestion. 8ften tends to "leep: 8ften fitful, restless, disturbed, especially with stress, indigestion. wake up early, or in the middle of the night. or violent nature. Creams of fire, red things things common. )ight Dream: 8ften of a military or or flight, confrontation. Mind: %old, daring, original, original, imaginative, visionary. visionary. Ideation faculty well&developed. %rilliant intellect, sharp penetrating insight. The idea man who who prefers to leave the details details to others. Peronality: 3rone to anger, impatience, irritability short temper. %old, courageous, audacious confrontive, contentious. contentious. Cramatic, bombastic manner high powered personality. The rugged individualist individualist and pioneer thrives on challenge. The fearless leader. 0eeks exhilaration, intense experiences. Criven, 4Type 4Type !4 !4 personality. personality. 3rone to extremism, fanaticism.
Me%ancho%ic Temperament !umor: %lack %ile 5aic %ualitie: *old and Cry The elancholic temperament tends tends to be the most problematic, since its contrary to the 0anguine. -owever, with proper management, elancholics can also be healthy0 cheekbones, sunken hollow Face7 0quarish or rectangular head and face. 3rominent cheekbones, cheeks common. 0mall, beady eyes. Teeth Teeth can be prominent, crooked or loose. Thin lips0 Tends to be thin, lean. nobby, nobby, prominent bones and 2oints common. Phyi6ue: Tends 3rominent veins, sinews, tendons. uscle tone good, good, but tends to be stiff, tight. Oib cage long and narrow, narrow, with ribs often prominent. prominent. *an gain weight in later years, mainly around midriff 0 hair in men men tends to be !air7 *olor dark, brunette. Thick and straight. )acial and body hair sparse0
"7in7 ! dull yellow or darkish, darkish, swarthy complexion. )eels coarse, dry, leathery, cool. *allouses common0 Appetite7 Aariable to poor. Aaries, fluctuates according to mental=nervous=emotional state0 Di&etion7 Aariable to poor irregular. Cigestion also varies according to mental=nervous=emotional state. *olic, gas, distension, bloating common0 Meta8olim7 8ften slow. *an also be variable, erratic. 3rone to dehydration. /ervous system consumes many many nutrients, minerals. +I function variable, erratic digestive secretions tend to be be deficient. %lood tends to be thick. /utritional deficiencies can cause a craving for sweets, starches. Thyroid tends to be challenged, stressed0 Predipoition7 !norexia, poor appetite. /ervous, colicky digestive disorders. *onstipation. 0pleen disorders. /utritional and mineral deficiencies, anemia. %lood sugar problems, hypoglycemia. #a #asting, sting, emaciation, dehydration. 3oor circulation and immunity. immunity. !rthritis, rheumatism, neuromuscular neuromuscular disorders. /ervous and spasmodic afflictions. Ciiness, vertigo, ringing in ears. /ervousness, depression, anxiety, anxiety, mood swings. /eurovegetative dystonia0 Tends to be clear and thin thin0 Urine7 Tends "tool7 *an either be hard, dry, dry, compact compact or irregular, porous, club shaped. *onstipation, irritable bowel common0 scanty. *an be be subtle, thin, furtive, indicating poor poor immunity. immunity. /ervous "-eat7 +enerally scanty. stress can increase sweating0 up late aggravates "leep7 Cifficulty falling asleep, insomnia. 0tress, overwork, staying up insomnia. +enerally a light sleeper 0 Dream7 +enerally dark, moody, moody, somber, disturbing. Themes of grief, loss common0 detail oriented. "fficient, realistic, pragmatic. pragmatic. Oeflective, Mind7 !n analytical intellect detail studious, philosophical. philosophical. Oetentive faculty of of memory well&developed. Thinking can be too rigid, dogmatic. ! prudent, cautious, pessimistic mental outlook outlook 0 Peronality7 3ractical, pragmatic, realistic. "fficient, reliable, dependable. ! reflective, stoic, philosophical bent. bent. *an be nervous, high strung. )rugal, austere can be too attached to material possessions. 0erious, averse to gambling, risk taking. *an be moody, depressed, withdrawn. *an easily get stuck in a rut. "xcessive attachment to status quo.
#h%egmatic Temperament !umor7 3hlegm 5aic %ualitie7 *old and #et The 3hlegmatic temperament is the coldest, most passive, energy conserving and anabolic. Its traits are7 rounded features. Couble chin, pug Face: Oound face full cheeks, often dimpled. 0oft, rounded nose common. common. >arge, moist eyes. Thick eyelids and eyelashes. pudgy, Phyi6ue: -eavy frame, stout, with flesh ample and well&developed. 8ften pudgy, plump or overweight obesity common. common. 9oints dimpled, not prominent. Aeins not not prominent, but can be bluish and visible. >ax muscle tone common. )eet and ankles often puffy, puffy,
swollen. #omen #omen tend to have have large breasts. #e #eight ight gain especially in lower body. body. blondish hair common. >ight facial and body hair in men. !air: >ight colored, blondish "7in: 3ale, pallid complexion very fair. 0oft, delicate, cool moist skin. *ool, clammy perspiration common, especially in hands and feet. Appetite: 0low but steady. steady. *raves sweets, dairy products, starchy glutinous glutinous foods. but steady to sluggish. sluggish. +astric or digestive atony common. 0leepiness, Di&etion: 0low but drowsiness after meals common. slow. *onserves energy, energy, favors anabolic metabolism. Meta8olim: *old, wet and slow. *ongestion, poor circulation, especially in veins and lymphatics. lymphatics. idneys slow, slow, hypofunctioning, inefficient. !drenals and thyroid thyroid tend towards hypofunction basal metabolic rate low. etabolic #ater #ater drowning out metabolic )ire0 Predipoition7 3hlegm congestion. #a #ater ter retention, edema. >ymphatic >ymphatic congestion, obstruction. 3oor veinous circulation. +astric atony, atony, slow digestion. -ypothyroid, myxedema. !drenal hypofunction. #e #eight ight gain, obesity. )requent colds and flu. *hronic respiratory conditions, conditions, congestion. congestion. 0wollen legs, ankles, ankles, feet. *ellulite. 3oor tone of skin, muscles, fascia0 Tends to be clear=pale and thick. Tends Tends to be scanty in volume, with excess fluid Urine7 Tends accumulation in the body 0 #ell&formed, ll&formed, but tends tends to be slightly loose, soft. %owels tend to be sluggish0 "tool7 #e "-eat7 *ool, clammy sweat common, especially on hands and feet. 0weating can be easy and profuse, especially with kidney hypofunction. hypofunction. 0ensitive to cold weather suffers greatly in winter. Tends towards towards excessive sleep, somnolence. 0noring "leep7 Aery deep and sound. Tends common can be loud or excessive 0 placid. #a #ater ter and aquatic themes common common0 Dream: +enerally very languid, placid. Mind: Tends Tends to be dull, foggy, slow. 0low to learn, but once learned, excellent and long retention. 3atient, devoted, faithful. )aculty of "mpathy well&developed. 0entimental, sub2ective thinking. ! calm, good&natured, benevolent mental outlook 0 Peronality: +ood natured, benevolent, kind. /urturing, compassionate, sympathetic, charitable. +reat faith, patience, devotion tends to be religious, spiritual. 0ensitive, sentimental, emotional, empathetic. 3assive, slow, sluggish averse to exertion or or exercise. *alm, relaxed, takes life easy. easy. "xcessive sluggishness, torpor can lead to depression.
The )our Temperaments
Around 500 500 years before before the birth birth of our Savior, Savior, the spirit of science science began to be applied to the practice of medicine. Where before the ancients looked to "the gods" to explain the orkings of the natural orld, !ippocrates b. ca. #$0 %.&.' urged that sine qua non of science( observation. )n the course of the studies that merited his becoming knon as "the *ather of +edicine," he noticed that blood removed from the body separates into four parts( the clear red, a yelloish liuid that rises to the top, the dark liuid that settles to the bottom, and hitish fluid. !e and his students, especially his son-in-la, olybus, took these observations and developed a theory of medicine that as to hold say in the West and in the )slamic orld for thousands of years -- a theory further expounded upon by /alen( that physical and mental health are a matter of a good balance of four liuids "humors"', all believed to be produced in the liver, but hich are found in the veins and are associated ith various organs of the body. his theory of bodily humors 1 -- called "humorism " or "humoralism" -- holds that each person produces all of these humors, but that the preponderance of one relative to the others -- a condition called "dyscrasia" -- brings on illness. 2ach of these humors as believed to be associated ith one of the four elements hich, hen combined in various proportions, make up all things(
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he humor of %lood, associated ith the liver and ith Air, hich is the hot and moist element. A person in hom blood predominates is said to be "sanguine," from the 3atin "sanguis" blood'.
he humor of 4ello %ile, associated ith the spleen and ith *ire, hich is the hot and dry element. A person in hom yello bile predominates is said to be "choleric," from the /reek "khole" bile'.
he humor of %lack %ile, associated ith the gall bladder and ith 2arth, hich is the cold and dry element. A person in hom black bile predominates is said to be "melancholic," from the /reek "melas" black' and "khole" bile'.
he humor of hlegm, associated ith the lungs and brain and ith Water, hich is the cold and moist element. A person in hom phlegm predominates is said to be "phlegmatic," from the /reek "phlegmatikos" abounding in phlegm' .
he folloing excerpt from the 11th c. Regimen Sanitatis Salernitanum, attributed to ohn of +ilano, gives the basic run-don as to the effects of too much of one humor or another( )f Sanguin humour do too much abound, hese signes ill be thereof appearing cheefe, he face ill sell, the cheeks gro red and round, With staring eies, the pulse beate soft and breefe, he veynes exceed, the belly ill be bound, he temples, and the forehead full of griefe, 6nuiet sleeps, that so strange dreames ill make o cause one blush to tell hen he doth ake( %esides the moysture of the mouth and spittle, Will taste too seet, and seeme the throat to tickle.
)f &holler do exceed, as may sometime, 4our eares ill ring, and make you to be akefull, 4our tongue ill seeme all rough, and oftentimes &ause vomits, unaccustomed and hatefull, /reat thirst, your excrements are full of slime, he stomacke sueamish, sustenance ungratefull, 4our appetite ill seeme in nought delighting, 4our heart still greeued ith continuall byting, he pulse beate hard and sift, all hot, extreame, 4our spittle soure, of fire-orke oft you dreame.
)f *legme abundance haue due limits past, hese signes are here set done ill plainly she, he mouth ill seeme to you uite out of taste, And apt ith moisture still to to overflo, overflo, 4our sides ill seeme all sore done to the aist, 4our meat ax loathsome, your digestion slo, 4our head and stomacke both in so ill taking, 7ne seeming euer griping tother aking( With empty veynes, the pulse beat slo and soft, )n sleepe, of seas and ryuers dreaming oft. %ut if that dangerous humour ouer-raigne, 7f +elancholy, sometime making mad, hese tokens then ill be appearing plaine, he pulse beat hard, the colour darke and bad( he ater thin, a eake fantasticke braine, *alse-grounded ioy, or else perpetuall sad, Affrighted Affrighted oftentimes ith ith dreames dreames like visions, resenting to the thought ill apparitions, 7f bitter belches from the stomacke comming, !is eare the left especiall' euer humming.
8ote in the above that the humors are said to affect even dreams. &haucer alludes to this in "he 8un9s riest9s ale" hen the rooster, &hanticleer, had a dream in hich he as being pursued by a yelloish-red hound-like creature. !e onders if the dream is prophetic, so his ife, ertelote, reassures him by telling him( &ertes this dream, hich ye have mette tonight, &ometh of the great supefluity 7f youre rede cholera, pardie, Which causeth folk to dreaden in their dreams 7f arros, and of fire ith redde beams, 7f redde beastes, that they ill them bite, 7f conteke :contention;, and of helpes great and lite :little;< =ight as the humour of melancholy &auseth full many a man in sleep to cry, *or fear of bulles, or of beares blake, 7r elles that black devils ill them take, 7f other humours could ) tell also, hat orke many a man in sleep much oe< hat ) ill pass as lightly as ) can. ertelote then goes on to prescribe herbs for her husband to use to avoid such dreams in the future. According to humorist theory, not only herbs, but stages of life, colors, various activities, the >odiac, and even geographic location affect the production of these humors, and finding the right herb, activity, etc., and doing things at the right time, should bring about "eucrasia," or a state of balance. +ost obviously and importantly, foods could also affect the balance, ith some foods being hot, and others cold< some being moist, and others dry. he common cold, for example, as believed to have been caused by a production of too much phlegm, so fish, hich is a cold and moist food,
should be avoided by such a patient lest he add to the production of the out-ofbalance humor< instead, he should partake of hot and dry foods, such as pepper, to counteract the cold and moist phlegmatic influence. ? he seasons, too, play a role in balancing or unbalancing the humors, as St. ohn @amascene b. ca. $$' tells us in his "2xposition of the 7rthodox *aith"( he course hich the &reator appointed for them :the planets; to run is unceasing and remaineth fixed as !e established them. *or the divine @avid says, he moon and the stars hich hou establishedst, and by the ord 9establishedst,9 he referred to the fixity and unchangeableness of the order and series granted to them by /od. *or !e appointed them for seasons, and signs, and days and years. )t is through the Sun that the four seasons are brought about. And the first first of these is spring( spring( for in it /od /od created all things, and and even don don to the present time its presence is evidenced by the bursting of the floers into bud, and this is the euinoctial euinoctial period, since day and night each consist of telve hours. )t is caused by the sun rising in the middle, and is mild and increases the blood, and is arm and moist, and holds a position miday beteen inter and summer, being armer and drier than inter, but colder and moister than summer. his season lasts from +arch ?1st till une ?#th. 8ext, hen the rising of the sun moves toards more northerly parts, the season of summer succeeds, hich has a place miday beteen spring and autumn, combining the armth of spring ith the dryness of autumn( for it is dry and arm, and increases the yello bile. )n it falls the longest day, hich has fifteen hours, and the shortest night of all, having only nine hours. his season lasts from une ?#th till September ?5th. hen hen the sun again returns to the middle, autumn takes the place of summer. )t has a medium amount of cold and heat, dryness and moisture, and holds a place miday beteen summer and inter, combining the dryness of summer ith the cold of inter. *or it is cold and dry, and increases the black bile. his season, again, is euinoctial, both day and night consisting of telve hours, and it lasts from September ?5th till @ecember ?5th. And hen the rising of of the sun sinks to its its smallest and loest loest point, i.e. i.e. the south, inter is reached, ith its cold and moisture. )t occupies a place miday beteen autumn and spring, combining the cold of autumn and the moisture of spring. )n it falls the shortest day, hich has only nine hours, and the longest night, hich has fifteen( and it lasts from @ecember ?5th till +arch ?1st. *or the &reator made this ise provision that e should not pass from the extreme of cold, or heat, or dryness, or moisture, to the opposite extreme, and thus incur grievous maladies. *or reason itself teaches us the danger of sudden changes. *asting during the various seasons, such as e do during 2mber @ays, @ays, helps bring the humors into balance. he /olden 3egend, ritten by %lessed acopo de Boragine A.@. 1?C0-1?DE', Archbishop of /enoa, gives the folloing as one of eight reasons for our 2mber @ay fasts( he fifth reason, as saith ohn @amascenus( in +arch and in printemps the blood groeth and augmenteth, and in summer coler, in September melancholy, and in
inter phlegm. hen e fast in +arch for to attemper and depress the blood of concupiscence disordinate, for sanguine of his nature is full of fleshly concupiscence. )n summer e fast because that coler should be lessened and refrained, of hich cometh rath. And then is he full naturally of ire. )n harvest e fast for to refrain melancholy. he melancholious man naturally is cold, covetous and heavy. )n inter e fast for to daunt and to make feeble the phlegm of lightness and forgetting, forgetting, for such is he that is phlegmatic. )nterestingly, the eight musical modes, or scales, of classical Western music are seen by humorists to also affect the balance of humors, ith the modes being evenly divided into four groups, each group affecting one the bodily humors(
P H L E G M
Y E L L O W B I L E
Dorian Church Mode I he @orian +ode dries atery hlegm, eakening its influence such that instead of causing lethargy, it causes a sense of euanimity and calm. he ancient /reeks attributed this to the @orian mode9s imparting the poer of the Sun. Hypodorian Church Mode II he !ypodorian mode magnifies hlegm9s effect on the body and induces lethargy and sleep. he ancient /reeks attributed this to the !ypodorian mode9s imparting the poer of the +oon.
Phrygian Church Mode III he hrygian mode reinforces the effects of 4ello %ile, inciting angry passions. he ancient /reeks attributed this to the hrygian mode9s imparting the poer of the +ars. Hypophrygian Church Mode IV he !ypophrygian mode mitigates 4ello %ile9s effects and acts as a musical scale to sooth the savage breast. )t is a tender-sounding scale that incites delight. he ancient /reeks attributed this to the !ypophrygian mode9s imparting the poer of the +ercury.
Lydian B L O O D
B L A
Church Mode V
he 3ydian mode reinforces the %lood, producing happiness. he ancient /reeks attributed this to the 3ydian mode9s imparting the poer of the upiter. Hypolydian
Church Mode VI
he !ypolydian mode -- the "Weeping +ode" -- suppresses the effects of %lood, resulting in sadness and piety. he ancient /reeks attributed this to the !ypolydian mode9s imparting the poer of the Benus.
Mixolydian
Church Mode VII
he +ixolydian mode magnifies the effect of %lack %ile, leading to
C B I L E
melancholia. he ancient /reeks attributed this to the +ixolydian mode9s imparting the poer of the Saturn. Hypo!ixolydian Hypo!ixolydia n
Church Mode VIII
he !ypomixolydian mode supresses the effects of %lack %ile and is the mode of happiness, perfection, and bliss. he ancient /reeks attributed this to the !ypolydian mode9s imparting the poer of the stars.
%ut hat is most interesting interesting and most fun of all to explore is the notion of ho the humors affect the temperaments.
The Four Temperament We all have an intuitive aareness that there are different "types" of people. his one9s "an outgoing fello"< that one9s "the uiet type." his one9s better off orking ith his hands hile another excels at bookish pursuits. 7ne sort of person is a leader< another sort is a folloer. hese basic dispositions, or manners of thinking, behaving, and reacting, are called "temperaments" -- a ord hose etymology reflects humorist theory( it derives from the 3atin temperamentum, hich refers to "proper mixture." /oing further back, and keeping the aforementioned ords of St. ohn @amascene in mind, it could ultimately stem from the 3atin tempus or tempor-, hich refer to time and seasons. !umorism asserts that each person is born ith a basic temperament as determined by hich of the four humors tends to predominate in the individual. As e all produce each humor, there ill be varying degrees of influence by each, but the effects of one is usually more evident. )n some people, the next most influential humor might be uite strong so that such a person can be generally described as having a combined temperament< in others, the most abundant humor dominates the others such that there is no uestion at all as to hich category he falls into. What follos is a very basic outline of the characteristics of each temperament as classically described. *or more explicit information, you9ll have to take the test linked to at the bottom of the pageF
Sanguine
Self-composed
8ot given to orry
ends ends to follo rather than lead alkative alkative )mpulsive
&ordial
8ot averse to change
ends ends to prefer informality informalit y
3iberal eaceable
AdGusts easily
Aare of surroundings
3acking in perseverance
)mpetuous
3acking in initiative initiati ve
rone to carelessness, hedonism, flightiness, and lust
Cho%eric
Self-composed
8ot given to orry
=arely shos embarrassment ersistent
)nsistent
@ecisive
ersuasive
)ndependent
ends ends to lead rather than follo
@ynamic
)mpetuous
)mpulsive
rone to hypocrisy, deceit, pride, and anger
Melancholic
ouchy
Sensitive
)ntuitive
2asily hurt
Self-conscious Self-consci ous
)ntrospective )ntrospecti ve
3ikes to be alone
2asily embarrassed
Sentimental
2mpathetic
+oody
7ften artistic
7ften fussy and perfectionist
@eep
rone to depression, avarice, and gluttony
Phle&matic
eaceful
2asy-going 2asy-going
@eliberative @eliberative
=elatively unaffected by environment Slo in movement
&onstant in mood
*aithful
=eliable
=eserved
@istant
8ot prone to orry
rone to stagnation and sloth
An exaggerated exaggerated ay of of understanding understanding the four four temperaments temperaments is to consider consider four people ho see a star fall to earth. he Sanguine talks about it animatedly to all present< the &holeric ants to form an expedition to find it and analy>e it< the +elancholic ponders hat it means and ho he feels about it< and the hlegmatic aits for the others to decide hat to do as hatever decision they make is fine by him. )t9s kind of fun to analy>e friends -- and characters e see in movies, too -- in terms of these four temperaments. &onsider "he Wi>ard of 7>" ith its Sanguine &oardly 3ion, &holeric Scarecro, +elancholic in +an, and hlegmatic @orothy.
7r "A Streetcar 8amed @esire" ith its Sanguine +itch, &holeric Stanley, +elancholic %lanche @u%ois, and hlegmatic Stella. See the temperament test to test to discover your dominant classic temperament and to learn more about your fundamental dispositions, your bright side, your dark side, and some things you need to kno in order to make the best of ho you are. C
o read more about the four temperaments, see *r. &hristiaan Happes9s " he *our emperaments " @*'.
Footnotes:
1 Also spelled "humours" ?
!umorism greatly affected medieval cuisine as cooks endeavored to prepare foods in proper balance, for example, cold, moist fish ould be served ith hot, dry spices or prepared ith ine, hich as also considered hot and dry< game as considered to be dry, so as prepared in moist fats< vinegar as considered cold and dry, so as tempered ith honey, hich as considered hot and moist, etc. he goal in cooking for the ill, hoever, asn9t "a balanced diet," but a diet that ould counteract the effects of the humor causing the illness. 8ote that it isn9t the actual temperature or actual liuidity of a food that determines its classification as hot or cold, dry or moist< it is its inherent inherent uality and its effects on the body. he degrees of hotnessIcoldness and drynessImoistness ere often rated on a scale of 1 to #, ith # being the highest. !umorist theory also affected cooking techniques( dry foods ere boiled instead of roasted, moist foods ere baked instead of boiled, and so on.
C
ust for the sake of information( he modern +yers-%riggs ype )ndicator +%)' classifies personalities into sixteen groups by analy>ing responses to a long uestionnaire and determining here a respondent fits ith regard to four basic uestions( )ntroversion vs. 2xtraversion( 7uter directed 2' or inner directed )'J Sensing vs. )ntuition( )s information information processed literally S' or abstractly 8'J hinking vs. *eeling( Are decisions made by thought ' or feelings *'J udging vs. erceiving( )s there a preference for order ' or spontaneity 'J @avid Heirsey believed that those ho are "Sensing" and "udging" S' fit the classic description of the hlegmatic. hose ho are "Sensing" and "erceiving" S' are Sanguines. hose ho are ")ntuitive" and "*eeling" 8*' are +elancholics, and those ho are ")ntuitive" and "hinking" 8' are &holerics. !e gave descriptions of and ne names to the classic types -- the ne names being( Artisans Sanguine', =ationals &holerics', )dealists +elancholics', and /uardians hlegmatic' -- and further broke don those groups into four sub-groups(
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•
•
•
he Sanguine Artisans( he erformers 2S*'< he romoters 2S'< he &omposers )S*'< he &rafters )S'.
he &holeric =ationals( he *ield +arshalls 28'< he )nventors 28'< he +asterminds )8'< he Architects )8'.
he +elancholic )dealists( he eachers 28*'< he &hampions 28*'< he &ounselors )8*'< he !ealers )8*'.
he hlegmatic /uardians( he Supervisors 2S'< he roviders 2S*'< he )nspectors )S'< he rotectors )S*'.
While the classic temperaments model labels all 2xtraverts as either the Sanguine or &holeric, and labels all )ntroverts as +elancholics or hlegmatics, Heirsey has 2xtraverts and )ntroverts in each group. )f you take the above test and find it doesn9t uite fit you, you might enGoy taking a test based on Hiersey9s model.
