Signs and the body

An astrological chart of the human body. Reproduced in Social England, ed. H.D.Traill. University of Victoria Library.

This astrological chart shows which parts of the body were thought to be influenced by the various signs of the zodiac.

In the Renaissance, the debate about the influence of the stars on humans was much more intellectually respectable than it is generally considered today. The microcosm reflected the macrocosm. If the same forces acted within the human body and in the spheres, it was not absurd to think that there was a direct connection between the two.

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