Asteroid Hygeia

Snake WomanAsteroid Hygeia is the fourth largest of the asteroids and takes 5½ years to orbit the Sun. It was named after the Greek goddess of health, daughter of Asclepius (god of medicine). So as the personification of health, cleanliness, and sanitation, we might consider that asteroid 10 Hygeia relates to these things in astrology. Other astrologers have said as much which I will mention later.

I’ll also look at some personal transits involving Hygeia for an operation I had in 2012. I must say that the astrology does confirm the belief that she has association with health. First though, I’ll show the discovery chart and see if there is anything there which might be associated with the meaning of the name, “Hygeia”.

Asteroid Hygeia Astrology Chart

Asteroid 10 Hygeia was discovered by Annibale de Gasparis on April 12, 1849, in Naples, Italy. I could not find an exact time so have set the chart for 10 pm. Mars conjunct Neptune is interesting and must be important in this chart because it is on the degree of the previous Solar Eclipse. Neptune does rule illness and Mars pain, and they make a quincunx aspect to asteroid Hygeia. The quincunx is an aspect of health, usually some imbalance. Mercury, the messenger of the gods, is also important because it is on the degree of the preceding New Moon, both opposite asteroid Hygeia.

So there are opposing forces to contend with, some difficulty in getting her message across. That makes sense, we know what’s good for us but how many of us refuse to listen to good health advice? Mercury conjunct Saturn implies a serious message but also difficulty getting it across. Mercury conjunct Saturn can also mean depressing news, or melancholic thoughts, and that tends to be what we think when being lectured about health issues. This conjunction can also mean we fear knowing something, or fear the worst, in this case hypochondria. More melancholic thoughts and even fear of poison comes from the North Node on the fixed star Zosma.

Asteroid Hygeia Astrology Chart

Asteroid Hygeia Astrology Chart

Venus in The Pleiades is associated with sickness by Robson, and Venus is opposite Chiron, the wounded healer. Although I have guessed the discovery time, it must have been around then as discoveries in those days had to be made at night with a telescope. Within a couples of hours either side of 10 pm, the Moon was on the fixed star Ras Alhague, the brightest star in constellation Ophiuchus (Aesculapius), the father of Hygeia. He holds the Serpent of wisdom and healing, and this is how Hygeia is depicted in ancient sculptures and artworks. Ebertin says that this star makes one:

especially prone to infectious contamination caused by toxins. People thus influenced are easy-going in the use of medical drugs, hallucinatory drugs stimulating foodstuffs, too much good living and overindulgence in tobacco and alcohol.

Astrologers on Asteroid Hygeia

As I mentioned in the introduction, astrologers have made the link between asteroid Hygeia and health. Loni Haas say asteroid Hygeia:

represents our attitude and belief system concerning health and fitness awareness. Hygeia also rules sanitation and the valuable role hygiene and diet play in health maintenance. She often shows up by transit or appears on a major angle when an individual is experiencing a health issue…Hygeian influence is felt among dietitians, physical fitness educators and teachers, dental hygienists, mental health facilitators who embrace the mind/body connection, holistic practitioners, sanitation inspectors, environmentalists, and preservationists who believe keeping the Earth clean and pollution free.

Jeremy Neal makes a good argument for Asteroid Hygeia ruling Virgo and the 6th house:

if we are burning the candle at both ends, drinking too much, eating junk food and not washing enough we are offending Hygeia, and her judgement will be handed down in the form of illness, disease, degeneration and habitual instability. This is why Hygeia and the 6th house are a perfect fit; it is why Virgo and Hygeia are very comfortable together. Here is the exact kind of specific, attentive, habitual, nutritional and service-minded concern that is so beloved of Virgo. Virgo is Hygeia.

Asteroid Hygeia Keywords

Health, hygiene, tradition and natural medicine, doctors and healers, disease, illness, toxins, fear of poison, fear of doctors, fear of medical results, hypochondria, hesitation to get checkups, operations, misdiagnosis, drug abuse, diet, worrying about the health of family and friends.

Personal Experience

I wrote this when I first published this post on 15 February 2012: Earlier today I went to hospital for a colonoscopy and gastrectomy (probed in both ends), because I had a test a few months ago which was positive for blood in my poo. I looked at the charts and there were obvious indicators like Uranus on my Chiron and Neptune opposite my Mars. I included asteroid Hygeia out of interest and it was most interesting. When I had the test, asteroid Hygeia was on the fixed star Ras Alhague (her dad), and transiting Pluto was square my Hygeia. When the doctor told me the results, Hygeia was conjunct Mercury (health news), both on my Ascendant. When I had the operation today, Hygeia was conjunct the Midheaven and sextile my Hygeia.

Find Asteroid Hygeia in Your Chart

1. Create your chart HERE.
2. Choose “Extended Chart Selection”.
3. In “additional asteroids or hypothetical planets”, add 10.

148 thoughts on “Asteroid Hygeia

  1. P.S….
    I ought to be morwe careful about reading backwards too!
    Just heard you don’t need chemo. If you fear cancer then take turmeric as a preventative measure. Every time I use it to cure an infection etc. I feel really good about having cured any possible but unknown cancers too.

  2. I am interested in what is happening right now with Hygeia between Chiron and Neptune. Seems like there should be an enormormous potential for healing old hurts, maybe ones out of our controll until now. Depending on the transits. It just came to pay Formelhaut a visit and is now backing away but will return to this position in December (will be there right at the Solstice). Any thoughts on this? Any observations on transits at the moment?

  3. Hygeia is also square the nodes and Venus and Jupiter…. oh, with Ceres coming in to join them too in the next few days…..

  4. Thanks for all that. I learnt a lot. It’s all very interesting when one associates it with oneself.

    Cheers

    Peter

  5. Dear Marina. What is the max orb between Hygeia and other natal planets and which aspects count. Thanks a lot. BR Eva

    • I am a voluntary translator of your articles of monthly horoscope now.
      So nice and happy to hear that you are more better.
      Good health is the most important, anyway. :))

        • Translating articles for myself to study, and for some potentially interested people to study by posting translation in a voluntary-study-group on internet, translating most articles or part of, that depends, sometimes I could address enough time, sometimes some other translators’d love to transltate some.

      • Thanks Meredith, good to hear from you again. I’m even up to day 7 with no cigarettes, the longest I have gone since I was in hospital over 2 years ago. Sucking the hell out of these inhalers though, nearly as expensive as smokes.

  6. Thank you, I create health & environment formulas using astrology, with my faith in the runes when I get stuck, I found your site very interesting. I’m going to astrology meeting this afternoon, where they’ll be talking about Hygieia I didn’t want to go in blind. Hygiene has been obviously named after it

  7. hi, Jamie. As a Virgo Rising with SN in Virgo, I have been interested in Chiron as he impacts me, and since reading your article I have been following Hygeia and reviewing where she was at different points in my life. There have been recurring issues for me with my health over the last two years. In my natal, Hygeia is at the Midheaven in Gemini (if we give a 2 degree orb) and opposite my Sag Neptune by 33 minutes. I just am so tired of health issues …. which interestingly have compromised my communication and have interfered with my career (thyroid issue, radioactive iodine treatment, chronic fatigue and other problems). The latest in the series of health issues is now – yesterday visited a doctor and had to get blood work done and will have a follow up procedure next week. Yesterday, Moon opposed Chiron and both were in orb of my nodal axis (12 Virgo-Pisces), which is being aspected by Hygeia by transit now. by the time of the procedure next week, Neptune will almost exactly be squaring my MC/IC axis. I am really due for some good news and relief but right now I am just discouraged. I guess I should just be happy I have health care and get promptly tested for issues and just keep on keeping on.

  8. Great work, one of the only sites you can find useful information on the asteroids.

    Sun conjunct Hygeia

  9. I seem to have this in Cancer, on Alzirr, associated with sickness, affliction and danger to knees, but also various forms of Medieval mayhem. The aspects are really nice, with sextiles to Pluto and Uranus in Virgo, trines to Chiron/Vesta in Pisces, a trine to Neptune in Scorpio, a sextile to Jupiter in Taurus and a tight conjunction with my Orcus. Add an opposition to my Solar stellium, you get a nice Kite, apexing on Hygeia and Orcus. To make Hygeia even more prominent, it just happens to sit on my 9th hs cusp. Judging by this, I’m a past life doctor. Actually, I do have a bedside manner, I’ve always been interested in medicine, I have a very soothing and reassuring presence with sick and suffering people, whatever their problems may be. I’m not afraid of a bit of blood or bodily fluids. I treat doctors as equals and I’ve always connected quite well with them. People like telling me their woes and showing me their injuries. There was once an injured vino, whom the mall guards wanted to rough up, but I managed to save him by impersonating a rather condescending doctor annoyed by those morons touching his patient. One of the things I hate the most is not being able to save people from themselves. I can tell people to quit drinking and go see a cardiologist, when their lips start turning blue, but do they listen? I can tell people to finally quit smoking or the fifth pneumonia this year will kill them, but do they listen? I can tell a woman her weight has nothing to do with her diet and everything to do with 5 bottles of wine and 24 bottles of beer each day, but does she mend her ways? I can tell a guy he should stop projecting his issues onto others, own his personal problems as his own and finally deal with them, unless he wants all that denial to eat him up from the inside and corrupt his soul, but does he listen? The unspeakable frustration caused by such people is probably the reason why I’m not a doctor in this life.

    I just had to look up Hygeia at a time when I’m down with the flu, T-Jupiter is on my Hygeia and T-Hygeia is on my Jupiter. Of course, I’m writing this in a foreign language, on a foreign website, so there’s Jupiter on my 9th hs cusp. I hope somebody finds this little tale highly educative.

  10. Hygeia and Cruithne both exactly conjunct my Sagittarius/Ophiuchus Sun in the first house. Strongly connected with health, hygiene, conduct, safety, germs, fitness and care for clealiness

  11. I have re-posted this article on asteroid Hygeia because the New Moon on 28 May 2014 is conjunct Hygeia by only 10′ orb.

    Weird timing personally again. I had my 2 year CT scan last week and rang the surgeon for the results today. He was supposed to call me back but never did. Have a nervous wait until tomorrow now, but looking at my transits gives me reassurance. Hygeia is trine my MC, and Sun is sextile my Hygeia.

  12. Hahaha bro…..so accurate its scary…..good work! Ankle fusion this Wed 28th, 0700. Outta this wheelchair and walking on the Beach for chrissie.

    • Looking forward to it mate, get well soon bro!

      You will do well with the new moon on your Saturn (Saturn rules bones, calcification, bonding, endurance, 7 year cycles, patience).

      You have Saturn sextile Ascendant which is very good suggesting a culmination of physical health through binding of bones (Ascendant rules the physical body).

      • Patience…..still a work in progress. You’ve be doing my horoscopes for over 20 years…..always relevant…..always accurate.

  13. Thanks for the reminder that Hygeia conjuncts this Gemini New Moon, square Neptune. I’ve been suffering a persistent mental fogginess and general anxiety for a couple of days, which is uncomfortable and unfamiliar. The only natal points being aspected are asteroids at 8-9 Gemini ~ The Moirae, Ophelia, Circe, Nemesis ~ indicating psychic healing pressure points.

      • The impact on my daughter’s Virgo stellium’d chart (as I know you also have) is notable. She’s studying astrology herself now; is recovering from considerable trauma last year when Chiron opposed her Virgo Mercury @ 10, and now we have Hygeia in this new moon squaring the same degree, with Neptune of course almost opposite.

        We’re working closely together in her research and networking in astrology; she’s drawing imaginative pictures, and we’re thinking of running away from home to the beach for an un-scheduled breather !

        Her beau of 9 months just broke up with her for no particular reason. A rough time on her 16yr. old mind, but she’s a tough cookie.

        Thanks so much for sending up Hygeia for our examination !

  14. Excellent report Jamie! You do not have problem getting through with your message about Hygiea, as poor Hygiea does! It rings very true what you are telling about her! Maybe I thinks so, because my birthday is like hers on the 12th of April ( well a century and couple of decades later lol) and I have a very heavy virgoian influence in my chart! (inner and outer planets) Thanks Jamie very convincing! And I hope you are doing better health-vise!

  15. Ouch! I just noticed that transiting Hygiea conjuncts my progressed Sun, Moon and Jupiter squaring transiting Neptune! Ohh the enlightenment of it! My father and brother are in a very poor health in the past few years, my brother was in a hospital (in and out a couple of times) last year and my father is in there now! And I m just going through some emotional pain since the past few years thanks to Neptune , which kind of screwing with my brain (mercury = pr. Sun Moon Jupiter in Gemini!) At least I ave found an explanation for all of this, which at least should help with healing. If nothing else at least my mind! Thanks Jamie!

  16. Great news Jamie! I’m very happy for you.

    I also have Hygeia very prominent – in my 6th exactly opposite Venus. This last month was my Hygeia ‘return’ and I spent most of May with no energy, and anemia. Glad it’s moved on, and thanks for the article.

  17. Jamie, will you extend your personal experience with Hygeia (either here or in another article) including aspects and its position in your chart? I know, this may not be the best time for doing it – heck, I know you need rest from all of this and damn do I wish you rest well. What I mean is a paragraph-by-paragraph description of how it worked in your chart, with your health, etc. I love reading personal accounts – who doesn’t 😛 – and since it is *your* personal account, you can say much about it. Get well soon Jamie! =]

  18. The principle isn’t to artificially turn out to be effective, aebdfdcbcedd

  19. Hello Jamie,

    I have Hygeia on 28′ 58° Taurus in the 7th house – indicating that it is conjunct Alcyone in the Pleiades, also grasping a wide conjunction of Algol in the process. So, a blend of Algol is to be considered.

    In a T-square forming an opposition to the Moon on Acrab in the 1st, a square to Jupiter on Phecda in the 10th – which is conjunct Mercury on an Ursa-Major star in the 10th, and thus – creating a square to this angular Mercury.

    Also, Hygeia is in a 0° sesqui-square to Neptune on Nunki and grasping Vega in the 3rd.

    Important to note: Neptune is taking a lead-role in a Stellium (if we consider that 3 ‘planets’ create a Stellium if not 4) with Uranus, Saturn, Lilith, and North Node – all conjunct on Vega in the 3rd. And the conjunction that they share is in a square to Mars and a sextile to Pluto in the 1st – while this Pluto on Zubenelschemali is conjunct the Ascendant on Acrux.

    The prominence of the aforementioned planets and by having Hygeia in a major-configuration with them is quite an emphasis on its influence on my Natal Chart…

    I’d say – that the nature of energies involved here with Hygeia is very ‘psychological’ – Indicating that the health-issues here are quite psychiatric in nature, and since Hygeia is on Alcyone in the 7th, then that includes people in my circle, or ‘others’ in general.

    And that is rather – accurate.

    Since Hygeia is in Taurus in the 7th, that in a word – creates a double contact to Venus, and this Venus is on Ras-El-Asad in the 10th. The contact is even more strongly emphasized now, since it is considerably a 10th house configuration (I preferred to say ‘configuration’ in general, since the resources didn’t assure me whether the Stellium includes 3 or 4 planets). And while Venus is conjunct the MC on Dubhe – and Pluto is in a square to the MC…

    Then, that could more than likely grant me an ambitious career in the field of Psychiatry, even Forensic Psychiatry (Pluto’s influence and the Moon on Acrab). Or Life-Coaching, for example.

    The heroic theme could be added as well, since Hygeia is in an expansive, tight Trine to Saturn on Altair in the 3rd – conjunct my Draconic Pluto tightly on Altair by 1:00° (a bonus – a spiritual-depth, owing to the Draconic influence).

    I’m grateful to the influences of Vega and Ursa Major on my chart, they definitely are quite a weaponry in my pocket that can be used for good-deeds.

  20. You’re welcome, and I sincerely appreciate the insights that you have provided and still providing on the branch of fixed stars.

    The fixed stars are quite a trail of stepping-stones into the in-depth of Astrology, they concretely define between the lines of a given story – when the proper knowledge, math is put to use.

    Actually, my personal interest in Astrology is intense, yet when it came to the fixed stars – it merged-out with ‘obsession’.

    Scientific observation on the stars makes them sound that they truly possess a ‘spirit’.

  21. hey can u maybe tell me your thoughts on Hygeia conjunct Pluto and what it means for the native.Thanks!

    • I think it would benefit you to to pay for genetic screening to discover potential health problems. This would allow for early detection and treatment of cancer as you age. Pluto rules genetics and cancer.

  22. Thank you Jamie! Always appreciate your articles and this one is all the more fascinating!

    It’s somewhat of a relief to read the Mercury opposition at Hygeia’s discovery as I have her opposite my natal Mercury! I suspect that this is not too fixed if the Progression is considered. I may see if I can get that at astro.com

    Bright Blessings!

  23. Hi! Great post!! I have Hygeia at Gemini (9º 13″) in he 5th House. Any idea what that might mean??

  24. Thank you Jamie for a really great post. I have only discovered/heard about Hygeia today and a blogpost I read about it mentioned this post as really in-depth. I agree.
    My Hygeia is right at the cusp of 7th house in Sagittarius, opposite Taurus Ascendant and T-Square to Chiron in Pisces in 11. It also has a sextile to Saturn in Capricorn in 10.
    In transit it is just at the cusp of house 9 today.
    This finding Hygeia was brought on by researching Early Childhood trauma (ACEs) and Traumahealing and me considering becoming a Trauma therapist. have been into Natural Healing since earliest childhood, don’t do medication, and your Hygeia keywords descibe me to a T! Especially fear of doctors, fear of getting a diagnosis, even as a child I remember hiding from the doctor who came for a home visit, and nothing did bring me out of my hiding hole until he had left! My father dies from misdiagnosis, my nephew suffered disability brought on by childhood vaccination, so I did not vaccinate my son, I treat him myself with homeopathy and he was never seriously ill in all of his 15 years, aprt from when he was born in hospital against my wishes, treated with antibiotics against my wishes and suffered candida overgrowth, still does. The only thing which does not fit is drug abuse, but if you class sugar as a drug, which it really is, then that does fit too.
    So yes, I will be definately take some more time to look into Hygeia now. Thanks for that information.

  25. Hi Jamie, how would you see a Saturn transit (conjunction) to Hygeia playing out? Thanks for sharing any ideas you have on that.
    PS how has the Pluto conjunct ascendant process been going for you (we share the same Asc!). My life is somewhat unrecognisable these days from even 1 year ago…

  26. I got Hygeia on my moon in Virgo. Bit hypochondria maybe, not about health though. No medical profession, but I do Reiki. Cured quite a few back problems over the years. Hands on and remote.

  27. Announced Discovery of Ozone Hole, Antarctica, May 16, 1985

    Natal chart, progressed and transits May 16/85
    https://postimg.cc/94KF172p

    10 Hygeia
    27Cap32, prog 6th house cusp
    13Ari00, transit conj. Venus and Moon

    North Node, interesting
    18Tau01 prog
    18Tau13 transit

    If you do any research on the Halley research centre, there’s a video on their website that says they look at global population dynamics in atmosphere conditions.

  28. March 2, 2021 between 12 noon EST and 1:00 pm EST, for the Ozone Hole post, if you are tracking Algol phase.

  29. i have hygeia in my 6th health house conjunct Part of Destiny in scorpio.. i wonder about sexual health. or tensions.
    but anyways today hygeia has just passed Pluto at 29 degrees + Capricorn. for us all. For me that’s ninth house. i just got my yearly check up and it stays the same. Only thing out of bounds is Cholestrol but there’s debate about that. Still i know my right leg has little explosions. Five years ago my bone read out really bad but i ve ignored it and lived with only some realistic age related concern so now hygeia is out of Capricorn might that remove that bone health progressing given i do some amount of self care. ? I m excited to see the change.

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