Remember in last week’s postwhen I wrote that astrology is way more than your Big Three (Sun, Moon, and Rising)? I wrote that because there are different types of astrology practices, one being medical astrology.

According to leymora.com on the subject,

“Medical Astrology is a specialized branch of astrology that correlates celestial bodies, zodiac signs, and astrological houses with human health, body parts, and potential illnesses. It offers insights into wellness influences and holistic health through the interpretation of astrological charts and planetary placements…For example, Aries governs the head and brain, so malefic influences on Aries in a chart might indicate headaches or neurological issues. Similarly, the Moon’s condition often reflects emotional well-being and fluid balance, which can manifest as digestive or hormonal problems.” 

I actually have a book called “Body Astrology: A Cosmic Guide to Health, Healing, and Harnessing the Power of the Planets” by Claire Gallagher. I found it very interesting when I realized the diet that was recommended for Capricorns was similar to the one I used when I was on an elimination diet two years ago 🤯

HUMAN DESIGN AND HEALTH

Vanessa Henry, one of the Human Design influencers I follow , uses human design to help others gain insights into their health and illnesses on a deeper level. When she was on Instagram, she had a highlight of human design posts she had on different celebrities she would read from a health and wellness perspective.

She currently has a video on YouTube, where she reads RuPaul’s Drag Race All Star Winner,

Trixie Mattel’s, human design chart. In the video, she looks at Trixie Mattel’s Human Design Variables (Environment, Digestion, Sense and more) to see what each reveal about her health, creativity and evolution.

As you get deeper into your human design, you can also see what your chart can reveal about your health, especially when it comes to your digestion and how you can optimally nourish yourself.

For example, I’m Indirect light digestion, where means I would do best with eating my heaviest meals during darker hours or in low light. You can learn more about human design digestion here and re-read my Divine Design blog post to get a beginner’s overview of your chart.

HERBALISM AND HEALTH

Did you know that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was implemented in 2014 to control rising health care costs, providing insurance coverage to millions of Americans but key subsidies of the law expired at the end of 2025? Americans who are on ACA plans are typically people who do not have employer based insurance.

According to the John Hopkins Public Health blog, anyone on an ACA plan will have to pay the full rate of insurance, meaning their premium goes up by 25%–30%. But every market is different. It all depends on what type of insurance you have. Under some insurance plans, the premiums are rising rapidly, other plans are not going up very much, and some are not going up at all.

Since this is happening in real time, I believe people will turn towards spiritual practices like herbalism to take care of aliments, sickness and diseases.

What is herbalism? The book, “African American Herbalism: A Practical Guide to Healing Plants and Folk Traditions” by Lucretia VanDyke, has a great definition:

“Herbal medicine is the art and science of using plants to support health and wellness. Herbalists are people who dedicate their lives to working with medicinal plants. Many have an intimate relationship with plants and their medicinal value. Often referred to as phytotherapy or botanical medicine, herbal medicine is one of the earliest systems of medicine known to humankind. 

In my travels, in what I learned from indigenous healers, and in my studies of my own culture, I have found that herbalism is a practice steeped in the traditions of reverence for the human connection to Mother Earth and her vast resources for healing the body, mind, and soul. Herbalism addresses both the physical and spiritual aspects of plants. 

Herbal practitioners have a deep and multilayered understanding of how plants are used as medicines. Furthermore, in their holistic approach to healing and their use of plants in spiritual ceremonies, herbalists are also attuned—on so many levels—to the connection of plants to the spiritual world.

Herbal medicine differs from much of modern conventional medicine, which is based on scientific evidence and is designed to treat physical symptoms and diseases through medications or invasive methods.2 Instead, herbal medicine focuses on a person’s participation in their own health and wellness through diet and physical and mental exercise, as well as the use of the medicines of the earth, such as the roots of burdock or poke, pine needles, and onions.” 

I think herbalism is going to be more prominent than it already is because it seems like foods and herbs may be more accessible than traditional medicine. It’s not to replace going to the doctor – it will be more of an addition to traditional medical approaches or as a preventive method.

For example, I know someone who needs dental work, but they have been having trouble keeping up with their insurance premiums. Until they can see a dentist, they are using fresh cloves to chew on at the area where they are experiencing pain for relief, and looking at other herbs to make a mouthwash until they are able to see a dentist. It’s that real out here.

SPIRITUALITY AND MENTAL HEALTH

In case of mental health and spirituality, the main thing I’ve seen people talk about online is spiritual psychosis. Spirituality Psychosis. According to BetterHelp.com, “spiritual psychosis typically involves delusional spiritual beliefs that have no basis in reality. This form of psychosis may also involve additional psychotic symptoms, such as hallucinations, paranoia, personality changes, and confusion.”

A very tragic yet real example of spiritual psychosis was Danielle Johnson aka Mystic Lipstick. Johnson committed a murder/suicide on the same day as a solar eclipses in 2024, where she killed herself, her husband, and one of her kids. The youngest one lives. You could check out the news article here.

This caused a huge discourse online about spiritual and mental health but the biggest takeaway I took from the online conversations was that both need to work hand and hand for everyone’s health and well being, especially if you are a spiritual practioner.

But mental health and spirituality isn’t all about gloom and doom or psychosis. I am grateful that I know someone who created a mental wellness and holistic company that specializes in Afrocentric approaches to mental health.

Omikunle Ekundayo (Ashley Freeze) created The Soulcare Collective, a global telehealth platform for holistic mental wellness that connects people to accessible therapy, coaching, and whole-person care – regardless of where you are in your therapy journey.

The Soulcare Collective has a range of different practitioners like licensed therapists, licensed

nutritionist, and mental health providers who have a background in traditional Chinese medicine.

While this is a major step in bridging the gap between spirituality and mental health, there is still a stigma that some mental health providers have towards non-Abrahamic religious practices.

Thankfully, I recently learned that the Association of Black Psychologists have a certification called The Certification in African/Black Psychology (CABP). According to their website:

CABP is the actualization of the science of African/Black psychology in praxis. The establishment of the Association of Black Psychologists’ (ABPsi’s) CABP has created a standard of proficiency for African centered psychology. This is accomplished through the African worldview, which embodies the epistemological, ontological, cosmological, aesthetic, phenomenological, and hermeneutical grounding in African discourse.

CABP will also provide a brief review of some of the deep cultural structures and various African ethnicities on the continent and in the African Diaspora’s African Ontological, Cosmological, Axiological, and spiritual systems that are foundational to the development and sustaining of the Association of Black Psychology’s science of African/Black Psychology, which includes various African cultures i.e., Dogon, Bantu/Kongo, Ancient KMT, Voodum, Condomble, Santeria, etc., as foundational to the science of African/Black Psychology.

IT’S ABOUT BALANCE

Regardless of where you are in your spirituality practice or your health journey, it’s just that – a journey. Everyone will have their own approach, their own preferences and their own diagnoses that need to be addressed from a holistic perspective.

You don’t have to go to extremes in either direction. You can find a balance that works for you and move forward. For example, if you like crystals and believe in their healing properties, you can use them to create a sense of being grounded and centered while also following your doctor’s or psychologist’s advice like the healthline article states. This can also apply to other practices like reiki.

And just like not every spiritual practitioners for everyone, not every therapist or doctor is for everyone. It’s about figuring out who you gel with and how you can best care you need for optimal health.

*Originally post was published on the I Care Project Newsletter. Content has been edited to reflect website format. Some links may no longer be live.*