Plagues, Propaganda, and Power: How Medical Practices Were Shaped by the Black Death

As the Gregorian calendar year comes into a new year, I wanted to focus this blog on the fascinating intersection of astrology, medical practices, and historical events like the Black Plague, and how these elements influenced public perception of medicine that focuses on the Medical Revolution and how the Black Plague shifted beliefs from Astrology to Science. This also touches on the socio-political manipulation by authorities to reshape belief systems, comparing it to tactics used by figures like Hitler. This is a multifaceted issue, so let’s break it down into key concepts and explore how astrology, historical medical practices, and political agendas interacted during these periods.

1. Astrology in Medicine During the Renaissance and Earlier

Astrology played a significant role in medical practices for centuries, including during the Renaissance and in the period leading up to it. Astrologers and physicians often worked together to create medical horoscopes, a method where they would use the position of the planets, stars, and zodiac signs to determine the best time for medical interventions.

1.1 Medical Horoscopes

• In these times, astrology was considered a legitimate science, and many doctors, especially during the Medieval and Renaissance periods, integrated it into their medical practice. Medical horoscopes were used to determine the timing of treatments based on astrological beliefs that the alignment of celestial bodies could influence health.
• Planets were thought to rule different parts of the body, and each zodiac sign was associated with specific organs or bodily systems. For example, Leo was associated with the heart, Virgo with the digestive system, and Aries with the head.
• Doctors would consult the astrological charts to decide when it was the best moment to perform procedures like bloodletting, surgery, or the use of herbal remedies. They believed that aligning treatments with the moon phases, the position of planets, or the zodiac sign would increase the chances of healing and recovery.

1.2 Astrology's African Roots in Medicine

The connection between astrology and medicine can also be traced back to ancient Egyptian and African medical traditions. Egyptian priests and physicians were highly advanced in their understanding of the body and disease, and their practices often integrated astronomy and astrology with medical knowledge. They also had a deep understanding of herbal medicine, spiritual healing, and surgical procedures.

• African doctors and healers in antiquity were known for their holistic approaches to medicine, integrating spiritual and physical healing. Some of the practices of ancient Egypt, such as the use of astrology to predict the best times for healing or surgery, likely influenced the development of medieval European medical astrology.
• When Europe faced epidemics like the Black Plague, these ancient traditions—practices often passed down through various cultures and intellectual exchanges—were part of the medical discourse.

2. The Black Plague and the Rise of New Medical Authority

The Black Plague (1347–1351) was one of the most devastating pandemics in history. It killed an estimated 25–50% of Europe’s population, creating a societal and medical crisis. In the wake of such a traumatic event, people sought explanations and solutions in different places, including traditional practices and astrology.

2.1 Astrology's Decline in the Face of the Plague

Before the Plague, many doctors still used astrology and other holistic practices. However, as the Black Plague decimated populations and led to widespread panic, those in positions of authority—often church officials, political elites, and emerging medical practitioners—began to push back against astrology and other "alternative" methods in favor of more rational, scientific approaches (at least what they understood as scientific at the time).

• Bloodletting, which had been a common practice for centuries, was not only recommended by doctors but was often done at specific times dictated by astrological charts. However, Black Plague doctors, particularly the plague doctors who wore the iconic beaked masks, typically mocked such practices, focusing instead on quarantine, miasma theory (the belief that disease was spread by "bad air"), and other methods that had little to do with astrology or African healing practices.
• These plague doctors were mostly trying to distance themselves from the old practices that included astrology, believing that they were insufficient in combating the plague. But they often failed to grasp the true nature of contagion, relying instead on symbolic actions that were meant to control the fear and panic among the masses.

2.2 Manipulating Public Perception

During and after the plague, many of the traditional healers—including those who relied on astrology or ancient practices rooted in Egyptian and African traditions—were discredited. New medical authorities, many of whom were aligned with the Church or emerging scientific institutions, promoted a rational, controlled image of medicine to restore social order and consolidate power.

• Astrology was increasingly seen as unscientific by these emerging elites, and many traditional methods associated with holistic healing practices were sidelined. Even though astrology and herbal medicine had roots in ancient and African traditions, they were now demonized by the new wave of doctors who sought to distance themselves from these "primitive" or "superstitious" approaches.
• In a sense, these new doctors took on the role of establishing control over what the public was allowed to believe about health, much like how other authoritarian regimes, such as Nazi Germany under Hitler, sought to control public belief systems and ideologies.

In both cases, the control of information was paramount. Just as Hitler's propaganda machine worked tirelessly to manipulate public perception and suppress opposing views, the medical establishment after the Black Plague worked to marginalize and discredit other forms of healing, including those tied to astrology and ancient African knowledge systems.

3. The Rise of Rationalism and the Decline of Traditional Healing

By the time the Renaissance and Enlightenment periods arrived, the intellectual framework for understanding disease and health had shifted. Doctors and scientists began to move away from astrological beliefs and focused more on anatomy, dissection, and the scientific method.

3.1 Medical Rationalism

• The rise of scientific medicine during the Renaissance gradually replaced astrological and spiritual explanations for disease with more empirical methods. For example, Andreas Vesalius’s work on human anatomy challenged the centuries-old teachings of Galen, which had combined medical theory with astrology.
• Galileo and Copernicus undermined the geocentric model of the universe, showing that the Earth was not the center of the cosmos. These shifts in thinking challenged not only the scientific worldview but also the astrological framework that had long been linked to medical practices.

3.2 African and Indigenous Medical Practices in the Modern Era

The contributions of African medicine—with its emphasis on holistic healing, spiritual practices, and herbal remedies—were often overlooked or dismissed by Western medical traditions. The growing belief in rationalism during and after the Black Plague led to a systematic marginalization of these healing practices. The move away from ancient Egyptian and African healing traditions can be seen as part of a broader effort to centralize power and knowledge in Western medical institutions.

4. Hitler's Propaganda and the Control of Beliefs

Drawing the analogy to Hitler and the Third Reich is apt in that both systems relied heavily on controlling public belief systems to maintain power:

• Nazi propaganda worked relentlessly to reshape how people saw the world, often using media and public imagery to establish authority and suppress opposition. Similarly, the post-plague medical establishment sought to suppress older, alternative practices to solidify their own control over healthcare and public trust.
• Just as Hitler manipulated historical narratives, Black Plague doctors and later medical elites worked to shift public trust away from the "old ways" of healing, including astrological medicine, in favor of more authoritarian and state-approved methods.

Conclusion: The Transition from Ancient Practices to Modern Medicine

The way Black Plague doctors mocked and marginalized astrological practices tied to ancient Egyptian and African medical knowledge fits into a larger pattern of social and intellectual control. After the Plague, authorities sought to reshape public belief in medicine, distancing the public from holistic, astrological, and traditional African healing methods in favor of more rational, scientific approaches.

The comparison to Hitler’s propaganda machine is compelling because both sought to control the narrative to maintain power. Just as the Nazis used media to manipulate public perception and suppress alternative ideologies, post-plague medical authorities did the same to reshape how people thought about health, disease, and healing. While astrology and traditional practices have not disappeared, they were certainly pushed aside by a new medical orthodoxy that was keen on consolidating power and reasserting control over the narrative. With that said, have a safe and properous day, whichever calendar that the frequency of your personal system of things {belief, nervous & immune) has within!