Tibetan Medical Astrology

Contemporary Tibetan doctors often describe the association of medicine and astrology as found in their tradition, as something uniquely Tibetan. A closer look at the theories and practices of Tibetan medical astrology suggests that they are not only very similar to practices found in other traditional medicines, but also in many cases are directly linked to them. This paper discusses some aspects of Tibetan medical-astrology as they are described in the Tibetan medical literature. The paper focuses on the lunar cycle of vital energy as well as divination practices associated with urine analysis, and traces some of their foreign links. The paper concludes with a short discussion on the inherent overlap between diagnosis and prognosis in Tibetan medicine and beyond.