Medical Astrology

Scholar Ronit Yoeli-Tlalim explores the relationship between sowa rigpa (the Tibetan ‘science of healing’) and tsi, the various sciences of the stars, time calculation and divination.

What is the relationship between sowa rigpa (the Tibetan ‘science of healing’) and tsi, the various sciences of the stars, time calculation and divination? The origins of this association, which is also found in many other traditional medical systems around the world, go back to the earliest extant sources in the Tibetan language – the Dunhuang manuscripts from the 9thcentury. Tibetan medicine and the astral sciences are intertwined to this day as is evident in the name of two important Tibetan medical institutions, the Mentsikhang Hospital in Lhasa and the Men-Tsee-Khang College and Hospital in Dharamsala, which in English are usually referred to as the ‘Institute of Medicine and Astrology.’ Dr. Yoeli-Tlalim will present some of the most important intersections, including the lunar cycle of vital energy; and urine and pulse analysis and the seven day planet week.
Ronit Yoeli-Tlalim works on the early history of Tibetan medicine and more generally on the transmission of medical knowledge along the Silk Roads. She is the co-editor of (with Anna Akasoy and Charles Burnett) of Astro-Medicine: Astrology and Medicine, East and West (2008); Islam and Tibet: Interactions along the Musk Routes (2011); and Rashid al-Din as an Agent and Mediator of Cultural Exchanges in Ilkhanid Iran (in press). She is based at the History Department at Goldsmiths, University of London and is the co-founder and co-director of Goldsmiths’ interdisciplinary Centre of the Body.

Bodies In Balance: The Essentials

A full weekend of talks and demonstrations on the rich subject of Tibetan medicine and concepts of wellbeing. Scholars, medical practitioners and experts meet to share their experience in eleven separate presentations. For those who wish to immerse themselves in the concepts of Tibetan medical practice, this is the weekend for you.
A conference to deepen your appreciation of the exhibitionBodies in Balance: The Art of Tibetan Medicine.


See Full Schedule