Literally on loan from China, NBA superstar Yao Ming was benched for the season by a stress fracture in his left foot.

In fact, three of his four lost-time injuries suffered during the past two years involved Ming's lower extremities.

This latest setback arrived during the opening week of Pisces, the zodiac sign that governs our feet.

Ming was born Sept. 12, 1980, in Shanghai, China.

His chartwheel depicts Earth as a circle in the center surrounded by a sky divided into 12 Houses. The 1st House starts at the eastern horizon, with the western horizon starting the 7th House. The 10th House cusp is the point directly overhead. Lacking a birth time, I constructed a sunrise chart, placing the Sun on the cusp of the 1st House.

Each zodiac sign spans 30 degrees of the 360-degree sky that encircles Earth.

Planets in conjunction (within 10 degrees) blend influences. Orbs squared or opposed (90- and 180-degree separations) can increase tension, while sextiles and trines (60- and 120-degree separations) are the great stress relievers.

Ming's tight 1st House conjunction between his Sun and giant Jupiter (19 and 20 degrees Virgo) cast him in the role of the NBA's tallest player (7 feet, 6 inches). Large enough to hold 1,300 Earths, Jupiter governs distant journeys and foreign lands. That Ming's success arrived half way around the world from his native land is no surprise.

Ming's foot sensitivity has several powerful planetary sources. An exact square separates his Sun (vitality) and Neptune (the ruling planet of Pisces that governs the feet), located at 19 degrees Sagittarius in the 4th House.

Ringed Saturn, the force associated with obstacles, joins the Sun and Jupiter in Virgo (28 degrees), the sign opposing Pisces. Saturn's 30-year cycle around the zodiacal heavens places it in each sign for two years. In early September of 2007 it re-entered Ming's Sun sign of Virgo, applying pressure on Pisces and the feet until late 2009.

Always choose life's high road and know that love is the brightest star!

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer. Ted PanDeva Zagar, an East Chicago native, is a pioneer in Wellness Astrology, a prevention-over-remedy approach to overall wellness. For an archive of herbal and dietary recommendations for each Sun sign, log onto www.wellnessastrology.com. He can be reached at PanDeva@aol.com to receive a free copy of "Zodiac Signs and Healing Plants."

DISCLAIMER: The author's comments are not intended to serve as medical advice, and he urges his readers to seek qualified wellness professionals to resolve matters of health. Direct your wellness questions with exact time, date and place of birth to Ted PanDeva Zagar at PanDeva@aol.com.