Aspects for the week beginning 6 April 2014
Holby City and Casualty
(sound effect) “Nee naw! Nee Naw!”
On the New Moon in Aries, Connie Beauchamp transfers from Holby City to Casualty.
On the Uranus-Sun conjunction, Holby City had its most shocking storyline ever! The fiancé of Jac Naylor’s baby’s father died.
The two hemispheres of my brain have now been able to fuse.
Meanwhile, in real life…
NHS
GP Service
Family and friends are finding it hard to obtain appointments with their G.P’s…We were told recently that the GP system is on the verge of collapse. New Chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners (from December 2013) Dr Maureen Baker said the family practitioner service was “under severe threat of extinction” on 23rd March 2014.
New NHS CEO
On 1st April, in a speech on his first day as NHS England’s chief executive, Simon Stevens, highlighted the financial problems faced currently.
Royal College of Physicians
This week too (4th April) Sir Richard Thompson (President of the Royal College of Physicians) has stated that the overload on doctors dealing with 70 patients where they should only be dealing with no more than 20, hence endangering the service they provide, likening medics to “scalded cats”.
Labour
Historically, Labour is the party which created the NHS and traditionally cares about it. Under the New Labour governments of 1997-2010, whatever else their failings, they managed to keep the NHS ticking over and reduced waiting times.
The Two Bevs
Lord Beveridge and the Welfare State
William Beveridge is credited with creating the Welfare State, through the Beveridge Report. He was a Piscean, a fitting sign for the level of all-embracing care involved in such an institution. He also had a very close conjunction of Neptune and Chiron, which I call a “crucible of healing”, plus a humanitarian karmic mission of North Node in Aquarius.
Aneurin Bevan
Along came the charismatic Aneurin Bevan, born exactly a Nodal Axis cycle later (18 years apart), with his North Node in the first degree of Aquarius, one degree from Beveridge’s, and as Health Minister he implemented Beveridge’s requirements and his karmic mission, creating the NHS. Bevan had a satellitium (cluster of planets) in Scorpio (also a sign related to health and healing), including Sun conjunct Chiron (the Inner Healer, or the Wounded Healer).
Bevan’s Saturn (practicality) was sextile Beveridge’s North Node, and Bevan’s Ascendant was trine Beveridge’s Chiron (Healing).
Chart of the NHS
The NHS is a caring Cancerian institution, with a cluster of planets (satellitium) in Gemini squared by Mars in Virgo. This highlights the need for communication, and high standards (Virgo) and the constant stress of its working environment. The current disruptive reorganization of the NHS, whether it will prove necessary as the Coalition claim, is shown by the transit of Uranus squaring the Sun in the NHS chart and Pluto opposing the Sun. In other words, the NHS is very much caught in the crossfire of the Uranus-Pluto square, which enters another phase shortly.
Coalition
Under the Coalition, there has been a deliberate dismantling of the NHS, under the banner of reorganization. One suspects that the government does not care passionately enough about its fate.
Jeremy Hunt
Jeremy Hunt was made Secretary of State for Health in September 2012. Is the NHS safe in Jeremy Hunt’s hands? If actions speak louder than planets, he has not shown thus far a caring for the Institution. However, after looking at his chart there is a mixture of influence (Chiron trine Neptune on the plus side, and Chiron conjunct Saturn on the minus side) and for the time being, I have to give him the benefit of the doubt, to be fair.
The Coalition, has underfunded the NHS and failed to give it the priority it deserves, I feel. We are in danger of losing it, and need politicians who really believe in it. We need another Bev!
Aspects
Mercury enters Aries tomorrow, and we’ll be thinking more logically and leaving behind the imaginative approach and sometimes woolly thinking of Mercury in Pisces. You’ll be concentrating on matters at hand, which signals a good first day of the week back in the Office. Accounting is also favoured, though for most of us the income tax yearly calculations should be in by now, the deadline behind us. If there is any immediate come back or problem arising, we should be able to deal with it immediately.
Tuesday (8th) brings an opposition between the Sun and Mars, so it will be action packed, on the verge of being manic. You might feel the pressure to perform in some way: maybe someone expects a punishing programme of productivity from you. You may start to automatically comply, until you realize it is counterproductive, and not in your best interests to work under those conditions. Be wary of aggressive or bossy types. You need to re-establish your own natural rhythm.
Lastly, on Saturday (12th), Venus is conjunct Neptune, a mood as far away as you can get from that of Tuesday’s opposition. This is about expressing your sensitivity through the Arts and relationships, which may include a high degree of romanticism. The awareness could also be highlighted about the plight of sea creatures, such as the whales and dolphins. Such campaigns have recently had some success, and certainly Saturday’s aspect will sustain the opening of hearts.
The week in bullet points:
- Tomorrow – Focussed thought
- Tuesday – strife
- Saturday – peace and inspiration
April 6th, 2014 at 4:01 pm
With my background of retirement from a career in the NHS, I find it difficult to recognise the organisation I was employed by. I know things need to adapt and can’t stand still, but I don’t see many improvements at the moment.
More recently my experiences have been in the vet world, which are very costly despite having pet insurance, but the care is excellent.
Thanks Lana for adding the astrological picture, now all we need is the new Bevan to manifest.
Meanwhile best wishes to us all for maintaining our health.
Love Sarah
April 6th, 2014 at 10:11 pm
Some interesting thoughts here Lana. I’ve long thought that the pressure on the NHS will eventually transform it completely. Most of us really value what it does do, but if we are to return to alternative methods, and realise that there is a mind/body connection, then it would probably need a shake up of this magnitude for these practices to be taken seriously
Love Bronwen
April 6th, 2014 at 11:40 pm
Thanks for this Lana. Seems to me, as in just about everything else, we tend to follow the USA. Having first hand experience in this from living there for seven years and now having a daughter who has needed major health care recently, without her own insurance, I know it is not a good way to go.
A few years ago I was on a course in the South of France, was unwell and taken to the St Tropez hospital. I waited 30 mins, saw a specialist who did an internal ultra sound, explained thoroughly what was happening and gave me sound advice which I took. He also gave me the ultra sound photos. That cost me €50….. amazing service which I really appreciated.
As always, when it does fall apart, who will suffer the most? The poor and vulnerable; never a good place to be, for any country or its citizens.
Thanks again Lana – 😀 Flick
April 7th, 2014 at 8:30 am
Dear Sarah
Thank you for your view of the National Health Service!
Thanks, too, for your view of contemporry vetinerary services…
I suspect there are many stories you could tell, behind your summaries.
But I am most grateful for your good health wishes for all readers,
Love
Lana
April 7th, 2014 at 8:42 am
Dear Bronwen
Thanks very much for your deeply thought out views.
When we first embarked on the Uranus-Pluto square knowing it would be dismantling various institutions, I hoped that would not include the NHS. But Uranus-Pluto dismantles, willy nilly, and that is what the government has responded to. But there is no vision of what might replace it, so I worry about people falling through the cracks.
I would say that approximately 30% of the population espouse natural medicine, and I have always done so. I have not seen my G.P. for 17 years, and believed in healing through consciousness for many years before that. Meanwhile I have seen many people’s lives saved by the NHS, especially in emergencies. And it will take time to weave in the new health lifestyles.
With a Taurus Ascendant, I am not much of a revolutionary. I am not as brave as you about change, and tend to favour gradual evolution. For instance, I tend to greet the phrase “You can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs” with the thought “Why not?”
So maybe the answer to this dilemma is urgent education about the possibilities of alternative ways of thinking about health. Are you writing it?
Love
Lana
April 7th, 2014 at 8:52 am
Dear Flick
Thank you so much for your comment!
I know your daughter, though in the U.S., is living exactly the type of scenario which is the worry about the current state of the NHS, and that plus the financial worry. More and more people are going to experience this, sadly, because we are moving away from the safety net of the NHS, and into greater uncertainty and more inefficiency.
The government worries about the lack of compassion in nursing staff, who are ever hit by shortages of staff and financing. The government do not have the heart to find the extra funding for the NHS, meanwhile.
Nice story of the South of France, which shows that it can be done.
Love
Lana
April 7th, 2014 at 10:03 am
Dear Lana,
I ve sort of re-discovered your marvellous blog after a time away from much online writing and reading activity . Such an interesting perspective on the NHS! Thank you very much. Having worked in it or around it (only part time- as too much contact with it is not too good for me ) for 30 years, I remain astounded at how much works purely by goodwill (am so grateful for that) despite the fact that the poor organisation is on its knees now really. despite this, and without meaning this negatively, it IS an illness service and not a health service and thus obliged to be primarily reactive. I think there are such exciting things to be done for health and well-being outside the organisation and which the NHS just cannot take on board somehow. Enough from me….. before I am truly on my soap box. Thanks as always for your perceptive views , with love,
Yaz
April 11th, 2014 at 8:26 am
Dear Yaz
How lovely to hear from you!
And thank you for your perspective, which, like Sarah’s, comes from one who has worked within it.
I love your comment about the goodwill factor, and I do agree with your point that there is much outside the NHS which can help people.
Much Love
Lana