Tony Lloyd

“It’s the humanity of it, the 150,000 small human gestures every hour that makes the NHS a human institution.”

~ Tony Lloyd

You may not have heard of Tony Lloyd (Labour MP for Rochdale, Greater Manchester) but he gave a poignant and memorable interview to Helen Pidd in the Guardian on Friday following his survival from coronavirus.  The article is eloquent and well enough documented in tracking the course of his experience to make an astrological study.

Tony is a sensitive Piscean, who apparently had been in good health but was nevertheless floored by his experience of the virus.

“I’d been feeling ropey for two weeks when I went into hospital on 2 April, ever since I’d come back up to Manchester from Westminster. I’d woken up really early, about 4am…”

At the onset of the disease, the strongest transit he had was Uranus square closely to his natal Venus in Aquarius, signalling a change in his feelings and values.  Without knowing his Ascendant, we can only guess that something more major was happening on one of the angles of his chart.

On the day he went into hospital, Mercury opposed his natal Saturn in Virgo, a minor enough transit, but definitely health related.

“After two days my temperature was still high – it was nearly 40C at one point – so I was moved to the intensive care unit (ICU).”

At this point, he was put in an induced coma.  Transiting Mars was conjunct his natal Venus at that point, and Mars transits often trigger extreme physical events.  As mentioned, we do not have his birth time or Ascendant, and with Venus featuring significantly in his transits, it may be that he has a Venus ruled sign on the Ascendant (Neptune rules his Sun sign).

One might consider being put on the ventilator and into the coma as being the height of his crisis.  Studied have shown that perhaps 65% of patients put on ventilators can die.  Two days after this, Saturn at 1 degree 0 minutes Aquarius came exact to a quincunx with his natal Uranus in Cancer.  That represents an extremely challenging change, or shock to the system.

“I never considered myself high risk, even though I had turned 70 in February.”

I have to declare a special interest in 70-year olds as it is my peer group year, and I have for about two decades been conducting a special study of this year group!  Looking at his progressions, in his 70th year his progressed Sun was squaring his natal Pluto, indicating the possibility of a life threatening experience.

[For historical context…]  “The day after I was put on a ventilator, Boris Johnson was admitted to hospital in London, I later learned.”

“I was on a ventilator for 10 days and in ICU for 19 days in total. All I can remember from that period is wild dreams….”

 Apparently after a week on the ventilator the doctors were getting ready to wean me off when I came down with a chest infection and my temperature shot back up.”

At the time of the new crisis of the chest infection, new hope of positive change was beginning to show up in Tony’s transits, in the shape of Uranus trine his natal Sun, an indication of a deep change.

The day that he was taken off the ventilator, the transit of Uranus to his Sun was becoming closer.  A week later, about a week before he was discharged, i.e. during his recovery period, the trine between transiting Uranus and his natal Sun, became exact.

“Many of the doctors and nurses were not British-born, which is something we should all reflect on”.

“I was discharged from hospital on Monday [27th April] and on Tuesday I resigned as shadow Northern Ireland secretary, a post I have held for two years. I plan to stay on as an MP”.

At his discharge from hospital, Mars was on his natal Jupiter in Aquarius, and the transiting Uranus trine to his Sun was still close, both transits of liberation.

The interview was given this week, when he was fresh out of hospital.  He still feels weak, but gives valuable insights and reflections about society and the NHS.

“Maybe good old Captain Tom has tapped into something where people will begin to realise that there is more to life than the next parcel from Amazon.”

To read the full inspiring article:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/30/coronavirus-i-feel-a-tremendous-sense-of-humility-mp-tony-lloyd-on-how-nhs-saved-his-life

Aspects

Some reflection on truth and illusion in respect to relationships would not go amiss today, for tomorrow (Monday 4th) Venus squares Neptune and the veils of illusion will test us out in this area.  Paranoia may play a part, but if we are on the positive end of the spectrum we may experience some sublime spiritual experiences in relation to love, and realizations about the relationship between money and spirituality.  Be as clear as you can be emotionally, and help to clear the fog.

In the evening, the Sun conjoins with Mercury at 14 degrees Taurus, and mentally at least you are likely to feel clearer.  You can apply your mind especially in Taurean matters such as art and music, money and gardening.  You’ll be thinking more clearly about the earth, and noticing the improvements that are taking place since we stopped some of our more damaging habits.  You can focus on creating a more positive future condition for the earth, or the New Earth as some New Agers term it.

North Node in Gemini

On Tuesday (5th) the True North Node enters Gemini.  The North Node and Nodal Axis move backwards, and takes 18 months to move through a sign, and 18 years to come full circle in the zodiac.  The transiting North Node and Nodal Axis represents the collective karma, just as the North Node and Nodal Axis in our birth charts represents our personal karma.  Our North Node represents our karmic mission, and the transiting North Node represents our collective karmic mission, in the evolution of humanity.

The North Node will be leaving Cancer, where the last eighteen months have seen the rise in populism, Nationalism, Tribalism and Patriotism, as I mentioned when it was entering that sign.  Brexit took a step forward, for instance.  But we are due for a change, not least because the world is now required to pull together, due to the coronavirus.  The South Node (part of the Nodal Axis, which is opposite the North Node) will be in Sagittarius, which represents a global outlook, and the North Node in Gemini represents friendlier relations with neighbours (whether on a national scale, or over the garden fence).  Gemini and Sagittarius also represent travel (short term and long distance respectively), something which is being affected (to a great extent karmically) at this time.  The last time the North Node switched to Gemini was in October 2001, just after 9/11.  At that time, everyone was wary of air travel, and the war on terrorism was underway in earnest.  Now we are seeing a crisis in the air industry, and being told it will take a long time to recover.  Education is another area of Geminian interest, and our schoolchildren at present are learning new ways of being schooled, mainly at home and online.  Though it is hoped that they will be able to rejoin their schoolfriends as soon as possible, the progress of the coronavirus is such that the process may come in waves, and some aspects of the new technological ways of learning may become more permanent.  As a mindset, the change of North Node in Cancer to North Node in Gemini may bring about a more communicative relating (out of necessity, karma) as distinct from a more emotional and subjective mindset (North Node in Cancer).

Thursday (7th) brings a smooth sextile between Mercury and Neptune.  Sensitivity towards others, and spiritual awareness, inform our minds easily, making delicate conversations and channelling easier.  You can receive inspiration, especially for writing and communication. That sextile takes place at 10.42 a.m. in the U.K.

Three minutes later, at 10.45 a.m. there is a Full Moon in Scorpio.  It’s a time to look within and examine your emotional health.  Another area demanding attention is that of shared finances and an attempt to balance material resources and needs between two people.  It is  one of the most intense Full Moons of the year.  For some there may be a temptation to lash out; some may be prickly about the conditions we find ourselves in, and many are angry.  In the creation of the new conditions, one requirement is the quality of forgiveness, for there is no room for holding onto grievances and blame on the other side of this crisis.  In order to make the best of a new slate, forgiveness is one of the things to cultivate.

We can capitalize on that process on Saturday (9th) when Mercury trines Pluto (the ruler of Scorpio).  That aspect is conducive to deep thought and psychological reflection, and earnest conversations.  Conversations could be life changing: the right word at the right time, striking home in the right place.

The week in bullet points:

  • Tomorrow – illusion in relationship; sparkling minds
  • Tuesday – communication karma
  • Thursday – inspirational thought; emotional high tide
  • Saturday – psychological reflection and communication