Read the Signs
Making connections between birth signs, illness and personality types is in the stars for nurse astrologer

By Phil McPeck, MSN, RN
May 13, 2002

It takes a lot of nerve to buck the opinion of a panel of Nobel Prize-winning scientists, but that's what experience and an abiding interest in astrology tells Mary Frances Vester, RN, to do. The Nashville, Tenn., nurse doesn't use charts of stars and the position of planets in direct nursing, but she does seek correlations between birth signs and illnesses, and believes it's personally useful in her career.

Vester, 30, is on medical leave from the intensive care unit at Metropolitan Nashville General Hospital, but eventually, she'll face a decision. "I think I'm going to go back to nursing," she said, but she's positive that astrology is in her future.

"In the early 1970s, a gathering of Nobel scientists said there's really no connection between astrology and human behavior," Vester said. "But I would say that's not so."

She's quick to point out, however, that the alignment of the sun, moon and planets does not predict events, only tendencies. There was no forewarning, for example, of the crushing car accident during spring break in 1993 that turned Vester on to astrology. Once a vital 21-year-old nursing student at Tennessee State University, she found herself broken, bruised and laid up for six weeks. Studying the effects of heavenly bodies on earthly ones helped to pass the time.

Although she looks for correlations between illnesses and birth signs-Cancers are prone to stomach troubles and it's not unusual to see a Virgo with a small bowel obstruction-astrology is an awkward fit with nursing and is best for understanding personalities, Vester said.

The sun signs of Pisces and Cancer are naturally inclined to nursing as a career, she said. They're born to care for people and work in service professions.

Vester's research tells her that Tauruses are good preceptors. "They're good at training people because they ask a thousand questions," she said. "When they want to understand something, they want to understand it inside and out and be able to explain it."

So, rushing Tauruses, who also tend to be perfectionists, is asking for disaster, Vester said. But, "If I ever have a problem, you better believe I'm going to a Taurus."

In at least one instance, astrology itself was a problem at work. Vester was working for a staffing agency at the time. A conversation with a co-worker about astrology got back to a charge nurse and Vester said the facility complained and didn't want her back. Now, when she's at work, she pretty much keeps observations and beliefs to herself unless she knows a person well.

"I always tell people to find out who the Scorpios are because those are the people in charge," Vester said. "Don't mess with them, give them what they want and they'll be the best friend you could ever make. But they also could be the worst enemy you could ever make."

Scorpios, she said, give 110 percent to whatever they do, in contrast to herself. She's an Aries.

"I'm a great starter, but a very poor finisher," she said. "I would get a perfectionist sign, like a Taurus or Virgo, if I ever had to do a project. I can get the ball rolling and get lots of enthusiasm, but it takes a lot of effort for me to finish what I start."

Critical self-assessment aside, there's no sign that Vester's interest in astrology is waning. "I can't tell you how many times I've started a conversation with 'What's your birthday?' and we've ended up talking about God or something like that," she said.

"I would like to continue ministering to people through my work as a nurse. But I'll probably do so as an astrologer because it's not nearly as hard on your back."