|
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."
|
