Retrograde planets and surgery

Planets and dates in retrograde Planets do not move backward during the retrograde period. Because of the close proximity to the Sun they only appear to do so.

by Gabriella von Elekes — 

We have all read or heard about situations like the following: “They forgot the cotton ball inside my incision!” “They left the scalpel in my abdomen!” “The gauze was left in my neck after surgery.” “I didn’t want a DD breast implant; I clearly said I wanted a size C.” “Everything was almost perfect but, not quite as perfect as my friend’s surgery that was performed by the same doctor.” What is going on here? Welcome to the world of Mercury and Venus retrograde.

Up until several hundred years ago, one of the main jobs of an astrologer was to diagnose disease and to find the best possible time to perform surgery. Hippocrates said, “A physician cannot safely administer medicine if he is not acquainted with astrology.”

One area where we have full control over the timing of an operation is in the area of elective surgery: procedures performed in an effort to make ourselves aesthetically more pleasing or to correct a physical deformity. Anything that has to do with beauty — beautiful things like fabrics, jewelry, house remodeling or plastic surgery — belong to the world of Venus.

The planet Mercury symbolizes communication and timing. Mercury (or Hermes) was the messenger of the gods, running back and forth between them conveying messages, playing practical jokes on them and doing business with them at the same time.

So what happens when the planets Venus and Mercury are retrograde? As far as Venus is concerned, symbolically speaking, the beauty “turns away.” In other words, beauty is not present at its full potential. When Mercury is retrograde we miscommunicate, forget, misplace and miss connections. Then, of course, we need to redo things to straighten them out. Some examples of surgeries performed during these periods:

• Face lift — The surgery was almost perfect, except for a couple of not-so-perfect stitches around the ear area, which gave away the fact that work had been done. The client was deeply bothered by this and went back for a corrective procedure: more time off, more anesthesia and more money. (Venus retrograde)
• Liposuction — The stomach was not smooth following the procedure. However, the correction was performed when Mercury was still retrograde, so the stomach was never made smooth.
• Brow lift — Mercury was retrograde. Everything looked fine for about three months, when the patient noticed that one brow was slightly, but visibly, drooping. The procedure was redone, requiring more money and more anesthesia.

Plastic surgery also is not recommended when:

• Venus is in close proximity to Saturn — More pain than usual is often experienced, the surgery may not be “beautiful” enough, and the client often is not pleased with the results.
• Neptune makes difficult aspects to the Ascending sign of the horoscope, Venus or Mars — The client has unrealistic expectations, so no matter how flawless everything is, she/he will not be pleased. There might be problems with the anesthesia, usually a case of giving too much, which may cause the patient to take longer to wake up, or to experience nausea.
• Full Moon — The Moon rules the bodily fluids, and during its opposition to the Sun, there is more bleeding than usual during surgeries than usual.

No time is ever perfect, but if we have a tool that can help us avoid major complications, why not use it?

What can we do if the only day the doctor has time for surgery is not the best time?

• Talk to the doctor and the anesthesiologist, and insist that more blood supply be available than planned. Most doctors will comply with this request because nobody wants a lawsuit.
• Have a member of your family talk to the nurses in the recovery room about everyone washing their hands more carefully to avoid infection. This is a Neptune influence as well.

If the surgery is life-threatening, do it as soon as possible regardless of planetary aspects, and just deal with it. Your life is the number one consideration.

By reader request

Question: K. O. asked: “What is the Ascendant and what does it have to do with me?  I am a Taurus.”

Answer: Kevin, we are all familiar with our Sun sign, the part of the sky the sun traveled through when were born, but the ascending sign is the sign that was on the horizon at the moment of birth. As an example, if you were born at 6 p.m., when the sun was more or less setting, then the ascending or rising sign must be at the opposite end, so it is Scorpio. This sign is the part of you that people get to know first, and when they get to know the real you, they often realize you are just the opposite of what they initially thought of you. We say that the Ascendant is the gateway to your personality; it is like the door to a house.

Gabriella von Elekes is a professional astrologer who teaches and provides consultations and workshops. She is past president of the Arizona Society of Astrologers. 1-888-884-4462.

Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 26, Number 4, August/September 2007.