On Value
Originally written for Taurus New Moon 2023 on Substack.
I had a bad new doctor’s visit the other day. The kind where they steamroll you from a position of power, fail to check in with you and vomit whatever textbook information they have learned which is likely outdated and probably doesn’t exactly fit you. Heck, Chat GPT is outperforming most doctors in terms of accuracy and empath. So I did something dramatic - I interrupted and let her know exactly what I thought. “This doesn’t work for me. I’m being talked at, not with. I don’t feel you’ve listened to any of the key & unusual health points I’ve raised. And I don’t want to see you again or have you do any further work with me.” Though I’ve a lifetime of raising my voice, it still threw me for a total loop. Especially when the doctor then immediately took it out on the receptionist.
What I wanted - what we all are wanting - is to be recognized for what makes us unique, what makes us different, what makes us stand out from the mold. I’m all for the mold when it helps provide an anchor, a frame of reference - just as archetypes in astrology are a great entry point. But then I want to know - as many of you do - what makes me special. For we are all special. And the understanding of what makes us special can save our lives.
It’s ironic that the machines we have built - the healthcare systems, the medicine schools, the acceptance of doctor archetypes, the approved types of care for age and gender, and even the possibilities - leave no room for customization. That the machines that we have served so tirelessly with all our physical and material labor - are now the ones performing the more human, more compassionate, more attentive service.
With our Taurus New Moon on May 19th, we are asked to explore all the dark places we’ve been hurt - all the times we spoke up and weren’t valued - and how we want to transform that. We must insist on our earthly worth - even if to say “I’m worth more than the care you are willing to provide.” Work is a love language. Health is a love language. Communication is always a love language. How we exchange value is entirely up for grabs - and our emotions, right now, in this moon period, are the only reliant guide to finding where we are begging for recognition and being denied.
This has a very real impact in monetary terms - we are collectively asking why is something valued over another, why is something priced over another, why am I not being paid more (or at all) for my emotional / physical / intellectual neighbor, and where can I go to find that which I seek.
I know not being heard by a medical practitioner is one of my deepest emotional triggers. I lost my father at 17 to a host of illnesses, which in aggregate turned out to be cancer. But it took a team of doctors 2.5 years and 6 surgeries to find that out - and only because my mom insisted on several tests they were reluctant to provide. Then when I had a traumatic brain injury in 2012, the only advice from traditional medicine was to sit in a dark room until I recovered. It took 3 years, largely giving up alcohol and a complete lifestyle shift but I did get my juicy brain back. And not a single traditional doctor contributed anything to that journey. Yes, I get mad. I get mad because missing the nuance killed one person and nearly robbed me of my personhood.
As a futurist, I also know we’re going to collectively get a lot more mad in the coming two years as we shift into the Libra / Aries node. We’re already leaving shame behind which acts as a societal governance mode. And Uranus is making its way through the final third of Taurus which means all collective values and value is being reimagined (and blown up).
Not going to lie - it is scary. And anxiety producing. And a fear mongering situation. But the way through is to bet big on yourself. On your specialness. On the part of you that thrives in intimacy, contributes to your community, shows up for the people and places and activities you adore. Love is always the answer. Love yourself and your uniqueness so much, you speak your truth to power.
