How Astrology Maps to the Left-Right Hemispheres of the Brain

by Ron Alan Pierce

In the late 1970s, Dr. Robert Ornstein visited the IBM Research Lab in San Jose, where I was working, and presented the essential findings of his book "The Nature of Human Consciousness", which discussed research in left-right brain processes.

Dr. Ornstein's work helped to clarify a simple picture, which can be likened to TIME and SPACE , and to Matter and Spirit:

It had also been determined that, interestingly, the left hemisphere controlled the right side of the body, and the right hemisphere the left side of the body. This "crossover" is not only a physical fact, but is supported by various studies, including psychologists' observation that people tended to "look up to the left" when thinking and "look up to the right" when visualizing, but "look down to the left" when sad. And, of course, most "doing" is right-handed.

Have you ever noticed that some people tend to have either one side of the mouth more "open", and the other side more "closed" when talking? People who are left-brain "logical" people tend to "clamp down" on the left side of the mouth, which indicates that they are "shutting out" feelings from the right side of the brain. This is particularly noticeable amongpolitical ultra- conservatives. Watch public people on TV. The expression "right wing" (right side of body) indicates dominance of the left hemisphere. "Left wing" (the crossover from the right hemisphere) is more "liberal", less attuned to logic. Interesting examples of left-brain mouths: Dick Cheney, Ronald Reagan.

Psychologists such as Jung had studied human nature and come up with two classifications of personality, which are: Thinking/Doing and Seeing/Feeling

Applying the "crossover" (left-hemisphere to Right side of the body, and vice versa), we can draw this diagram:

This helps to make it clear why the "Thinker/Feeler" has conflicts --- Thinking/logic and Feeling/emotiions come from completely dissimilar processes.

The diagram represents the currently accepted scientific framework for the physical and psychological components of the left and right hemispheres of the brain. We have also put some appropriate colors for the four words, as a visual way to impart the "feeling" of each of the four natures.

Next, let's simply put in the four "elements" (we prefer to call them "Forces") of astrology --- Air, Earth, Fire, and Water:

Coincidentally, artists use a 12-color "Color Wheel" (the Grumbacher Color Wheel, available at any art supplies store)

The artist color-wheel has 3 blue elements, 3 red ones, 3 earthtone ones, and three green ones. With appropriate "gaps" introduced, it looks exactly like this:

In fact, these are clearly the basic colors that psychologists associate with the four realms. "Earthtones" are the browns and golds, fiery passions are associated with reds, blues are the mental colors, and greens the "healing"(feeling) colors.

There are 3 AIR signs in astrology, 3 FIRE signs, 3 WATER signs, and 3 EARTH signs. Twelve "signs": in all.

The next step, mapping the signs, is done below. We have also indicated that Thinking/Seeing are "Outward/Expanding"- energies, and Feeling/Doing are "Inward/Centering"-energies. This will be extremely important in understanding the "planetary energies" later.

The color-sign associations shown here are the result of deriving information from many sources. Some of that information is given below.

The color spectrum has Violet and Red at opposite ends, and Aquarius (perfect logic) and Leo (perfect vision) are indeed far apart and trying to expand and grow even more. In the center of the color spectrum are Cancer and Capricorn, the two energies most seeking to find the "center" where everything is in Control (Capricorn) or In Harmony (Cancer).

There are also some "symmetries" here:

Fold-over Opposites: if you "fold" the left side over to the right, then "opposite" signs will touch each other.

"Planet-sharing" signs are 180 degrees opposite in the wheel: in ancient astrology, Aquarius/Capricorn shared Saturn; Aries/Scorpio shared Mars; Sagittarius/Pisces shared Jupiter. Gemini/Virgo share Mercury. Taurus/Libra share Venus. The Moon (Cancer) reflects (is opposite) the Sun (Leo). More on this "sharing" (and its amazing nature) later.

Some of the logic behind the color choices

Hospitals know that green colors promote healing and a feeling of well-being. Red colors in Mexican restaurants engender passion and excitement.

Capricorn is the sign is Control and Authority. Psychologists know that yellow colors in retail stores give people the sense that "someone is watching" (authority), and help to reduce shoplifting.

Taurus is "formed earth", possessions, and wealth --- i.e. gold.

Virgo folks love to wear earthtones.

Cancerians (Sun sign and/or rising sign and/or Moon sign) tend to love to wear the lime-green color. Also, other Water signs will wear this color when the transiting moon is in Cancer. (Check it out --- you'll be amazed)

Cancerians (Sun sign and/or rising sign and/or Moon sign) tend to love to wear the lime-green color. Other signs often wear this color when the transiting moon is in Cancer (but not at other times).

The crown chakra is Violet, the enlightened mind of the Aquarian. Passion (and war) is red (Aries).

Royal purple is the color of the king (Leo).

Pisces is sea-green, and Pisceans (Sun sign or Moon sign) usually love this color. Interestingly, it also turns out to be the true color of the planet Neptune, which is the ruler of Pisces. It is also the color of the uniforms for most hospital staff, as it is a healing color.

Summarizing the Concept of the two REALMS

We have added something new to astrology.‑ something PRIOR to the four traditional FORCES of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. two REALMS, which may be called the Realm of Space and the Realm of Time, or the Spiritual and Material Realms.

This is consistent with the basic principles of creation and symetry as now known by science, long taught by metaphysics and religion (the book of Genesis is but one example), and widely used by psychology.

In people, these two Realms are manifested in the right and left hemispheres of the brain.

Here is what science and psychology have established as the natures of the two hemispheres:

1. The LOGICAL (linear temporal) mode; associated with analysis, speeking, cognition. The LEFT hemisphere of the brain (and Right side of the body); TIME and EVENTprocesses, having to do with THINKING/TALKING and PLANNING/DOING.

2. The SPA TIAL (non‑linear) mode; associated with vision, sensation (feelings, emotions). The RIGHT hemisphere of the brain (and Left side of the body); CREATIVE processes, having to do with SEEING/SENSING and ImagINATION/VIBRATION.

In each hemisphere, for proper symetry, there are two DIRECTIONS of energy; one direction is active-OUTward/dispersing/transmitting, and the other is active-INward/consolidating/receiving.

In Astrology, AIR and EARTH energies in a person's nativity activate the LOGICAL hemisphere, outwardly (thinking,talking) and inwardly (doing); FIRE and WATER elements activate the SPATIAL hemisphere, outwardly (seeing,inspiring) and inwardly (feeling, intuition).

These four FORCES ‑‑ Fire, Water, Air, and Earth ‑‑ are recognized by astrology as the fundamental stuff of which all things are composed; we now see that each has a "natural home" in humankind, and that science and psychology have aided astrologers in understanding the fundamentally different natures of these four 'building blocks'.

To put it more concisely for our use in astrology:

The left‑hemisphere is the thinking/doing realm of invention/incorporation, and is LOGICAL/MATERIAL; the two FORCES in this realm are the inward/outward yin‑yang pair of Earth and Air.

The right‑hemisphere is the seeing/sensing Realm of inspiration/intuition, and is SPATIAL/SPRITUAL; the two FORCES in this Realm are the inward/outward yin‑yang pair of Water and Fire.

We have found this concept of Realms to be extremely useful, and believe it to be a part of the puzzle that will assist in the unification of astrology with philosophy, religion, science, and psychology.

Creating Hemisphere Charts

To experiment with Hemisphere charts, you can download a version of AstralVisions software from http://AstralVisions.net/AstralVisions.htm , which comes with a few sample charts. Note: AstralVisions does not CALCULATE charts, so you will also need the freeware software, AstroWin, available at http://astrowin.org/astrowin.htm . AstralVisions retrieves the chart-calcualtion data automatically from Astrowin, and draws single and dual chartwheels onscreen (and allows you to Save/Retrieve charts without the need to re-load them in AstroWin).

Sample Standard and Hemisphere Charts from AstralVisions software

(smaller than actual size)

Here is a sample "standard" geocentric (Heliocentric is also avalable) chart, and the Hemi version. plus the aspect-matrix. In our software, we prefer to make the Sign of an energy unambiguously apparent, so that even though the Sun is at 0+ degrees of Aries (i.e. just BARELY in Aries) there is no confustion about the Sign possibly being Pisces, as you look at the charts. Also, since our approach is to focus on "energies", and energiy-relationships, we prefer to leave the specific energy-degrees and aspect-indicators out of the chartwheels. We have found this to be very helpful to our clients, as they learn to look at their own charts in their quest for self-understanding.

Seeing

Doing

Feeling

Thinking

Sample Dual Wheels and aspects (shown smaller than actual size):