Political Preference - Brain Differences? Astrology in there anywhere?

Humans seem to be naturally polarized politically, most remain entrenched in their views for a lifetime. Some research has been carried out.

Liberal? Conservative? Your brains are different, study finds , an article by by Andrew Duffy, at Vancouver Sun begins:

Liberals and Conservatives may have differences that go well beyond their opinions about what constitutes contempt of Parliament.

A British study suggests there are anatomical differences between the brains of opponents on the left and right of the political spectrum.

The study, published in the online edition of Current Biology, found people who identified themselves as liberal tended to have larger anterior cingulate cortexes, a region of the brain that monitors uncertainty and conflict. Those who identified themselves as conservative had larger amygdalas, a region that processes emotions related to fear.

Researchers say the physical differences reflect the nature of voters: Liberals tend to be more comfortable with uncertainty, conservatives are more sensitive to fear.

"Previously, some psychological traits were known to be predictive of an individual's political orientation," said Dr. Ryota Kanai of University College London. "Our study now links such personality traits with specific brain structure."

I began to wonder how this might pan out astrologically. Further light research brought me to a pdf file from Dept of Political science, University of Iowa Fear Dispositions and their Relationship to Political Preferences

Clip from pdf (click on it to see a bigger version)


So, where might we find correlation in astrology to this idea that fear drives conservatism?

Saturn and how it is positioned in one's natal chart, appears to be significant in the potential for conservatism. Coincidentally Saturn connects to fear as well.

For instance - just one example:

A person with Sun conjunct Saturn - part of the interpretation at Cafe Astrology says:

..... Generally, they come across as somewhat skeptical and pessimistic, cautious, and slightly reserved. There is a distinct streak of the conservative in these people. Some are rigid and strict, expecting others to live up to their high standards. However, most people with this aspect are simply very aware that life has its limitations.

More about the connection of Saturn with fear is set out in a piece by Beth Turnage, Saturn and Fear at Astrology Explored.

A little mythological background on Saturn

Saturn was the God Kronos, father of Zeus, who was known for devouring his offspring soon after being born. He did this because he feared that they would surpass him. But Zeus, who was protected by his mother, returned to face his father, and Kronos’ fears were realized through death. Similarly, if we clamp down on what we fear the most, eventually it destroy us. Saturn has been depicted as the punishing father, but also as the Grim Reaper, who cuts life short. Mortality is the ultimate restriction, and as Father Time, he is the wise one that inspires urgency in our quest to fulfill our life mission.
http://astrology.about.com/od/advancedastrology/p/Saturn.htm

In light of all of the above I'm wondering whether at some future date an enlightened statistician might include some astrological data in their researches on such topics as this. Assistance from a professional astrologer would be essential of course. When pigs fly......

FEAR

9 years ago today, before 9 o'clock that morning, the people of the USA hadn't any inkling of what was about to happen - imminently or in the years that followed. I doubt that the populations of Iraq and Afghanistan had any inkling of what would soon descend upon them. On the same day, a woman (me) still in the UK, had no inkling of how her life would change radically, during the next few years.

Borrowing a Douglas Adams description, "life, the universe and everything" keep some of their most important secrets up their sleeves. I suspect that's exactly as it should be. We have too many people already feeding fear into life's equation, as a means of control. LUE (Life, the Universe and Everything) dictate that we ought not to spend our lives in fear.

In astrology, it's important to note that there's no planet of fear, though paranoia, associated with the darker sides of Pluto/Scorpio, comes close. Mars and the signs it rules (Aries & Scorpio) connect to courage, according to astrologer C.E.O. Carter. Scorpio, via its modern ruler Pluto also connects to power, control, and paranoia. I suppose the reason sign and planet represent these opposite concepts is that both fear and courage arise from the depths of our being. Pluto/Scorpio govern our "depths". I see Uranus, planet of the unexpected, as astrology's "trump card" - and beneficial - though often not recognised as such.

Certain events have to happen for a variety of reasons, reasons that must remain forever unknown to us. We are not supposed to be able to foresee these. It'd be bad for us. This is where Uranus, planet of the unexpected, comes in. I guess that fear of the unexpected could arise from the knowledge that Life keeps certain secrets - but what would be the point of such fear?

“It's fear of the unknown. The unknown is what it is. And to be frightened of it is what sends everybody scurrying around chasing dreams, illusions, wars, peace, love, hate, all that--it's all illusion. Unknown is what it is. Accept that it's unknown and it's plain sailing. Everything is unknown--then you're ahead of the game. That's what it is. Right?” ~John Lennon.

"Fear can be headier than whiskey, once man has acquired a taste for it." ~Donald Dowes

It's best that we try not to acquire that taste!




Whenever we are presented with a fearful scenario it's wise to ask ourselves: "what's in it for the presenter?" What's in it for them will either be a source of money or a source of power and control, of one sort or another. The peddlers of fear have no inside information other than what they have cooked up for reasons of their own. Pundits can surmise, debate and offer likely events and outcomes, but they too are just as much in the dark about the future and its possible surprises and secrets as the rest of us.

"Many of our fears are tissue-paper-thin, and a single courageous step would carry us clear through them". ~Brendan Francis

We all have a strand of fear-potential within us. Some natal charts might contain a stronger thread than others. We all have the ability to question and rationalise our fears too. We (I include myself in this) should use it frequently.

I steer my bark with hope in the head, leaving fear astern. My hopes indeed sometimes fail, but not oftener than the forebodings of the gloomy. ~
Thomas Jefferson.