The Astrology of Left-Handedness

Left Handedness, Astrology and Water 

Here is an article I wrote for Celestial Vibes Magazine in November, sharing it here with Ashwin's permission. Do check out the mag, it's ace!

As a lefty, south-paw, cack-hander I have always had a radar for other left-handers.  “Are you left handed?” is a question I throw out almost as frequently as “what time were you born?”  In the same way that astrologers can see how someone might be “very Leo” I have always been able to see that someone is left handed (before they pick up a pen!)  

My Dad put my left-handedness obsession down to self-absorption (as he used to refer to my astrology obsession!)  However, for me it was the pattern, the similarity and sense of sameness I feel with my lefty brethren.  This research is something I have been looking at in earnest since 2010 when I noticed that people who were either Cancer Sun or Rising were often left handed. I completely ignored the fact that I was neither of those things!  However, I have subsequently learnt that I have the moon rising, close to my ascendent, so the receptive, lunar personality is alive in me.   However, since I have been looking at charts in more detail the most common astrological signature I see is a hard aspect between Mercury and Neptune.  

My personal research and the information in books and various online journals indicates that left-handed people demonstrate an extra sensitivity, a watchful eye, insight, thoughtfulness and a quiet emotional intelligence.  It also corresponds with forgetfulness, sensitivity that erupts into total overreaction and creative living that most people understand as chaos.  Researching left-handedness I have learnt that:

• 10% of the population are left-handed with the majority of them being men.

• 40% of astronauts are left handed.

• 40% of schizophrenics are left handed.

• Homosexuals are 40% more likely to be left handed.

• Scientists usually leave left handed people out of their tests because their brain works differently.

• Left handed people process things faster than their right handed friends when playing computer games or sports.

• Lefties have greater trouble completing tasks.

• Lefties are prone to emotional outbursts.

• Left-handed boys often wet the bed for years when growing up.

• Left handed people have increased cognitive flexibility, switching quickly between concepts.

Facts and figures, ideas and concepts that boil down to this; there is something different about the 10% of society that writes with their other hand.

Who is Left-Handed?

This is another big debate because we are not just defined by the hand we write with.  One can be “left-handed” but play golf with right handed equipment and be right footed.  Very often I meet people who are right handed but I have the feeling they have some right brain dominance and will push to see if they were an ambidextrous child, or forced to switch when they were younger and often they are left-footed or have some ability with their left side.

Brain Functioning

Modern science asserted that the right brain rules the left hand side of the body and the left brains rules the right.  More recent research is contesting this idea, but there is still something alternative in the cognitive function of the lefty.

In his book Right-Hand, Left-Hand, Chris McManus of University College London argues that the proportion of left-handers is increasing and left-handed people as a group have historically produced an above-average quota of high achievers.

Writing in Scientific American, McManus states that,

“Left-handers' brains are structured differently from right-handers' in ways that can allow them to process language, spatial relations and emotions in more diverse and potentially creative ways. Also, a slightly larger number of left-handers than right-handers are especially gifted in music and math. A study of musicians in professional orchestras found a significantly greater proportion of talented left-handers, even among those who played instruments that seem designed for right-handers, such as violins. Similarly, studies of adolescents who took tests to assess mathematical giftedness found many more left-handers in the population.

The Astrology

The key attribute of the left hander is their sensitivity and I this is certainly seen in the astrological signatures I have noted.

In Sue Tompkins book, Aspects in Astrology, she writes the following about Mercury - Neptune, “Music is perhaps the language that Mercury-Neptune can understand. 

Neptune commonly undermines the rational, objective function of Mercury but in return enhances the individual’s non-rational perception and ability to communicate, especially non-verbally.”

“The typical Mercury - Neptune person is exceptionally sensitive to external influences. They can often seemingly infiltrate other people’s minds.  The boundary between their thinking and everyone else’s seems very weak.”

Returning to the rising Moon, Sue also writes, 

“The individual with the Moon rising, rather like Neptune rising, can be so receptive and sensitive to everything and everyone they meet that they absorb whatever they encounter.” 

Those people I have studied who are left handed but have neither a Mercury-Neptune aspect nor the Moon or Cancer rising will usually have the element of water pronounced in their chart.  As we know, it is the most receptive element.  So a Sun, Ascendent or Mercury in Cancer, Pisces or Scorpio will reveal the same “left-handed” tendencies.  I have not yet measured the extent  of left-handedness against the type of aspect, however in the charts I’ve been collecting at least 65% have a Mercury - Neptune or the Moon Rising. 

Another left-handed fact is that eight presidents of the USA have been left-handed.  I have just had a look at their charts to put these theories to the test.

Barack Obama: Mercury 2 degrees of Leo square Neptune 8 degrees of Scorpio.

George Bush: Sun in Cancer in the twelfth house.

Bill Clinton: Mercury in Leo sextile the ascendent conjunct Mars, Venus and Neptune tight stellium in Libra.

Ronald Reagan: Mercury 19 Capricorn opposition Neptune 21 Cancer.

James Garfield: Mercury at the anaretic degree in Scorpio.
Gerald Ford:  Sun conjunction Neptune at 21 and 25 of Cancer.

Harry Truman: Sun conjunction Neptune at 18 degrees and 20 degrees of Taurus, Mercury widely conjunct at 1 degree of Gemini.

Herbert Hoover: Mercury at 0 Leo square Neptune at 0 Taurus.

I appreciate this is not a huge sample size and politicians are certainly known for their silver tongue!  However, their charts do reflect my general observations.

Summing Up

To be left-handed is to be a creative thinker who responds to subtle cues in their environment.  This can make for someone who is emotionally unstable and chronically concerned, but also someone who is helpful, encouraging, insightful and able to identify a song from the first few beats of a track! 

I will continue to collect the charts of my left handed brethren and look forward to exploring this topic more in the future.  If you are (or were) left handed please do contact me on leave your data here!