Six Degrees of Separation from Evil to Empathy

Simon Baron-Cohen, expert in autism and developmental psychopathology, has carried out groundbreaking research to isolate and understand the factors that cause people to treat others as if they were mere objects. In his book, Zero Degrees of Empathy (2011), he proposes a radical shift, turning the focus away from evil and on to the central factor, empathy.

Putting empathy under the microscope, he explores four new ideas: first, that we all lie somewhere on an empathy spectrum, from six degrees at one end, down to zero degrees at the other. At six degrees we meet highly empathic people, while at zero degrees we meet the psychopath.

Secondly, that deep within the brain lies the 'empathy circuit'. How this circuit functions determines where we each lie on the empathy spectrum.

Thirdly, that empathy is both the result of experiencing parental love, and the result of genes. And fourthly, he asks an almost unthinkable question: while a lack of empathy leads to mostly negative results, is it always negative?

Full of original research and radical ideas, Zero Degrees of Empathy presents a new way of understanding what it is that leads individuals to treat others inhumanely, and challenges all of us to reconsider entirely the idea of evil.

The above is from the inside jacket cover of Simon Baron-Cohen's book which I have just borrowed out from my local library. Along with Pema Chodron's, Taking the Leap: Freeing Ourselves from Old Habits and Fears and Robert Moss' Active Dreaming: Journeying Beyond Self-Limitation to a Life of Wild Freedom.

An eclectic triplicity of books I know, but you go to a Public Library you meet the Shelf Elf and have backpack, will travel. Since I got a new computer a couple of months ago, I haven't needed to go to the library each day to use their public computers, but I did today and - gosh - it was fun! Broadband and printing facilities and chatting with the Librarians, who were kind enough to say that they missed seeing me. I've missed seeing them too.

I am really looking forward to reading Zero Degrees of Empathy because the subject matter segues into the work that I have vowed to do with this lifetime: to help create a more compassionate world. A vow I made when I was six years old after visiting my mother in a psychiatric asylum - an environment utterly devoid of compassion and empathy. You could cut the fear with a knife and serve it on toast.  As a highly sensitive child and psychically untrained, visiting these environments wasn't all that healthy for me yet I think I must have had a good deal of protection from the Spirit realms when I did.  I have been told that a special grace walks with me and I am living an extraordinarily karmic life, which isn't necessarily negative. I've also been told that I'm one of the rare ones.  I have yet to figure out what that really means and the longer I live, the less it matters. For all I know the person who told me that may have just been blowing smoke up my ring.

The zero degrees of the book title got me thinking about the zero degrees in astrology and whether or not there is an empathy connection with planets and sensitive points at the zero degree. I've read that 0-1 degrees in Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn are extremely critical degrees in predictive astrology: always a jump start, so to speak. I read that at the Joy of Satan Ministries, which is wickedly ironic. A jump start into what though?  Out of the frying pan and into the fire? 

And what about the zero degrees aspect, the conjunction, said to be a Magical angle. Does a conjunction influence a greater capacity for empathy or a potential for ruthless manipulation?  Recently on an astrological forum, a member owned an awareness of their capacity for using and manipulating others; wondered if they were psychopathic/sociopathic/narcissistic because they felt that had all the Dexter-traits of presenting a facade of caring concern, whilst assessing each person in terms of how they could be used, their value in furthering professional and personal agendas. They posted their natal chart: no zero degrees, yet a difficult Cardinal Grand Cross with a twelfth house Chiron and a pesky Leo Ascendant that just wants to be special.

I note that in all the information that has been offered to this person, no one has said "Lighten up, dude, it's just your Shadow. Listen to some Alice Cooper, get some tattoos, wear black and work it". But that's just me.

On the other hand, serial killer Aileen Wuornos has Mars at zero degrees in the Seventh House and Neptune at zero degrees in the Fifth House, with her IC/MC axis at zero degrees. I have a great deal of empathy for Aileen Wuornos, she never had a chance with her upbringing. I did an analysis of her chart a few months ago: Lucifer and Orcus in the first house and Nessus in the twelfth. When she was executed by lethal injection, Saturn was transiting Lucifer, Orcus transiting Pluto, Chiron transiting Mars and Medusa transiting Neptune.

I pray for the soul of Aileen, may she find peace and love in her next life. May the loved ones of her victims find peace and forgiveness in their hearts in this life.

May we all have the fortitude to walk the line on the side of compassion: the only path with heart that counts.