Many years ago, while researching ADD and ADHD for an astrological theory, I was ruminating on related to the astrology of childhood, I stumbled across Thom Hartman’s 1997 book Attention Deficit Disorder: A Different Perception.
The Hunter Archetype and ADD
Thom Hartman, a renowned authority on leveraging ADD to one’s advantage, offers a distinct viewpoint on ADD and ADHD in this book. His captivating approach, which uses the “Hunter” archetype to portray the ADD personality, suggests that a significant portion of our population, approximately 40%, are actually descendants of hunter-gatherer cultures that have largely vanished from the world.
Using history, anthropology, sociology, and his own ADD personality, Hartman successfully argues that ADD personalities carry the “Hunter” archetype. He also briefly discusses the opposite extreme, TSDD (Task Switching Deficit Disorder) or the “Farmer” archetype, which affects 20 to 30% of the population. He puts all this on a bell curve, with one end being extreme ADD and the other end being extreme TSDD. Only 40 to 60% of the population fall in the normal range.
He also says that ADD traits seem out of place in a society primarily ordered to accommodate farmer traits. Like fish out of water, ADDers struggle to survive and adapt to an alien environment.
Famous ADD Personalities
Understanding and dealing early with ADD, not as an illness but as a personality trait that comes from a specific evolutionary need in mankind’s history, can permit these individuals to become the powers behind the cultural, political, and scientific change they so often historically represent.
Thomas Edison, Benjamin Frankland, Sir Francis Burton, Earnest Hemingway, and Thomas Carlyle are given as examples of what the ADD personality can accomplish. I’d also add Albert Einstein and Ted Turner.
Hartman also points out the unique abilities of ADDers and offers many suggestions that can help them thrive and survive in a society that has difficulty understanding and appreciating their innate talents.
Hunter and Farmer Chart
The Chart below describes the traits of the two archetypes—“Hunters” and “Farmers”—and the traits as they appear in the “Disorder” view. This chart is a copy of the chart in Hartman’s book, ADD: A Different Perception. As you read through the traits, consider the various astrological placements in a birth chart that might indicate that trait.
For example, acting without considering consequences (impulsive)” could be Uranus conjunct, square or inconjunct a personal planet, Uranus in the 1st house, Mars in Aries/Gemini/Sagittarius or a heavy Aries influence.
Put on your astrological thinking cap and go hunting for “Hunter” traits in the birth charts of Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Ted Turner, or any other person you know with an ADD or ADHD diagnosis.
Albert Einstein
Thomas Edison
Ted Turner
Patricia’s After Thoughts
I first wrote this for the MAAS newsletter, The Atlanta Astrologer, in February 1998. I’ve edited and updated the original before posting it online here.
Thom Hartman also has a revised and updated edition of his 1997 classic Attention Deficit Disorder, A Different Perspective, titled ADHD, A Hunter in a Farmer’s World.
Since Hartman’s book and this article were first published, national population surveys have reflected an increase in the prevalence of ADD and ADHD from 6.1% in 1997 to 10.2% in 2016. U.S.News reported in March 2024 that One in 10 U.S. School-Age Kids Have ADHD.
Could Ritalin Kill the Hunter Archetype
Below is an excerpt from a February 2005 WSJ article titled What if Einstein Had Taken Ritalin? ADHD’s Impact on Creativity.
In English classes, kids who once stared out the windows, concocting crazy life stories about passersby, now face the blackboard.
Ritalin and other drugs for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder have helped many children improve their focus and behavior — to the great relief of parents and teachers. But ADHD support groups offer long lists of out-of-the-box thinkers who had classic ADHD traits such as impulsivity, a penchant for daydreaming, and disorganized lives. (Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison, for instance.)
Some researchers now wonder if would-be Einsteins and Edisons will choose different career paths because their creativity and drive are dulled by ADHD drugs. They also worry that the stigma of being labeled with ADHD could lead some kids to lose confidence and dream smaller dreams.
Note: Thom Hartman has written a dozen books on ADD/ADHD. If you have a loved one who has been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD, take time to watch this video, Thriving on ADHD with Thom Hartman. Or click here and sign up to receive his twice-weekly email newsletter on ADHD.