For those of you interested in Astrology it must be a burning question - how come my twins are so different? In over twenty years of casting horoscopes for children I have found the answers, some are fairly obvious and some more subtle, and I will explore them here. But before I do, I would like to explain a little bit about Astrology and how it works.

A horoscope is a map of the sky detailing exactly where certain planets were at a specific point in time, from a specific place on Earth, much like taking a photograph. We know that the planets travel around the Sun, but from our vantage point it looks as if the planets travel around the Earth in a fairly narrow band, which is called the ecliptic. Ancient astrologers divided the belt of the ecliptic into twelve sections, naming each section after the constellation of fixed stars that stood ‘behind’ it. They found that when a planet passed through a section, babies born at that time shared common characteristics.

Castor and Pollux

The most important points for an astrologer to consider are the three ‘lights’ – the Ascendant, the Sun and the Moon. The Ascendant is the degree of the zodiac sign rising over the eastern horizon at the time of birth. It is the Ascendant that details where the first astrological house starts and also shows how we appear to others. The horoscope is made up of twelve ‘houses’ and each house details a specific area of life. For instance the 3rd house covers communication, short journeys and siblings, whilst the 6th house covers work, daily routine and health. The Sun gives the basic drives and motivations, while the Moon gives the emotional tone and instinctual responses. These three points give the basic personality, with the positions of the other planets adding more nuances.

Each planet takes on the tone of the zodiac sign within which it finds itself, and acts in harmony with, or is stressed by, the other planets dependant upon the angles formed between them. In addition, the planet’s influence is exerted upon the house in which it is placed. For instance, Mars in the 5th house might describe a child with a passion for sports, especially contact sports such as football, wrestling or boxing. Whereas Mars in the 12th house might describe a child who prefers to play out of the spotlight, perhaps reading fantasy stories and dreaming of becoming a magician! An astrologer will examine the horoscope in full and, in addition to the above, will also examine house rulerships to tease out how the various factors in the chart correlate with one another. Only then can an interpretation and personality analysis begin.

Next: Why are My Twins so Different?

Part 3: What it Means to a Parent

Part 4: Case Studies

About the Author: Ruth Orvis is a part-time Astrologist from England who happens to have a passing interest in twins as they run in her family.
She can be contacted via e-mail at: starastrology@aol.com

Title graphic courtesy of graphics.elysiumgates.com