A Possible Solution to the Astrological Problem of Twins

by María Blaquier

The aim of this article is to show how the divergences in the personalities and life paths of twins can be explained by using a different zodiac to cast the chart of each sibling.

Introduction: the problem of twins in astrology

Apart from sharing genetics and DNA, twins usually have virtually identical, or at least very similar, natal charts. From an astrological standpoint, one can expect them to share the same personality traits and to have similar life experiences, especially since, in most cases, they also receive the same upbringing.

There are some impressive examples of this being the case; in his article The Astrology OF TWINS - Same Chart, Different Souls, Maurice Fernandez refers to the twins Daphne Goodship and Barbara Herbert, who were adopted into separate British homes after their mother died. On reuniting several years later, they were astonished to learn that they shared strikingly similar habits and personality traits, as well as akin life experiences. (1)

However, in most cases, twin siblings express themselves very differently and experience singular life outcomes. This is one of the most common arguments against astrology; shouldn’t almost identical charts produce similar personalities and life paths? So why do twins often end up having such different lives?

How to delineate charts of twins

There have been several attempts to explain these differences from an astrological point of view, some of which are listed below:

Haly Abenragel, the famous Arab astrologer of the 11th century, advised using the placement of the Moon in the chart of the newly born twins to symbolize the mother, and then considering the first planet that the Moon applies to as significator of the first-born twin, and the second planet the Moon aspects for the child born second. (2)

Traditional astrologer Patrick Watson uses Lots or Arabic Parts, which will potentially appear in different signs in people born a few minutes apart. (3)

In her article Why Twins born just a few minutes apart have different life, Vedic astrologer Neha Pradeep Saini suggests that twins can be differentiated easily by using the D-60 chart (4), a system by which the chart changes completely every 2 minutes and becomes a very accurate tool for pinpointing turning points in a person’s life.

Using techniques that subdivide the chart seems like an effective solution to account for disparities in the lives of twin siblings. However, with so many twin siblings being born by cesarean section, where the time difference is minimal, these timing techniques diminish their effectiveness. In addition, they are not applicable to the chart of Siamese siblings, where there’s no birth time difference whatsoever.

Using separate charts based on different types of zodiacs for each twin

My personal experience has led me to believe that it is possible to account for the singularities in twin siblings by using a particular kind of zodiac for each chart. This means delineating two completely different charts. It is my impression that the tropical chart is more descriptive of one of the twin siblings and the draconic of the other.

However, this does not necessarily mean that, if one is using the draconic chart for twin A, the tropical stops working altogether. My hypothesis is that the draconic chart is significantly more influential for one of them, that it describes their personality traits and life events more accurately. In short, I believe that even though the tropical chart might still be effective, for one of the twins the draconic chart is more prominent.

If one subscribes to the modern delineation of the Nodes in Western astrology, which associates the North Node with evolution, what follows is that one of the siblings is naturally more in touch with their inner motivation and life purpose. Although this is not the purpose of this research, I was intrigued by the fact that in the charts of celebrities with twin siblings, in most cases the draconic chart represents the celebrity better than the tropical.

Research Method

For the last 20 years, in my practice as an astrologer, I have been tentatively approaching charts of twins by using the tropical chart for one and the draconic for the other. The idea of using different zodiacs to account for dissimilarities in charts that are almost identical came to me as an inspiration while I was doing a reading for a woman who had twin toddlers. The delineation made perfect sense to her, and this encouraged me to keep on looking at charts of twins in this way.

After many years, I finally decided to systematize the results of my observations. To keep my findings evidence-based, in the last two years I have collected data on dozens of pairs of twins.

To avoid selection-bias and allow the hypothesis to be tested by others, this article includes charts of public figures. The birth data of celebrities is from Astrodatabank at astro.com and has a Rodden Rating reference. Which chart to use for either sibling is something I decide based on the information provided during the consultation. In the case of celebrities, my choice is centered on their life outcomes.

A. Using different zodiacs for each sibling

Example: Kiefer and Rachel Sutherland

The following graphics show the tropical and draconic charts for Hollywood star Kiefer Southerland and his twin, Rachel, who were born on December 21, 1966, in London, at 9:00 AM (Rodden Rating AA) and 9:03 AM respectively (Rodden Rating A). Because the time difference is so small, both charts are almost identical, and their difference is not considered for the purpose of this research.

Rachel

Rachel Sutherland is a film production manager; she is responsible for budgets, shooting schedules and managing the day-to-day business side of film productions. In the tropical chart, the ascendant is in down-to-earth Capricorn; Saturn, the ruler of the ascendant, is in the 2nd house of money and placed in Pisces, a sign related to movies. Both rulers of the MC, Pluto and Mars, are in the 8th house of finance and other people’s money. The symbolism is consistent with the tropical chart.

Kiefer

I have attributed the draconic chart to Kiefer. Scorpio, a sign prone to excesses and self-destruction, rises. It is ruled by Pluto and Mars; both planets are placed in the 8th house of stress and trauma and in the sign of Leo, so one can expect a lot of drama and public exposure on account of his misconduct. He has had to deal with drug abuse and has even been in prison for drink-driving. As he expressed in an interview, he just “can’t help being a bad boy.” (5)

Venus, the ruler of the draconic MC, has accidental fortitude by being placed on the ascendant, one of the most powerful placements in a chart. This is a person who needs, and is likely to get, public recognition for his achievements in terms of his career and profession. Venus also rules the draconic 7th house of relationships: he dated Hollywood star Julia Roberts and gained an enormous amount of publicity when she ditched him three days before their wedding day. Draconic Venus, a benefic, is in its sign of detriment, and can act as an accidental malefic, causing problems instead of benefits. This could help explain many unfortunate events that impacted his love life. He attributes the demise of his marriages to his trespasses, a typical manifestation of Venus in Scorpio. The draconic Moon in Pisces could account for his addiction to alcohol and his drug abuse.

B. Using timing techniques to differentiate the tropical and draconic charts

To support my choice of charts, and dig deeper into the differences between twins using the draconic zodiac, I have relied on transits as a method for pinpointing important life events. I have used mainly tropical and, in some cases, draconic transits on both the tropical and draconic charts. All charts use the True Node.

For information on draconic timing techniques, please refer to my article https://www.astro.com/astrology/in_mbdraconictiming_e.htm

1. Michael and Timothy Knatchbull

The Knatchbull twins enjoyed the privilege of being part of the British Royal family, a prerogative that sadly turned into a tragedy when the IRA attacked their grandfather, Lord Mountbatten, by placing a bomb in the boat the family was using for their holiday in Ireland. One of the twins, Nicholas, died in the explosion, while the surviving twin, Timothy, lost his eyesight in one eye.

Is it possible to determine by using the draconic chart which of the twins died and which was fortunate to remain alive, although bearing the enormous pain of having lost his twin brother?

Nicholas and Timothy were born in London on November 18, 1964. Nicholas, the twin who died, was born at 3:40 PM while Timothy was born at 4 PM (Rodden Ratings AA). Despite the 20 minutes difference in their birth time, they both have the same signs rising and on the MC in the tropical charts. However, in their draconic charts, surviving twin Timothy has draconic Pisces rising instead of draconic Aquarius. This difference was one of the reasons I chose to assign the tropical chart to Nicholas and the draconic to Timothy since Pisces is ruled by benefic Jupiter, a planet that supports life and well-being.

There is additional information to reinforce the choice of the draconic chart for surviving twin Timothy: he works as a writer of documentaries for television and has published a book narrating his experience as the survivor of the IRA attack, From a Clear Blue Sky: surviving the Mountbatten Bomb, which is in accordance with both rulers of the draconic MC, Mars and Pluto, being in Gemini.

Using transits for timing events

On the morning of August 27, 1979, Nicholas was killed by a bomb.

Tropical transits on the tropical chart for Nicholas, August 27, 1979

• Uranus is a planet related to unexpected and sudden events. Transiting Uranus was on the descendant, the point in the chart that represents the paternal grandfather, because it’s the turned 4th house from the radical 4th, i.e., the father’s father, so an unexpected event involving the grandfather was to be expected.
  Another meaning for the 7th house is that it represents known rivals or enemies, and since the IRA took responsibility for this event, one could interpret transiting Uranus on the descendant as an unexpected attack from a known enemy.
• Transiting Uranus was conjunct Neptune, a planet related to the sea. I find it significant that he died because of an unexpected explosion (Uranus) while at sea (Neptune).
• Saturn is a planet that has to do with restrictions, and in the case of Nicholas, it is also associated to his death, because in his chart, it rules the tropical 8th of death (Timothy’s tropical 8th house is ruled by Jupiter instead of Saturn) and the tropical 9th house of foreign places. On the day of his death, which took place outside of England, transiting Saturn was conjunct natal Uranus, placed in the 5th house of vacation and conjunct Pluto, ruler of the 7th of the grandfather: the transit of Saturn reconnected themes related to death and foreign places, with a vacation and his grandfather.

Tropical transits on the draconic chart for Timothy, August 27, 1979

• Jupiter, a benefic planet, was transiting conjunct one of the rulers of the draconic ascendant, Neptune, bestowing its protective influence and helping Timothy survive the blast.
• Transiting Saturn, ruler of the 12th house of sorrow, was forming a square to Mars, ruler of the draconic 3rd house of siblings, showing that the loss of his sibling left him feeling abandoned, and entailed deep suffering.
• Neptune, a planet related to confusion and dissolution of the sense of self, rules the ascendant in Timothy’s draconic chart and represents his vitality and outlook on life, as well as being the natural significator of the sea. Transiting Neptune was making an opposition to Uranus and Pluto, both placed in the 5th house of vacation, suggesting that the event that took place during his holidays resulted in a lot of confusion and probably depression. Because Pluto is the ruler of the 10th house, it also refers to Timothy’s mother, Patricia Knatchbull, who was badly injured during the attack and spent the rest of her life supporting several organizations benefiting children.

2. Gisele and Patricia Bündchen

Supermodel Gisele Bündchen and her twin sister Patricia were born in Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil, on July 20th, 1980 at 5 PM and 5:05 PM respectively (Rodden Rating A). I have allotted the draconic chart to Gisele. Because the time difference is so small, both charts are almost identical, and their difference is not considered for the purpose of this research.

Patricia

Patricia works as Gisele's manager and spokesperson. In the tropical chart, Capricorn rising and the ascendant ruler Saturn in Virgo are consistent with administrative work. The 4th house represents her sister’s money, and Mars, its ruler, is conjunct the MC. She also works as Gisele’s spokesperson, as can be seen by the ruler of the MC, Venus, in Gemini.

Gisele

Gisele Bündchen is one of the worlds most famous models, and became known for popularizing the "horse walk", a foot stomping movement, on the runway. This reason for becoming famous is very well described by draconic Mars in the bestial sign Taurus culminating on the MC.

She’s the Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Environment Program: Mercury, ruler of the 11th, is prominent by being placed on an angle and is in the environment-oriented sign of Aquarius.

Using transits for timing events

On February 26, 2009, Gisele married Tom Brady.

Tropical transits on the tropical chart for Patricia, February 26, 2009

• Transiting Uranus and the Sun were in the 3rd house of siblings. The Sun especially lights up the area of the chart it is transiting, and on that day, it highlighted events related to Patricia’s sibling, Gisele.
• Transiting Uranus, ruler of the tropical 2nd house, was opposite Saturn, ruler of the ascendant, and there was a group of planets affecting her natal 2nd house, so one can infer that the marriage of her sibling had economic consequences for Patricia, who is Gisele’s manager.

Tropical transits on the draconic chart for Gisele, February 26, 2009

• Neptune is a planet that signifies confusion, idealism and often, romanticism. Because it is placed in the 12th house, it also represents issues which are mostly unconscious. On the day of her wedding, it was transiting exactly conjunct the draconic descendant and draconic Mercury, both representative of relationships. This transit suggests that Gisele was being overly romantic and probably unrealistic regarding her marriage, which sadly ended in a divorce 12 years later.
• Transiting Pluto was opposite draconic Uranus, ruler of the draconic 7th house, pointing to a very deep connection in their relationship, which probably turned out to be a transformative experience for Gisele, but also to power struggles and difficulties between them.

3. Siamese twins: Paula and Antonia

The following case is about Siamese twins: Paula and Antonia were born joined at the navel and separated 9 months later. This example is important because we are dealing with the exact same time of birth, so methods of differentiation by using timing techniques do not apply.

After interviewing them, I decided to assign the tropical chart to Paula and the draconic to Antonia.

Paula (tropical chart)

• The Sun is in Aries and the Moon in Scorpio: she’s independent, prone to go to extremes, keeps to herself.
• Libra in the 6th: has suffered from severe kidney failure.

Using transits for timing events

In the last months of 2019, Paula became seriously ill. On December 9, 2019, she underwent surgery to have a kidney removed.

Transits on tropical chart December 2019

• Saturn and Pluto, two planets that indicate difficulties and point to extreme situations when together, were transiting opposite Saturn (exalted ruler of 6th house), demonstrating that she was going through a life-and-death experience.
• Transiting Saturn was squaring Jupiter, ruler of the 8th house of death. Tropical Jupiter is placed in Libra, a sign related to the kidneys.

In March 2020, Paula decided to start attending a new school to improve her social life and make new friends.

Transits on tropical chart March 2020

• Transiting Jupiter, Pluto and Saturn in Capricorn were opposite the 3rd house of schooling, showing a great change in that area of her life,
• Transiting Jupiter, Pluto and Saturn were opposite natal Saturn, a planet placed in the 3rd of school, once again highlighting this area of her life.
• Because Pluto and Saturn are involved, the transits suggest a difficult outcome; in fact, she had to wait for over a year to start attending the new school, due to restrictions related to COVID.

Antonia (draconic chart)

• The draconic Moon is in Libra and the draconic Sun in Pisces; overall, she's more placid, easy-going and willing to compromise.
• Mars, the ruler of the draconic ascendant, is fortified in Capricorn where it is in exaltation.
• I was impressed by the fact that Saturn, placed in the 3rd house of siblings, is conjunct with the fixed star Betelgeuse which rules the navel.

Using transits for timing events

Antonia changed schools in 2019. This resulted in a very beneficial experience: she made new friends and started a relationship with a boy from her class.

Transits on the draconic chart, March 2019

• Jupiter, a planet of benefic influence, was about to transit into the draconic 9th house and impact the 3rd house of schools. Jupiter is placed in the 5th house of lovers, indicating that the change would enhance her love life.
• Uranus was transiting the ascendant, accounting for a big change in her appearance and motivations.
• Idealistic Neptune was transiting the 11th of friends and in conjunction with Mercury, ruler of the 3rd house of schools; with Venus, ruler of the 7th house of relationships and with the Sun. This transit gives an idea of fusion rather than segregation, bringing together school, friends and lovers. In fact, she immediately made new friends and started a romantic relationship.

Conclusion

Draconic astrology is known as a powerful lens of timing and triggers in our everyday life. One could say that it provides incredibly accurate information related to the subconscious lunar realm when combined with the tropical chart.

But there seems to be more to it than meets the eye: this technique might help yield a different perspective on the astrological "problem" of twins.

I hope this work becomes the stepping stone that inspires other astrologers to further research this novel possibility.

References:
 1 Maurice Fernandez, The Astrology OF TWINS- Same Chart, Different Souls, https://www.opaastrology.org/publications/articles/71-astrology-exploration/164-the-astrology-of-twins
 2 Aly Ben Ragel, El libro cunplido de los uidizios de las estrellas, Editorial Indigo, Tomo 4, Capítulo 1, p.331
 3 Youtube, How to Tell the Difference between the Astrology Charts of Twins, May 18, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-j01atSUOY
 4 https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/astrology/others/why-twins-born-just-a-few-minutes-apart-have-different-life/articleshow/68205947.cms
 5 https://www.express.co.uk/expressyourself/27567/I-can-t-help-being-a-bad-boy, December 2007

Author:
Maria Blaquier, born in Argentina, has been involved with astrology since 1987. She is the founder of the online astrology school Academia de Astrología Avanzada MB (at www.mariablaquier.com).
 Maria holds the STA’s Practitioners Level Certification in Horary, the STA’s Advanced Level Diploma, the STA’s Medical Astrology Certification and is currently completing the Master’s Horary Level Program. Her studies also include Psychological, Draconic, Hellenistic and Medieval Astrology. Her publications include several articles in The Astrological Journal, Stellium, IAMINFINITY, MidHeaven, astro.com; a book on Traditional astrology and Time Lord techniques (Astrología tradicional: Técnicas predictivas de los Señores del tiempo: ed. Kier, Bs. As.); and YouTube tutorials at Academia de Astrologia Avanzada MB.
She’s part of the Spanish Satellite at OPA and represents the STA in the Spanish speaking community as from 2023.

© María Blaquier, 2023