Home > Weird and Wonderful > Twins and Astrology Twins and Astrology Question: "I've noticed that some twins seem to be very much alike while others are not. Twins usually have almost exactly the same birth chart, don't they? So if astrology is for real, then why aren't all twins more alike?" Answer: In asking your question, you're in excellent historical company. One of the earliest recorded accounts of this particular "twin question" being asked is that of St. Augustine of Hippo (Born: November 13, 354 AD Old Style) in his book The City of God. The Short Answer The short answer to this long asked question is that many twins "live out" and identify with differing Zodiacal energies contained within their birth charts. In my experience, knowing and working with twins, many twins appear to "split up" the energy potentials contained within their birth charts. Confirming this... mainstream genetics research in 2005 found that identical twins differ in how their genes "express themselves." Now... geneticists have just, hot off the press in 2008-2009, discovered that identical twins (in spite of having incredibly similar DNA) inevitably respond differently to the same environmental stimuli. All of this really just confirms what astrologers have always known… that no one “lives out” their birth chart in exactly the same way that another person would. As with everything in astrology, the way a particular Zodiacal energy might (or might not) manifest itself... we’re talking about the 4 P’s: potentials, probabilities, predisposition, and propensities. And, further, each twin may end up "living out" the other twin's "shadow." This may be a part of why a great many twins experience such great difficulty in separating from one another, physically and/or emotionally. I'm not a twin, and so I won't claim to know what goes on in the head and heart of twins. There often seems to be an extraordinary psychic/emotional bond shared between many twin siblings that the rest of us "non-twin" folks will never be able to experience, and we "non-twin" folks can never be fully initiated into the deeper mysteries of "twinship." Because "identical" and "mirror image" twins look so much alike, casual onlookers often naively assume "identical" and "mirror image" twins share the same basic personality characteristics, traits, and needs. For most of us, it's only after getting past the surface of physical appearance that we discover "identical" and "mirror image" twins that are raised together often express themselves (and their birth charts) in very different ways - splitting up the energies contained in their charts. Gemini, The Twins The Greek mythology behind the Zodiac sign of "The Twins," Gemini, helps in demonstrating this (arche)typical scenario of twin-ship and the "splitting up of energies." As the story goes there were once two brothers, Pollux – Castor. One twin was immortal – and the other twin was mortal. Pollux and Castor were the twin sons of a mortal woman Leda – however they had different fathers. Pollux was a son of the chief Olympian god Zeus, and thus Pollux was immortal and would live forever. Castor was the son of a mortal man, and he could die. The two brothers, Pollux and Castor, took part in many adventures (i.e. they were involved in the Jason and Argonauts Golden Fleece thing). Their love for one another was legendary, and they never separated from one another. At the point of Castor's impending death in battle, Pollux asked his father, Zeus, for the permission to die along side of Castor. It was Pollux's great desire that the brothers might remain united even in death. Instead of allowing Pollux to die, Zeus decided the two brothers would now share in the immortality of Pollux and remain together forever. However, in order for this to happen, Pollux and Castor would have to forever alternate between the light and the dark. For the rest of eternity, the brothers would spend one day on Olympus and then the next day in Hades. (Please be aware there are several different variants of the Pollux and Castor myth.) So... what does it mean that many twins appear to "split up" the energy potentials contained within their birth charts - and, for that matter, is there anything to the myth of the "good twin/bad twin?" Individuality In the basic core psychological need to establish a sense of separateness and individuality, it appears that each twin may end up "living out" the other twin's shadow. In fact... in worst case scenarios, in the dynamics of the twin's nuclear family unit one of the twins may have been unconsciously identified by the family unit as being the "good" twin; while the other twin has been unconsciously identified as being the "bad" twin. Notice, I said this process of identification is "unconscious" and that it occurs in "worst case scenarios." Most of the time, the typical process of "living out" the other twin's shadow might be as simple as one twin unconsciously choosing to primarily "own the energies" contained in their birth Sun's placement and "disown the energies" in their birth Moon's placement. In response, the other twin might then unconsciously choose to "own the energies" contained in their Moon's placement and "disown the energies" contained in their Sun's placement. etc. etc. etc. Separated At Birth - No Juxtapositioning The truly fascinating thing is that there have been several case studies focused on identical twins that were separated at birth. Parallels and similarities in the separated twins in regard to life events, choices, and external behaviors have often been found to border on the verge of "Ripley's Believe It or Not." One especially interesting case that of male identical twins, separated at birth, who are both now (or were at the time) living in the state of Ohio. (Based on information from The Paranormal: Beyond Sensory Science by Dr. Percy Seymour) Some of the many things these two men had in common were: both had been named Jim by their adoptive parents. Both had married twice. Their first wife was named Linda and their second wife was named Betty. both named their sons - James Allen. both enrolled as Police Officers at the same time. both named their dogs "Troy." both vacationed each year on the same stretch of beach in Florida. both drank the same brand of beer and smoked the same brand of cigarettes. both had the same hobby, which is woodworking. A little more about the two Jims at Suite 101 Astrological Twins? Case studies have also been done on "astrological twins." Astrological twins are those folks (although not related) that have almost identical birth charts. Many interesting parallels and similarities have been found with them, as well. For more on this, check out the book: The Case for Astrology by John Anthony West and Jans Gerhard Toonder. << back to Weird and Wonderful