Challenge Corner
Zip Dobyns
One reader guessed correctly on the last challenge, that the Capricorn rising brother was the one who was self-critical, a loner, searching for meaning in life. I'm not sure I would have gotten it right, since we could suspect that the Sagittarius rising would be philosophical and willing to wander around the world while the Capricorn ran a business. It is that range of possibilities that prevents astrology from being specific on details. We can see the principles, the issues, but many different forms of manifestation are always possible. Three of the angles also changed dwads, but also could be interpreted in a variety of ways. The first-born, more self-satisfied twin had the Leo dwad on the MC while twin two had the Virgo dwad. Twin one had the East Point in the Virgo dwad while it was in the Libra dwad for twin two. The Ascendant was in the Scorpio dwad for twin one and double Capricorn for twin two. The Leo dwad MC does fit a managerial role for twin one, but we could speculate that the Virgo dwad would be driven to accomplish which would militate against wandering around the world. In the end, the best clues are probably the obvious exact aspects to the Ascendant; twin two has Uranus opposite and Pluto trioctile Ascendant, each within the important one degree orb. The aspects are there for twin one, but not within one degree. Since both these planets are slow moving, they hold the progressed aspect for years for twin two, indicating the restlessness and inner searching, and problems in relating to others in a sustained way.
There were many other aspects to the angles which differentiated between the twins, but I did not get a clear picture from them. Looking at the nodes of the planets, a few Arabic Parts, and the midpoints having one degree aspects to the MC and the Ascendant, and probably not doing an exhaustive job, I counted 25 aspects for twin one and 16 for twin two where the aspect was exact within one degree for one twin and not for the other one. For example, Mars was at the midpoint of three pairs of factors for both twins, but the MC. was involved (semisextile Mars and the midpoints) only for twin one. He also had his Part of Fortune on Mars within one degree. Can we guess that the aspect to the MC encouraged the earth (Virgo) expression of that Mars while twin two expressed his more through the ninth house, travel and searching for answers? Although planets were moved into different houses in the four house system calculated by our computers, none of the systems differentiated between the twins. Koch moved Saturn and Juno into the ninth house while Campanus moved Mars back into the eighth house, but they did not help to distinguish between the twins. However, we might guess that losing Jupiter as a ruler of the first house would be a clue in the right direction. Placement of the ruler of the Ascendant in the second house would suggest a high emphasis on money, material possessions, pleasures, etc., and its position in Aquarius supports a friendly attitude or importance placed on friends as a source of pleasure with perhaps a little "keeping up with the Jones" in the second house. Though I include Saturn as a ruler of the first house (identity and instinctive action) for both twins, it is more emphatic for twin two, so its position in Virgo reinforces the serious and self-critical nature shown by Capricorn rising. In the eighth house (Placidus) we could see Saturn as directed toward self-knowledge and self-mastery, and insecure (the danger of giving away our power to others with the possibility of retreating for security). In the ninth house, it would add to the possibility of travel and philosophical interests.
None of the preceding is conclusive, but in the end, the best keys to the answer would seem to be the more obvious and simple tools, Uranus and Pluto in exact stress aspects to the Ascendant for twin two while twin one with the Ascendant ruler in Aquarius in the Taurus house can like himself and enjoy himself and people more easily.
Our new challenge involves female twins, born July 29, 1953, at 40N35 and 89W40. One was born at 0:28 and the other at 0:32 CDT. One is living a normal life with a husband and three children. One was pregnant with another man's child when she married her husband, and in July 1982, she shot her husband. He survived, and I have not yet learned what happened afterwards. An interesting case, yes?