Introduction
As I have stated in other twin papers, twin births are especially useful to this astrology. Why? Parents of twins usually know before birth they are having twins, so they pay especial attention to birth time. They do so because later those time differences are a conversation piece as well as forming part of the identity of the twins. So, birth time for twins is likely correct to the minute and the charts cast from them are also close to exact. Comparisons made between them are then based on correct astrology. That means twin births are especially good for testing a major principle of this astrological method, that planets on (≤2° orb) Angles are of primary importance in describing all our lives.

When one twin has a different sign on an Angle, their births are also useful for demonstrating the principle that astrological sets (aspects) ruling an Angle are of far more importance than those which do not.

Examples of this are shown in the samples below and in all of the twin papers on this site.

The information on these two brothers was originally taken from the astrological journal, Urania, published November, 1995. I no longer have the journal, just an old, unpublished paper with which I revived these tiny biographies.

I have written other papers on twins with the goal of identifying the differences in their astrology which accounted for the differences in their experienecs. Below are links to each of them :

In discussing the astrology for these twins, I have used only the first letter of each twin's first name in order to protect the privacy of the surviving twin and his parents

Excerpted from the original article, we have..."a three-year old twin, strangled by an electric car window. Birth date of twin who died, ”J”, is October 18, 1990, 11:19 PM EDT, 75W22.6; 39N51.4. Surviving twin, named “Z”, birth time, 10:38 PM EDT. The accident occurred near dusk, April 11, 1994, at 75W20; 40N02, 9:42 AM EDT."

At this point, I have no idea what the “9:42 AM EDT” above refers to. It is not the time dawn or dusk occurred, so I have just ignored it. Below, I have used 7:10 PM EDT as a time near dusk at that location (i.e., in a locality slightly different from their birth) on April 11, 1994 as the time of death.

Some twins are born only minutes apart, so, at least for me, it would be difficult to cite differences in their lives based on their astrology. “J” and “Z”, however, were born 41 minutes apart, a large separation in time.

Given that separation in time, the main differences between them were going to be those between their birth and conception Midheavens and Ascendants.

Midheavens change about one degree every four minutes, so their Midheavens would be about 10 degrees apart.

Ascendants show more variability in their movement over four minute intervals. But, as it turned out, the difference between “J's” and “Z’s” Ascendants was similar to the difference between their Midheavens, about 9 degrees.

The second biggest difference between their charts would occur through their harmonic moons. Forty-one minutes does not give us much difference in regular moons. “J’s” birth moon was at 6 Libra 22, while “Z’s” was at 6 Libra 01. But harmonics are created by multiplying the difference by the number of the harmonic. So, the higher the harmonic, the greater the difference between them. For example, “Z’s” conception harmonic moon in his 1st chart (using the 3rd harmonic) is at 5 Pisces 51, while “J’s” is at 7 Pisces 03—a difference of 1° 12’. But in their 12th chart (which uses the 14th harmonic), “Z’s” conception harmonic moon is at 17 Leo 17, while “J’s” is at 22 Leo 52—a much greater difference of 5° 35’.

Unless the key factor in “J’s” death occurred because of progressions to his harmonic moons (which was not the case), then, the difference in the location of their Angles, the rulers of those Angles, their progressed Angles, and their progressed rulers are going to show us why “Z” lived and “J” died.

Before I write about their charts, I need to introduce information about this astrological method.

Method
This astrological method is not the traditional Western one. It is not traditional, period. True, it uses sidereal astrology, the predominant (traditional) astrology of the East. I have written a paper, link on the Home Page, that illustrates how I see the difference between tropical (Western) and sidereal (Eastern) astrology. This method also uses the Egyptian harmonic. Both sidereal astrology and the Egyptian method are quite old. This method, however, started with me in 1983. Its working rules were not inherited. They were uncovered gradually through years of research. As they were uncovered, a system which at first seemed too complex became almost too simple. Here are those rules:

Chart Rules

If you want to go further and find out more about this method, go to

About This Method

Standard Chart Notations
In the tables below, b stands for birth, c stands for conception, and p for progressed. T stands for transiting. A number following the letters identifies the harmonic chart from which the harmonic planet was taken, e.g., b7 pluto identifies the harmonic of pluto for the 7th chart. All harmonics used are +2 greater than the number of the chart they are applied to. Therefore, the harmonic used for the 7th chart is the ninth, or novienic, harmonic.

Birth planets rule only birth houses and conception planets ruler only conception houses.

Now we can look at charts for “J” and “Z”. Below I show salient features in the 1st, 3rd, and 12th harmonic charts for “J”. All three of these charts for “J” are seriously afflicted. Since the biggest differences between his and his twin's chart are the degrees of their Angles, progressed Angles, and harmonic moons, I note “Z’s” values in the lower right corner of J's charts. That way, we can simultaneously view both charts.

A high percentage of the time, death for an adult shows best in his 7th chart. For younger children, it can occur in either the 1st or 7th chart. Sometimes in very young children, it does not even show an Angle/saturn, one suggestion that they had not yet even differentiated their personality (the sun, moon, and planets from mercury through jupiter) from their essence (saturn). J’s 1st chart was the chart that best shows his death, and we will look at that last.

I should make clear that although conception is not found until we have a birth time, conception Angles and planets, and their harmonics, start progressing at the time of conception. Birth Angles, birth planets, and their harmonics do not start progressing until birth has occurred.

Their Harmonic Charts for the 12th House
The 12th house, and by implication, the 12th chart, is correlated with hidden things. That can mean working behind the scenes, for instance, in a hospital. It can mean something about “karma,” but what? To me, karma has several implications. One is the more usual lawful re-balancing of wrongs. Another, however, involves taking on certain conditions for the purpose of (perhaps accelerated) soul growth.

The partial chart above shows that “J’s” 12th chart is considerably afflicted. C Asc opposes b14 mars. C MC is conjunct c14 saturn. B MC in Pisces is conjunct c14 neptune. Those are all Angle/harmonic sets. He also has the original B Asc opposite b saturn which exists in all charts. Summed, these Angles add up to Angle/mars/saturn/saturn/neptune. Angle/mars/saturn/neptune is about siege conditions.

As opposed to “J”, “Z” has only C MC, at 23 Aries 36 in the same set with c NN at 22 Capricorn 17, b14 venus at 23 Capricorn 54, both non-harmonic plutos in 22Libra ++, and c14 sun at 22 Aries 11. “Z’s” 12th chart is not at all afflicted!

As far as I am concerned, before incarnating “J” and “Z” had this “hidden” agenda which involved, for reasons known only to their higher beings, “J’s” early death. More on this in the section labeled Discussion.

On the day of his death, “J’s” pb14 node was at 24 Sagittarius 23 (from 4 Capricorn 14), having entered his B Asc/b saturn set, giving him a matured Angle/node/saturn (progressed b saturn was then at 24 Sagittarius 48.) Nodes are very powerful in this system. This one indicated something that "must happen" relevant to the definition of the 12th chart. By itself, however, this chart does not contain progressions which indicate anything so serious and traumatic as death.

Their Harmonic Charts for the 3rd House
The harmonic chart for the 3rd house contains pertinent information similar to that contained in 3rd houses in traditional charts. That is, it contains information about the individual’s intelligence as well as its afflictions such as retardation, autism, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and so on. It also contains information about their education through high school, their relations to siblings, and their relationship with nearby (that is, neighborhood) environment.

The 3rd house of the 7th chart also contains the above information.

”J”, again, has the far more afflicted harmonic chart.

C MC contains a dark malefic, Angle/moon/mars/saturn, with mars ruling c 4 and saturn ruling b 8th houses. This set could indicate his potential death through something in his familiar environment. It could, but if it does, this chart, like his 12th, also does not contain progressions indicating death.

This chart has additional affliction. C Asc is conjunct mars. B Asc is conjunct neptune opposing saturn.

Summed, again, “J” has Angle/mars/saturn/saturn/neptune—siege conditions—forefront in his chart for the 3rd house.

What does it mean? I am not sure “J” showed any “mental” differences from his twin before he died. I do feel he would have shown them as they were growing up, likely as disturbed equilibrium, disorderly states, acting out, depression, and, had he lived, not doing nearly as well in school as his brother.

This chart indicates “J” has trouble with patience—when to stop and when to go. His mars influence to two Angles, along with south node conjunct moon in Aries (c moon at 12 Aries 21 ruling c 12th house conjunct b3 SN at 14 Aries 22, which both boys have) indicate a strong tendency to act before thinking, that is, rashly.

”Z’s” 3rd house chart is quite viable. C MC continues, as above, to be in the same set with by node/venus/pluto (c3 venus is at 22 Libra 5—the other two planets are non-harmonic).

”Z’s” C Asc at 0 Leo 11 is more than two degrees away (out of orb) from that mars opposition saturn which so troubled “J’s” 3rd. Had his c3 moon been in the same degree as “J’s”—1 Aquarius 44—it would have brought that mars/saturn into orb, but “Z’s” c3 moon was at 29 Capricorn 45, a whole 3° below all those planets. (If anything, it formed a very weak Angle/mars/saturn. ) “Z’s” B Asc, as in all his harmonic charts, continues opposition neptune (b neptune at 17 Sagittarius 22, c neptune at 17 Sagittarius 37).

Mercury, not venus, rules “Z’s” c 3rd house within the chart. C sidereal mercury is in the same set with sun/venus/neptune, the signature for poets. That set influences an Angle, so his poetry will be published. In his 7th chart, with c mars, ruler of C MC, in Scorpio conjunction c harmonic moon at 17 Scorpio 32 and c7 NN at 20 Scorpio 37, one of his major themes will be death and loss.

Summed, “Z’s” 3rd house Angular influences are sun/mercury/venus/neptune/nodes/pluto. These are complex, but not indicative of affliction as was the case with “J.”

On the date of “J’s” death, “Z” had progressed c Asc at 3 Leo 40--at that time showing a progressed Angle/mars/saturn which coincided with the one “J” was born with. Transiting pluto was at 2 Scorpio 56, all of these possibly indicating (I have not done enough research on sibling deaths to say more positively) his brother’s (i.e., sibling’s) death.

Their Harmonic Charts for the 1st House
The harmonic chart for the 1st house contains several kinds of information. It shows early childhood. It shows our real individual identity formed during that childhood. It is the 7th chart which illustrates who we are with others. Since we define ourselves so much through others, we are often not that in touch with our individual identity. It shows some of the physical trauma we experience in life. It contains information about somatic problems that result from our identity, one of which (I believe so far) is susceptibility to alcoholism. Another is susceptibility to allergies. One of the paper I wrote earlier, on the death of two individuals from anaphylactic shock, centers part of its investigation around the 1st chart.

As can be seen above, “J” has conception harmonic moon in Pisces conjunct B MC, both in a wider conjunction with uranus. In the 7th chart moon in Pisces with influence to a 3rd house in a strongly positive charts sponsors some of our most talented psychics. Generally, however, any time a chart spins out a harmonic moon in Pisces, in particular when that moon is in a set with an Angle, it suggests difficulties. It sponsors suffering caused, essentially, by being either too sensitive or too spaced out. Conjunct MC and uranus, all in Pisces, it suggests unforeseen (Pisces), sudden (uranus) misfortune (Pisces) through lack of awareness (moon in Pisces) of present conditions. All of those are in c 8th house, suggesting the arena for this manifestation could be the transformation (8th house), that is, death, of the individual.

We saw in the two previous charts “J’s” B Asc opposed by b saturn, which was progressing to a closer opposition. The Western, tropical chart shows the exact same thing. This astrological method shows two more important facts. (1) Conception sun is in that set and also progressing toward an opposition to B Asc. (2) Conception harmonic mars, that is, c1 mars, at 25 Sagittarius 53, is there, too.

”J’s” 1st chart contains an Angular dark malefic—sun/mars/saturn—with influence to another Angle and 3rd, 4th, 8th, and 9th houses. (C sun rules C Asc in b 3rd house, b saturn rules b 8th house, and c1 mars rules c 4th and 9th houses.) Sun/mars/saturn always suggests mortal threat. Influence to an Angle, 4th, and 8th houses suggests the mortal threat will end in death, a final (4th) transformation (8th). Influence to the 3rd houses raises the possibility his death will occur in his “familiar” environment. (Of course, the 9th also suggests the opposite.) “J’s” is a seriously afflicted 1st chart.

(”Z’s” progressed birth Asc, starting from 16 Gemini 34, did not reach opposition that mars/saturn conjunction until February 15, 2002, when he was eleven years old (at which time progressed c sun was also way beyond the set). It suggests trauma, but what? Possibly something in his life then will trigger memories of his brother's death.)

”Z’s” 1st chart shows no such threat. His B MC is in a set with b1 SN at 26 Scorpio 37 (suggesting an important [SN] death [Scorpio] in his childhood [1st chart]?) His B Asc is in the same set with neptune as shown in the previous two charts. C MC is in a set with node/pluto (shown above), with harmonics adding c1 mercury at 23 Aries 08 and harmonic b1 venus at 22 Cancer 16. That says something about his feeling nature (perhaps that his loves [venus] are subject to transformations [pluto], including death, perhaps through a sibling [mercury}), but nothing about his mortality. His C Asc is without planets.

”Z’s” c1 harmonic moon at 5 Pisces 51 is closer to his two harmonic uranuses, but it is not Angular, putting it into the background. C uranus rules c 7th house. C moon rules c 12th. In “Z’s” chart this set suggests unforeseen (12th), sudden loss (uranus/Pisces) of important others (7th). “Z’s” is not an afflicted 1st chart.

”Z’s” B Asc opposed by both neptunes suggests he will mystify and romanticize (neptune) others (in 7th house) all his life, perhaps as a result of that early loss of his twin.

Since this is the chart that best shows “J’s” death, we want to look at progressions for the date of death (April 11, 1994) in both their charts, taking “J’s” first:

In his 1st chart at the time of his death, “J” had two progressed sun/mars/saturn sets, each with influence to an Angle and 4th house. Maybe we should look at that 3rd influence a different way: it was “J” who, by dying, felt he has “lost” his brother.

When “Z” lost contact with “J”, he had the same progressed sun/mercury/mars/saturn set as did “J” [Set (2) just above, so it is one of the indicators of the loss through death of his sibling (mercury).

”Z”, however, had two powerful progressions that were positive and “protective.” His pB MC was at 29 Aquarius 31 in the same set with c1 jupiter at 29 Leo 47 (in 3rd/1st). And his pB Asc was at 19 Gemini 16, just passing out of a set with b1 jupiter at 18 Sagittarius 45. I looked at the charts of the children gunned down in the massacre at Dunblane, Scotland. The little girl who stayed home from school that day was the only one with a jupiter/Angle, that is, she was born with jupiter conjunct her Ascendant.

Conclusion
In examining the difference in astrology between twins, one of whom lived while they other died, we looked at three harmonic charts. All three charts of the twin who died were severely afflicted, whereas for the twin who lived, they were not.

Of those three charts, the one most operative in “J’s” death was his 1st chart. It contained the full set (same as for an adult) of significators for death.

We did not look at either boy’s 7th chart. Sometimes the death of a child shows up in the 1st, and some times it shows up in the 7th. Sometimes, even, it lacks the full set of significators for death. Such was the case for the newborn infant stomped to death on the delivery room floor by her father. Her death showed best in her 7th chart (perhaps because she was murdered), and it lacked saturn significators. Astrologically, it does not take much to kill an infant or toddler.

Discussion
The why of “J’s” death ultimately belongs to him, his brother, and their parents. The differences between his chart and that of his twin are remarkable. Far from accidental, they appear as if planned. By whom? Why, I would have to say by him, his brother, and their parents, for their own soul purposes, before they incarnated.

Even if he could have lived longer, “J” could not have lived well. The three charts examined in this paper were severely afflicted, and eventually would have made his continued life miserable.

Twinflower, a member of the honeysuckle family (cropped)
From Wildflowers of Michigan Field Guide, by Stan Tekiela

Contact the author at sleeweidner@yahoo.com