Twins always represent a challenge to the basic premises of natal astrology, because they are two people born at almost the same time and place – thus with almost the same astrological charts, but never lead exactly the same lives, and sometimes have quite different destinies.

This case in point are two twins separated by only 2 minutes.

Twin 1 – Male, Jun 9 1989, 10:00am New Delhi

Twin 2 – Female, Jun 9 1989 10:02am New Delhi

Point 1 – Which Karma is Included in a Birth Chart?

A birth chart shows the karmas the person will be exposed to in that lifetime. It does not, and by design cannot, show precisely how they will resolve or replicate those karmas. It cannot show that, because such things are actions in the present, and the birth chart only shows the karmas from the past. Therefore, two different people can start at the same point, but make slightly different decisions along the way, which can add up and create different courses for them to follow through their life, even though they had the same (or a very similar) starting point.

Point 2 – Gender Matters

In interpreting horoscopes, things outside the horoscope matter. The symbolism abstracted in a horoscope is made concrete and specific by an astrologer relating those symbolisms to the specific details a native is in, their lineage for example, and their gender. So, when we have twins of different gender, we already know the symbolism will not paint too similar of a picture for them, because the different genders utilize the astrological symbols sightly (and sometimes very) differently.

Point 3 – Subdivision Charts

Now, let’s look at these two charts very specifically.

To illustrate “Point 2” above (about gender), notice that these twins have male rising, moon, and sun signs. This is very advantageous for the male twin, but not so, perhaps even disadvantageous, for the female twin.

Next, look at the sub-charts. As you might see yourself, the most significant difference between these two is the d60 (shashtyaamsha) and the d24 (chaturvimshamsha). The extreme importance of the d60 in particular is one that every classical jyotish author agrees on.

The female d60 has Moon and Mars rising in Virgo. The male d60, on the other hand is vargottama, and its lord is in the 11th with Jupiter. So the female’s d60 chart suggests health problems, perhaps to the blood or the mind (moon). The male’s d60 suggests no such thing, or even suggests profit and success.

We can also look at d24 in a case like this, where we are hard pressed for divergent information. Debilitated Saturn and Sun are conspicuous in this chart, for both twins. However, in the male chart, the Sun’s debility seems somewhat relieved by the fact that it rises and is with Jupiter. In the female’s chart the Sun also seems a bit relieved by Jupiter’s company, but again it is depressed by being in the 12th house. Saturn in both charts seems troublesome. In the boy’s it affects the 7th (marriage). In the girl’s it affects the 6th (health).

Indeed significant things differentiating these twins is that the female suffers from multiple sclerosis, and the male has suffered one failed marriage.