This page is a work in progress, upon which I invite comment.
Astrology purports to be a road map, heiroglyphed in the chart wheel, of what a soul came into this life planning to be, do, and have. The popular theory of “twin flames” purports to tell us the same thing, specifically, that one soul split into two souls and they planned to meet and rejoin in this incarnation.
If each of these are true, then one should be able to find reliable signs in each person’s natal chart and in the relationship charts when a “twin flame” relationship exists between two people. In addition, if a third party is present, this soul agreement should reflect in that person’s chart, as well. As a student astrologer, I’m going to present here what will likely be an incomplete list of what you should see in natal charts, relationship charts, and transits that tell you a relationship is “twin flame.”
More experienced astrologers are asked to comment in the case that they do not believe the overall pattern is correct, or add signifiers where I have missed any (which I’m sure I have missed quite a lot!)
First of all, if we’re going to discuss how a twin flame journey shows up in a series of charts and transits, we need to be clear about what one is, and what it is not.
It’s been my experience that psychology and astrology, when applied to issues in a person’s life, always tell us the same thing. Therefore, when psychology informs us that the idea that one person cannot survive or find happiness without the other, contrary to being a healthy or desirable state of affairs, is actually an unhealthy state called codependency, it would be a good thing if astrologers, tarot readers, channelers, and others practicing any form of divination that uses occult or paranormal means to provide the public with spiritual guidance, would observe that fact.
Psychology informs us that we are born tiny, helpless babies with innate potential, and that the goal of that potential is to become an independently functional adult, capable of finding happiness or at least peace and equanimity even when alone. The ability to do this is a sign of healthy functioning of the personality; and the absence of this ability is often associated with painful disorders of mental health such as codependency and borderline personality disorder. Therefore, we need to dispense with the idea that twin flames are two halves of the same soul that are destined to find one another and be together in this life, and that if they do not, they cannot be happy.
If “twin flames” are not two halves of the same soul, and if they are perfectly capable of happiness even if they split up and never see one another again … what the heck is going on here? If two people feel so attached to one another that they truly do feel they will always be unhappy unless they can be together, but they’re not two halves of the same soul … why are the feelings of attachment so strong that this manner of describing the relationship comes up over and over again? (To the point that it’s now such a fad on the internet that all one has to do is say the words, “twin flame” and millions and millions of people know this theory instantly?)
Twin flames are meant to be in each other’s lives, all right, but not because they are each only half of a person and the other person is supposed to be their other half.
Twin flames are each a whole person who only feels like half a person, and the other person is supposed to kick them into doing the difficult emotional growth and recovery work it will take each person to find their own missing half.
Furthermore, the “twins” have the option to be together, but unless the necessary emotional healing work is done within each person, the relationship will not stay intact, or, if it does, it will never be healthy or satisfying for either partner.
Lastly, the emotional deficit of each twin is very similar. In this respect, the twins do, in fact, mirror each other. Some practitioners insist that the twins are psychically linked in such a way that one’s emotional growth spurs the other’s, and if one doesn’t become healthier, the other won’t, either. I don’t know how far we can go tracing that in astrological charts, but it’s worth keeping in mind. Understanding all that:
When two people are on a twin flame journey, as defined above, what will show up in their astrological charts?
- The theory goes that the twin flame journey was planned prior to birth, so significators should be present in synastry that reflect that the parties knew one another prior to this incarnation on Earth. The same should be present in the synastry with any third party.
- Astrological significators of relatively healthy and happy childhoods likely will not be present.
- There should be strong significators of an important new relationship in the transits and progressions of each twin, corresponding with the time the relationship began.
- Any descriptors of how the relationship began should be accurate. For example, my twin and I knew one another socially for seventeen years before a love relationship materialized; this was reflected in our relationship charts.
- Composites, Davisons, and synastry will reveal significant issues in the relationship. You will not see charts that easily promise a smooth and harmonious relationship that is likely to be lifelong. Look out for things like multiple yods, especially if they aspect one another, aspects such as Moon opposition Neptune that are known to be problematic, and lots of Uranus.
- If the twins are at all present and influencing each other’s lives for a number of years and transits and progressions are analyzed for these years, it is possible to sort these into distinct storylines. Each storyline a twin has will have a corresponding one in the transits of the other twin. If a third party is present, this person will have storylines in their transits that correspond with events in the storylines of the other two.
- When the transits are tallied up and there are just as many supporting one storyline as the other(s), this reflects that what happens is not fate, but free will, and how the tale will end is up to the parties involved and no one else.
- During times the twins come together in their lives, there will be strong significators in the transits of a fateful meeting. Look for lots of nodes and vertex transits.
- “Advice transits” may be present in the charts of one or more parties.
- Following transits all the way into old age is advised, as at the end of the life, transits will comment on the issues the person should have solved earlier, and the consequences of not having solved them. This would have been most useful coming earlier in the life, when the individual is at significant choice points; but you won’t find them there. Nonetheless, these contain some of the best advice regarding why the entities incarnated and what issues are supposed to be resolved. Definitely worth a look, especially since any good and poor outcomes will be revealed here and provide much material for reflection and motivation.
- When performing an in-depth analysis of this sort, transit interpretations by the oldest, most experienced, and most respected astrologers will reveal the most helpful information. I strongly recommend any transit interpretations by Liz Greene and Robert Hand.
- It will be impossible to predict the outcome of the relationship(s). All one will be able to glean is what the emotional and psychological issues are to be resolved and the consequences of resolving or not resolving them.
- To that end, study of any psychology regarding issues that are described will be extremely helpful and is strongly recommended.
- It will be reflected in the relationship charts what role each party plays in the lives of the other(s) as well as common and habitual actions by each party.
