Siblings Astrology
I was inspired by followers asking about synastry in families, so this is going to be a special personal short story about my own birth told from my older sister's chart. I'm not going to talk about her life or mine, it's just a simple analysis of a cute omen of my existence in my sister's destiny.
Hers is a very interesting chart, but let's not think about who she is today, let's remind ourselves that this is basically solar return number zero, this is just a baby and it's her first year of life. She was born in the hospital by natural birth. Considering this as the chart that shows the first moments of a life, it's important to note and analyze what's significant that's going to happen more immediately.
The Moon
We can start with the Moon, which is in the 2nd house, but it's very close to the ascendant and about to start rising. After my sister's birth, something signified by the Moon is waiting for its own moment to rise too. The Moon can show siblings because it has a very important relationship with the 3rd house¹. The lunar goddess is said in myth to be the sister of the solar god, because she reflects his light. The Moon is conjunct the star Hamal, the star of the Ram's head. It's about to make an opposition to Jupiter and a sextile with Saturn.
Mercury
There's another important thing that will happen soon, which is the heliacal rising of Mercury. This is a special Mercury, because not only is it in domicile and exalted, it's also about to leave the Sun's rays and gain visibility. Mercury appeared exalted as an evening star only 2 days after she was born. This means that by secondary progressions you will see something related to Mercury happen in the first years of life and it's very significant. When a planet leaves the Sun's rays and becomes visible in the sky, we can interpret it symbolically as an apparition, an inauguration, a birth. Mercury rules the 3rd house of siblings, in addition to the 6th house.
2nd house Profection²
Now let's analyze the year when I was born, which was the second year of my sister's life. First of all, the ascendant profects to Taurus, thus activating Venus and the Moon as the timelords of the year, but the Moon is more important as the occupant of the house. The Moon and the main significator of siblings are both exalted in the natal chart. On that year, the Moon itself profected to Gemini, the sign of the 3rd house. Mercury profects to Libra, where it transmits matters to Venus, the other timelord of the year.
Solar Return
This is my sister's first Solar Return. The Moon is not only the timelord, but it also rules the ascendant and is in its joy in the 3rd house. On top of everything, it's also emerging from the Sun's rays, just like Mercury does in the natal chart, even the degree is the same. Very straightforward symbolism, right? Well, my sister was the one who asked for me to be born, according to my mother. I actually find it a bit suspicious that at 0 she had understood the concept of siblings and said she wanted one, but it's a good story that my mother likes to tell. The fact that when I was born she was a 1 year old learning how to talk also counts for the symbolism of the intense 3rd house activation.
Transits
I was born in April, when her Mercury profected to Taurus and the Moon transmitted to Saturn, on the day that Venus got into her 3rd house and the Moon reached the point of contra-antiscia with her Mercury. With Mercury in the 6th house opposite Saturn as my significator in her chart, my birth wasn't supposed to be easy and I had a lot of health issues as an infant. This is confirmed by my own 6th house.
In my own birth chart, the 3rd house is ruled by Saturn, very fitting for an older sister, just like Mercury is for a younger one. Saturn is already strong in its heliacal rise as a morning star, born first. Morning stars can signify things that are precocious or that come early, or even before, and evening stars come later.
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¹ Read this article by Demetra George about the Moon and the 3rd house.
² See tag #profections to get more examples of how I use the technique.
