The next two cases are of men born into vastly different situations, illustrating how horoscopes of people born on the same day and in the same year can reveal both surprising similarities and variances in life. Although they are from different family backgrounds and both have Sagittarian risings with Cancer Moons, the most obvious distinction between the two guys is in  one chart has Pluto in the seventh house while the other places it in the eighth. Both men have Uranus in the fire sign of Aries in the 4th house, which suggests they will be making some changes at home, will be striking out on their own, and will establish themselves in ways that are unlike the norm.

Important life patterns for each person will be documented during the course of the study, making for a fascinating analysis of two lives that provides a wealth of context and shows the limits and possibilities of astrological prediction. To the best of my knowledge, I shall compare and contrast the lives of each person, however some of their significant life events may or may not coincide. To begin, the older cosmic brother is the surviving astro-twin, demonstrating that death and destiny are not always as they seem.

One of the finest actors of all time, Robert Duvall (astro-twin 1) is an American actor and director who has appeared in more than 60 plays.

American black homosexual choreographer, dancer, director, and creator of the Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre (astro twin 2) has also been in films and stage productions and is widely regarded as a pioneering artistic force in his field.

The conjunction of the Sun, Mercury, and Saturn in the first house of the ego, which represents the way an individual projects himself upon the surroundings, is indicative of drive, ambition, and a serious attitude towards life. Strong Saturn energy in the natal chart indicates a person’s motivation, focus, and ambition to achieve their goals and put their energies to good use. It also reveals their organisational skills and their shared drive to reach greatness and authority figures (Sun and Saturn) roles in society. Sun-Saturn contacts that don’t pan out leave us feeling depressed and anxious, yet that same sense of failure is ultimately what drives us ahead. The two men work in an industry that is typically demanding of their time and energy and can be harsh on their sense of self-worth.

Venus, placed in Sagittarius in the 12th house, squares Neptune, placed in Pisces in the 9th. It reveals an imaginative, creative, and colourful personality. Talent in the arts, such as in music, drama, filmmaking, or photography, and a vivid imagination (Neptune) are further hallmarks of this attribute. Mars in Leo trines Uranus in Aries, indicating a flair for the spectacular and an appreciation for personal expression. The depths of sexuality and the expressive power of Mars in Leo and in the house of shared resources (8th) are explored. Despite their hefty Saturn character and the fact that the Sun and Jupiter are square Uranus, Alvin is supposed to have revolutionised (Uranus) dance (Leo).

The actor Robert Duvall (astro-twin 1) is the offspring of a famous actress and a military figure. He comes from a Religious household and spent his formative years moving throughout the country as his father served in the military. When Alvin Ailey (astro-twin 2) was just six months old, his father left him and his mother, who was only seventeen. His mum picked cotton and cleaned houses all throughout the country before settling in Los Angeles in 1942. Ailey’s fear of white people stems from the time when he was 5 and a group of white guys raped his mother. Later in life, he developed a strong sense of black pride.

Two new father figures (Sun) have emerged: Robert’s dad is a stern authority figure (Saturn) at the office. And Alvin has no father figure or physical example to look up to (lack of). The other father probably spent a lot of time away from home due to his job in the military. Authority, time, effort, ambition, failure, anxiety, despair, and so on are all astrological terms associated with Saturn. According to Alvin’s horoscope, his biological father disappointed him (Saturn) and never lived up to his role as a parent.

Uranus in the fourth house lends credence to the points made earlier and to the article’s overarching theme of domestic unsteadiness. Although I have no idea how Robert Duvall’s father behaved at home, we do know that he had strong Saturnian qualities, including ambition and hard work.

Really, all Sun-Saturn types face the uphill battle of proving their own value, accomplishing their own goals, and excelling at their own endeavours. It’s a natal feature that needs work on the road to self rule.

Both charts also feature the Sun opposing Pluto, which might indicate the presence or absence of a strong paternal influence. Pluto is the planet of loss, power, abuse, control, passion, and drive, all of which apply to their father figures and the men themselves.

Unsettled Home Life: Rape of Mother

Uranus’ placement in the fourth house reveals that both of them are perpetual nomads. While Uranus is in the fourth house, it needs to rebel against the conventional family duties it has been taught to assume. Alvin’s (astro-twin 2) mother and her horrific experience are represented by the Moon-Pluto conjunction in the 8th house, which is associated with concerns of abuse, emotional terrorism (Moon-Pluto), and possibly even the damaged woman, with the ability to heal emotional scars. The mother and females in general are potent triggers for a wide range of strong emotions. In 1936, when Alvin’s mom was raped, the Moon in his natal chart was absolutely conjoined by transiting Pluto (abuse) (Mother).

Although there is nothing known about Duvall’s mother, the astrological planet Pluto lands in the seventh rather than the eighth house in his chart.

Robert Duvall (astro-twin 1) has adopted three children and been married three times, while Alvin (astro-twin 2) identifies as gay (astro-twin 2). In 1953, Alvin seized an excellent professional chance when he succeeded the late leader of the Horton Dance Company. As nobody else volunteered to be the creative director, Alley got the job. Uranus (sudden) was conjunct Jupiter (opportunity) in the seventh house at this time. It describes an unexpected death (Uranus on 8th house cusp) and the chance (Jupiter) to advance in his own career, since Uranus was near the 8th house cusp (death) and triggered the natal Jupiter-Pluto contact.

Both men were projected to experience greater freedom and more capacity for self-expression after Duvall (astro twin 1) left the confines of the military and began studying acting. This occurred around the time of his own transit of Uranus over the Jupiter-Pluto natal configuration.

As transiting Saturn (business, responsibility, and hard labour) crossed Ally’s (astro-twin 2) Ascendant (angles show major life junctures) in 1958, he started his own company, and Duvall (astro-twin 1) had his professional debut off-Broadway at the same time (Saturn). When a planet transits the ascendant, it could signal the start of a new endeavour or a major life or professional transition.

One of Alvin’s biggest hits was “Cry,” which he released in 1971 and dedicated to his mom and black women everywhere. This was a lucky and creative moment due to the conjunction of transiting Jupiter and Neptune with his natal Venus in Sagittarius in the 12th house. His Cancer Moon is receiving a nurturing sextile from Saturn and Pluto in transit. Duvall’s performance in the cult movie THX 1138 was also garnering a lot of attention at the time.

Alvin died in 1989 from AIDS, but before he passed away he asked that his mother not be told the truth about what killed him. His natal Neptune was trined by transiting Saturn, while his natal Mars was squared by transiting Pluto in the eighth house (life and death, birth, re-birth, and endings).

In the meanwhile, in 1989, Duvall starred in four episodes of the series Lonesome Dove as Gus, a character who was taught to wield lethal (Pluto) weapons (Mars). In this film, Gus is poisoned by his own blood (Mars) and dies (Pluto) after refusing an amputation the doctor recommended. The bizarre twist of fate in each of their lives is this. Both men died, but one literally and the other symbolically on television.

The two roads start to go in different directions now. Watching the different dynamics represented in the charts was quite interesting. Both maps have some intriguing crossovers and new insights, but I lack the resources to conduct a thorough analysis of the relationship between them.