Lightning rarely strikes twice, but when it does, our first thought is to check for evidence pointing to Mercury or to its zodiac sign, Gemini.

Because astrology is a science that observes the power of opposing forces, the second rock worth looking under bears the markings of Sagittarius, the constellation twinkling across the sky from Gemini.

Known as The Twins, the third astrological sign has hosted numerous phenomena that occur in pairs or in higher multiples. Canada's Dionne quintuplets -- the world's first to survive infancy -- were Gemini natives (born May 28, 1934), and the first successful separation of Siamese twins joined at the head also occurred during Mercury's reign.

Colorado -- the state already darkened by the Columbine High School massacre -- played host to a chilling "double double" recently when a gunman cut down two victims during the start of the day, repeating the foul deed 12 hours later.

The Colorado missionary training center slayings occurred at 12:30 a.m. Dec. 9, 2007, in Arvada, Colo. The event chartwheel depicts Earth as a circle in the center surrounded by a sky divided into 12 Houses. The 1st House starts at the eastern horizon, with the western horizon starting the 7th House.

During its 28-day spin around the 360-degree zodiacal wheel, the Moon spends almost two hours at each degree of surrounding sky. When the assailant murdered his first two victims, the Moon was exactly conjoined to Mercury at 12 degrees Sagittarius in the 3rd House of Gemini. With the nearby Sun (3rd House) and a Jupiter-Pluto pairing (4th House) also in Sagittarius, fully half of the 10 spheres were in the sign of the Centaur.

Sagittarius governs religion and religious sites. That the first pair of victims was killed at a missionary training facility, followed by a double slaying in a church, says much about the validity of traditional astrological rulerships. Jupiter -- the Sagittarian planet of religion -- was finishing its second cycle in the life of the 24 year-old gunman.

Value all living beings and know that love is the brightest star!

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer. Ted PanDeva Zagar, an East Chicago native, is a pioneer in Wellness Astrology, a prevention-over-remedy approach to overall wellness. For an archive of herbal and dietary recommendations for each Sun sign, log onto www.wellnessastrology.com. He can be reached at PanDeva@aol.com to receive a free copy of "Zodiac Signs and Healing Plants."

DISCLAIMER: The author's comments are not intended to serve as medical advice, and he urges his readers to seek qualified wellness professionals to resolve matters of health. Direct your wellness questions with exact time, date and place of birth to Ted PanDeva Zagar at PanDeva@aol.com.