Mithuna, the Couple or Twins, occupies 60° to 90° of the sidereal zodiac and is classified as a vāyu (air) tattva rāśi of dual (dvisvabhāva) quality. It is the only rāśi depicted by a human pair — a man and woman, or sometimes a man holding a lute and a woman holding a bow — symbolizing the union of contraries, the dance of the intellect, and the essential human capacity for communication. Parāśara describes it as a male (puruṣa) sign of the śūdra varṇa, rising from the head (śīrṣodaya), and fundamentally associated with Budha’s domain: language, mathematics, commerce, dexterity, and the discriminating mind.
Budha (Mercury) rules Mithuna and also reaches its moolatrikona (an especially dignified placement, superior to ordinary own-sign strength) in this rāśi’s first twenty degrees. Mercury in Mithuna is therefore at its most naturally expressive — curious, communicative, analytical, and remarkably adaptable. The dual quality of Mithuna means that planets here can operate with a certain ambidexterity: they can see multiple sides of a situation, express themselves in varied registers, and shift between intellectual and practical modes with ease. The challenge of this mutability is consistency — Mithuna planets can scatter their considerable intelligence across too many channels simultaneously.
The nakṣatras spanning Mithuna are the last two pādas of Mṛgaśīrṣā (0°–6°40’), Ārdrā (6°40’–20°), and the first three pādas of Punarvasu (20°–30°). Ārdrā, ruled by Rāhu and presided over by Rudra, occupies the central zone of Mithuna and introduces a quality of penetrating, sometimes destructive intelligence — the force that breaks apart established forms to reveal the essential structure beneath. Punarvasu’s Jupiterian energy in the final degrees lends a philosophical, generous tone that can broaden the sometimes narrow focus of Mercurian analysis.
In a natal chart, Mithuna emphasis typically produces individuals with considerable verbal facility, intellectual restlessness, a talent for multiple simultaneous pursuits, and a natural ease in social and commercial settings. The classical texts note proficiency in writing, mathematics, music (particularly stringed instruments), and all fields requiring both mental agility and manual dexterity. The lagna in Mithuna tends to produce a slender, tall physique with expressive eyes and an animated manner of speech.
In Praśna Jyotiṣa, Mithuna rising often indicates a question rooted in communication, contracts, short journeys, siblings, or commercial matters. The condition of Budha in such a chart is decisive — a strong Mercury suggests the querent’s intelligence and communicative skill will serve them well; a weak or afflicted Mercury suggests confusion, misrepresentation, or the failure of communication to achieve its intended effect. Muhūrta elections involving Mithuna favor study, writing, contracts, trade, and the beginning of educational endeavors.