Fathoming the byzantine thinking processes of pro-Trump religious zealots may or may not be aided by reading VP J.D.Vance’s latest book Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith. Described by a Times review as “part rant, part sermon, a contradictory, self-righteous, angry, humourless and slightly sinister mess of a book.”
With divorced parents and a drug addict mother, he was brought up in part by his grandparents, with his grandmother holding to fervent beliefs, including one that Jesus would save her even if she drove the wrong way up a motorway. Aged 11 he had read the Bible from cover to cover and believed along with other family members that the world would come to an end in 2007 – “at the latest”. The first Harry Potter book was deemed satanic and avoided.
After an atheistic few years at Ohio State University and Yale Law School, he stumbled into a ‘deeper truth’. A passage from St Paul to the Philippians proved a lightbulb moment: “Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” At this point, he was anti-Trump, describing him as “a cynical asshole”; and was baptised a Catholic.
A key turning point came during covid in 2020 which sent him into survivalist mode and he flipped from grace to rage and fury. By 2024 he was Trump’s running mate which prompts him “ to equate Trump’s Republicanism with all that is honest and just and pure and lovely.” In his list of biblical commandments he avoids any mention of adultery, bearing false witness or coveting thy neighbour’s goods.
Born 2 August 1984 8.11 am Middletown, Ohio, he has a 12th house Leo Sun, surprisingly common in politicians despite its liking to stay hidden. His Sun is in a downbeat square to a 3rd house (= thinking and speaking) Saturn in obsessive Scorpio. Heavyweight Pluto is also in his 3rd so he will be opinionated and uncompromising in his views. His 4th house is understandably troubled given his upbringing with an angry, bitter Mars in Scorpio on his IC plus restless Uranus which will make him prone to constant domestic upheavals. His Uranus opposes a 10th house North Node in Gemini square Mercury in Virgo in his 1st – hinting at an ambitious career being an escape from an unsettled childhood. A focal point Mercury to a Mutable T Square will make him highly-strung, scattered, disorganised changeable in his views. But if he gets a grip he could become a good communicator.
He also has Neptune conjunct Jupiter in is performing 5th house which also rules children. He will see himself as an idealistic and a visionary but will lack practical realism. Neptune Jupiter can be brought low by scandals.
In 2020 when he had his conversation back to faith tr Neptune was moving into his 8th which could bring about a yearning for a connection to another world. Tr Uranus was opposition his Saturn and square his Sun for what was clearly a eureka moment. His Solar Arc Pluto was conjunct his South Node which does not sound like an enlightened moment, quite the reverse.
He is an angry, bitter man with troubling midpoints. A ruthless Sun square Mars/Pluto. Mars square Saturn/North Node, making anger his release/escape from depression. Saturn conjunct Mars/Pluto uses force to overcome obstacles. Uranus conjunct his Mars/Neptune has a tendency to attract crisis.
He has clearly been marked by Trump who is never to blame for any failure, as the fall guy for the Iran deal. His astrocartography there is not great, mainly hidden with a good deal of slipping and sliding in 2027.
This year Neptune will square his Jupiter for high hopes brought low. His Solar Arc Neptune will be opposing his Sun and square his Saturn through 2027 which will be highly uncertain and undermining. His fortunes may revive slightly after that with a couple of Jupiterian boosts in early 2028. But 2029/30 look poleaxing and difficult with tr Pluto opposition his Sun and square his Saturn.
The next election is a thought for another day.
Not much noticeable religiosity shining through his chart.
The post J.D. Vance – an outlandish faith first appeared on Astroinform with Marjorie Orr – Star4cast.
