The Astrology of JD Vance

JD Vance took the world by storm recently as Donald Trump’s VP pick. Known for his book, “Hillbilly Elegy,” he has had quite a journey from Marine, to law school grad at Yale, to author, to US Senator, and now Vice Presidential hopeful. His star appears to be rising meteorically. But many wonder who this man really is, having skyrocketed so quickly into the stratosphere. So, as we do here, let’s take a look at what the Heavens say about him.

With nearly all of our subjects here at “The Astrology Of” series, I always notice a pattern of the Midheaven, the ruler of our fame and career sector, playing a huge role. Given that all those we cover are indeed famous, this makes total sense. And right away, this is true for Vance. He has two major aspects to the Midheaven and two minor ones. All of them scream fame. But the most potent is Mars opposite Midheaven.

Mars opposite Midheaven is not something amateur astrologers would immediately point to for fame. After all, it’s opposite the Midheaven, and not in conjunction. But experienced astrologers will tell you: oppositions to the Midheaven are just as likely to produce fame. There is something about that “see-saw” effect we see with oppositions. The energy bounces back and forth in an eternal dance looking for its ever-elusive balance. Mars is our action, anger, and warrior energy. He’s the part of you that gets things done. With it opposite the Midheaven, you automatically have it conjunct the Immum Coeli, the very bottom of our chart. This is the point of our chart representing home and ancestral connections. As Vance has made very clear, his home life was tumultuous. With Mars here, this very much represents this.

But aspects and situations like this are the catalyst for change and greatness. We take that negative energy and we transform it, if we are strong enough. Mars being the archetypal embodiment of work and movement, JD was able to channel his aggression into positive action in the real world. Serving as a Marine in war is a very literal translation of this energy. He pushes with an admirable dedication that breaks through barriers to succeed.

Next up is Venus conjunct the Ascendant, square to the Midheaven. Here we have a double position, and both are very powerful. Venus conjunct the Ascendant makes people, well, attractive. There is a certain something about these people that attracts others, even if they are not physically beautiful. I’m sure we all know someone like this. Whether male or female, they may not be “hot” in the conventional sense, but a certain draw about them makes people like them and want to be around them because they are very charismatic. Well, this is no coincidence. Venus conjunct Ascendant is the classic aspect for making someone “attractive” because that’s what Venus literally does, she attracts!

I hope there’s a theme emerging here. Each planet can be boiled down to a few essential words. The Sun shines, the Moon reflects, Mercury thinks, Venus attracts, Mars does, Jupiter expands, Saturn restricts, Uranus breaks, Neptune dissolves, and Pluto rots and regenerates. With this in mind, you can better understand the meaning behind each of the aspects.

Moving on to Venus square Midheaven. With Venus in discord with your public image, the two strive to resolve this conflict. It is this discord that creates a need within the native to do something about it. These two points are speaking to each other and they do not agree. So, the person must set about trying to soothe this friction. And this, again, is what causes greatness and achievement. The downside is that this placement is prone to flattery to get what it wants. Obviously, this is a common trait among politicians. But the overall calling is to live by your own rules and not kowtow to every loud voice in the crowd.

Then we have Sun square Saturn. This is a hard one. Early in life one is too critical of themselves, or possibly have overly critical fathers. But Saturn causes things to emerge slowly and gives some of the best life lessons in the human condition. As we age, Saturn gifts us with experience, forces us to grow up, and rewards hard work over long periods. What is more satisfying than putting in long hours of hard diligence, only to emerge with our awesome piece of creation? If it came easy, we would not value it. This is just part of life. So, what early low self-esteem existed instead turns to great self-assurance as we come into our adulthood. I think this plays nicely into JD’s time in the military, long touted as a great builder of mature, capable people.

On to Vance’s thought process. Here we have Mercury square Uranus, an aspect renowned for its quick wit and genius insight. This placement is apparent in JD’s media appearances, where he reacts with deftness and flexibility to the questions he’s asked. He does not follow a script as if he’s reading, he engages the interviewer and rarely comes away looking as though he was bested. He’s quick on his feet, and that counts for something.

Venus sextile Pluto is always a wonderful resource in a natal chart. This makes it easy for the native to take intense experiences, often in love and money, and turn them to their benefit. With a sextile, there is an opportunity. The two planets are having a pleasant conversation and they’re aware of it. The person who possesses it can take Pluto’s power of regeneration and apply it to relationships and matters of wealth and come out on top. It also causes passion for love and even a positive type of obsession. Yet, as with all Pluto contacts, there can be a tendency for manipulation. Thankfully, the sextile rarely goes this way because it isn’t necessary.

To wrap it up, I’m going to talk about JD’s Venus square Mars. This is a good aspect to have, even if there are some drawbacks. Any contact from Venus to Mars makes us sexually attractive. Venus and Mars are the Yin and Yang of the world of lovers. When we see them touch, there are sparks between the masculine and the feminine, whoever embodies those roles in your life. But there is a tension here, a friction inherent to the square that causes things to be a little less than harmonious all hours of the day. However, for most people, they wouldn’t have it any other way. There is something to having a back-and-forth with the object of your affection. If things were perfect, it would become boring. I understand this placement well because I myself have it in my own natal chart.

All in all, I don’t see someone with tendencies toward authoritarianism or a power-hungry nature. All charts can be both positive or negative, but we usually see a few common traits emerge among those who just want power for power’s sake. I don’t fear JD as Vice President. My hope is that should he and Donald Trump win, he will be a competent force for good. Time will tell.

Let us all pray that America is tempered and strengthened by the coming trials and tribulations of the 2024 election, whatever politics you subscribe to.