Back in 2004 when John Edwards was the VP running mate with John Kerry, I didn’t think either man stood a chance. And, avid reader, you probably know why – too much Gemini for the American Presidency.

Kerry is a Sagittarius sun and Gemini moon and Edwards is a Gemini sun AND Gemini moon. That’s a triple dose of Gemini – way too much Gemini for the American public. Americans love fixed signs (Aquarius, Taurus, Leo and Scorpio), people who have singular focus and unwavering determination. Gemini is a mutable air sign – the most flexible, dexterous and changeable of the signs.

I also suspected in 2004 that Edwards with four planets in Gemini (moon, Jupiter, sun and Mars) was not the simple hard-working-good-boy from South Carolina. You can fool some people, John, but not your astrologer. Gemini is way, way too curious for such simplicity. You need to be a double Taurus (sun & moon in Taurus) to convince me of something like that.

Gemini is the sign of the twins. It’s a funny sign, the twins. It wants to find its mate, but doesn’t want clinging, emotional commitment. Gemini comes in the front door but is well aware of all the exit signs and may pass through one as you turn your head.

A Gemini friend once told me that she looked in the mirror each morning and wondered who was there. I suspect Edwards, with so much Gemini and two planets in other-oriented Libra does the same.

Gemini gone bad is known for duplicity, the quintessential con artist. I think Gemini can accomplish this duplicity both because of an agile, active mind and also because it can control the emotions that come with telling a lie.

So why does he want to portray himself as this grounded, simple guy? From his chart, I can’t fathom a guess. His Venus is in Taurus, the only planet in an earth sign, so he found his grounding from his love partner. I see no indication that someone forced him to be practical in life.

Using Astrotheme’s time of birth, Edwards’ 9^th house has Aquarius on the cusp. I look to the 9^th house as an indication of the religious/spiritual/philosophical upbringing one had. Edwards also has Uranus in Cancer. Combined it suggests he actually had an unusual, progressive and unconventional upbringing. I can’t imagine anyone saying to him, “John, just get a 9-to-5 job and be happy.” They probably said, “Do whatever you want. We don’t care.”

I feel confused by this chart but wonder if Edwards is portraying some type of image that he sees around him rather than one he truly feels. If I saw this chart without knowing to whom it belonged, I would image an extremely free-spirited person, someone who loved to be in love, but didn’t really care for any kind of attachment that involved duty. I would have guessed an extreme social butterfly, a hippie, a wanderer. My image is of someone who has a house or apartment but is rarely there, has no food and no plants and just shows up once in a while between adventures.

The abundance of air in the chart attests to his intellectual abilities. I still have trouble understanding how he maintained the focus to become a presidential candidate.

I look at Edwards chart and see the elements, but I can’t figure out what life means to him. I can only guess that for him, life should be fun. His chart feels like a thought traveling through space and time, a leaf floating through the air on a windy day, a leaf you can’t catch as it bobs up and down.