Rielle Hunter and John Edwards: Coup de Foudre Extraordinaire

The French have a name for it, a coup de foudre. That is, when two people meet and the sexual energies between them resemble a bolt of lightning or a clap of thunder. The heat they generate is so palpable it's combustible. After listening to Rielle Hunter's interview with Oprah the other day and her description of her first meeting John Edwards, I can think of no other term which so aptly surmises their initial encounter. Of course, one might say that their affair, despite Ms. Hunter's attempts to convince otherwise, was a folly of epic proportions. I was fascinated watching Ms. Hunter who made the most preposterous of statements with complete conviction and certitude. How does she do that? Well, I became so curious about her and John Edwards that I decided to do their numbers and some basic astrology about them.

The first thing I look for when analyzing a couple's name is to see if they share any letters, especially vowels which symbolize the emotions and Rielle and John share no letters (looking to see if a couple shares any letters in their names originated with Lucy Isaacs an exceptionally talented and inventive spiritualist. In fact, this is a trade mark technique of hers which I am borrowing). This usually indicates that this couple is not a match in the long run. However, Rielle is not Ms. Hunter's real name. Over the years she has used various aliases. Her birth name is Lisa Jo Druck (one can appreciate her desire to abandon the rather pedestrian hum-drum Lisa Jo' for the more exotic allure of 'Rielle') and here she shares a 'j' and an 'o' with John which most definitely constitutes a love match. And for my purposes here, I will be using Ms. Hunter's birth name as to do otherwise would make for an inaccurate reading.

Lisa Jo's Expressive number, which corresponds to a person's personality traits, is a 3. 3s are the optimists of the world.  They tend to be enthusiastic and fun loving and a bit childish at times. They emit an outgoing and friendly frequency. They bring a sense of excitement and avendture to their relationships. 3s are ruled by the planet Jupiter which astrologers associate with growth,  expansion and good fortune. Jupiter is also associated with the urge for freedom and exploration. The 3s of Jupiter enjoy a 'good time' and are often referred to as numerology's 'merrymakers'.

Ms. Hunter/Druck's Destiny Number, derived from the sum total of her birth date is 7, the most spiritually inclined of all  numbers. They are unmaterialistic and vibrate to a frequency not easily accessed by the rest of us. It's not unusual for a 7 to be highly intuitive and perhaps even a little psychic. However, if a 7's energy is expressed negatively, they can be moody, odd, and emotionally unavailable. As lovers, they can reach levels of intimacy and romance beyond many people's imaginations. However, their goals for their partners and themselves may be too lofty and unrealistic. Consequently, they set themselves up for profound disappointment when their hopes fall short of their ideal expectations the stardust in their eyes turns to ash.

Being born on March 20, 1964 makes Lisa Jo a Pisces and Pisces are the Dreamers of the Universe. Actually, Pisces and the number 7 are a good fit as they vibrate to similar frequencies i.e., both are ruled by the planet Neptune that most elusive and mysterious of planets.  Modern day astrologers associate Neptune with idealism and compassion, but also with illusion, confusion and deception. Neptune's influence on Pisces can make them vulnerable to trendy New Age spiritualism and mysticism often mistaking popular self-styled gurus for the speakers of truth.

 Pisces have a very robust fantasy life, particularly about romance and I think this is true of Lisa Jo/Rielle who in her pursuit of John Edwards turned a blind eye to the harsher realities of the situation e.g., he was married, his wife had Stage 4 cancer and he was a prominent public figure about to run for the Presidency! I believe the fantasies she described on Oprah about how she was going to 'save' him from a life of deception and lead him into the light completely obscured any notion of reality. Her tendency is to see life as she wants to see it through her very own pair of rosy-colored glasses which ultimately dominated her and, I believe, had her behaving in ways against her better judgment.  It goes without saying this kind of self-delusion  is a recipe for disaster if one's expectations are not met.

Pisces is also one of the three double-bodied signs, with Gemini and Sagittarius being the others, and with all these signs the task at hand is integration of opposing forces or impulses (Pisces symbol, after all, is of two fish swimming in opposite directions). Consequently, it's not unusual for a Pisces to spend inordinate amounts of time struggling with confusing conditions which often overwhelm them. I think Lisa Jo/Rielle is a typical unrealized Pisces this way. Her use of several aliases over the course of her lifetime, her poor judgment regarding John Edwards, her inability to function at work or in a meaningful career, all indicate a woman who is unable to pull it together and focus. She simply doesn't know who she is. Is she Lisa Jo or is she really Rielle?  Or someone else? I wouldn't be surprized if she changes her name yet again.She remains at the mercy of those Piscesian opposing fish and continues to swirl around in deep water unable to swim to the surface where there is clarity and light.

With respect to the Pisces woman,  it's no wonder John Edwards fell under her spell as she is the ultimate nurturer and caregiver.  She makes the man in her life feel like a protector and in charge, which probably did wonders for Edward's always hungry ego. Turning to John, we see that he is a Gemini having been born June 10, 1953. Gemini is a good fit for John, as they are the 'talkers' and the 'twins' of the zodiac and as a successful trial lawyer John Edwards did his fair share of persuasive talk.  And, as mentioned above, Gemini is also a double-bodied sign so he just like Lisa Jo has had to struggle with a dual nature or dual personality. And as with most Geminis, John can compensate for his seemingly schizoid personality with his abundant charm and wit. Geminis, after all, are exceedingly charming and gracious. Mercury is Gemini's ruling plant which probably accounts for John's great intellect and mental acumen.

Looking at his Expression Number, we see it's a 2 which is a true cosmic match to his Sun Sign of Gemini. This just emphasizes the duality and, one might say duplicity, in this man's make-up. 2s are also politicians and diplomats, another match. They seek out harmony and equilibrium, but if they are out of psychic or spiritual alignment, as John Edwards was and/or still is, their energy can become manipulative and 'two-faced' which, in fact, it did. Of course, his being a two and a Gemini is another reason why he and Lisa Jo/Rielle were attracted to each other as they are both double-bodied signs. As my friend Lucy says, the down side to being in a relationship with another double-bodied sign is it's like living with four different people simultaneously. You never are quite sure whom you're waking up with!

I really don't know if this couple will stay together. They may get together for a brief period of time once John's divorce is finalized. But for them to co-habit ate or even marry while Elizabeth Edwards  continues to fight for her life is almost unimaginable. A fascinating coincidence is that Elizabeth corresponds to a 7  which just happens to correspond to Lisa Jo/Rielle's Destiny Number and John Edwards' Destiny Number which are also 7s. And Elizabeth's Destiny Number corresponds to the sixth card of the Major Arcana in the tarot which is the Lovers.  There is no question about it that these people's lives interface and intersect on the same cosmic path. It was just a matter of time before their Life Paths criss-crossed one an other's.

In the long run, I don't think John and Rielle will make it. He will remain in her life because of the daughter they had together, but they will both move on in my opinion.  One thing is fairly certain, however, because of the preponderance of twos and sevens in both their lives these numbers will continue to play a pivotal role for them both.


Source material adapted and compiled from Wikipedia,  Cafe Astrology and Athena Starwoman