During the 1990s Al Gore has been Vice-President of the United States of America. Although he has not suffered the derision heaped on Dan Quayle, George Bush's deputy, Gore has had to endure the impeachment of Clinton and the shame, by association, of the Lewinsky affair.
It is a good time to look at Al Gore's horoscope. He is attempting to emerge from the President's shadow and establish a political identity in his own right. Gore's horoscope is interesting for it's own sake - it shows a complex individual with a range of talents and ambitions - and for the fact that this is a man who might become President of the United States.
Al Gore was a man marked by his birth to be hit hard by the August eclipse. Gore has a stellium rising in Leo with Pluto at 12 Leo 41, Saturn at 15 Leo 59 and Mars at 18 Leo 08. The nodal axis straddles 16 Taurus/Scorpio. The Moon, at 3 Capricorn 13, exactly sesquiquadrate Mars, and Jupiter at 28 Sagittarius 37, complete a dramatic picture.
The eclipse degree at 18 Leo picks up the Mars/Moon aspect. The Mars/Saturn opposition at the eclipse sits on his natal nodal axis and squares natal Saturn in Leo. Eclipse Uranus falls opposite this point. The eclipse node picks up natal Pluto. Furthermore, the Mercury, Jupiter, Neptune t-square, prominent at the eclipse, picks up Gore's ascendent (based on a 12.53 PM time).
These are intensely challenging contacts. At least Al Gore can look forward to the transit of Pluto trine his natal Sun. This suggests, for all the difficulties that are symbolised by the eclipse, Gore might be able to harness the regenerative potential of his own Sun-Pluto trine during early years of the new millennium.
For some time the press has been reporting that the once cordial relationship between Gore and Clinton has cooled to the point of frozen. Gore has been reported to have been furious with the President for his indiscretion with Monica Lewinsky; Clinton apparently thinks that Gore does not have the potential to become President.
The Times, 15 November 1999, cites reports that Gore is in 'a perpetual state of mad' with the President - namely, that he is so angry with Clinton, for his indiscretion with Lewinsky and the consequent Starr Report, that his rage knows no bounds. Given the astrological picture just described, I am sure that no astrologer would be surprised.
If the eclipse means anything for Gore, it is that the time is now to contact his anger and transmute it into dynamic, vigorous energy to sustain him in the campaign to win the nomination of the Democratic Party. After all, Mars, Saturn and Pluto, rising in Leo, are going to want 'out' eventually. But the rage must hurt too, with the Saturn ruled Moon so intimately involved with Mars.
Traditional rulerships and essential dignities give us further insight into the depth and complexity of Al Gore's birth chart.
The Sun, found at 10 Aries 55, is an exceptionally strong planet from a traditional point of view. It is ruled by Mars, lending the Sun strength, power and authority. Additionally, the Sun stands in the sign of its exaltation, in its triplicity and in its face. These symbolic qualities suggest that Gore is a leader who can command the respect of others.
Mars is in Leo in the sign of the Sun. Hence, a strong connection exists between these two planets demonstrated by their mutual reception. (Mars is also in the triplicity of the Sun.) Although Mars is peregrine, having no essential dignity, its position is redeemed by its close links with the powerfully placed Sun. Moreover, the Sun is widely trine Mars, suggesting that Gore has drive and ambition.
Venus is also an exceptionally strong planet in Gore's horoscope. Venus is in one of its own signs, Taurus, and in its own triplicity. In Taurus, Venus is also in the sign of the Moon's exaltation. This lends a feminine quality to Gore's horoscope that might be missed by focussing on the Mars, Saturn, Pluto combination outlined above.
The strength of Venus suggests that Gore has the potential to build personal and political relationships. Venus in Taurus also gives a determination to see one's values enacted. However, one of the most commonly cited criticisms of Gore is that he seems singularly unable to create a public persona that is warm and approachable.
Some clue may be that Moon and Saturn form difficult pictures in Gore's horoscope. The Moon is ruled by Saturn suggesting the inhibition of feeling and the difficulty of expressing emotion. The Moon also has no essential dignity, falling in the sign of Mars's exaltation, and in the triplicity and terms of Venus. The Moon is in detriment in Capricorn.
The weakness of the Moon, at least from the perspective of traditional astrology, suggests an emotional reserve in Gore, at least in his presentation to the American public as Vice-President and candidate for the Democratic Presidential nomination. Furthermore, the placement of Moon in Capricorn suggests that Gore, although he is at the politically and philosophically liberal end of American politics, has a conservative outlook. He may prefer values that reflect an attachment to the past.
Gore may also be disinclined to take risks, on a personal and political level. This cautious, prudent approach, symbolised by the Moon in Capricorn, may hinder his own political advancement, especially when chances may need to be taken to boost his Presidential nomination campaign. The Capricorn Moon also fosters an image of an individual with a highly developed sense of duty and responsibility.
Saturn also has no essential dignity in Gore's chart being placed in the sign and triplicity of the Sun. Saturn is in detriment in Leo. This position is more difficult to interpret than the Moon's position. The planet's placement in the Sun's sign and triplicity suggests that it offers some limitation of the Sun's role and power in the horoscope. It enhances the conservative, cautious feeling of Gore's natal chart and the sense that he is shouldering a heavy responsibility or duty.
Saturn's position suggests that for all the Sun's power, it may difficult for Gore to contact and manifest its fullest potential. A more constructive interpretation of this placement is that it symbolises Gore's need to channel and direct the energy of the Sun-Mars combination in the service of practical goals. Perhaps, without this conservative symbol, Gore might be all energy and flash and unable to achieve the things that he has.
Saturn has an ambiguous role in the horoscope. Although it is weak, from the persective of traditional astrology, a psychological analysis would give the planet a prominent role. Placed between Pluto and Mars, Saturn lends a further heavy note to the stellium in Leo. This reinforces the idea that the potential flair and dynamism of Sun in Aries is curbed, or circumscribed, by the powerful stellium in the Sun's natural sign.
The two malefics of traditional astrology - Mars and Saturn - stand together in Gore's horoscope. This is a tough symbol: on the one hand - representing ruthless, driving energy that might spur one to ambitious heights; on the other hand - representing malevolent, iniquitous forces that might undo an individual in their hour of greatest triumph. It is this potent combination that received the greatest focus during the eclipse period.
Incidently, Jupiter in its own sign, Sagittarius, and in the triplicity of the Sun, speaks of vision and philosophical wisdom. Gore has certainly championed worthy causes such as environmental conservation, urban redevelopment and education. This placement offers some counter-balance to the heavy weight of Saturn in Gore's chart. However, his appearance is still as a man who has the will, energy and ambition to drive forward his aims, but who has difficulty harnessing his potential to further his ends.
Gore's chart is given further feminine emphasis by the configuration of Sun, Venus, Neptune (at 11 Libra 39) and Chiron (at 24 Scorpio 12). The configuration is higlighted by the placement of the ascendant at 4 Leo 13, at the midpoint of Sun/Venus and Venus/Neptune. This is descriptive of some sensitivity and receptivity. Sun opposite Neptune is a powerful combination in the chart and may lend Gore an 'other-worldliness'. It certainly suggests an idealistic outlook on life.
These symbols indicate an imaginative, creative side to Gore's personality that might be somewhat at odds with the cut and thrust of American political life. The ascendant's placement here suggests that Gore's leadership thrives in an environment where harmony, balance and graciousness play an important part in relationships. At the very least these symbols suggest that a central part of Gore's motivation - consensus building rather than autocratic demonstrations of power - is prone to being misunderstood, possibly as weakness and indecision, by the American public.
Chiron's placement in this configuration indicates that Gore's sensitivity and receptivity may be a source of some vulnerability, especially in the context of his public, political life. These feminine symbols - especially the combination of Sun, Venus and Neptune - also suggests a proneness to idealising women, and having to redefine his attitude to women during his life. Perhaps the Lewinsky affair was part of this process.
The Draconic chart confirms the feminine quality in Gore's horoscope. Gore's North Node in Taurus suggests that the life-path is to move towards Venusian qualities. Indeed, in the Draconic chart, with the North Node moved to the first point of Aries, Venus moves onto the natal Sun and opposite natal Neptune. This may indicate that issues of self identity (and spiritual expression) for Gore are experienced and resolved by developing Venusian qualities. These qualities may involve evaluative skills, creativity, artistic potential and and building and maintaining relationships of all types.
We might say, from a Draconic point of view, that Gore's project is to join his Arien drive with a way of being with people that respects his own, and their, values, and that utilises the creative potential of working with others for higher, or spiritual, ends. Perhaps the fundamental dilemma in Gore's chart is how to respectfully and consciously harness the energy, enthusiasm and creativity of others to foster and support his own vision.
Other Draco combinations that are worth reflecting on include Draco Sun square natal Venus, Draco Neptune square natal Venus, Draco Moon conjunct natal Mars (and Draco Mars opposite natal Moon), and Draco Uranus square natal ascendent.
The Draconic chart is fascinating in Al Gore's case because of the mid-Taurus placement of the nodal axis. Gore's Draconic chart is created by moving the North Node approximately 45 degrees to align with 00 Aries 00. This places all draconic positions a semi-square from their corresponding natal positions. Perhaps there is a irreducible tension for Gore between his material concerns, expressed in political action, and his spiritual path.
The next 18 months of Al Gore's life will be characterised by the transit of Uranus through the crucial eclipse degree of 18 Leo from 18 Aquarius. This may be a challenging time in Al Gore's life as he tries to accommodate the rapid, radical personal changes associated with Uranus and the sustained effort required to win the support of the Democratic Party.
Transiting Uranus seems to be symbolising the liberation of the rage directed at Bill Clinton. However, with the psychological containment of Mars by Saturn, depicted by their conjunction in Leo, the rage and anger may have roots in the deep past. Psychological astrologers might like to explore the co-incidence of the rage against Clinton, the eclipse pattern, and the location of Mars, Saturn and the Moon in the natal chart.
It is important to note that Gore's father died during 1998; these planets in Leo, joined with the Moon in Capricorn, may describe a father that commanded respect, instilled fear and inspired love (of an undemonstrative sort). Certainly they point to a powerful father image exerting a profound influence on Gore. It might be argued that much of Gore's motivation, at least for political activity, stems from his relationship with his Senator father.
Over the coming eighteen months, Uranus will move back and forth across natal Saturn and Mars (by opposition) and the Node (by square) before moving on to square Venus. This suggests, perhaps, that it is only by accommodating his anger, and finding an appropriate, constructive vehicle for its expression, that the true potential of his relationship building qualities - his Venusian side - will be able to flourish.
Gore's chart has a Plutonian quality symbolised by the close trine between Sun and Pluto, and Pluto's role in the Leo stellium. Transiting Pluto is due to move through the Sun/Pluto midpoint at 11 deg. 48 of mutables early in 2000. This suggests a period of time when Gore may be able to harness the regenerative potential of Pluto to work through personal dilemmas and to bolster political ambitions.
There is a dense combination of midpoints in mid-mutables in Gore's chart. The following pattern is due to be transited by Pluto over the next 12 to 18 months:
SU/PL=NE/PL=VE/JU=AS/MC=SU/SA=SA/NE=SU/MA=MO/VE=MA/NE (90 degree sort).
Although this midpoint combination speaks of some success (VE/JU) through sheer force of will and unstinting effort (SU/PL), it also speaks of potential disappointment or a heavy burden of responsibility (AS/MC=SU/SA=SA/NE). The coming months will surely be challenging times for Gore as he attempts to manage some of the more difficult elements in his horoscope.
A key turning point for Gore may come at the end of August and beginning of September 2000. At this time, from a sixteenth harmonic perspective (swift materialisation as part of an on-going process of manifestation), Mars, Jupiter, Uranus and Pluto come together on Gore's Moon-Mars combination. Shortly after, Jupiter turns retrograde. We may see some dramatic changes in Gore's circumstances during this period.
(Neptune also crosses the descendant during this time. This is another major transit occurring for Al Gore during through 1999-2000.)
Al Gore's natal chart is a fascinating horoscope. Its shows a complex man whose relationship with himself, and his public, is multi-faceted and, at times, paradoxical. Gore's personality, with all its contradictions, dilemmas, strengths and weaknesses demontrates that an individual can never be reduced entirely to the symbolic images of the horoscope. However, the symbols in the natal horoscope can help us to develop insight into individual personality and motivation.
Al Gore is a man that can sustain the ambition and drive to achieve his political goals and become a prominent leader, but he seems unable to harness his potential grace and charm to win mass appeal in his own right. He has a generous philosophical vision, but just does not seem able to find the vehicle, or the confidence, to communicate his ideas effectively. He is a man for whom material achievement - the pursuit of political power - is highly motivating, but for whom spiritual development may be supremely rewarding.
Although his critics have described him as wooden and inept, Al Gore still has some time to make his mark, and move out of the shadow of his ebullient, controversial President. The year 2000 may be a crucial point in Al Gore's life.
Ptolemy's Table of Essential Dignities, The Traditional Astrologer, March 1998, Issue 16.
Al Gore, 31 March 1948, Washington DC, USA, 12:53 pm, (+5 hours). From the Internet (Zodiacal Zephyr), source recorded as American Astrology, May 1993, p. 37.
(Astrologers familiar with the interpretation of asteroids may like to note that Ceres at 20 Taurus 59 is conjunct Venus; Pallas Athene is conjunct the Sun at 8 Aries 00.)
This research is the work of Edward Gillam. Please reply to me by email with your comments. If you wish to refer to this work, please acknowledge my ideas in your piece. Thanks!
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