Al Gore dropped out of site not long after he lost to George W. Bush in the US elections of the year 2000. Astrologers were divided then, as they are now, about who had the upper hand as far as aspects that show the candidate most favored by aspects. It wasn’t easy then and it isn’t easy now to determine who will be the next US president. That is because there are always several prominent aspects in each contender’s horoscope when they are engaged in a “battle” to win. It takes tremendous energy and a serious intent on the part of a candidate, and astrological aspects reflect the intense activity in each one’s chart. It has to manifest this way for each person running, and among all the aspects there are none that are fool-proof to predict the winner ahead of time.

Even in the case of Bill Clinton winning the election in the year 1992; the race was close and there were promising aspects for both candidates. And how many astrologers would have suspected that a Transit Saturn Opposite Natal Pluto on election day would thrust Clinton into the White House? Many would have thought that a Saturn aspect would lead to disappointing results. On the other hand, Saturn is often present when responsibilities are increased in a person’s life. And so it was in 2000, and is today, that it is difficult to predict which planets and their aspects will tip the scales.

And as outcomes go, astrologers lucky enough to be on the side of the winner of a fifty/fifty chance they are betting on, won’t prove to be much of an accomplishment. If there were 10 candidates to choose from, then picking the winner would draw more respect from fellow astrologers. Perhaps astrologers need to prove themselves in the primaries when there are more individuals in the race, and focus less on determining which one of only two contenders will get the brass ring.

Outcomes of competitions of all types can be determined by horary charts, however, if there is no personal stake in the conflict or competition, horary astrology sadly lacks the capacity to glean results.

Al Gore was Vice President of the US for eight years, and for those years he was the astoundingly literal manifestation of his 11 degrees Aries Sun (shown in the chart by the blue circle); The president of the country. Although Gore did not take the reins as the supreme leader of the country, he did win the popular vote and so technically was the president in the hearts of the majority. But being Vice President was close enough to reveal how these symbols can be so profound in showing us that there is an uncanny mirroring of character and events in the relationship of Sabian Symbols to people’s lives.

The long red arrow shows Transit Uranus exactly Opposite Natal Saturn on election day, and in Gore’s case, this type of aspect brought disappointment instead of increased responsibilities as it was for Bill Clinton with the Saturn/Pluto dynamic. For Gore, the Progressed Saturn, Pluto and Uranus played a harsh trio for Gore at this time in his life. Both Saturn and Pluto in Progression returned to exact birth localities, and Uranus in Transit brought the picture into sharp and poignant disappointment.

Gore’s environmental activism and social responsibility shows up in the very tight Natal Opposition of 9th house Sun to Neptune in the 3rd house of Environment. This Opposition is in Cardinal signs and shows a lean toward activism and concern for critical and political issues. The Sun in the 9th house promises publishing possibilities and so it was in 1992 that Earth in the Balance had its debut.