Being a person rabid with anger every time the Bush regime destroys another civil liberty, “spreads Democracy ” at the point of gun and sits by as the Earth comes to a boil, it is hard to step into my role as astrologer and take a dispassionate view of the Universe’s bizarre sense of irony. If nothing else, this is certainly a test of the theory that all occurrences naturally have both a positive and shadow effects – that nothing on Earth is perfectly good or perfectly horrible. (For example, in the wake of a horrible disaster – man made or natural – people will find sparks of generosity and compassion they never knew or had forgotten they had.) Ok we know the shadow or negative effects of the Bush Presidency. (Oh, boy do we!) However, where are the benefits? Well some positive karma has come to the man on the end of the Bush/Gore 2000 election debacle. After going through the black hole of disappointment and despair at having the election ripped from him by the Supreme Court, Al Gore, “the loser” is now fulfilling his soul’s desire in a way it is doubtful he could have accomplished had he became President.
Gore, born, March 31, 1948 in Washington, D.C at 12:53 PM has his North Node in Taurus in the 10th house. The North Node (that horseshoe shaped creature on the astrological chart) tells us the soul’s purpose in our current incarnation. It answers the question, why did the soul wish to come back for this particular lifetime. Nodes, by the way, are not planetary bodies; rather, they are mathematical points. The North and South nodes so instrumental to karmic astrology are the points where the Moon's orbit intersects the plane of the ecliptic, the path it takes around Earth.
The areas Taurus controls are our basic possessions and how we relate to them. Symbolized by the Bull, Taurus is a very tactile sign grounded by the Earth. Ruled by Venus, it has a creative and artistic flair. The tenth house is the career house – the house of social status and how we interact on a professional level. A person whose North Node is placed in Taurus in the 10th house – was put here to pursue a profession active in areas that utilize earth based materials in a creative fashion. By staring in a movie and writing a book teaching the world of the impending environmental crises, he is fulfilling his North Node directive.
On a more personal basis, Taurus controls our bodies – our physicality. Remembering the 2000 race when Gore changed personas, sweaters and image consultants every few months it is safe to say that this was a man not in control of his physicality. The man who was three different people at each of the three debates – has finally found comfort in his own skin.
His North Node is in a close conjunction with the asteroid Ceres. (A conjunction is a placement of planetary bodies in close proximity – normally one to 8 degrees from each other.) Ceres was the Ceres is the Roman name of Demeter, the Greek goddess of agriculture. She looked after the fields and crops. Ceres is part of an ancient myth that helps explain the cycles of seasonal change. Pluto -- or Hades -- the god of the underworld, kidnapped Ceres’ daughter, Proserpina (Roman counterpart to Persephone), and took her to live with him. Ceres went into the underworld to rescue her daughter and was able to make a deal with Pluto to return every year at the same time. When Ceres goes into the underworld, the crops stop growing and winter comes. In the summer, when she returns, spring arrives and it is time for planning. She was the epitome of motherly love and female fecundity – the ancient symbol of what we call Mother Nature.
People with Ceres in Taurus receive and receive nurturance through the physical substances and they feel their reward by learning how to provide physically for their family and community. Ceres is Earth Mother – Taurus the astrological sign that rules how we care for our Earthly and Earth-given possessions; what a fantastic combination crating a person who is passionate about protecting the planet. When he wrote “Earth In Balance”, in 1993, Al Gore was stirring to his soul’s desire but politics and the fear of the backlash from the radical right who see ecological preservation and environmental protection as issues to mock instead of duties Man must perform for the right to live on Earth, stymied the impact of the book. The press mocked him as a tree-hugger and not a serious politician.
Of course, one could argue that he could have done the same and more as President of the United States – leading the world in the fight of global warming but it would not have been his sole area of concern. Presidents must carry large agendas. Also, with all of the baggage and infighting that goes with politics, his message would have been diluted and attacked by Republicans who would have controlled Congress at least for his first term. Would he have made such an impact on the world community and become known as the brilliant “Goreacle” if still a politician? Doubtful. Yes, the Presidency has power – but it also demands caution. President Gore never would have been able to speak the “Inconvenient Truth” about global warming. Aides and lobbyist would have parsed and watered down his words. He might have gotten some small piece of legislation through – signed some international agreements but would never had the spoken the total truth he knew in his heart to be true. How many times did he talk about the environment in his 2000 run? Precious few. The environment does not “sell” politically.
With noting more to lose, Gore threw off his fake political cautious persona and suddenly he made the world aware that we are committing suicide.
Why, was his route so painful? Ah, that is where karma comes to play! This is not the first time negative karma has reared its ugly head in Gore’s life. (See “Bush/Gore And The Question of Karma).” His 10th house is “intercepted” – that means that there are two astrological signs on the cusp of one house. (The cusp is the entryway to each astrological house.) When that happens, it always indicates a pause of karma. In this case, Gore has Taurus intercepting his 10th house. Aries is on the cusp of the 10th house – but Taurus comes and cuts it right in the middle. This is a sign of someone who could have taken control in the past but did not. He had a chance in a past life to take rule but he walked away from power and responsibility and left his people in a state of upheaval. He could have influenced people for the better but took an easier more selfish route. This time around, his path to leadership in the area he excels in (Earth matters) would be convoluted and painful. He had to repay that debt
Gore’s South Node – where he is coming from – his past life indictor is in Scorpio in the 4th house. Scorpio is all about power. Because the 10th house is intercepted, the house on the opposite of the circle, the 4th house is intercepted as well. The karmic imbalance he had by shirking his career goals in the past – created an imbalance of power at home. It is humorous that he titled his first book “Earth in Balance” – I am sure he did not consciously know it when he or his publishers picked the title but he was already on his path to restoring his karmic balance with that book.
It is a testament to Gore that he came out of the abyss, balanced the karma and still fulfilled his North Node calling. In the face of such wrenching disappointment, he could have become bitter, vengeful and gone down into a hole of more negativity and karmic debt. He could have sowed the seeds for countless lifetimes of bitter lose, more anger – more negativity. Instead, he chose to shake off the dust and pain, follow his heart (actually his North Node) and become the world expert on climate change. He lost the rulership role he craved (or thought he did) and became an even bigger leader.
