Democrats who feel that the 2000 election was stolen feel fresh rays of hope streaming through their hearts. New polls show that both John Kerry and John Edwards would beat President Bush by double digits if the election were held today. No matter who wins, there are some awesome astrological correspondences at play to which I want to call your attention. And these forces hold the potential for a major transformation of the political landscape in 2004.

Kerry-Edwards Planetary Polarity

We are witnessing an unprecedented study in astrological polarity under the national political spotlight. Frontrunner Kerry, born December 11, 1943 is a Sag, with Sagittarius Rising and a Gemini Moon. Born June 11, 1953, a decade later, upstart John Edwards is a Gemini with Cancer Rising and a Gemini Moon. So we have a double Sag and a double Gemini with their Suns precisely opposite, and Kerry's Moon conjunct Edwards' Sun! And, they both have a stellium in Gemini—Kerry's with Saturn, Moon, Mars and Uranus; Edwards' with Moon, Jupiter, Sun and Mars. Kerry from the North, Edwards from the South. Pretty wild, eh?

Amplifying this uncanny astrological synastry is the transit of Pluto, the miniscule yet mighty powerhouse of transformation. As you may know, Pluto takes 248 years to orbit the Sun, so it may not conjunct or oppose the Sun in a natal chart in several lifetimes. With Pluto between 19 and 22 degrees of Sagittarius this year—the meridian of the two candidates' solar polarity—the ethers are charged with highly transformative juice. Just 2 months ago, both seemed dead in the water until sudden resurrection, a specialty of mysterious Pluto. And with Pluto aligned so prominently in Kerry and Edwards' charts, we might expect a transformational realignment in American politics.

It fascinates me how Kerry's persona seems so Saturnian while Edwards is so Jupiterian. Sure enough, Kerry has Saturn conjoining his Moon, while Edwards has Jupiter conjunct his! Their very demeanor and energy reflect this Saturn/Jupiter resonance; Kerry's older, more authoritarian guise contrasts with Edwards' sunshine of hope and youth. With their mercurial qualities so pronounced, both have the ability to articulate the multiple facets of the political spectrum with mutable nuance in most erudite fashion.

So we have a 60-year old Sag and a 50-year old Gemini sprinting for a head to head showdown on Super Tuesday—with the prize of 1151 delegates in ten key states, including New York and California. With the atmosphere charged in by this polarized Plutonian energy, the key for the Democrats' success is for the two campaigns to remain competitive but positive. This should be fun to witness. With the polls signaling that either could handily defeat Bush, the “electability excuse” for a Kerry vote has been neutralized. And with Kerry vulnerable on NAFTA, as well as the target of new Bush attack ads, we do have a race. Edwards' goal is to win two states and a number of delegates on March 2, then sweep a four-state Southern round the following week. That would set the stage for a showdown March 16 in Illinois, which Edwards hopes will be a modern day Lincoln-Douglas debate.

Edwards' ebullient charm should propel him all the way up the back stretch to the…Vice Presidency. With a career choice between retiring as a first term senator and a possible #2 spot, the choice will be easy. He will tighten up the race with a not-too-close second place finish—only good in horseshoes. But he will have gained national prominence and won the hearts of many via his quicksilver tongue, Geminian genius, and scintillating Southern charm—particularly women. What we really have here is the formation and metamorphosis of a most formidable Kerry-Edwards ticket to oppose the once indomitable force of Bush and Cheney.

Meanwhile, Bush and Cheney have been suffering in the long shadows of lord of karma, Saturn. The absence of WMD, the credibility questions and quagmire of Iraq, a dubious immigration initiative, the ballooning deficit, the over-budget Medicare bill, an ill-timed space initiative, the 2.6 million lost jobs, Halliburton, etc.—what else could go wrong for the once-unbeatable GW Bush? Lots, and it probably will. With Saturn in Cancer, making its station shortly after Super Tuesday and applying toward its third and final conjunction with Bush's Sun in June, I expect the proverbial poop to keep circulating through the fan blades. The mess should only get messier and not clean up by election time. But despite all this, the awesome power of the incumbency, $200+ million, the 13 Bible Belt states, NASCAR, etc. will make him most formidable, and the race fast and furious. I only hope that another war or terrorist incident is not the political price of reelection.

Nader and the Neptune Factor

Add the Neptunian X-factor to the mix—70-year old Pisces Ralph (Darth to Democrats) Nader—who will now abandon the Green Party to run as an Independent. With Neptune in Aquarius opposite his Leo Moon and Jupiter in Virgo conjunct his Neptune and opposite his Sun, Nader appears bent on a quixotic run with less of a chance of winning than Al Sharpton. The perennial spoiler who was Democratic kryptonite in the 2000 election will run until he runs out of money, but will attract protest and “none of the above” votes—if he even makes it to the election. With no real party, no chance of winning, little money, few supporters, and zero chance of winning, the Neptune influence seems fully operational. He will proselytize many untouched, yet valid and critical issues such as the case for the President's impeachment (wouldn't that require Bush's re-election though?), corporate power, government corruption and ineptitude, alternative energy, etc.—warping the political landscape and rocking many boats before dissolving into Neptunian nothingness.

This entire campaign scenario seems perfectly scripted for a change in power. Each Democratic candidate has appeared to me like an actor in a divine play, each performing a role in energizing the electorate and collapsing the current administration. Will we see a President Kerry selecting Wesley Clark as Secretary of State, Howard Dean Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, and Dennis Kucinich head of a new Department of Peace? With Uranus now in Pisces, Democrats may once again say,“I have a dream…” Or will it become a nightmare?