Random Ruminations Upon the Magical Art of Electional Astrology

 

   Let's talk about Electional Astrology, which is an act of magic.  The art of choosing a timing to attempt to guarantee the best results possible for any given undertaking.  There is so much to be said here about this topic, and many many conflicting theories and view-points about all of it, so let me try to ramble on without form, structure, or coherency and share what I know about the practice.

   At the core of electional astrology are a few main principles.  One is the condition of the angles, especially the Ascendant and the Midheaven.  The Ascendant in general describes YOU in the chart you choose, while the Midheaven, in general, describes the work being attempted.  I learned recently, that you should really try to get the dignity of the Ascendant ruler and the Midheaven ruler to like each other.  This blog getting banned on Facebook is a great warning for ensuring this in your electional charts!  Planets hold esteem for each other based on their dignity.  So the Moon ruled by Mercury in Gemini, LOVES Mercury, while Mercury in Cancer loves the Moon. You can take this concept down to Exaltation, Triplicity, Terms, and Face dignity, in that order. If the ruler of the Ascendant is in the detriment of the ruler of the Midheaven, you will hate the product of this work, if the ruler of the Midheaven is in the detriment of the ruler of the Ascendant, the work will hate you, and Facebook will ban your link.

    This is one layer of the quality of the angles.  Next you must consider the dignity each ruler has.  You will want each ruler to have strong dignity.   Hopefully in their own sign or exaltation, but being in an angular house provides strength, being direct as opposed to retrograde is good, as well as being supported by other helpful planets, and not derailed by a malefic.  Having said that, we get to our first controversy in setting up electional charts, how scared are we of squares and oppositions?

    There are two schools of thought here, one avoids squares and oppositions to important signifiers at all costs, while the other school avoids connections to malefics at all costs.   Honestly, there is merit to both approaches.  Depending on the purpose of the electional chart, Saturn may, especially in a sextile or trine, provide structure and stability to a project.  The other school would prefer to have Jupiter involved in any way with your main significators, even if it is the dreaded opposition.   A difficult Jupiter may be better than no Jupiter at all.  Again, we must think about the purpose of the electional chart to determine which of these options will suit our purposes best.

   In all electional astrology, a secret ingredient is matching the purpose of the chart to the project at hand.  Getting lost in a labyrinth of rule sets can cause one to miss the boat.  Many astrologers would never place the ascendant of an election chart in a sign ruled by a malefic, but what if the purpose of this chart is to begin a martial arts conquest?   One would think having Mars as ruler of the chart was a beneficial descriptor, especially a well placed Mars.

    Speaking of malefics. One of the most common practices is to place your Malefics in the houses which are not angular and not aspecting the ascendant.  So the Second, Sixth, Eighth, and Twelfth houses.   This is all well and good, but do you really want Saturn in the second house for the electional chart of your new business?  Phew.... the decisions here are endless!

    Next, we have the matter of the Planetary Days and Hours.  Not all astrologers will use this in setting up an electional chart, but it is my experience that they absolutely do highlight the functioning of those specific planets selected, and so should be considered in manifesting the most potent electional chart.

  Next, and most importantly, we have the Moon.  The Translator of Light is of utmost importance in all elections.  If the Moon is in terrible condition, not much good will come of your election.  If the Moon is waxing, this is a chart good for manifesting things.  If the Moon is waning, this is a chart good for removing things, and lessening the influence of the effects of the project.  Most charts desire a waxing Moon, but for some circumstances a waning Moon is preferable. For example: in timing the implementation of a remedy for an illness, the waning Moon is more desirable as it can help to imply the illness itself is waning. 
    Is the Moon making difficult aspects to a malefic?   Ideally, the moon should be making an aspect to the target of the chart, which is usually the ascendant ruler or Midheaven ruler.  In some cases, you may be electing a chart which is very specifically about a certain house topic, in which case, you will be paying special attention to the ruling planet of that house.

    The next issue to consider is whether the house placement of your target planet is powerful in that house.   Does the significations of that house assist what you want out of that planet for this project?  Does that planet naturally fit in with the themes of that specific house?

    Now we need to consider the conditions of the angles themselves, are they conjunct a planet that hinders or helps them?  What about the part of Fortune?  What about its ruler?

    What if the chart is meant to manifest bad things, well then, we reverse MANY of the concepts set forth previously.   Now we need to think about the fixed stars, are they involved, and what effect do we want to take from them which will be helpful to our cause?

    It's also important to look at the synastry between this elected chart and your own chart.  Not only whether you are saving some particularly difficult or positive transits to your own natal chart, but how you vibe with the chart in general. If you are feeling good in the moment, it is likely that you have a good rapport with the astrology of the moment.  Someone who has a powerful Mars, and works well with that energy may be able to place Mars in a more prominent position than someone who doesn't. Someone with a problematic Venus may not find it as beneficent as others.  In this way, electional astrology also needs to be customized to the people it will affect the most.

    Next we need to think about what actually constitutes the nativity of the said project, what action truly captures this moment we have so meticulously chosen? You know what... I have a headache. Just vibe with the moment and keep on truckin'!