Everything that begins has its own sky. This conviction lies at the heart of electional astrology, the branch of tradition concerned with choosing the most suitable moment to begin an undertaking: a journey, a marriage, the laying of a foundation stone, the opening of a business. If natal astrology studies the sky we were given, electional astrology looks for the sky to choose.
An ancient art
The Greeks called the "beginning" katarchē, and the astrology of beginnings was already practised in the Hellenistic age. The poet and astrologer Dorotheus of Sidon, in the first century, devoted an important part of his Carmen astrologicum to this subject; it has come down to us mainly through Arabic translations. In the medieval Arab world electional astrology became a court art.
The most famous example is the founding of Baghdad in 762: the sources report that the caliph al-Mansur had the moment for starting the works chosen by a group of astrologers, among them Nawbakht and Māshā'allāh. A whole city was thus born at an hour set by looking at the sky.
The fundamental principles
Electional astrology rests on a few essential rules, which the manuals repeat with variations.
1. Strengthen the Moon
The Moon is the fastest planet and represents the general course of things. The authors recommended that it should be:
- increasing in light, between new and full moon;
- not "under the beams" of the Sun, nor too close to it;
- not void of course, that is, still able to form aspects;
- not in the so-called via combusta, the stretch of the zodiac between mid-Libra and mid-Scorpio, considered unfavourable;
- in good aspect with the benefics, Jupiter and Venus.
2. Strengthen the ascendant and its lord
The ascendant of the chosen moment represents the undertaking itself. The planet ruling it should be dignified, direct and well placed, preferably in an angular house.
3. Place the benefics and malefics well
Benefics in the angles strengthen the undertaking; malefics, if not dignified, should be kept away from the angles and from the houses connected with the matter.
4. Take care of the house of the matter
For a marriage one looks at the seventh house, for a purchase the second, for a journey the ninth or third, for a working activity the tenth. The ruler of that house should be strong and in good relationship with the lord of the ascendant.
5. Avoid retrograde planets
Especially the planet representing the nature of the undertaking: Mercury for contracts and writings, Venus for unions and affectionate agreements.
A practical example
Suppose you want to choose the day to open a small craft workshop. The traditional procedure might be this:
- Identify an available period of a few weeks.
- Exclude the days when Mercury is retrograde, since trade falls under its rule.
- Look for days with a waxing Moon, outside the via combusta, applying to a favourable aspect with Jupiter or Venus.
- For those days, find an hour when the ascendant is in a fixed sign, suited to what must last, with its lord well disposed.
- Check that the tenth and second houses, work and earnings, are not occupied by debilitated malefics.
- If possible, choose a planetary hour of Mercury or Jupiter as a final refinement.
The relationship with the birth chart
Tradition taught that an election works better if it is in harmony with the birth chart of the person making it. An hour when the benefics touch important points in one's chart was considered especially favourable; an hour when the malefics transit one's luminaries, one to avoid.
The limits of election
The ancient authors themselves recognised that a perfect election is almost impossible: the sky never offers all the conditions together, and you often have to choose the "least bad". Moreover, life imposes timings that cannot be moved. An election cannot turn a poorly conceived project into a success, nor guarantee an outcome: it can only accompany an action with a consistent moment.
At Studio Esoterico Cornelio electional astrology is presented in this spirit: an art of awareness of time, which invites you to begin things with attention and intention, without attributing to the sky responsibilities that remain human.
In short
- Electional astrology chooses the most suitable moment to begin an undertaking.
- It has Hellenistic roots and became a court art in the Arab world, down to the founding of Baghdad.
- The main rules concern the Moon, the ascendant, the benefics and the house of the matter.
- An election works better in harmony with the birth chart of the person acting.
- It guarantees no results: it accompanies a well-considered action with a consistent moment.