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Astrologer's Notes: |
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It's All A Matter
Of Time (ing)
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by Diana Stone |
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Dateline August 2003. My last two columns were devoted to the subject of timing important activities with appropriate astrological cycles, or election charts. This time lets turn to the technical side of actually constructing one.
CONSTRUCTING AN ELECTION CHART
Election charts are not about electing the president. They are not about electing the dogcatcher. They are not about electing anyone. An election chart is constructed to choose a time and date to initiate a given activity at a desirable astrological time, or "electing" a good time and date. Astrologers choose astrological charts for weddings, surgeries, starting new businesses, long trips, applying for loans, listing a house for sale or any of the other many activities that we want to end successfully.
Constructing election charts is one of the things that try astrologers' souls. They are very tedious and time consuming. They require a lot of skill, also. Before the advent of computers-back in the Dark Ages when I calculated charts by hand-I did election charts only for my mother. If you are brave enough to read on, I will give you some guidelines for erecting an election chart.
The first thing you must absolutely realize is that electional astrology is a part of HORARY astrology. If you don't know that, you will construct a wedding chart that is very likely a divorce chart instead. The primary feature of horary astrology that is different from natal astrology is the way you handle the Moon and her aspects. The Moon is allowed to move through the sign she is in, moving forward degree by degree and noting what exact Ptolemaic aspects she forms as she goes along. Here is an example. Lets say the Moon is in two degrees of Gemini and the sun is in eighteen degrees of Gemini. We would never consider that a conjunction in natal charts. It is too far out of orb. However, if we march the Moon forward degree by degree, it will eventually come to 18 degrees and make the conjunction. That is true of all the other major aspects as well. The Moon's last aspect is one very critical judgment factor and indicates how the matter will end.
Lets say that we have a wedding chart in which the Moon makes a beautiful trine to Venus in early degrees. So far so good! And then lets say that as the Moon moves through the sign she is in, she ends with a square to Saturn retrograde. Consider that bad. It may start well but would indicate a disastrous end. The retrograde condition means that even though the marriage is a disaster, somehow there are entanglements so that you cannot break free. The point being that you must know how to read all the Moon's applying exact aspects in order that they are made in real time and note how the matter ends. Some horary software programs list all the applying aspects the Moon will make. Otherwise you will have to do it the old-fashioned way and get the information from the ephemeris.
That is the reason that all horary astrologers pack around an ephemeris. (I prefer Raphael's). The first thing you will do is scan through the dates you are interested in and eyeball the Moon's aspects, carefully noting the final one, of course. You will start the process of elimination, ruling out the days where the Moon ends with a hard aspect to a planet, a hard aspect to a malefic for sure and ending with a retrograde planet is usually avoided, also. I say it is usually avoided, but there are times when a retrograde planet is desirable. A retrograde planet can repeat something or give the opportunity for a second chance. I avoid it in a surgery chart because there is the danger of having to go back and fix something after an operation. Election charts require the astrologer to analyze exactly what he or she wants to happen in any given situation.
Two more important rules involving the Moon are critical; the void-of-course Moon and refranation. When the Moon makes no applying aspects-just the five Ptolemaic aspects for this rule-it is void-of-course. This can mean that there will be little or no activity in the matter. Remember, the Moon can make only exact applying aspects from the sign she is in. She cannot cross the line of the sign. If the Moon is in 29 degrees and Venus is in two degrees of the following sign that is not a conjunction for this particular rule because the Moon must leave the sign she is in to make it an exact aspect. Refranation is when the Moon is applying to an aspect, but the planet leaves the sign or turns retrograde before the Moon can reach it. That is a fairly disastrous situation where the matter falls apart and cannot be successful.
Another rule that must be observed (or it is real deal breaker) involves the aspects between the main significators. The planet that rules the ascendant is the significator of the client who is getting married, starting a business, having surgery or whatever the activity may be. Sometimes the ascendant can rule more than one person. If a wife asks about listing a house for sale, for example, the ascendant rules the couple. The president of an organization can represent the entire membership and ask in the group's name if the matter affects everyone. The planet or planets that rule the ascendant and any planets in the First House are all significators.
Electional astrologers must be skilled at house rulerships. Once the ascendant significator(s) are identified, the next step is to identify the house or houses that rule the desired activity. Surgery is the Eighth House, marriage is a Seventh House matter, real estate is ruled by the Fourth House and so on. The ruler of the appropriate house is identified. There must be a positive aspect between these significators. If there isn't, the matter cannot be brought together no matter how great the rest of the chart may be. It is this rule that inexperienced astrologers usually founder on the rocks of failure.
In a marriage chart there must be a positive aspect between the First and Seventh Houses. That sounds pretty logical, doesn't it? For surgery there needs to be a positive aspect between the rulers of the First and Eighth Houses. I also consider the Twelfth House because hospitalization is involved. Don't worry about it if there are some challenging aspects. Surgery is not a walk in the park. But get those significators in a good aspect to each other. For real estate sales, the First House is the seller and the Seventh is the buyer. Look for an aspect between the Seventh House of the buyer and the rulers of the Fourth House of the property. Are you beginning to realize how maddeningly tedious this process it?
Election charts are not natal charts. Much of the chart will have no bearing on the case. Bad stuff in the chart may indicate something else going on with the client or someone else in his or her life. Sometimes we have to live with some nasty planetary combinations. The recent Saturn-Pluto opposition gave me fits. I tried to bury it in cadent houses and/or houses that had nothing to do with the matter. I was able to get desired outcomes with clients because of my extreme cleverness and skill. (Oh, c'mon, I'm kidding.)
I myself had occasion to sell my house a few years ago. That is when I had the shocking realization that this astrology business applies to the astrologer, not just the unwashed millions. Imagine that, no dispensation for the practitioner of the sacred art. It is a long complicated story that led to many delays and I was losing money with the house sitting empty while I lived in another house. In a fit of hysteria, I rebelled and listed the house with the worst Neptune retrograde that imagination allows. "I'll deal with it" were the infamous last words. Well, the new owners sent over a nasty piece of paper telling me that I was being sued for $8500 and for fraud yet. This was the craziest, most unfounded and shockingly preposterous notion ever. Well, by the time the lawyers sorted it all out it cost me $10,000. A classic Neptune experience and yes, I dealt with it all right. The moral of the story here is that if you are the astrologer doing your own chart it falls along the same lines as the old saying , "a lawyer representing himself has a fool for a client."
The rules I have given here are just to get you started. You will need to check out some horary astrology rules if you really want to get a grip on this. If you actually undertake to do election charts, and it is late at night and you have been wrestling with the ephemeris and the computer for fourteen hours and nothing is falling into place, don't say I didn't warn you.
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Diana Stone,
Astrologer
& Huna Shaman
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Diana Stone began astrological studies in the 1960s under the tutelage of Charles Luntz, author of Vocational Guidance by Astrology.
In 1973, she established a private practice in Portland, OR. She serves a clientele that includes an extensive network of telephone clients.
Her book on the U.S. horoscope was published in 1976. In the early 90s she contributed to three anthologies published by Llewellyn Publishers and edited by Noel Tyl.
Diana has lectured extensively and is a popular keynote speaker. She delivered the keynote address at the United Astrology Conference in Orlando in July 2002.
She has been a student for over 30 years of Huna shamanism, the system practiced by ancient Polynesian kahuna. Huna Research, Inc. certified her as a teacher of the ancient lore.
Diana serves an extensive international clientele as a shaman specializing in soul retrieval. She and her brother formed a publishing company, Crystal Triangle Publishing, and the book they co-authored, The Lightbody Activation Manual, will be released in February 2003. Diana now resides in Vancouver, WA.
Diana Stone
12005 NW 14th Avenue
Vancouver, WA 98685
dianas@spiritone.com
www.DianaStone.com
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