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Cardinal (often called Moveable) signs are best chosen for things that require alteration or that don't last long (agriculture, commerce, lawsuits, journeys). Fixed signs are chosen when you want the elected thing to last a long time (buildings, marriage). The Mutable or Common signs are inbetween the other two and are to be chosen if you have no preference or when you want things to last a reasonable amount of time.
(Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces) are considered fertile signs and should be elected to the ascendant in situations where you want there to be growth of some kind (financing, agriculture, etc). Leo, Gemini, and Virgo are considered barren signs and should be elected in situations where you don't want growth, you usually see these signs elected in more mundane elections, such as extermination or cosmetics.
Based on how quickly they ascend over the horizon. The signs of short ascension are Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Taurus, and Gemini. These signs show hindrances and tediousness and aren't recommended to have rising. The other signs are the signs of long ascension and are said to bring success easier and more quickly, so these are typically the more wanted ascendants.
Always pay attention to the Moon. Her applications tell you how things will go throughout the event; the more applications to benefic or well-dignified planet the better.
There are several ways in which the Moon can be afflicted, and it’s best to avoid all of them or at least the grand majority of them. Some of the more serious are:
1) Being Void of Course (when the Moon isn’t applying with in orb to the aspect of another planet, even worse if she doesn’t do so before she changes sign)
2) In her detriment or fall
3) Combust
4) In the Via Combusta (15° Libra to 15° Scorpio)
5) Afflicted by the malefics.
If all of these things can be avoided, the election is off to a good start. You always want to fortify the Moon in her own dignities if you can, or at the very least have her apply to a benefic to help bring about some success. Also, the quality of the Moon signifies how the event begins, whereas her ruler or dispositor shows how it ends. There are some different ways you can make use of this, though typically fortifying both would be the best way to go to ensure smooth sailing throughout. However, suppose it’s for a client who admits to having difficulty getting motivated; fortifying the Moon (showing how the event begins) to make things easier could help the client get the push he needs to get the event rolling.
Arguably the most important technique in electional astrology is fortification. This is when you take a planet and make it stronger by placing it in its dignities or in good houses of the horoscope. Jupiter in Cancer in the 10th is much more fortified than a Jupiter in Taurus in the Fifth due to being in its exaltation and in an angular house.
Aside from dignity and angularity, you can also fortify a planet in slightly more qualitative ways by having it be in aspect to or in the sign of a benefic planet and also being in a good house. Fortunately, the houses by strength are pretty similar to the houses by quality, where the angles are the most powerful and the most benefic. The only real difference is that houses 11, 5, 9, and 2 are more capable of doing good than houses 2, 6, 8, and 12.
Choosing significators is one of the most important parts in electional astrology. The planet ruling the sign on the Ascendant is going to be an important consideration in every electional chart as it represents the person starting the event, and there are very few times when this being weakened is seen as a positive (this depends entirely on the event itself). It’s also important to be mindful of the planet who rules the house that best describes the event being elected. We want this planet to be strong as well and it’s even better if this planet is a benefic planet.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guido_Bonatti
https://sevenstarsastrology.com/elections-art-choosing-times-1-dorothean-foundations/
Jupiter and Venus are the two natural benefics and are respectively associated with growth and unity. Saturn and Mars are the two natural malefics and are associated with decay and conflict. The Sun and Moon tend to be more neutral, but slightly benefic, whereas Mercury will take on the nature of whatever planet it is most closely in aspect with5.
Functional benefics and malefics are planets that don’t have the natural tendency to be either, but become so based on what they signify in charts. Planets that rule the 6th, 8th, or 12th houses become functional malefics because they will then carry around the negative significations of those unfortunate houses with them. Planets ruling the angles become functional benefics as they will take on those positive significations. It’s important to consider the planets that rule those houses in the natal chart of the person the election is for, you want to avoid using the functional malefic 6th, 8th, and 12th rulers as they carry negative significations for the native.
Another way to judge benefic or malefic planets in any given chart is to consider the sect of the chart and compare it to the sect of the significators involved. In a day chart, the Sun, Jupiter, and Saturn are more helpful and productive towards the business, whereas in a night chart the Moon, Venus, and Mars become more helpful and productive. Planets in a chart of the opposite sect become less helpful or don’t have the native’s best interest in mind (if they’re benefics) or can become obstacles and dangers (if they’re malefics).
typically you will always want to fortify the Lord of the First house. This does represent the person who is beginning the action, and you’ll almost always want to give them some extra power so they will have the diligence to get through the event or come out on top. That’s not to say that there aren’t some legitimate (even by today’s standards) endeavors that can be elected through a focus on the First house, but they aren’t written about in the traditional texts because they weren’t as much of a concern (if they were ever a concern) back then as they are to us now. What sorts of things are written in the literature about First house elections? They are mostly cosmetic things such as cutting hair and trimming nails. There are some different ones, such as electing when to send a child off to school so they will make the best of their education and succeed. That’s a good one, but difficult to do when school starts at a certain time and they had better be on that bus because you certainly don’t have the time to drive them there. First house elections become somewhat ignored and have really done a disservice to electional astrology due to how frivolous the undertakings seem.
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