How to Use Electional Astrology

Familiarize yourself with astrology basics.

To use electional astrology, you will need to be familiar with the rules of basic horoscope casting and astrology correspondences. Learn what the planets, houses, signs and aspects mean. Read about eclipses, lunar phases, critical degrees, the Part of Fortune and the fixed stars.

Choose an event to plan and decide what its signifiactors are.

Pick an event and find its correspondences in astrology. For example, if you looking for a good wedding date, look to Venus, the seventh house and Libra. You will also want to pick two planets that are in good aspect to each other to signify the bride and groom in the chart.

Refer to an ephemeris to find a date that has the astrological placements you need.

Get a good ephemeries online or buy a book. An ephemeries is like a calendar, only it shows you the locations of the planets in the signs, and other information. Refer to the ephemeris for the work that follows.

Fortify the important planets in the electional chart.

Fortifying or strengthening means you put the planets in their strong signs - the signs of exalation or dignity. For instance, the Sun is exalted in Aries and dignified in Leo; it is weak in Libra and Aquarius. Other ways to strengthen a planet is to put it in good aspect with other planets relevant to the electional event, or placing it in an angular house (first, fourth, seventh or tenth house).

Choose an appropriate lunar phase.

Pick a time when the Moon is waxing (approaching a Full Moon) when you want something to grow and be fruitful. Choose a time when the Moon is waning (toward a New Moon) when you want closure to something.

Choose a time when the Moon is about to make favorable or harmonious aspects (trine, sextile, some conjunctions) to other planets.

Find a time when the Moon makes no negative aspects at all until it changes zodiac signs. If this isn't possible, choose a time when most of its aspects are positive. The very last aspect prior to the Moon moving to another sign must be harmonious too.

Avoid placing Saturn and other malefic planets in the event's house.

Do not put Saturn in the house rulinig the electional event. In general, this won't do any good. Try putting benefics like Jupiter, the Sun and Venus there instead.

Refer to the rules of horary astrology and natal astrology when judging the chart's strength.

Review the time-tested rules of these other branches to help judge your electional chart. Electional astrology is based in the same rules as horary astrology (divinaiton by the stars) and natal astrology (birth charts).

Use the electional chart's date, time and place to initiate the electional event.

Be sure to initiate the event at the right moment. The right moment is when the event is out of your hands. For example, when mailing a job application, it's when you drop the mail in the outbox. For moving into a new house, it's when you open the door and move your belongings in for the first time.

Review the results of the electional chart.

After the event has occurred, go back and examine the results. If you cast your electional chart and implemented it correctly, the outcome should be favorable. Practice this often. The more often you do it, the more proficient you will become.