This is another election from Bonatti’s Treatise on Elections in his Liber Astronomiae. The electional conditions we needs are as follows:
Electional conditions
1. Adapt the Ascendant and the Lord of the 1st, adapt the Moon and, if possible, the Dispositor of the Moon. Or at the very least let the Ascendant be in a common sign, the Moon in a common sign (but not Gemini), and let the Lord of Moon be in common sign or in Leo
2. Let the be Moon cleansed from impediments of the malefics, particulalrly the opposition, conjunction, square, and let it be joined to benefics
3. If the Moon is in Virgo, Sagittarius or Pisces, let it be with reception. Without reception, Sagittarius and Pisces are not recommended. If it is not possible to put the Moon in these signs, put her in Taurus, and avoid the Southern signs (Libra-Pisces). Libra and Aquarius are especially bad.
4. Let the Moon be increasing in light and number, let her be received by trine or sextile.
5. For the above, adapt what you can. After the Ascendant, Lord of the 1st and the Moon, adapt the 2nd, 4th, 11th and their Lords, and adapt the Part of Fortune.
6. If you cannot adapt all of these, adapt the Moon and the Part of Fortune. Or at least adapt the Moon.
The rationale for the election
As always, Bonatti gives us the ideal conditions for the perfect election, and then gives us a few simpler conditions for when we are rushed for time and cannot wait for the perfect moment.
It’s illuminating to follow Bonatti’s thinking for this election. We aim to ensure that the Ascendant and the Lord of the 1st are strong and unafflicted because these represent the person for whom we are electing. Naturally we want them to be in a strong position with no obstructions placed in their path by fate.
The Moon represents movement forward so we want it unafflicted by the malefics and preferably applying to a benefic to ensure the path forward is smooth and leads to a good destination. We even try to strengthen the ruler of the Moon to ensure this.
If we cannot do this, we put all of these significators in common signs since they represent mutual collaboration, but we avoid Gemini since it is associated with lying and backbiting. Leo is another possibility since it represents gold and wealth.
Once the most important significators are adapted, we strengthen the Part of Fortune since it represents wealth and fortune in general, and the second house and Lord. Since they represent the wealth of our client, we naturally want the Lord of the 2nd strong and unafflicted. We then consider the 11th house and its Lord which represent the partnership itself. Ideally this planet is in one of its dignities, is unafflicted by the malefics, and perhaps making a friendly aspect to a significator of the client or the Moon.
Lastly, we consider the 4th house and its Lord which is significator for the end of the matter. We don’t want our partnership to end in flames so we aim to ensure the 4th house and Lord are not afflicted.
A worked example
The time is set to 4am on Monday 30 October for London, UK. Hopefully you’ve been up all night playing pokwer with your partners, or you have a very understanding lawyer.
Libra is in the Ascendant. Venus is the Lady of the 1st, she is dignified by domicile, and graces our client with her presence in the first house. She makes an applying sextile to Saturn who is ruler of the 4th house and thus blesses the conclusion of the partnership. Venus is also ruler of the second hosue of our client’s wealth. She is essentially strong and ensures that we profit greatly from this relationship.
The Moon is dignified by triplicity in Pisces and its next aspect is a trine to Jupiter. It also makes an applying trine to the Sun who is ruler of the 11th and thus of the partnership itself. The moon is waxing, increasing in light and number.
The 11th cusp is Leo ruled by the Sun. The Sun itself is peregrine but otherwise makes no unpleasant aspects and is not afflcited by the malefics.
The 4th cusp is Capricorn, and thus Saturn, dignified by term and face, is significator of the end of the matter. Its dignity and the fact that it receives a sextile aspect from Venus, or significator, ensures that the relationship does not go the way of the one in our image above.
The Part of Fortune is in Gemini whose ruler, Mercury, is peregrine but the strong second house ruler more than makes up for this. The Part of Fortune is also strengthened by an applying trine from a very strong Venus.