Basic Elections

When we have to perform an important ritual it is necessary to choose the best time or at least not a bad time for it. This will take less than 50% of the energy we are going to dedicate to the ritual. It’s not enough to choose the appropriate day, planetary hour, planetary power and lunar light. For rituals of initiations, dedications, talismans, strong commitments, evocations, changing major influences or interfering to important things, we should choose the best time.

Concerning elections, there is no such thing as perfect time or if there will be, it shouldn’t be near the time you want to perform the ritual. So, keep in mind, there are many rules, but all together aren’t practical.

Sects

Planets can be divided into diurnal and nocturnal. By drawing a line (from the zodiac of the ascendant to the opposite side) in the zodiac chart finding the hemispheres we want the diurnal plants to be in the same hemisphere with the sun and the nocturnal to the opposite hemisphere. If the Sun is above the line, we have daylight. That’s even better, because the Sun in the day and with the diurnal planets rising at the daylight, we have very good conditions.

Diurnal Planets: Sun, Jupiter, Saturn

Nocturnal Planets: Moon, Venus, Mars

Hermes is diurnal in the morning if it is positioned before the Sun. If it is positioned after the Sun, it is nocturnal.

Planetary Day and Planetary Hour

I consider this to be well known subject to anyone who practices magick, so I am not writing anything.

Cardines and Malefics

House 1, the Ascendant is the most powerful position in the chart. Then House 10, the Midheaven is very powerful. Then house 7 and 4 follow. Those houses are called angular and they form a cross in the chart. Place the planet you are working in one of the above positions. If you are working for yourself, enhancing your zodiac sign energy, then put the zodiac sign in the Ascendant and the ruling planet to one of the houses.

The next thing we have to do is to check if the malefic planets (Mars, Saturn) are in the cadent houses (12, 9, 6, 3). If we have the malefic in those houses, they don’t have much power. We do that if we want to do good magick. For negative magick, we place the malefic planets to the angular houses.

Another rule to check is if the malefic planets form an aversion with the ascendant and its ruling planet or the planet we are working with. So, if we don’t have aspects forming with those two bad boys, we are ok.

Lastly, we don't want any square, conjunction, opposition with the malefics. This is impractical in many cases. If this happens, then make sure your plant has a good score. Another way to avoid their influences on a bad aspect is that the malefic rays are away 7 degrees at each side and that we don’t have benefic planets interfering.

Planetary Power

Check the dignities of the planets to find their scoring points, thus their power.

Retrogradation

If the planet is in that mode, then we try to avoid operating, because we have a delay, obstacles, lack of coordination. If you have to work with a retrograde planet, make sure his score is good or that he forms good aspects with the benefics.

Combustion

The planet that we are working should not be burned by the Sun. A distance of 12.5 to 15 degrees away from the Sun is necessary.

Lunar Positioning

(Don’t trap yourself if you aren’t performing a Moon ritual.)

1. Lunar light. The phases of the Moon.
2. This is one of the most important factors. Besides the well-known moon phases, we should put the Moon in the angular houses (1, 10, 7, 4) or the succedent (11, 5, 2).
3. If we want to have more specific results, we should check if the Moon is in a zodiac sign that aids our ritual.
4. The Moon should form a good aspect with the benefic planets (Jupiter, Venus, Sun, Mercury)
5. Avoid working with the Moon having a lower score or even worse when it is in Fall (Scorpio) or Detriment (Capricorn) unless you are performing rituals for those zodiac signs.
6. Keep the malefic planets away from the Moon’s energy. No conjunction, square or opposition. This becomes unpractical many times, but make sure that the malefic rays are away 7 degrees at each side and that we don’t have benefic planets interfering.  If this isn’t possible, then check if we have an aspect with Mars when the Moon is waxing. This is unfortunate. Another unfortunate condition is when we have a negative aspect with Saturn when the Moon is waning.
7. Check if you are operating on a hostile lunar mansion.