The Power of Electional Astrology

Electional astrology has been used since ancient times to determine the most optimal moments for important life events — from major occasions like a business launch or wedding to more mundane matters such as a job interview or medical procedure, and is also referred to as event astrology. While perfect elections are hard to find — if they exist at all — it still helps to choose the best available times that align our intentions with the universal energies at play or that offer greater safety.

Have a Safe Journey

One of the most common requests my clients make, is to find favorable travel dates within a given month. For elections that cover an entire day — where the exact time may be difficult to control — simplified lunar elections are often used. In these cases, we choose days when the Moon is strong and not afflicted. Afflictions to avoid include the Moon making difficult aspects to malefics (especially Mars and Saturn), being new or full, or being void of course. A void-of-course Moon refers to a period when the Moon is not applying to any planet before leaving its current sign, and in general, when she is not applying to any planet for more than 12° ahead of her.

The general goal of such election is to ensure the Moon is in good condition for the day, which facilitates movement and helps ensure a smoother overall flow. This principle applies not only to travel but also to other general elections for purposes such as medical procedures, major purchases, or any matters where precise timing cannot be controlled.

Boarding has been Delayed because the Moon is in Leo!

One of my clients consistently uses elections I provide. However, on one occasion, she couldn’t travel on a recommended day and had to go on a date that was less than ideal. This made for an interesting case study.

On the day of travel, my client left early in the morning for a cross-country flight, going from the US West Coast to the East Coast with a stopover. The trip began smoothly, but upon arrival at her stopover location, she encountered major delays and complications. She ended up waiting over seven hours for her next flight. The airline repeatedly changed her schedule, leaving her tired and frustrated, having lost most of the day. She regretted not having chosen to travel on a better day.

Let’s look at the chart for that day. The Moon was in Leo and void of course. Although she had recently separated from Jupiter (indicating some initial positive momentum), the Moon was not applying to any aspects while still in Leo. Even after entering the next sign Virgo, she remained out of orb for her next applying aspect for a while.

Her next applying aspect was with the Sun in Taurus — more than 20° ahead. The Moon was also slow, further symbolizing delay. My client kept texting me from the airport, unsure when she would finally reach her destination, and complaining of long delays and discomfort. I told her that things would likely begin to move once the Moon entered Virgo and made contact with the Sun, which occurred around 8 p.m Eastern Time. That’s when she finally boarded her second plane, arriving at her destination many hours after her originally scheduled time. She has certainly resolved to avoid traveling during a void-of-course Moon in the future.

Astrological Summary of a Difficult Day of Travel

• Void-of-Course Moon in Leo:

The Moon was not applying to any aspects in Leo, indicating a lack of momentum and the potential for plans to stall. This condition is traditionally avoided in electional astrology for initiating travel or important activities. The challenging part was that she was void most of the day and only formed her next aspect later that night.

• Recent Separation from Jupiter:

The Moon had just separated from a favorable aspect with Jupiter, suggesting an initially smooth start — but with that supportive influence fading.

• Lack of Applying Aspects:

After entering Virgo, the Moon remained out of orb for her next applying aspect, contributing to a prolonged period of stagnation.

• Next Applying Aspect to the Sun in Taurus (20° away):

The significant distance to the next applying aspect symbolized continued delays and a lack of immediate resolution. The moon reached 12° orb to the Sun by around 8 pm Eastern Time that day.

• Slow Moon:

The Moon's decreased speed reflected sluggish progress and reinforced the overall theme of delay.

• Resolution Upon Moon’s Ingress into Virgo (~8 p.m.):

Travel resumed only after the Moon entered Virgo and began to apply to the Sun, aligning with astrological timing and marking the end of the delay, and further travel progress.

Betelgeuse Almost Crashed My Plans

Another example of a particularly difficult election for travel was a day I was considering for my own trip to Europe. I was planning to attend a training in horary astrology and had only a limited number of days to choose from, as I needed to be at my destination by a specific date.

Of the dates I checked, July 6 and July 7 appeared inauspicious. On July 6, the Moon was afflicted by Mars and positioned in the late degrees of Virgo. On July 7, it was a New Moon — although in Cancer, her sign of domicile, this phase is still considered an affliction due to the Moon’s weakened energy. In traditional western astrology, the planet that is conjunct with the Sun gives its power and energy to it. The preceding day also did not appear favorable. I ultimately decided to fly a couple of days later, when the Moon was waxing and conjunct Venus — a far more favorable and supportive condition.

Unfortunately, July 6 turned out to be the date of a tragic aviation accident at San Francisco International Airport. At 11:28 a.m., a Korean flight crashed while landing, resulting in the deaths of three people and serious injuries to forty-nine others. The crash was attributed to pilot error — the aircraft was flying too slowly and too low, which caused it to strike the seawall and break apart on impact.

This event not only caused loss and injury but also stranded many passengers awaiting flights at SFO that day, disrupting countless travel plans. Astrologically, the day’s chart was troubling. The Moon was afflicted and void of course in the final degrees of Virgo, while Mars occupied a prominent position and was conjunct the Moon. One additional factor was the presence of the fixed star Betelgeuse conjunct the Moon within a degree, and widely Mars.

Betelgeuse, a powerful star in the constellation Orion, has many meanings but is traditionally associated with danger from fire, explosions, weapons, and violent force — especially when activated by malefics like Mars. In this case, its close proximity to the MC and Mars underscored the potential for fiery, sudden, and destructive events, which tragically manifested in the form of an aircraft accident.

Interestingly, the Moon’s applying conjunction to a powerful Jupiter in Cancer may have played a mitigating role. This beneficial connection possibly softened the full impact of the tragedy, contributing to the survival of the majority of those on board despite the danger.

While this crash was likely caused by human error, and many other flights that day were uneventful, the overall conditions still indicated a difficult day for travel, reinforcing principles of traditional astrology. These principles advise avoiding:

• Conjunctions, squares, and oppositions between the Moon and Mars or Saturn.
• New or full moons.
• A void-of-course Moon.
• Malefic fixed stars in contact with the Moon (if possible).

Astrological Summary of Key Considerations

• Afflicted Moon (by Mars): Suggests conflict, danger, or mishaps.
• Void of Course Moon in Late Virgo: Indicates lack of momentum and poor conditions for initiating travel.
• New Moon (in Cancer): Symbolizes moments of weaker energy.
• Fixed Star Betelgeuse conjunct Mars and the Moon: Associated with fiery destruction, explosions, and accidents.
• Applying Moon-Jupiter conjunction: A protective influence, likely aiding survival in this incident.