Medical Electional Astrology

Electional and horary astrology are two areas of astrology that deserve more attention from students and professionals than they sometimes get.

Related in interpretation but different in intent, horary and electional astrology are two forms of astrological chart analysis that are similar by analogy to the relationship between deductive and inductive reasoning.

In horary astrology, a question is asked at a specific time and a chart is cast for that moment. Then the chart is interpreted according to the rules of horary interpretation to yield an answer.

In electional astrology, someone wants to choose an auspicious or lucky time for an event in the future that can be planned, such as a marriage, signing real estate papers, or, in the case of Ronald Reagan, a presidential swearing-in ceremony. The astrologer begins by speculating with the client on a desirable time in the future and then casts a chart for that time and date. This chart is interpreted according to the guidelines for electional astrology in order to determine if this is the best possible date to insure success.

In reviewing a tentative electional chart, the astrologer must decide whether or not the date and time are satisfactory. In truth, since it is not possible to get a “perfect” electional chart, s/he usually winds up casting half a dozen charts and trying to choose the one that makes the most sense.

Ivy M. Goldstein-Jacobson is the High Priestess of Horary and Electional Astrologer. She has done the most recently to develop and refine the art of this kind of interpretation. Mrs. Jacobson lived from 1893 to 1990. Another expert in the field is William Lilly. He wrote in the 17th Century!

Mrs. Jacobson’s wonderful books are now back in print and available on several Internet sites. Many are available secondhand through amazon.com Mrs. Jacobson’s book on horary is called “Simplified Horary Astrology”.

Another essential tool for interpreting charts this way is Rex E. Bills’ “The Rulership Book”, also widely available on the Internet. The Rulership Book tells you what sign rules just about anything you can think of from Israel to the kitchen sink. This information is critical to horary and electional chart interpretation.

Let’s look at some of the basic steps for reading an electional chart for an operation. Suppose a client has come to asking when is the best time for surgery to remove her uterus.

1. The first thing is to identify the rulership of the area of the body being operated on. We establish this through Bills’ “Rulerships” book or general knowledge -- the uterus is a reproductive organ and is therefore ruled by Scorpio and the planet Mars.

The rest of the interpretation follows these general guidelines.

2. The 8th house signifies surgery (Jacobson: “The 7th rules the doctor or physician: the surgeon who usually cuts away a part that then dies is ruled by the death-8th.”)..

3. The 1st house signifies the patient.

4. Mercury represents the instruments the surgeon will use.

5. The recovery process is signified by the 6th house.

Examine the rulers of these houses and the planets that inhabit them to see what kind of aspects and information are revealed, positive or negative.

For example, if Taurus rules the 6th house, the ruler of that house is Venus. Look to see where Venus is in the chart and how it is aspected in order to find out how the recovery process will go.

Electional astrology requires us to set aside neutral New Age interpretations of planets and aspects and to label certain planets and aspects as the ancients did: “benefic” planets are good; “malefic” planets are bad.

The malefic planets are Mars, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. Any planet in any aspect to these planets is considered “afflicted”. This is bad.

The benefic planets are Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus and Jupiter. These planets can aspect each other positively with conjunctions but negatively with squares and oppositions, in which case they are considered “afflicted”.

The Moon is of critical importance in electional astrology. We look primarily to see what sign the Moon is in and what aspects it makes before leaving the sign.

The best signs for the Moon are Taurus and Cancer. The worst sign for the Moon is Scorpio. For a good ending to surgery, the Moon should not be Void-of-Course (“nothing will come of it”) and it should make a good aspect before leaving its sign.

Jacobson introduced a “Part of Surgery”, similar to the Arabic Parts (such as the “Part of Fortune” with which most of us are familiar). The Part of Surgery is derived by adding the cusp of the first house to Saturn and then subtracting Mars. Look to see if the resulting point in the chart is positive and well aspected.

There are some definite NOs in electional interpretation:


1.the Sun and Moon cannot be in the sign ruling the part of the body to be operated on (in this case Scorpio)

2.the Ruler of the 1st, the Patient, cannot be in bad aspect to the Ruler of the 8th, the Surgeon, or the surgeon cannot help the patient and nothing will come of the operation

3.the Moon cannot be in the same sign as Mars or applying to a quincunx with Mars

4.the Ascendant, its ruler, a planet in the 1st or 8th houses, the Sun, Moon or Mars cannot be in conjunct with one of the “evil” fixed stars.

If you’re not sure what the evil fixed stars are, these are the greatest offenders; Hamal, the Death Wound, at 6 Taurus; Caput Algol or Medusa’s Head at 24 Taurus; Aldebaran at 8 Gemini; Serpentis, the Cursed Degree, at 9 Scorpio; Antares, evil presages and danger of fatality, at 8 Sagittarius and Scheat, death by drowning (including pneumonia) at 29 Pisces.

Expect to see some affliction on the angles of the chart. After all, if Saturn, Neptune, Uranus or Pluto were not hovering at an angle, there would be no indication of serious surgery pending. However, more than one of these planets indicates a need to pick another time.

There are some further distinctions to this kind of electional medical chart interpretation, but these are the basics.

After you have the chart analyzed, you might do a few more for around the same time period and see if you can get better results. There is no such thing as the “perfect” time for an event.

Some astrologers are not willing to do electional astrology readings for fear of taking on the responsibility. It is wise to prepare a potential client for the fact that 85% or more of the success of the operation relies on the intelligence and skill of the doctor and the odds given. The rest of the process can be enhanced by timing and that is what a good electional chart can do.

What I’ve found with my clients is that their intuition is good and in most cases is already directing them to an appropriate date and time for success.