Planning (Electional)

Tell me when to do Something:
Electional Astrology

Text Copyright 2007, 2012, 2016, 2024  J. Lee Lehman

(And Lee wrote the book on electional too*)

Events have birth charts, just like you do. Events, however, are more fragile than people, who often show remarkable resiliency. The purpose to electional astrology is to align your intentions concerning an event with an astrological configuration that makes that intention as ease-ful as possible in practice.

Electing is like the difference between having head winds or tail winds: it may not control the absolute outcome, but it can make the journey simpler, faster, and easier. It can also reduce the worry factor.

What kinds of events are appropriate for electional astrology?

Marriages, moving in together, divorce hearings, beginning a job, beginning a job action, asking for a raise, opening a business, opening a new business location, listing a house, purchasing a house, moving into a house, beginning the construction of a house, surgery times, beginning a round of medical treatment, writing a letter to achieve a goal, moving, beginning a trip, or the purchase or sale of important goods.

What kinds of events are not appropriate for electional astrology?

Time to give birth to a child by caesarean section (except for safety), timing to avoid getting caught at illegal acts, time to commit suicide, or the time for any trivial or ephemeral event.

Can I elect any time to do anything, as long as the planets agree?

Many electionals are actually times for doing something with legal ramifications. For example: if you open a business and elect to get a business license, it can only be done when the governmental agency it falls under will accept applications. If they allow for it on-line, then any time is good, but if you have to apply in person, then it has to be at an allowed time and day of the week. Or another example: different countries and different regions within countries have laws regarding marriage. A marriage would have to fall within the legal parameters for the location of the marriage. (For information about the laws of the different states of the USA regarding marriage, click here.) These rules must be followed for the election to have force.

Can electional astrology tell me anything about events which have already occurred?

It’s not called electional astrology, but event interpretation. However, the same astrological rules apply whether the event has already occurred, or has yet to occur. If you are interested in finding out about such a past event, the pricing is like horary.

Why do you have the horary special?

Sahl, one of the ancient Arabic astrologers, said it best: only the electionals of kings are powerful. What he meant is that the more powerful your social situation, the easier it is to get what you want accomplished. The rest of us are constrained by our circumstances: we have to deal with bosses, family limitations, and other matters. For the average person, it’s wise to find out whether what we want is feasible within the time interval we want to do it in. This can be done two ways: by asking a horary about the electional (like: will my business succeed if I incorporate at this time?), and then only proceed with the electional if the answer is yes. Or, the birthchart can be examined. Lee does this as part of the electional, and if there is a problem during a particular time, she will notify you.

What do you need to know in order to do an election for me?

• I need to know what makes this event important to you: what you hope to accomplish. For example: if you are buying a home, are you purchasing it as your main residence, as a retirement home, in order to provide rental income, or as an investment?
• I need to know your birth data, as well as that of the other parties (when feasible for you to get this).
• I need to know surrounding circumstances: for example, is this elective surgery, or emergency?
• I need to know who your regular astrologer is (if it isn’t me!), so we may consult if necessary.
• I need to know when the event can take place: normal business hours, Tuesdays from 8:00 – 10:00 am, etc.
• I need to know how long an event is (like a surgical procedure), if it isn’t a contract signing, or other such “instantaneous” event.

What can I expect an Electional Reading to be like?

It’s not like your typical natal reading. The main reason is that almost all the work is done before you see the results. Lee typically e-mails the selected dates and times, with an astrological explanation for why these are appropriate. Then, if you have any questions, you can either e-mail back, or set up a short consultation.

Note: unless specified otherwise, Lee will be giving you only one or two dates related to one specific event. So if you elect for a marriage, you cannot request an additional date to adopt a dog. The reason is that different types of electionals use different rules, so it’s not just a case of scanning a greater period of time. If you need additional dates, there will be an additional charge, so if you have different expectations, please discuss them with Lee before you book your electional.

Is there anything different about electing for medical procedures?

Medical electional are a little different than other types. First, it’s very important to understand the purpose of a medical electional. There are two very different types: electing for a test, and electing for a (hopefully) therapeutic procedure.

When you elect a time for a test, the whole purpose of that electional is to get as accurate a diagnosis and reading of the results as is possible. The purpose of a test is not to get a desirable answer, but to get a true answer. In other words, the primary goal of electing a test is not to have to repeat it because the results were inconclusive, and not to doubt the results.

When electing for a procedure, whether a surgery, purge, or medication series, the purpose is to match the procedure and person so that the maximal benefit possible and the fewest side effects can occur.

It is important to remember that medical astrology is not selecting your treatment protocol: your health care practitioner is, with consultation with you. If your goal is an aesthetically pleasing result from plastic surgery, the criteria for electing are different than if you are going to be taking chemotherapy. And speaking of chemo, I had recently elected for a gentleman to take his daily dose of a chemotherapy drug, and it turned out he was allergic to the drug – something that happens not infrequently. With the elections, fortunately, he noticed the side effects quickly, and his medical team switched his chemo drug quickly, and he had only very temporary side effects. Electional cannot force a drug to work for somebody, but it may ease the process, whether through the whole series of treatments, or a graceful exit from the protocol.

Because medical electional is about safety as well as timing, please be aware that if you have had medical complications from a similar procedure in the past, that you should let Lee know, so that she can examine the bad result to soo whether there is any information relating to that bad experience that could otherwise unintentionally be brought forward into the future. There is a charge for this procedure, but this also insures more confidence in the times that are selected.

The Fertility Special: The Beginning and Ending of Pregnancy

Electing for ivf, egg transplantation, or other assisted fertility options is more complex than typical electional, because now three people (plus the families) need to be considered in the process. Note that there is a discount if you are using a sperm donor, because, in this “case, fertility is no longer a “three-body problem,” but two, because the father’s chart cannot be considered. However, in not knowing the father’s situation, the safety should be a bit more precise.

In addition, there are considerations in terms of the overall relationship of each parent’s natal chart to children, and the general life period, which can have a major impact on whether a successful outcome is possible. Because of this, it’s best to consult about this before beginning the fertility process. For example, both the time of fertilization of the eggs and the time of implantation should be considered, because both of these times impact the future success of the child.

The same process applies to elections related to the time of birth. Note: Lee will not elect a caesarean because the parents want to control the nativity of the child. But Lee is happy to work with parents to create a date which maximizes baby health and bonding with the family.

And also note: it is well known in medicine that there is a greater probability of caesarian section in the case of ivf. There is not a strong history of electing to prevent caesarian for any reason, and so Lee does not attempt to do this. Also Lee does not recommend electing for caesarian outside the time window provided by your physicians.

IVF has two primary parts. In the first stage, the eggs and sperm are gathered and then introduced to each other to produce fertilization, as which point, the fertilized eggs (probably grown into embryos which can be sexed and graded for viability) can either be frozen, or directly introduced into the uterus for implantation. Notice that the fact that stage 1 is completely dependent on the menstrual cycle, the job of electional astrology is to work with the possible months when egg and sperm harvesting can be done as given by your medical team, and to pick what appears to be the best time in general. However, it is helpful for the second part to have that fertilization chart: that was the conception chart of old, which was considered more strongly than the birth itme, if you had it.

The general process of IVF means that you take at least estrogen and progesterone prior to implantation in order the prepare the uterus, which increases your probability of a successful implantation. This is timed to the menstrual cycle. Most astrology operates by using a chart (like your natal chart). I can’t do a chart right now because  you cannot give me accurate information yet.

So, for planning purposes, look at favorable monthly charts that show potential pregnancy tendencies. There is absolutely no point to doing anything until you and I agree on a month to work for.

Once the month is chosen, and once your menstrual calendar is confirmed, and they can get you the range for when you can do this, then I can create the best time for implantation, which is the next step of this process from an astrological standpoint.

Guide to Your Ordering Options:

• Regular Electional: For this option, Lee will pick one or two dates for you for a particular purpose. She will probably ask you for background: your birth data, the nature of what you want to do, the date range for doing it, the place, and the birth data of other principals related to the event. The assumption of this process is that Lee will normally scan up to six months, in the range you specify. Use the extended time period options of you need a scan of a greater range of time.
• Additional date within a week: If, for example, you have Lee elect a time for a surgical procedure, and you call to get the appointment, and the time isn’t available, if you call back for additional date(s) within a week of when Lee gave them to you, the charge is less, because Lee will still have her notes, and the circumstances will still be fresh in her mind.
• Additional date after a week: However, if more time has elapsed, Lee will probably have to recreate her original thinking, and so the cost is greater, because Lee’s time investment is greater.
• RUSH FEE FOR ANY OF THE ABOVE: If you need any of the above in less than 96 hours from the booking time, then there is an additional for expedited service.
• Review an Appointment: if someone gives you one or more appointment times to do something, a, for example,s possible appointments for a dental procedure, Lee will examine those possibilities to pick either the best one from a set, or simply to examine whether a particular time is feasible astrologically. If you have a series of possible appointments, contact Lee for a specific quote on the cost.
• For many electionals such as a marriage, it is considered much more powerful if there is an argument for marriage at the time of the election. If for some reason the natal chart cannot speak to the issue, or there is uncertainty about the birth time, then it may be appropriate to ask a horary about whether the proposed undertaking can be successful. If the horary says yes, then the electional process continues. If not, it may be wise to reconsider the feasibility or timing of the action.
• Medication series: if a particular event requires multiple appointments, there is a discount for setting up to ten appointments for the same procedure over a time period of up to three months.
• Extended discussion: the time you are paying for is for Lee to create the electional chart. Should you wish to have an extended discussion of the mechanics or astrological justification, you may pay for an online session in 30 minute increments.
• Fertility special:

What You won’t get in an electional (unless you order it as an extra):

The purpose of this option is to create an electional chart – not to delineate it. Especially if you are an astrologer and you wish to discuss the chart in detail, you may want to  order the extended discussion option.

Pay by Paypal: 

Need a time to do something? Move? Get married? Sell a house? Use the regular for most electionals. Pick the review button if you have an appointment you want checked. The RUSH Electional means that Lee will complete your electional within 96 hours.

• Click here for Lee’s electional book, the Magic of Electional Astrology.