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Last week I wrote about electing a time for a first date or meeting. This week, I take things a step further and examine the rules for electing a time to get married. Just as the birth time of a relationship can impact its development, the timing of a wedding can impact the progression of a marriage. The relationship has already begun, but the transition to “official commitment” is considered to be a new stage of the partnership. Note that this does not apply to common law marriages.
Please read the previous article if you’re not familiar with the basics of electional astrology. The same rules (for a first date election) apply to a wedding election. Avoid Mercury, Venus or Mars Rx. Schedule the wedding during a Waxing Moon (but not too close to the New Moon) and stay away from the void of course Moon. Aim for applying aspects, and consider only the major aspects. Again, using the inconjunct is a “maybe.” It’s not a Ptolemaic aspect, but many consider it to have a significant impact. Analysis is generally restricted to the planets and Nodes. The major asteroids (Juno, Ceres, Pallas and Vesta) and Chiron were not big players in traditional electional astrology.
While the nature of the wedding chart itself is important, how the wedding chart interfaces with your natal charts is crucial. A glowing wedding chart cannot hold a relationship together if it’s not meant to last. But a wedding chart that challenges your charts will make things more difficult, even if your partnership has the potential to be a keeper. For example, let’s say the wedding chart’s Saturn opposes your Venus. No matter how good the relationship was before the wedding, you may feel restricted or lonely in the marriage. The purpose of electing a wedding time is to cast a chart that supports and strengthens you and your spouse.
Working With Houses
When electing a wedding chart, you should be as precise as possible. The birth of the marriage occurs the second you both say, “I do.” Not when you first arrive at the church, and not when the rings are exchanged. Since you have control over that moment, you can time the chart down to the second. This is crucial, because the Ascendant (1st House cusp) and Descendant (7th House cusp) are major players, and they are time-sensitive. Some sources suggest that the 7th House cusp represents the marriage itself, while the AC represents the couple. Other say that the AC represents the groom (or, if this is a same-sex couple, the dominant partner) and the DC represents the bride.
Whatever these angles represent, it’s helpful if their rulers form an applying aspect to each other. This signifies your union. Harmonious aspects are best. Squares indicate tension (and the possibility of arguments). Oppositions are best avoided. Although they do suggest culmination, in wedding electional astrology, they also indicate separation. If you’re wondering about traditional versus modern rulerships (Mars as ruler of Scorpio instead of Pluto) I would consider both. Traditional rulerships carry weight, because electional astrology is based on traditional astrology. But we live in modern times.
It’s also a good idea if the AC and DC rulers are in signs that they rule, or are exalted in. Then they’ll be able to act at full strength. If this isn’t possible, at least avoid having these planets in the signs of their fall or detriment (unfriendly signs). Here’s a table of planetary dignities that lists friendly and unfriendly signs for the planets. Also, if the AC and DC are in Fixed signs, this will promote longevity and stability. For example, a wedding chart with Scorpio rising has Mars (Scorpio’s traditional ruler) in Aries (which it also rules). Taurus is on the DC, and Venus (Taurus’ ruler) is in Pisces, where she’s exalted. Venus and Mars don’t aspect each other, but they are strong in their respective signs, so that will have to do.
House emphasis is also significant. A packed 4th House indicates a marriage that will be focused on home and family. A packed 10th House is good if you’re both career-oriented. In the end, it’s a personal choice. If you’re a pair of homebodies, you won’t be comfortable with a 10th House emphasis. If you don’t want children, you may want to avoid putting fertility planets (like the Moon) in the 5th House.
Planets conjunct the angles (1st, 4th, 7th and 10th Houses) will have extra strength, so choose carefully. You probably don’t want Uranus’ disruptive energy on the 4th House cusp (unless you’re eager to dive into a unpredictable home life). Saturn conjunct the AC can be ultra-binding, but may also suggest barriers between the two of you. In general, it’s best to keep the malefics (Saturn and Mars) off the angles. This rather ominous term is traditional astrology speak for planets that symbolize negative events. Don’t Saturn and Mars have their uses? They do, and the idea of a malefic planet may seem antiquated. In the end, it’s your choice. Personally, I wouldn’t put a heavy planet like Saturn in such a prominent position.
Male/Female Significators
The Sun and Mars represent the man (or dominant partner in a same-sex couple). The Moon and Venus are female significators. Positive, applying aspects between male and female is important. The house that each significator is in will describe where the flow of harmony is. Sun in the 4th House trine Moon in the 8th House (intimacy and shared resources) suggests a very private couple who will derive peace and nurturing from family, and from each other. If you and your partner thrive on conflict, you might be OK with a square between Venus and Mars. Just make sure you’re on board with tension in the houses that Venus and Mars occupy. 2nd House Mars square 5th House Venus could indicate struggles over money (2nd House) spent on children, or one partner’s love of celebrating/drinking/gambling (5th House).
The sign that the Moon occupies takes on added significance in a wedding chart. The Moon is not only the female significator, but the co-significator of the event itself. This thorough article on Skyscript has traditional views on the possible impact of the Moon in all the signs. Some of the pronouncements are quite dramatic. In general, I don’t think the Moon in one sign is worse than any other (although you may want to think twice if the Moon is in Capricorn, the sign of its detriment, or Scorpio, the sign of its fall). It depends on what energy each partner is comfortable with. If you’re both logical, Air sign people, a wedding chart with a woozy Pisces Moon could make you uneasy with its diffuse energy.
Aspects between the Sun and Moon carry the most weight. Squares and oppositions are extremely difficult. As noted in the previous article, a Sun/Moon square (the Waxing Square) indicates crisis. An opposition can suggest that you will be pitted against each other on some subject (illustrated by the houses the Sun and Moon are in). All aspects to the Moon are important, especially the ones that it will be making before it leaves its sign. These signify how the marriage progresses over time. If the last aspect the Moon makes (before moving into the next sign) is an opposition to Uranus, you’ve got a sudden disruption that could separate you.
Which brings us to the question of orbs. In traditional astrology, allowable orbs were much wider. The method for calculation is a bit confusing, so I won’t go into it here. I’ve included a link if you’re curious. The Moon is given an orb of up to 13 degrees, although all applying aspects she makes are considered. In other words, as long as the Sun and Moon are in opposite signs, it’s a valid opposition (although the rule of tighter orbs equals stronger aspects still applies). In general, the allowable orb for aspects to the Sun is around 11 to 12 degrees, and 6 to 8 degrees for the other planets (depending on which planets are aspecting each other). Specifics are in the table I linked to. Applying orbs represent what is to come, and separating orbs represent where you’re coming from.
Trines and sextiles to Saturn enhance commitment, but hard aspects can create restrictions. Use Pluto sparingly. A conjunction between Pluto and Venus may sound fabulous for a passionate love that continually regenerates, but if these planets are in the 8th House, you may have power struggles over joint finances (in addition to passionate sex). Then again, maybe you’re OK with that. The entire chart needs to be weighed in terms of all signs and aspects, and how it interacts with each person’s chart.
Wedding electional astrology is even more complicated than first meeting elections. Again, I’ve only presented the basics. I don’t specialize in wedding elections, but there are astrologers out there who do. As with the first meeting election chart, you’ll never come up with a perfect wedding chart. There will be a planet that’s retrograde somewhere, and one or more planets in their fall or debility. The aim is to make the chart as positive as possible, so it can bolster the two of you when you encounter inevitable rough patches.
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