Astrological Election for Lust and Lechery
Using Venus, Mars and Saturn
Lust is to the other passions what the nervous
fluid is to life; it supports them all,
lends strength to them all ... ambition, cruelty, avarice, revenge, are all founded on
lust.
L’Histoire de Juliette, ou es Prospérités du Vice Marquis de Sade
In traditional horary
as well as electional astrology we usually do not
differentiate between weakness to do good and strength to do evil. Neither a
weak benefic nor a malefic (unless it is strongly dignified)
is going to get the job done; we want a strong, well placed benefic. Nevertheless, it is
important to think carefully about the qualities displayed by planets when they
are weak as well as when they are strong and how their energy is modified as they move
through the Zodiac and are modulated by the various
essential dignities and their rulers.
Let's take a look at what the English astrologer
William Lilly says about Venus
when she is strong and when she is weak or afflicted,
Manners & Actions, when well dignified. She signifies a quiet man, not given
to Law, Quarrel or Wrangling, not Vitious, Pleasant, Neat and Spruce, Loving Mirth in his
words and actions, cleanly in Apparel, rather Drinking much then Gluttonous, prone to
Venery, oft entangles in Love-matters, Zealous in their affections, Musical,
delighting in Baths,
and all honest merry meetings, or Maskes and Stage-playes, easie of Belief, and not given
to Labour, or take any Pains, a Company-keeper, Cheerful, nothing Mistrustful, a right
vertuous man or Woman, oft had in some Jealousie, yet no cause for it.
When ill dignified. Then he is Riotous, Expensive, wholly given to Loosenesse and Lewd companies
of Women, nothing regarding his Reputation, coveting unlawful Beds, Incestuous, an
Adulterer; Fennatical, a meer Skip-jack, of no Faith, no Repute, no Credit; spending
his Means in Ale-houses, Taverns, and amongst Scandalous, Loose people; a meen Lazy
companion, nothing careful of the the things of this Life, or any thing Religious;
a meer Atheist and natural man.
(emphasis added) William Lilly,
Christian Astrology [1647] (Regulus, 1985) pages 73-4.
Note that the emphasis on love and sex remains constant, but the nature varies.
So here is an example of an election for lust.
The time is November 24, 2001 at 9:28 am EST (+5) in Washington,
D.C. 38 N 55, 77 W 03. Venus, the focus of the election, is in her detriment,
Scorpio. This, as we have seen, pushes the election from love to lust.
The rest of the election is fairly orthodox.
Venus is well placed in the 11th house and actually surprisingly well dignified
despite being in detriment as she is dignified by triplicity, term and face.
Venus is the almuten of the first and
ruler of the fifth house of pleasure.
In traditional astrology we do not use the 8th house as the house of
sex, but the 5th. Lilly says that the 5th, "...its the house of
Pleasure, Delight and Meriment..." Christian Astrology page 53.
In traditional astrology the 8th
house is the house of death, wills
and the resources, friends and wealth of 7th house subjects like wives,
partners, defendants and enemies as it is second from the 7th.
Christian Astrology page 54-5.
The Moon is making
an applying trine to Venus with strong reception by exaltation and triplicity.
As she is in the same degree as Venus the aspect is partile and
in fact it is only one minute from perfection. So we have managed
to have appropriate house rulers, placement and aspects with only
Venus' presence in Scorpio making this somewhat unusual.
Now how else can we manifest lust and lechery
despite debilitating Venus? Another method is combination with the malefic
planets and their signs. We have already seen an example of this in our earlier
example because Venus is in Scorpio, the sign of Mars. Not only is this
her detriment, but the English astrologer John Gadbury says that Venus in
the signs of Mars, "...the native will keep company with lewd and dishonest women."
Doctrine of Nativities [1658] page 80.
Similarly, Saturn in Taurus or Libra, "...the Native
shall be given to venerous acts and chiefly with vile or lewd Women..."
Doctrine of Nativities [1658] page 75. We get a similar effect placing Venus in
Saturn's signs, Capricorn or Aquarius, "...the Native shall covet lewd Women..."
Doctrine of Nativities [1658] page 79.
We can manifest the same qualities with aspects. The
English astrologer William Salmon says of the square or opposition of Mars and Venus,
"...the native is given to Vanity, Wickedness, Lust, filthy pleasures and
all matter of Abominations of the flesh..." The Soul of Astrology [1659]
Bk I. Chapter 25, page 83. The conjunction of Saturn and Venus, "...shews one
libidinous..." The Soul of Astrology [1659] Bk I. Chapter 23, page 66.
While I am not seriously suggesting that anyone actually
undertake this sort of election it is a useful exercise in understanding the ordered
variation in the qualities signified and embodied by the planets and signs. In the
Liber Fructus attributed to Ptolemy the point is made that, "None can know
the mixtures of the stars, unless he first know their natural differences and
mixtures one with another." Liber Fructus Aphorism 7, cited in John Partridge,
Mikropanastron [1679] page 307. A natural feel for the energy of a planet
and an understanding of how it acts when strong and weak and in combination with
other planets is the cornerstone of traditional elections. Again quoting the
Liber Fructus, "Make no election of days and hours, before you know the
quality of the thing intended." Aphorism 11, cited in John Partridge,
Mikropanastron [1679] page 307.
