April Elections

By KristaLyn Sofia

Welcome to April! We finally have a nice Jupiter election for this month! Now that Jupiter is direct and is far enough through Cancer to be out of reach from the malefic influences in Aries for now, we can take advantage of Jupiter’s benefits in the sign of its exaltation. It’s still not a dream election, but it’s good enough for a Jupiter talisman if you choose to make one.

This month also finds other planets in signs that are important for them. Venus is in her domicile, Taurus, and Mars is in its domicile, Aries. The Sun is exalted in Aries as well. We also find ourselves in a period of all planets moving in direct motion. April has a lot to offer when it comes to elections, and we’ll snag the Jupiter one for this post since we’ve been searching all this time!

Here is what we are working with in April:

• The Sun starts the month exalted in Aries until it ingresses into Taurus on April 20
• The Moon visits each sign, as always
  • Waxing from 28Virgo to 12Libra
  • Waning from 13Libra to 27Aries
  • Waxing again from 26Aries to 20Libra
• Mercury begins the month in fall and detriment in Pisces until it ingresses into Aries on April 15
• Venus is in its domicile, Taurus, for most of the month until its Gemini ingress on April 24
• Mars begins in Pisces and ingresses Aries, its domicile on April 9
• Jupiter is direct and exalted in Cancer all month
• Saturn is direct and in fall in Aries all month
• There are no retrogrades in April!

For a review, we are looking for a basic election with the planet of choice well dignified, rising or culminating during their own hour and preferably day, and for the planet and the Moon to be unafflicted.

Our election finds Jupiter culminating and exalted in Cancer during Jupiter hour on Venus day. The Moon is exalted in Taurus and applies to Jupiter by sextile. Venus is also domicile nearby in Taurus. While Saturn and Mars are square to Jupiter, the aspect with Saturn is separating and Mars is still far enough behind Jupiter to secure the election. The one consideration here is that they are in the 7th house. If this factor feels important to you, be sure to keep it in mind.

Here is an overview of the chart calculation and ritual process:

April 17, 2026 @ 6:38pm ET

(NOTE: Be sure to adjust the chart for Jupiter hour while Jupiter is conjunct the MC! You can check planetary hours in the Traditional settings on astro-seek.com.)

Example Intentions (source: William Lilly):

• Recognition
• Leadership
• Honor
• Good Judgement
• Majesty
• Deliberate Speech
• Confidence
• Great Heart

Ritual:

• Prepare ritual space, using 4 azure candles and dressed in similarly colored clothes.
• At the elected time, light the candles and burn nice smelling incense, like clove, nutmeg or frankincense.
• Create the talisman with the image, symbol and sigil of Jupiter. Suffumigate through the incense smoke
• Recite the hymn to Jupiter, meditate on desired outcome or perform the elected action.

The Orphic Hymn to Venus

(credit: Christopher Warnock and www.renaissanceastrology.com):

O Jove, much-honour’d, Jove supremely great,

To thee our holy rites we consecrate,

Our pray’rs and expiations, king divine,

For all things to produce with ease thro’ mind is thine.

Hence mother Earth and mountains swelling high

Proceed from thee, the deep and all within the sky.

Saturnian king, descending from above,

Magnanimous, commanding, sceptred Jove;

All-parent, principle and end of all,

Whose pow’r almighty shakes this earthly ball;

Ev’n Nature trembles at thy mighty nod,

Loud-sounding, arm’d with light’ning, thund’ring God.

Source of abundance, purifying king,

O various-form’d, from whom all natures spring;

Propitious hear my pray’r, give blameless health,

With peace divine, and necessary wealth.