August Elections

Welcome to August! After the busy transits of July, now we enter into eclipse season, where the eclipses continue their transition from the Virgo-Pisces axis to the Leo-Aquarius axis. The Solar Eclipse in Leo takes place August 12, followed by the Lunar Eclipse in Pisces August 28. This is a challenging month to find elections. The Moon does not cooperate with Venus while she is in her Domicile, hour, and at the angles. The Sun is conjunct the South Node at the same time as Regulus, the Moon wanes when she conjoins Jupiter. It’s a mess. Be sure to perform a divination to ensure that this election is appropriate for you!

I did a little extra digging, and though it is still not incredibly ideal, I managed to find an election for the Moon applying to conjoin Venus while she is conjunct the Fixed Star, Diadem on August 15. 

Here is what we are working with in August:

• The Sun starts the month Domicile in Leo and ingresses Virgo on August 23
  • Solar Eclipse in Leo August 12
• The Moon visits each sign, as always
  • Waning from 6 Pisces to 20 Leo (Solar Eclipse)
  • Waxing from 21 Leo to 4 Pisces (Lunar Eclipse)
  • Waning from 5 Pisces to 11 Aries
• Mercury is in Cancer until their August 9 ingress to Leo and makes it all the way to their Domicile and Exaltation in Virgo by August 25
• Venus begins the month in Fall in Virgo and arrives to her Domicile, Libra August 6
• Mars starts off in Gemini and ingresses Cancer, his sign of Fall August 11 for the rest of the month
• Jupiter is in Leo throughout the month
• Saturn is Retrograde in Aries throughout the month
  • Saturn stations Retrograde July 25 – December 9

For 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 the Moon loosened from the bonds of the August 12 Solar Eclipse by this point and is waxing outside of the Via Comusta. She applies to conjoin Venus at 8 Libra, the Tropical projected location of the Fixed Star, Diadem. For ritual purposes, we will use colors and numbers appropriate to Venus, one of the planets of its nature.

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

August 15, 2026 @ 2:14 pm ET

(NOTE: Be sure to adjust your chart for your location with Venus conjunct 8 Libra and the Moon applying to Venus)

Example Intentions (source: Vivian E. Robson):

• Collective Good
• Charm 
• Loyalty
• Commitment to a Cause

Ritual:

• Prepare ritual space, using 7 Green or Pink candles and dressing in similarly colored clothes.
• At elected time, light the candles and burn Frankincense
• Perform the elected action.
• Recite the Hymn to the Venus, meditate on desired outcome, or perform the elected action.

Orphic Hymn to Venus:

HEAV’NLY, illustrious, laughter-loving queen,

Sea-born, night-loving, of an awful mien;

Crafty, from whom necessity first came,

Producing, nightly, all-connecting dame:

Tis thine the world with harmony to join,

For all things spring from thee, O pow’r divine.

The triple Fates are rul’d by thy decree,

And all productions yield alike to thee:

Whate’er the heav’ns, encircling all contain,

Earth fruit-producing, and the stormy main,

Thy sway confesses, and obeys thy nod,

Awful attendant of the brumal God:

Goddess of marriage, charming to the sight,

Mother of Loves, whom banquetings delight;

Source of persuasion, secret, fav’ring queen,

Illustrious born, apparent and unseen:

Spousal, lupercal, and to men inclin’d,

Prolific, most-desir’d, life-giving., kind:

Great sceptre-bearer of the Gods, ’tis thine,

Mortals in necessary bands to join;

And ev’ry tribe of savage monsters dire

In magic chains to bind, thro’ mad desire.

Come, Cyprus-born, and to my pray’r incline,

Whether exalted in the heav’ns you shine,

Or pleas’d in Syria’s temple to preside,

Or o’er th’ Egyptian plains thy car to guide,

Fashion’d of gold; and near its sacred flood,

Fertile and fam’d to fix thy blest abode;

Or if rejoicing in the azure shores,

Near where the sea with foaming billows roars,

The circling choirs of mortals, thy delight,

Or beauteous nymphs, with eyes cerulean bright,

Pleas’d by the dusty banks renown’d of old,

To drive thy rapid, two-yok’d car of gold;

Or if in Cyprus with thy mother fair,

Where married females praise thee ev’ry year,

And beauteous virgins in the chorus join,

Adonis pure to sing and thee divine;

Come, all-attractive to my pray’r inclin’d,

For thee, I call, with holy, reverent mind.