Like Tom says, you need a lasting commitment so place the ascendant, its ruler or the Moon in fixed signs. Make sure the ascendant ruler is strong, well placed and receiving good aspects, and the 6th and 12th house rulers (incapacity and self-undoing) are weak...

I'm getting confused here. The Ascendants and houses which have been mentioned in the last posts are electional or natal? In Sigma's original posts he/she (sorry) talked about his/her (sorry again) natal chart.

I would work primarily with the natal chart and use an electional chart secondarily. Quitting smoking is not in the same category as applying for a job or buying a car: it is very much about oneself. Smoking isn?t something that happens to a person, nor is it a factor of the environment to manipulate. Looking at why one started smoking, why one needs to do it, and what it may replace or fill in one?s life seems the best place to start. Electing a time to quit by transits which strengthen the natal chart makes best sense to me. The houses of the natal chart don?t seem as important as the dynamic points?the planets and angles.

Another thought: Smoking would seem to be a symptom of something else which isn?t allowed expression. Picking a time to quit by primarily focusing on an electional chart would seem to be akin to treatment of a symptom with a medication taken in the right doses at the right times, while the underlying cause is ignored. Waiting for, and trying to choose, the right moment to quit could be very related to what the smoking was standing in for in the first place. The more I think of it, I would rely on the natal chart. Even more so, I would rely on the thoughts and fears of the person who is going through this.

Maybe just ditch astrology and do it? Easier said than done, but very doable.

I would work primarily with the natal chart and use an electional chart secondarily.

Ideally that is what we always do when we use electional techniques. The points I made above were in reference to the electional chart ? a suggestion of the type of influences I would be looking to build into the electional chart. No electional chart can promise miracles ? it can only offer a further level of support for factors that are capable of being materialised.

Quitting smoking is not in the same category as applying for a job or buying a car: it is very much about oneself.

That?s why I say it?s a 1st house matter.

Smoking isn?t something that happens to a person, nor is it a factor of the environment to manipulate.

You could argue that launching a business isn?t something that happens to you. You choose to do it for one reason or another, just as for one reason or another you choose to smoke (or choose not to smoke).

Looking at why one started smoking, why one needs to do it, and what it may replace or fill in one?s life seems the best place to start. Electing a time to quit by transits which strengthen the natal chart makes best sense to me. The houses of the natal chart don?t seem as important as the dynamic points?the planets and angles.

I agree. But when you have elected a good time by transit, you aim to ?commence? that action at a time most conducive to enduring will and motivation, building in whatever is practical without having to wait two years for the perfect alignment

Ultimately I would see this as the commencement of a battle, albeit ?a battle of will?. Since smoking is defined as a ?social disease?, (and especially if the reasons for quitting are health-motivated), you could approach the electional chart as a battle between the rulers of the 1st house (personal will, health and vitality) and 6th house (affliction, debilitation, disease). The 1st house ruler should be fortified, the 6th house ruler debilitated.

You would also need fixidity on your side to give strength of purpose and endurance ? if possible you wouldn?t choose to begin this act when a cardinal sign is on the ascendant because they lead to quick change and aren?t able to resist pressure: you will be very motivated to begin with, but then lose the will to continue.

But at the end of the day you do need to be practical and just go for the best you can get. There is a large space between holding back a long time for a good transit and ditching astrology altogether. You could take the strongest or most helpful planet in the birth chart and place that on an angle in the electional chart, and then simply choose a day when the Moon is not heavily afflicted and applying to a trine of the Sun ? getting the Sun and Moon in a good aspect can offer a great boon to the commencement of any activity and it's always good for health matters.

But there is NO reason in waiting for the perfect moment to do something that is obviously wise to do under any circumstances. If all of this seems too confusing or bothersome than in all honesty my advice would be ? just pick a day and stick with it. If the will is strong and the purpose is pure, it will find its own perfect time for expression.

Deb,

Your last post has been very illuminating and a great help to my understanding the issue. Now I feel that I got the core idea to deal with the electional technicalities.

The task of electing a good time appears to be easy now.

Many thanks

Hi folks,

Before closing the issue let me tell you about my final decison for electing a good time to quit smoking.Election was made in accordance with advice on this thread.

The date I come up with is the 14th of August 2005 where :

1) ASC is in taurus, a fix sign to benefit from endurance when I quit.It also makes a partile trine with my natal MC and placed in natal first house which makes it well placed,

2) Sun, being the significator of will power is in leo (fix sign again) and in the 4th house,

3) Mars, which is the ruler of the 12th house (self undoing) is severely debilitated by being in taurus and in the twelfth house of the election chart.Mars is the planet which has the highest debility both essentially and accidentally in the election chart.

4) Venus, the sixth house ruler (habits) is in virgo where she is in fall.Well, it also rules ASC, which is required to be dignified, but given the other constraints there seems to be no better choice.

5) Moon has essentially only face dignity but well placed in the 7th house, fast and applying to sun by trine and to jupiter by sextile.

6) None of the natal angles are afflicted by the angles or planets of the election chart.

I hope this is a good election if not perfect.
If anyone thinks that I missed something crucial please do let me know.

I will also let you know about the outcome of this election.