Election for book launch

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I don't usually do this but...

I need to pinpoint the best time for my book launch within a very small time frame. After looking at available dates, and how they fitted in with pragmatic requirements - time frame, days of week possible etc, we have ended up with Tuesday 13 March 2007 in London.

We dismissed the dates when Mercury was retrograde, because even if we decided we'd be able to cope, we'd look like thick astrologers. We avoided Moon voc dates, on the logic that even if the Moon wasn't void by the time we planned the event, too many things may go wrong earlier in the day and we didn't want any headaches. 8 March was a possibility, but it had a rather nasty Moon. So we've settled on 13 March in London and the invitations need to go out soon. Very, very soon.

Time wise, we're looking for after 7 pm. 7 pm itself is a possibility, as we can arrange for people to arrive from about 6:45 (we can try for 6:30, but then it starts getting unrealistic) so that they're there a little beforehand. At 7 pm Libra is rising. Venus is in detriment, but it is in face and in mutual reception by exaltation with the Sun. It's a Jupiter Hour, Jupiter is strong and the final dispositor. The Moon applies to the Sun by sextile and Venus (square) is the last aspect. (Thank you Frank :D )

Our pragmatic preference is to announce the start for no later than 6:45 and to call the launch as near to 7:30 as is sensible. But my brain is now completely fried, as I've been churning words out and proofreading like nobody's business over the last few weeks, and I can't see what I'm doing any more.

So if you're sitting there bored at the moment, would you mind taking a quick look and coming over all opinionated? I'd be very grateful. And this is one election we can call to the exact minute.

Kim
www.kimfarnell.co.uk

3
Hello Kim,

Here goes for my ?coming over all opinionated?. Obviously, the applying Venus-Mercury sextile for your book launch is very fortunate (Venus is faster).

The only time that keeps Venus angular and not hovering near the 8th cusp is the 7:30 pm time. It also puts the Moon exactly on an angle. I think the Moon?s first applying aspect will color the whole chart, especially if it is close. The Moon is within a 3 ? degree sextile to the North Node in 5th, again good (well, to Uranus partile conjunct NN if you want to be that way about it). NN trine MC. I get 12Cancer for the MC conjunct Sirius with Moon on the angle. PoF conjunct Jupiter. Many good points.

Now for the malefics. Saturn trines angular Venus - a long run? wide and weak so maybe not into the next millennium. The waning Moon might mean a slow start, but the Saturn-Venus a steady run. Saturn opposes Mercury (working hard) and Mars (oh drat) but there is reception, it is wide, not angular and Jupiter helps out all around. I think the combination of the Moon, benefics, angles and Sun will carry the 7:30 pm chart.

Its always great to have a benefic conjunct an angle, or trine, or at least sextile. I looked to see how close Venus could get to the descendant without putting the whole thing into tilt. Is an 8:30 pm time out of the question? It puts Venus, extra important because it is also Lord Ascendant, tighter to an angle. The Ascendant is near Spica, Jupiter close sextile to Ascendant, the Sun moves into the 5th (instead of the 6th as in 7:30) and trines the MC for more good angle action. On the down side it moves that detrimented Saturn into the 10th. Oh drat.

I know what you mean about elections, they can be so maddening. Do you also have control over electing the date and time the book actually hits the market? If so, you have another election booster to go along with this one.

One question regards the Moon and Venus. Both feminine planets are in detriment and square (by sign). Is there something about this book that a certain segment of the public might find ?socially unacceptable? or controversial so to speak? Other than it is an astrology book! Anyway, I am looking forward to reading it.


Best wishes,
Christina

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The Ascendant is on the Part of Success. :D Good luck to your book.
Thanks Papretis, that's a cheering thought.

And thanks Christina.

One reason that the Libra Asc appeals - plus a strong Ve, is that the publisher has a Libran Sun.

I think the 7:30 chart looks quite decent.
Now for the malefics. Saturn trines angular Venus - a long run?
If there was a method to remove Saturn completely, I'd use it :D However, I think it's reasonably buried here.
Is an 8:30 pm time out of the question? It puts Venus, extra important because it is also Lord Ascendant, tighter to an angle. The Ascendant is near Spica, Jupiter close sextile to Ascendant, the Sun moves into the 5th (instead of the 6th as in 7:30) and trines the MC for more good angle action. On the down side it moves that detrimented Saturn into the 10th. Oh drat.
8:30 isn't completely out of the question, although it would be difficult. We're gathering around 7 pm and it would involve keeping a momentum for rather a long time. And I don't like the idea of empowering Saturn. Although perhaps the fact that I have Sa cnj Asc in Cap mitigates a little there.
Do you also have control over electing the date and time the book actually hits the market? If so, you have another election booster to go along with this one.
Not really. The first sale will be made as soon as the launch is officially announced so that we can grab the moment. Pre publicity has already gone out, no choice because as soon as you acquire an ISBN Amazon announce the book anyway. Other booksellers have followed suit, so a pre-sale could be made any time now. However, no copies will be made available until the launch date, except review copies. After that, it's out of our control.
One question regards the Moon and Venus. Both feminine planets are in detriment and square (by sign). Is there something about this book that a certain segment of the public might find ?socially unacceptable? or controversial so to speak?
Quite possibly. It's a history of Sun sign astrology, debunking the myth that it's purely a modern phenomenon. I imagine some astrologers will take offence that I've written a grown up historical account of the type of astrology they try to avoid. And some non astrologers may dislike the idea that it's being taken seriously, with no damning involved. (I lied about that bit, no damning of astrology is more like it.) I don't see any of that as an actual problem for me. Whether it ends up actually being controversial as such, we'll have to wait and see. But I anticipate at least a little negativity.
Other than it is an astrology book!
It is this time, most of my books aren't :D
Anyway, I am looking forward to reading it.
Thanks, and thanks again for your input. I do favour 7:30 at present, but have the rest of the weekend to brood on it. I think we need to finalise by Monday though.

Kim
www.kimfarnell.co.uk

5
Hi Kim,

OK, I tried to tweak the chart a bit for Term and Face rulers of the Ascendant, MC and Part of Fortune (I use Day/Night formula) and have come to the conclusion that I like the 7:30 p.m. time also.

Venus, Moon, Jupiter, Mercury, and Saturn are the Term/Face rulers for those points (Ptolemy) - and Saturn is the only horribly debilitated one by Essential Dignity. It doesn't want to be a Saturn. It's also of mixed Sect. In fact, all the planets in the chart are of mixed Sect except the Sun which is completely out of Sect.

Jupiter is also with the PoF in the 3rd House and rules it by Domicile.

The star Diadem is conjunct the Ascendant - it has the nature of Mercury/Saturn and "It is said to give a suave and well-bred manner, with great personal charm, but to lead to an idle and dissipated life. There is some love of, or, ability for the stage." (Robson).

The Ascendant is equal the Sun/Venus midpoint (remember, they are in mutual reception by Exaltation already, this ties them together with the chart even more). The MC is equal both the Moon and Mercury and is on the Venus/Pluto midpoint. The PoF is not only conjunct Jupiter, but equal the Moon/Mercury and Mercury/MC Midpoint. I'll spare you the Ebertin, but it's rather nice in my opinion.
Frank Piechoski

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I have a lot of faith in Part of fortune and serendipity in my elections.:lala

Monday Mar 12, 2007
12.15PM
London.

High noon.
Moon rules ascendant and its dispositor Jupiter is strong.
Good aspect to POF and Venus,Mercury,Mars,Saturn.
North node close to MC.

No money though,saturn in 2nd retrograde.

Even I would ignore my advice. :idea:

PD

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Even I would ignore my advice.
Well, I did :D

We'd already committed to the date, and 12 March was impossible for practical reasons.

I've sent the invitations out now and am looking forward to a dissipated life. Now we'll just have to wait and see how it goes. Thanks again everyone for your input.

Kim
www.kimfarnell.co.uk

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Would you mind letting us in on the title and maybe the ISBN, that we might look forward to its release?
Now that Dave has started his thread in the notices section, this may be superfluous, but never mind. I certainly don't want to keep it secret! It's called Flirting with the Zodiac

The old 10 digit ISBN is 1902405234 or the new 13 digit ISBN is 9781902405230. The advertising says that it will be available from 1 April, but it's actually released 13 March.
It is possible to know your data birth?
My chart is actually on Skyscript http://www.skyscript.co.uk/farnell.html - 6 December 1960, 10:30 am, Birmingham UK.

Kim
www.kimfarnell.co.uk

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Do you have a sneak peak for your book or perhaps a chapter you think might whet the appetite? (I think that a good article or sometimes a critical midchapter are such great merchandising techniques, but then I'm a biblio glutton)

Granny