Choices And Inceptions

Choosing auspicious times to act was an important branch of traditional astrology. Choices & Inceptions is the largest modern-language collection of traditional works in electional astrology to date. Translated from the medieval Latin by Dr. Benjamin Dykes, this volume contains instructions on lunar mansions, several types of planetary hours, and three of the most important traditional works on "complete" elections: Sahl's On Elections, al-'Imrani's The Book of Choices, and al-Rijal's The Book of the Skilled VII. With a lengthy Introduction that analyzes various ethical and philosophical issues in elections, it is essential for contemporary astrologers.

Choices & Inceptions presents numerous works on choosing auspicious times for actions, drawn from the most well-known medieval Persian and Arabic-language authors and compilers: al-Kindi, Sahl bin Bishr, Bethen, al-'Imrani (Haly Embrany), and al-Rijal (Haly Abenragel). It is the largest collection of traditional electional texts available in modern languages.

Dr. Benjamin Dykes has divided the book into three parts, reflecting different levels of complexity and approaches to elections: Lunar applications to planets and the Lunar mansions, planetary hours, and "complete" elections: elections which take advantage of all traditional techniques so as to identify ideal times to act. Types of undertakings and events run from choosing times for surgery, to waging war, to making business deals and setting out on journeys.

In addition, Dr. Dykes provides an extensive introduction which explores philosophical and ethical dimensions to elections, such as whether it is appropriate to elect times for people with unknown nativities. Other sections include more information on Masha'allah's transmission of Dorotheus to his successors, the theory of "roots," and the relation of elections to questions or "horary" astrology.

Choices & Inceptions is essential for contemporary practitioners, whether following traditional or modern paths in astrology.