Ancient astro elections

In Asteria we talked about astrology being studied since ancient times. We also offered a brief history of how it evolved and changed over time, but only using broad strokes since the goal behind the book was to help people understand the importance of astrology in magical operations. Moreover, it guides people toward learning important astrological concepts and use them in spell planning, something that will increase the potency of those spells, if applied.

I also spoke of my experiments in regards to melothesia some two weeks ago. I've now come across a source that addresses this subject and, to my surprise, offers translations of early magical planning based on astrological observations. The book is called Melothesia in Babylonia, by Markham J. Geller. The section entitled "Uruk Astral Magic (BRM 4 20 and BRM 4 19)" offers translations of an Uruk text from the Hellenistic period which contains a series of spells and the "sections" of the zodiac best to be used for each particular spell.

I want both alleged experts who say intent is not important in magix and the self proclaimed scholars who sell mass produced trinkets regardless of the time they're made and consecrated to keep the following information in mind, while further abstaining from lecturing others in a patronizing way or from saying their shit always works despite people having proven them wrong. I'm saying this because the following list is simple and concise, something akin to a doctor's prescription. You have the intent and the astrological sign (or signs) best to be taken advantage of considering that intent, that's it. Now, you can set up your altars for offerings and prayers regardless of the heavens, but for shifting great amount of probability in your favor, a lot of times against energies that are adverse to your intent and can greatly overpower the amount of energy your working will unleash, you need all the help you can get. So at least make use of it!

Spells for:

1. Changing someone's mind (bending one's will, possibly even mind control - Leo

2. Overturning a judgement (the author says it's about influencing trial verdicts) - Aquarius

3. Loosening the grasp (the author says it's to make the victim loose money) - Virgo

4. Braking an oath (I assume they're for making someone break their oath) - Aquarius

5. Love of a man for a woman - Libra

6. Love of a woman for a man - Pisces

7. Love of a man for a man (I suppose it's for love of a woman for a woman as well) - Scorpio

8. A woman to come (compelling amorous spells) - Aries

9. Cutting off of the breath (death - ?) - Sagittarius, alternatively Gemini

10. Bringing about a volte-face (undoing, reversals) - Gemini

11. Cleanings [of guilt] by river or well-water [ordeal] (I'm not familiar with the magical slang at the time, but I suppose it's either general cleansing or some kind of specific purification) - Capricorn

12. Entering the palace (possibly promotions - ?) - Cancer

13. Appeasing [divine-]anger - Aquarius

14. The king remembering his name favourably in his palace (likely favor from authorities) - 5* before... (likely tablet damaged or unreadable)

15. Prince will mention his name favourably in his palace (looks like favor from authorities again, but it seems those of a lower rank - ?) - Pisces

16. The one who sees you will rejoice and be happy at seeing you (possibly friendship or general favor - ?) - Leo

17. Making a woman have intercourse (compelling sex spell - ?) - Aries

18. The one who sees you to point to you favourably (general favor) - Virgo

19. Depositing of silver (increasing income perhaps) - the brightest star of Taurus (likely Aldebaran even if now it's in the sign of Gemini due to precession, but Aldebaran is good for wealth)

20. Returning a runaway [slave] - Regulus (currently in Virgo), alternatively Libra

21. A man's wife will not turn her eyes or face towards another - Gemini

22. Hate (provoking enmity) - Scorpio

23. Annulling witchcraft (likely protection from spells) - Aquarius, alternatively Pisces

24. Preventing the approach of an enemy in a man's house (likely protection from people) - Taurus, alternatively Aquarius

25. Bringing about profit from a publican (tax collector) - Cancer, alternatively Aquarius

26. Releasing sorcery, illness not to approach a victim, healing the head, getting rid of mania, healing a wound, stemming menstrual bleeding, preventing evil from approaching a man’s

house - Capricorn

27. Lilu-demon (likely protection against it) - Taurus, alternatively Libra

28. Lilith (likely protection against her) - Taurus, alternatively Gemini, alternatively Sagittarius

29. Seizure, epilepsy, hand-of-a-god-disease, hand-of-a-ghost-disease (likely protection against, the latter two likely being conditions nowadays referred to superficially as "karmic", in the former case, and spiritual attack in the latter - here we call it strigoi and/or moroi depending on the region) - Leo

30. Seizing a ghost and tying him to a man (possibly to cause hand-of-a-ghost-disease), entrusting the figurine of a man to a dead [person] (likely as in the previous case), making a libation to a ghost [thus] removing harm - Cancer

32. Make a woman come without incurring recriminations - ... (missing or unreadable)

33. Inviting the god, inviting the goddess (possibly theurgical workings), to heal

paralysis, to purify the house, quarantine the patient, heal rectal disease, heal a calculus, stop diarrhea, get rid of fever - Aries

34. A mogul or prince not to indulge in slander - Gemini

35. Having no insults, setting a man against [another] man, appeasing anger, for not believing slander, abandoning a dead person, making [man or] sorcerer or witch or priestess talk, or remove a mogul from the palace, divine wrath on man’s head (calling on divine justice), prevent a man being loved by the king, prevent a woman loving [someone] else - Leo

36. Aphasia - ... (missing or unreadable)

37. Forehead affliction - ... (missing or unreadable)

38. Impotence - ... (missing or unreadable - sorry, Impotentor, haha!)

39. Favor of the king - ... (missing or unreadable)

40. A man's slave not to run away - Scorpio

41. Annulling divine anger of a watching god (see #29) - Taurus

42. Frightening off a [female] rival or removing a man from his office - Capricorn

43. Removing a man from his position of trust or for setting a man against [another] man - Aries

The author does not go into further astrological details, probably because the tables themselves only produced so much. He does make a brief statement of how such workings were made when a certain planet or the Moon happens to transit the zodiac signs in question. Given most intents on this list focus on creating changes in the material plane, I think the Moon's transits through signs can be used. Experimenting with planetary transits is also an option, such as Venus transits for workings of an amorous nature, but you'd have to know your planets instead of showing off as a know-it-all.