For those times when you want some more information about the sale, Ramesey describes a house based method using angles of the chart to denote the buyer, seller and the goods. These can either be used to elect a time to buy or sell, but also as event charts.
We’ll assume that you’re a CIA spook who wants to purchase the wares of the local Afghan warlord for your own nefarious, probably illegal, and likely domestic, uses. Ramesey gives us two methods to ensure the opium we buy is topnotch and procured without too much difficulty.
1. In the first example the ascendant and its lord signify the seller, and the seventh house and lord signify the buyer, with the Moon acting as a significator of the commodity
2. In the second, signification depends on whether it is the buyer or seller who initiates the sale. If the buyer speaks to the seller first, then the Ascendant and its Lord signifies the seller, and the Seventh and its Lord signifies the buyer. If the seller contacts the buyer first, then the Ascendant and its Lord signifies the buyer, and the Seventh and its Lord signifies the seller. (Note that is contradiction to Bonatti who in his Liber Astronomiae states the reverse – that the Ascendant and its Lord belongs to whoever “incites” the other, and this is the method I prefer.) In both instances, the Midheaven and its Lord signify the price of the commodity, the 4th house and Lord 4 signify the commodity itself. The last planet the Moon separated from is also a significator of the seller, and the planet the moon next applies to a significator of the buyer.
You (CIA Spook) want to ensure that you are in a good bargaining position and are not likely to be ambushed, therefore you strengthen Lord 1 and ensure that it is unimpeded, that is, it is unafflicted, particularly by Mars or Saturn, and it is accidentally strong (and definitely not in an unpleasant place like house 6 or 8).
You want to ensure that the Afghan warlord needs your USD/weapons more than you need his wares – you therefore weaken Lord 7, and preferably Lord 7 is an inferior planet while Lord 1 is a superior planet.
You have a narrow window for your negotiations and want to be back in Langley before lunch time, so you want to try to ensure Lord 7 is unimpeded and especially that it is not afflicted by Mars.
You want to get a good price, so you weaken Lord 10. Perhaps you can place it in its fall and pocket some of the cash for yourself. You definitely do not want to go back to work with shitty horse cut with the local spices so look to the 4th house and its Lord to ensure you are getting quality product.
Here’s a chart I made earlier (set for Kabul, Afghanistan)
You (CIA spook) are ruled by the Sun who is dignified by domicile and is in the second house of money. The warlord is ruled by the 7th lord who is Saturn, dignified by term and face in the 5th house. The 10th house Lord ruling the price of the commodity is Mars who is peregrine, indicating that you should get a good price. The Lord of the 4th, the commodity itself is Venus who is only dignified by term, suggesting that the opium may not be of the best quality, but this is mitigated perhaps by a Jupiter who is conjunct the 4th house cusp.
Is there anything you need to be concerned about?
Well, Saturn is retrograde and is trined tightly by Mars which might make the warlord haggle strenuously. However, the 8th house, the house of substance of the warlord is afflicted by the presence of the south node, so his money circumstances will likely compel him to sell at a good price anyway. This is affirmed by the presence of the moon in the ascendant which is indicative that an exchange is on the cards.
The Sun, however, is conjunct Alphard, a fixed star that can bring trouble from enemies, and Mars is in the first house, so you may need to be extra vigilant. On the plus side, both the luminaries are below the Earth which should ensure secrecy to the proceedings and that they are not discovered.