Betterthans & B-Sides

Make the Best Out of Bad Timing

You might have heard of Electional Astrology.

It's a branch of astrology that seeks to help us find moments where the stars actually are aligned for the things we want to undertake. Where there's the most support for bringing about a good beneficial conclusion to our affairs. Ya know, when the moment is deliciously ripe so that we can harvest and can some of that goodness for winter. Or... you follow me here.

In an ideal world, you plan out your most important ventures months or even years in advance. With the help of an electional astrologer, you'll know well in advance when to start breaking ground or lay foundation stones; when to publish to reach your widest audience.

But, let's face it. Terrible things tend to have the worst timing. Like, your car dies on you during a Mercury retrograde and you've got to get a new one asap. (Yes, this really happened to me!)

And, somehow important things, things that matter - they manage come up on short notice like dandelions through the cracks of a sidewalk. Like finding out about a great job or scholarship opportunity on the last day to apply.

Enter Betterthans & B-Sides! Elections for making the best out of bad timing.

They're less ‘generally good times to begin new undertakings’ and are more ‘plans be damned, I gotta’. You could call them “sub-par elections” but that sounds awful. They’re what I’m calling Betterthans & B-Sides.

Betterthans & B-Sides

Weekly Electional Report

Betterthans and B-Sides are not great moments to ‘lock in’ by initiating important undertakings, or creating talismanic materia.

They’re what they sound like.

Betterthans are better than not considering astrological timing at all.

In fact, they seek to take advantage of the little moments that are the least bad on unfavorable days. They’re better than all the other much worse times do something on that day - but that’s all.


B-Sides aren’t wait-for elections, but they’re alright. They’re like the b-side on a(n actual vinyl) record.

A green vinyl record spinning on a record player's turn table.
Put it on, take it for a spin.

Good enough, but not enough to be a single (aka be called a great election). They're often on either side of a great election. Or, they're moments with such a highly specific use that they're not generally useful - though they're still quite good for a particular thing.

They've got big enough upsides that they're worth knowing about should you need to act fast, or if you've got an ongoing project whose interim steps you'd like to give a little boost.

For those big things that matter enough to plan - launching a business, getting married, buying a house, applying for school or a job - you're better off using a genuinely great election. Better yet, having your very own electional chart chosen for you by an electional astrologer.

But when plans be damned - you gotta act without delay? Or you need to make the best of bad timing?

That's what Betterthans and B-sides are for.


Current Betterthan's & B-Sides:

BB's for the week of February 19th - 25th, 2023

A couple of B-Sides and some rather skwtchy betterthans!

Betterthans & B-Sides 2023: Week #8
B-Sides #19 & 20, plus Betterthans for each day of the week.

Betterthans & B-Sides are premium content available only to premium subscribers. There are currently two offers available for those who'd like to test-drive BB's before committing.

Two Week Trial

Until Vettius Valens's birthday (February 8th), you can grab a two-week trial for free. Check out the charts and see if it's for you.

Airy Artists - Accomplice

Betterthans & B-Sides are available for the Airy Artists tier. At $10 bucks a month for this in addition to all the other content and perks, I think it's a great deal. But I get it. While I've been tending the idea for BB's for almost two years, I've only released two issues.

And while I've got my Electional Certificate from my teacher Chris Brennan, I don't have a standalone electional offering. Though, returning clients know that they can ask for any type of astrological guidance I've got the skills to give.

If you were to subscribe now you'd be helping me to grow this offering – like an accomplice. All in all, this deal comes out to 25% savings over the whole year if you still around after the 6 months are up.


Previous BB's:

Betterthans & B-Sides Weekly ’Sub’lectional Report
Mostly betterthans, one b-side, and an experiment.
Betterthans & B-Sides 2023: Week #5
’Sub’lectional charts for making the best out of bad timing.
Betterthans & B-Sides 2023: Week #4
Make the best out of bad timing for the week of January 22nd - 28th, 2023.
Betterthans & B-Sides 2023: Week #3
Making the best out of bad timing by doing the least.
Betterthans & B-Sides 2023: Week # 2
The Moon moves through Leo, Virgo, and Libra. Venus shifts out of the first decan of Aquarius where Ze* is in their own decan. Saturn spend the week tightening the conjunction with the PED of Deneb Algedi.
Betterthans & B-Sides 2023: Week #1
Betterthans and B-Sides for the first week of January 2023.

Have a question for Bear? Want to connect with other astrologers and astrology enthusiasts?

As always, I hope these words find and serve you well.

If you'd like to start a discussion or pose a question to your fellow members (and/or Bear) feel free to post down below!

If you'd like to reach out to Bear directly you can reach him at: contact@bearryver.com


Bear Ryver is a professional astrologer helping his clients hone strategies for grounded growth and embodied empowerment by bringing them back to the BASICS. Winner of OPA’s Most Promising Astrologer in 2018, Bear has lectured at conferences like NORWAC and ISAR. He holds certifications in Hellenistic, Electional, and Horary astrology, and specializes in Intersectional Astrology. He was a teacher for the Portland School of Astrology, and has volunteered as a mentor for AFAN. When he’s not talking stars, or pulling cards, you can find him climbing rocks and playing guitar.