TomKat will be tying the knot on November 18 in Italy. Did they consult an astrologer to choose their wedding date?

One ancient branch of the study of the stars is called electional astrology, in which the astrologer looks at the positions of the Sun, Moon and the planets to find the best time for love and commitment -- reasoning that a fortuitous wedding date will result in a long-standing and fulfilling marriage. When planning a wedding, looking at the position of the Moon is especially key. This planetary body symbolizes our emotional well-being, and is also a really good timer of events.

The Moon

In Italy on this special Saturday, the Moon will be Void-of-Course in Libra at 6:41 a.m., and will not enter Scorpio until 3:46 p.m. When the Moon is Void-of-Course, nothing good can come out of anything during that time -- which means that if TomKat get hitched in the early afternoon, they can kiss their marriage longevity good-bye.

A late afternoon or evening wedding will take place while the Moon is in intense, emotional Scorpio. Scorpio is a good sign for money and sex -- as well as commitment -- but can bring up lots of dark, ugly emotions. This sign can be controlling, and Tom (a Cancer) can be accused of holding the reins on everything in his life. On this Saturday, there are four planets in Scorpio in addition to the Moon, so the flavor of love is domination and depth. Scorpio is also the most secretive sign of the zodiac -- an exact time is not provided to the public, but it would be nirvana for an electional astrologer!

Venus

Venus -- the love planet -- will have just entered Sagittarius on their marriage weekend, contributing a need for adventure and freedom in their relationship. Perhaps Tom will take Katie and Suri on his jet? Either way, the jubilant and expansive Sagittarian influence does not jibe well with the heavily Scorpionic need to probe beneath the surface for every dark emotion in their marriage.

The Sun and Saturn

There is a sense of foreboding here, with the Sun in a tense 90-degree square with Saturn. Although Saturn is the planet of longevity and commitment, this tense angle brings out the worst in the planet, contributing a sense of hardship and obstruction to their marriage. It will take a lot of hard work to make this partnership work.

Mars and Neptune

Finally, action planet Mars is also making a 90-degree angle to Neptune, the planet of illusion and deception. Mars is the traditional ruler of Scorpio, and is the "boss" of five of the planets in this wedding chart. Could it be that this wedding is a sham, just another media image? Neptune also rules film, so surely these two actors know how to put on a good show.

It's no secret that many celebrity marriages don't stand the test of time. Although astrology can give us some clues about TomKat's wedding, ultimately it's up to these celebs to make the stars work for them. For their sake, though, let's just hope they didn't choose a noon wedding!