Regarding my understanding of the issue of sect based on my insights into the old literature PLUS Hand's take on it:
-in the question of sect there is sect and period
-first, the period: its either Day (Sun above the horizon) or Night (Sun below the horizon)
-in a diurnal chart the Sun and the diurnal planets are in their period, ie, they are the "party in power"
-in a night chart, the Moon and the nocturnal planets are in their period, ie they are the "party in power"
-now, the question is, are the members of the party in power where they are supposed to be, ie, are they in the appropriate SECTION (Day or Night SECTION) of their power?
-if they ARE then they are in their period (in their power) AND in sect
-if they are NOT, then while their period is in power they are NOT where they should be to wield that power, ie, they are not in sect.
Example:
+ a nocturnal chart
+therefore Moon, Venus and Mars have the power because it is the PERIOD of their power (ie, it is night above the earth)
+now, Moon is below the horizon in the day part of the chart; Venus and Mars are both above the horizon in the night part of the chart (the period of the chart)
+now lets estimate the strength of the 3 nocturnal planets
Moon is in its period (night chart) = +1
Moon is NOT in its proper section (sect) because it is in the day part of the chart, under the earth = -1
Net sect power of Moon = 0
Venus and Mars are both in their period (night chart) = Venus+1, Mars+1
Venus and Mars are also in their proper section(sect) because they are in the night part of the chart (above the earth in a night chart) = Venus+1, Mars+1
So the net sect power of Venus is +2 and of Mars is +2
What about the diurnal planets in the above example? Let's say that Jupiter is above the earth, and the Sun and Saturn are below the earth:
Sun is NOT in its period because it is a night chart therefore Sun = 0
Sun is in its proper section (the day section) of the chart, under the earth = +1
Therefore the sect (related) strength of the Sun = +1
Saturn is not in its period because it is a night chart therefore Saturn = 0
Saturn is in its proper sect (the day section) of the chart, being under the earth = +1
Therefore the sect (related) strength of Saturn = +1
Jupiter is not in its period because it is a night chart, therefore Jupiter = 0
Jupiter is NOT in its proper sect because it is posited in the night section of the chart above the earth, therefore this = -1
The sect (related) strength of Jupiter, then, would be -1
In our hypothetical example, the final (net) sect/strength determinations for the planets in this nocturnal chart would then be:
Moon = 0
Venus = +2
Mars = +2
Sun = +1
Saturn = +1
Jupiter = -1
The sect/strongest planets would be the nocturnals Venus and Mars; the weakest sect planet would be Jupiter.
Now the above is how I understand the sect literature I have read; and this literature is from the older times (Paulus, and the early Islamic-era transitionalists who were still much influenced by the Hellenists, ie, Al-Kindi, Sahl, Abu Mashar) I might have totally misunderstood everything I read, and might be quite incorrect; but I don't think so, I think I have understood the material I have read in this regard.
But I won't argue the point! Especially so because, unlike the Hellenists and neo-Hellenists, I do not give enormous importance in delineation to the sect issue: I regard it merely as one of the determinants of relative planetary strength (like the Vedics do), and, although important, not moreso than the totality of testimonies in determining relative planetary strength.