Planetary Hours

Filed under Advanced Topics Astrology on October 13, 2015

Firstly, I’d like to explain how the days of the week are involved. Not many people are conscientious of this, but the days of the week have always been named after these seven planets.

Monday is obvious; it’s Moon Day. Tuesday is named after the Roman name for Mars, “Martis” and, therefore, “Tis Day.” Wednesday has departed from the Latin languages, but you can easily see from the Spanish, “Miércoles,” the resemblance to Mercury. Thursday is derived from the word “thor” meaning thunder and relates to the Greek god of thunder, Zeus or Jupiter. Friday is named after Frigg’s Star, another name for Aphrodite or Venus. Saturday is quite literally “Saturn Day.” And Sunday is “Sun Day.”

The planetary hours are calculated by finding the difference between sunrise and sunset and dividing that by twelve. This results in the actual length of an hour for that day. For example, in September the length of one hour is actually closer to sixty-two minutes. So the first hour of the day would begin at sunrise. The second hour of the day would begin sixty-two minutes later.

The first hour of the day is always the same as the ruler of the day. For example, the first planetary hour on Monday is a Moon hour and begins at sunrise.

So that’s the technical stuff. Now for the useful part. You have to understand a little bit more about how the planets work and what they inherent characteristics are.

Saturn is the Grouch. He represents time, duty, responsibility, moving slowly, small amounts of things, etc. Saturn hours and days have this quality. It makes sense that on Saturdays we take care of many of our responsibilities that we didn’t have ‘time’ for during the week. And Saturday nights always seem to be more mellow than you wanted them to be. Surprisingly, Saturn hours are not a bad time to travel as there will be ‘less’ traffic.

Jupiter is Santa Claus. He represents abundance, growth, and big things. Isn’t Thursday always a full, busy, and wild day? Thursday nights always seem to be the most exciting nights to go out as well. On the flip side, Jupiter hours are a very bad time to travel or eat out because the traffic will be crazy and every restaurant will be packed.

Mars is the Warrior. He represents decision, focus, energy, and tact. Mars Hours are great times to get things done. People tend to feel energized, if not slightly irritable as well. Not the best time to speak with your boss about a promotion as he will be very concerned about his own responsibilities at that time.

The Sun is the Shining Star. Generally speaking, Sundays and Sun Hours are good for everything. You’re likely to be perceived as honest and genuine and others are likely to act out of dignity and respect. Great time to ask for anything you want.

Venus is the Goddess of beauty, luxury, and relaxation. Of course she rules Friday, the last day of the work week! Venus hours are inclined to be slower-paced, more understanding, and less tense than other times of the day. There is a focus on relating to one another during this time so if you need to have a conversation of that subject, this is a good time.

Mercury is the Messenger. He represents clarity, intelligence, and impartiality. He rules Wednesday, the hump day of the week. These time frames tend to have a wishy-washy quality to them. They could really go one way or the other. That said, it’s a great time to have any type of conversation where impartiality and calm are required.

The Moon is the Mother Hen. She represents emotionality, changeability, and affection. Interestingly enough, she can be rough with you when needed so it’s not necessarily the softest of time frames. These hours tend to be quieter and can carry an emotionality with them, whether heavy, light, happy, or sad. Generally speaking, this is a good time to try something new.