The planetary hour is the planetary rulership of a period of time within a 24 hour period, the planetary day, which lasts from sunrise to sunrise and is divided into 12 equal daylight hours, and 12 equal night time hours.
The first planetary hour of the day determines the rulership of the planetary day. Thus, sunrise on Sunday begins the planetary hour and day of the Sun.
The length of each planetary hour is determined by the number of minutes between sunrise and sunset divided by 12.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Planetary hours are a unique system of time division based on the seven traditional planets, each ruling over a specific day and hour.
To calculate planetary hours, start with sunrise and divide the daylight hours into 12 equal parts, with each part ruled by a different planet.
Utilizing planetary hours in your magical practices can enhance the effectiveness of spells and rituals by aligning them with the energies associated with each planet.
Planetary hours also offer valuable insights into the best times for mundane activities like scheduling meetings, studying, or gardening, making them a versatile tool for daily life.
Each day is ruled by a planet – Sunday is ruled by the Sun, Monday by the Moon, Tuesday by Mars, Wednesday by Mercury, Thursday by Jupiter, Friday by Venus, Saturday by Saturn and divided up into 12 day hours and 12 night hours, each ruled by a planet.
The first day hour begins at dawn and is ruled by the planet that rules the day.
Subsequent hours are ruled by the next planets in the succession as follows: Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury, Moon (see Chaldean sequence) and then repeats after 7 hours, so that the 8th hour is the same as the first.
| Planetary Hour | Corresponding Planet |
|---|---|
| 1st Hour after Sunrise | Sun |
| 2nd Hour after Sunrise | Venus |
| 3rd Hour after Sunrise | Mercury |
| 4th Hour after Sunrise | Moon |
| 5th Hour after Sunrise | Saturn |
| 6th Hour after Sunrise | Jupiter |
| 7th Hour after Sunrise | Mars |
| 1st Hour after Sunset | Venus |
| 2nd Hour after Sunset | Mercury |
| 3rd Hour after Sunset | Moon |
| 4th Hour after Sunset | Saturn |
| 5th Hour after Sunset | Jupiter |
| 6th Hour after Sunset | Mars |
| 7th Hour after Sunset | Sun |
The twenty fifth hour, that is the first hour of the next day, determines the rulership of the next day.
For example, for Saturday, which is ruled by Saturn, the first daylight hour is the hour of Saturn.
Dawn= First Daylight Hour = Saturn(1), Jupiter(2), Mars(3), Sun(4), Venus(5), Mercury(6), Moon(7), Saturn(8), Jupiter(9), Mars(10), Sun(11), Venus(12), Sunset=first darkness hour= Mercury(1/13), Moon(2/14), Saturn(3/15), Jupiter(4/16), Mars(5/17), Sun(6/18), Venus(7/19), Mercury(8/20), Moon(9/21), Saturn(10/22), Jupiter(11/23), Mars(12/24), Sun(1/25) <— Sunrise the next day= first daylight hour of Sunday.
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Calculating Planetary Hours
To calculate planetary hours, first determine the moment of sunrise, sunset, and sunrise for the following day. To determine your day hours, calculate the number of minutes between sunrise and sunset and divide the result by 12. This is the length of each of your day hours.
Repeat for the number of minutes between sunset and sunrise to calculate your night hours. Unless it’s an equinox, there is likely to be a significant difference between the length of your day hours and your night hours.
The first hour, according to the modern method, is the hour of sunrise and its ruling planet is also the ruling planet of the day.
The second hour is the next in the Chaldean Sequence and so on, continuing to travel through the seven planets and back again to the first through the entire 24 hours.
You can use Lunarium’s Planetary Days and Hours calculator online or Get the app.
- Precise calculations for any date, any location
- Helpful keywords describe each planetary influence
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Using Planetary Hours to Plan Magick and Other Activities
While there are many different options for timing spells and other magical activities, many magick-users choose to use the planetary days and hours. The time is generally chosen according to by checking the magical goal against the established planetary correspondences. For example, a love spell might be undertaken during the planetary hour of Venus.
The 16th-century grimoire, the [*Key of Solomon http://www.esotericarchives.com/solomon/ksol.htm#table1] has a chapter that details which activities are best performed during which planetary hour and/or day. The text notes that it is best if both the day and the hour are correct.
| Planet | Hour and/or Day |
|---|---|
| Saturn | communicating and speaking with spirits, hatred, enmity, quarrel, legal action, discord, Summoning the souls of the dead if they died a natural death, bring good or bad fortune to buildings, to connect with familiar spirits during sleep, to cause good or ill in business, material possessions, fruit, seeds, to acquire learning, to bring destruction, to give death, to sow hatred or discord |
| Jupiter | love, of kindness, invisibility, extraordinary, uncommon, and unknown operations, obtaining honors, acquiring riches, contracting friendships, maintaining health, obtaining hearts desires |
| Mars | Communicating and speaking with spirits, summoning souls of those who died in battle, hatred, enmity, quarrel, legal action, discord, War, acquire military honors, acquire courage, overthrow enemies, cause ruin, slaughter, cruelty, discord, to wound or give death |
| Sun | love, kindness, invisibility, extraordinary, uncommon, and unknown operations, obtaining temporal wealth, hope, gain, good fortune, the favor of princes, dissolve hostile feelings, make friends |
| Venus | love, kindness, invisibility, lots, poisons, preparing powders provocative of madness, extraordinary, uncommon, and unknown operations, forming friendships, kindness, and love, joyous and pleasant undertakings, traveling |
| Mercury | recovering thefts with the assistance of spirits, games, raillery, jests, sports, eloquence and intelligence, business, science, divination, wonders, apparitions, divining the future, thefts, writing, deceit, merchandise |
| Moon | communicating and speaking with spirits, recovery of stolen property, for obtaining nocturnal visions, for summoning spirits in sleep, and for preparing anything relating to water, embassies, voyages, envoys, messages, navigation, reconciliation, love, the acquisition of merchandise by water |
The Key of Solomon also notes that it is a good idea to take note of the zodiac sign that the moon is passing through as well as the lunar phase, noting that the waxing moon is good for just about anything except death, war, discord and invisibility, which is best left for the waning moon, though it warns against working during the dark of the moon at all (though perhaps it is warning against working during the solar eclipse, a bit difficult to tell).1
We discuss this further at Spell Timing.
Alchemists also make use of planetary days and hours as some alchemical operations are prescribed during these specified times.
Those who use herbs for magick or healing may also wish to plant and/or harvest their herbs in the appropriate planetary sign. Nicholas Culpeper advised timing the harvest of plants according to the planetary correspondence of the plant so that the planetary energy would be at peak strength.
Many also choose to time more mundane activities to correspond with the planetary hours and days in order to ensure the best possible outcome.
Read More
Planetary Hours: The Method and the Magick for Quick Timing Decisions at Llewellyn Worldwide
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