Planetary days and hours are the secret to being at the right place at the right time. They have been used for centuries in many cultures to determine the most auspicious times for performing specific tasks, such as casting spells, performing rituals, or even planting crops.
These planetary hours and days are based on the ancient astrological concept that each day is ruled by one of the seven traditional planets: Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. Planetary days and hours, like moon cycles, are beautiful ways to benefit from the cosmic tides of the Universe. This guide will explore how to use planetary days and hours to bring more abundance into your life.
What Are Planetary Days?
Planetary days and hours have been used for centuries, from herbalists deciding how to strengthen their decoctions’ influence to alchemists looking for portals to maximize the effects of a specific planet and energy. In our modern world, planetary days and hours are essential to understand and integrate to assist our spiritual practice, but more importantly, our practical day-to-day actions.
Using astrology’s planetary days and hours is also an ally if you’re seeking ways to manifest more easily, and add more abundance to your life. Each day of the week is “ruled” by a God associated with one of the seven classical planets. For example, Monday (a.k.a. “Moon Day”) was when rituals dedicated to Selene or Diana were most performed in Ancient Greece.
Planetary days of the week:
- Sunday: ruled by the Sun
- Monday: ruled by the Moon
- Tuesday: ruled by Mars
- Wednesday: ruled by Mercury
- Thursday: ruled by Jupiter
- Friday: ruled by Venus
- Saturday: ruled by Saturn
What Are Planetary Hours?
Each planetary day is divided into 24 equal parts, lasting approximately one hour. These hours are named after the planets, in order, and follow the sequence of the planetary days. It’s also important to note that planetary hours are not necessarily made of sixty minutes because of the diurnal and nocturnal time difference. The only days where the hour is made of sixty minutes would be around the Vernal equinoxes (around March 21 and September 22) because the length of the day is precisely the same as that of the night.
To calculate the planetary hour of the day, you need to determine the time of sunrise and sunset for your location, and then divide the time between sunrise and sunset into 12 equal parts. The first hour after sunrise is always ruled by the planet that rules the day of the week. For example, the first hour after sunrise will be ruled by the Moon if it is Monday.
Planetary Meanings in Astrology
Planetary days and hours help you determine the general energy and “vibe” of specific days and hours and give you insight when planning important life events. In a nutshell: the planet that rules over the day or hour will “infuse” its qualities and characteristics into it. However, we all have different relationships with the planets (depending on our birth chart), so it’s good to experiment on your own through observation, meditation, and comparison.
For example, although it is common to assume that Venus Day and Hour are great for romance, your relationship with Venus could be troublesome—leading you to become lazy, idealistic, or naive during these times. So maybe Mercury or the Moon could be more beneficial to you for all matters related to love and romance.
Trust your intuition and experiment with how you genuinely feel during each planetary day or hour.
Like any other technique, planetary timing has its limits. Still, it holds a great advantage to anyone curious to learn its basic principles: planets and their correspondences. In astrology, the planets are thought to have specific meanings and influences on different areas of our lives.
There are ten planets in astrology, including the Sun and the Moon, which are considered planets in astrology. Each planet is associated with certain qualities and characteristics. Their placements in a birth chart can provide insights into a person’s personality, relationships, and life events. Once you familiarize yourself with the meaning of these planets, timing your day-to-day activities to match the cosmic dance of the Universe will be like second nature. In astrology, every planet represents an aspect of our life, psyche, and personality.
Here is an overview of the meanings of each planet in astrology:
Sun Hour / Day:
The Sun symbolizes our inner self and the core essence of who we are: our individuality, identity, and creativity. The Sun also describes what is likely to motivate us and why. This time frame—on top of one’s natal planetary day and hour—feels the most natural to many people.
This is a very comfortable time to be yourself, have access to your light, and radiate it around you genuinely and authentically. But beware of the ego trip that could happen during these times.
- Focusing on your identity
- Growing your self-confidence
- Promoting yourself
- Giving public presentations
- Sharing your story with others
- Career advancement
- Talking to authority figures
Moon Hour / Day:
The Moon rules over our emotions, moods, and what makes us feel secure. While the Sun represents the energy we strive towards, the Moon best describes our already possessed energy.
Most evident in our homes or in private (think of yourself behind closed doors, in your PJs), the Moon represents our innermost needs, our family and mother figure. Since the Moon constantly shifts, remember anything you start during this timeframe will be temporary and prone to change.
- Focusing on sharpening your intuition
- Taking care of your emotional needs
- Increasing your psychic abilities (through oracle cards or lunar circles as an example)
- Cooking and taking care of home-related chores or issues
- Taking care of children and babies
- Connecting with other women
- Deepening your relationship with your womb and menstrual cycle
Mars Hour / Day:
Mars represents our assertiveness, physicality, drive, energy, and passion. This planet is all about our survival instincts, our temper, how we take action, how we go to war, and how we reveal our sexual energy. Mars is the planet that gets us out of bed in the morning and allows us to go forward in life.
While Venus decides who and what we love, Mars decides how we go after it. Anything that requires power, force, and courage from you is best done under this influence. Some aggressiveness and anger could last during this time, so beware of getting into brawls, accidents, or fights.
- Outdoor activities
- Gym and exercising
- Taking action and bold moves
- Going on hikes or adventures
- Competing with self or others
- Running errands
- Completing daunting tasks that require stamina and energy
Mercury Hour / Day:
Mercury determines how we communicate, think, learn, and process information. It also indicates our intellect, memory, and how we absorb data. Mercury is symbolized by Hermes, the messenger of the Gods in mythology. This planet represents day-to-day expression and influences our overall social style and the people with whom we “click”.
During this time, your mental acuity and intellectual sharpness are through the roof. Naturally, you are more innovative when Mercury lurks around, but beware of the tense, nervous, and anxious Mercurial atmosphere. Stay aware of the details and the inner chatter.
- All things related to communication
- Taking short trips
- Attending workshops
- Fixing problems (especially those related to technology or transportation)
- Receiving and transmitting information (mail, text, social media, etc.)
- Intellectual activities like studying, researching, reading, taking tests, and writing
Jupiter Day / Hour:
Jupiter rules the principles of growth, expansion, prosperity, and good fortune. The planet represents the promise of all good things in life; it is often called the “lucky planet” or the “Great Benefic” for this reason. As the largest planet in the solar system, this planet represents the search for insight through knowledge.
Jupiter governs long-distance travel, broader purpose, philosophy, higher education, religion, and the law. This is the most promising timeframe, but it’s not always the case, as Jupiter is known for blowing things out of proportion.
Pay attention to your thoughts and actions and make sure to only start things (projects, relationships, conversations, etc.) you’d like to grow in the future.
- Social gatherings
- Healing and looking after your health
- Collaborating and forging partnerships
- Learning new things
- Sharing your knowledge with others
- Starting journeys
- Having philosophical or spiritual retreats or rituals
Venus Day / Hour:
The Evening/Morning Star Venus determines how and what we love. This planet rules over our sentiments, how we approach relationships, express affection, what makes us “content”, and the qualities to which we are attracted.
Venus also governs harmony, charm, pleasure, courtship, luxury, and material values related to finances, aesthetics, and artistic inclinations. One of the most romantic timeframes, harmony, and mutual understanding are usually in the air. Use those rose-tinted glasses to your advantage.
- Hosting parties
- Going on dates and having weddings
- Reconciling with others
- Doing beauty rituals
- Investing your money
- Mediating a dispute
- Create and express yourself artistically
Saturn Day / Hour:
Saturn rules over limits, responsibility, restrictions, boundaries, and self-discipline. Often called the “Cosmic Taskmaster”, this planet speaks of structures and the foundations of reality. The patriarch figure wants you to roll up your sleeves, get your hands dirty, and get things done.
He can be challenging, but it ultimately teaches us mastery and excellence. This is a rather serious and holy timeframe (the same feeling I get when entering a church or ancient monument).
- Tackling challenging tasks
- Dealing with responsibilities and duties
- Breaking old habits or creating new ones
- Crafting
- Concentrating and focusing
- Building your strength
- Spending time with authority figures and elders
If you’re starting astrological timing, it may take a while to understand which combination of planetary influences is best for your intentions. For example, a Mars-ruled Day combined with a Solar Hour could be what you need to finally finish that project you’ve been slacking off. Or, suppose you’ve been having trouble changing a habit; maybe using the Day of Saturn and a Venus Hour could help you find that balance between discipline and indulgence. Keep track of your progress with a journal, and experiment by combining planetary influences.
Astrological timing is a great manifestation tool to help you quickly move through life. Primarily used in Electional Astrology (“elect” as in “to choose” the best auspicious time for a specific outcome), astrological timing is sometimes dismissed by modern practitioners for various reasons.
Some say that astrological timing is binding or limiting as there’s no such thing as “the best time.” I believe the best time to act on our dreams and “hunches” is right now! However, in an ocean, a boat will move much faster and with less resistance if the navigator follows certain currents and wind directions. This means certain “times” can be more optimistic and welcoming to our intentions than others. It’s only a matter of finding them and utilizing them. But, of course, we must aim not to get ourselves lost in this technique’s meanders, twists, and turns. Perfection doesn’t exist, and action will always be far more beneficial, even if it’s imperfect.
