Welcome to Part 2 of this two-part blog mini-series! It's taken much, MUCH longer than I thought to get this second post together, and multiple people have asked me about daily magick and related things since I started working on it, so I'm excited to finally have it posted for everyone!
If you haven't yet, go back and read Part 1, Planets & Deity Names, which focused on explaining how the English names for the days of the week came about, and how they are related to the planets and various Deities. In this post, we will be taking the information from Part 1 and using it to determine the best magickal timing for certain types of spells or other workings, to set intentions that align with the planets and/or Deities, and so on.
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| Image by me, symbol images from solarsystem.nasa.gov |
The days of the week as we know them in English are as follows:
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday.
These names are associated with the following "planets", respectively:
The Sun, the Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn.
In magick, we talk about a concept known as magickal timing, which is the process of choosing the "best time", according to various correspondences, to do a magickal working. Timing can include one, or a layering of many time-based associations, from the Moon phase, to the day of the week, even down to the hour of the day should you choose to delve that deep. In this post, we're focusing on the magick of the Days of the Week.
The Magick of the Planets
If you're into astrology at all, you probably already know some common associations for the planets that are used in astrology. Our Sun Sign is considered to be the one that focuses most on our personality as a whole and the way we interact with the world, for example, while our Moon Sign reveals more inward qualities that are not immediately apparent to the world. In Tarot, also, The Sun and The Moon are cards with well known associations that tie into their meanings in astrology. The Deities after whom the planets were named also play a part in this. Our Venus Sign in astrology deals with relationship matters, love, and beauty... and that is of course because love, beauty, and relationships are major areas of life ruled by the Goddess Venus, for whom the planet is named. This is true for the other planets and the Deities who rule them, as well.
In looking up this topic online, we see a lot of pages with basic tables of correspondences, and some books I have at home have lists of what types of magick/intention are best with each planet/weekday. But very few sources talk about why any of that is, especially not most of the sources I'm seeing elsewhere online. So what I'd like to do here is take a look at some basic characteristics of the "classical planets", how those translate into magickal associations (and in my mind personally, why they make sense), and then, how we can connect that information to our own magickal practice (again, go back and check out Part 1 if any of these mentions are confusing).
The Sun:
The star around which our solar system orbits is naturally associated with light, life, and exuberance. Without the Sun and its light, warmth, and energy, life could not exist on this planet in the way it does currently. (I don't claim to be an expert on biology or space, but I think we can agree on the fact that our life as we know it depends on the sun!) As such, the Sun is associated with life, energy, light, warmth, happiness, success, and even our health.
Magick that would best be done with the Sun would include anything that involves health, success, and warming, drying, or illuminating things. One great example that is relevant to my life is Depression--not only is it a health related issue, but also is often tied to success, having enough energy for things, and so on. We also describe certain mental states as "dark times", which the Sun can directly help through its light (and vitamin D!). Because the Sun rules Sunday, the "best day" to do a working with the Sun for an issue that falls under its area of expertise would be a Sunday! But of course, you can work with the Sun any day or any time because it is always there whether we can see it or not, whether it's raining, or cloudy, or night-time. BUT... it certainly feels the most accessible and tangible on a beautiful, bright, sunny day!
The Moon:
The Moon does not create its own light; it reflects the light of the sun off its surface. As such, the Moon is associated with reflection, and mirrors are considered tools related to the Moon because of this. Because we mainly see the Moon during the night, it is associated with darkness, night, dreams, and other things that might happen under the cover of darkness: secrets, hiding places. Witches "traditionally" meet at night, especially outdoors when the Full Moon is enough to light the way. So the Moon is also a source of illumination, but a more subtle one. It teaches us things that are closer at hand, or illuminates what was previously hidden inside. It is associated with inner work, Shadow work, and that which is confusing or difficult to understand (being "in the dark" is a phrase used to imply that we don't know something, or don't understand it fully... hence the reason we need to "shine some light" on a situation).
Because the Moon is a satellite of our planet Earth, it is the closest to us, which may be one reason we associate it with very personal, inner work. The Moon also has a direct effect on the tides on Earth, so it is associated with Water and magickal qualities related to Water such as emotions, dreams, trance work, and more. It also has a relatively short lunation cycle--approximately 28 days, which is slightly shorter than our average calendar month--so we often use the Moon's phases to determine magickal timing because the cycle is so short compared to that of other planets and celestial bodies. If you miss the night of the best Moon phase for your magick, you only have to wait another month until it's back, as opposed to months or years with other planets! And of course as far as weekdays go, the best day to do a working with the Moon would be a Monday.
Mars:
The "red planet" is named for the Roman god Mars, who is often considered an aggressive god of war. Mars rules the sign of Aries, the Ram, sometimes associated with hot tempers, and barreling into situations head-first. (Mars also classically rules the sign of Scorpio, which is a Water sign known for being intense, passionate, and having strong desire.) Even the color red is associated with high energy and aggression. When we "see red" it means that we are angry, perhaps out of control. This can make this planet and things associated with it seem pretty negative. Yet the color red is also associated with love, specifically passion. When coals are red, they are burning hot. It's dangerous to touch, but heat is something we need for comfort, food, health, just like we need the Sun although it is too dangerous to look directly at it with the naked eye.
Similarly, Mars as a god and as a ruling energy also have their benefits, their time and place. People who value warrior-like strength may be very drawn to Mars energy, and we associate the planet (and the deity) with things like protection, courage, and a willingness to fight for what we believe in. If we need protection, support in asserting ourselves, or generally require fast, fiery energy to accomplish a goal quickly, we may very well turn to Mars, or do the work on a Tuesday.
Mercury:
The Roman god Mercury is known as the messenger of the gods. As such, we associate this planet with communications, and speed (mercury the liquid metal is also known as quicksilver). Mercury is also associated with technology, especially technology that is used for communication or travel: delivering messages back and forth includes both, after all! This is why Mercury retrograde is such a big deal in astrology that even the general public is pretty aware of it. It is the time when it is said that communication and transportation errors, and problems with technology, are very likely to occur. We are encouraged to take extra care with our words during Mercury retrograde, to ensure we won't be misunderstood or cause problems from miscommunications.
Since Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun and its orbit therefore the shortest, Mercury has a retrograde period more often than any other planet in the solar system--about three times per Earth year--and it only lasts about three weeks every time. It's quick. We notice it more because the transitions into and out of it are more sudden than the larger planets further out, which also have retrograde periods, but theirs last MUCH longer and don't happen nearly as often.
Mercury is also associated with the mind, the intellect, and thoughts. Studies and other intellectual pursuits are aided by mercurial energy, as well as divination, since it is technically a form of communication. So if you're studying communications, working on divination, or scheduling an important meeting or call where you have to speak clearly and well, you might call upon Mercury for guidance, or try to schedule it on a Wednesday!
Jupiter:
Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system, and accordingly, we associate it symbolically with growth and expansion. If you are trying to grow something in your life, increase its influence, or make something feel larger than life, Jupiter is a great helper. Jupiter the Roman deity is known as the "King of the Gods", a position that is certainly BIG and stands out as important. Because of the deity, Jupiter energy is also sometimes related to positions of power and authority, traditions, formalized structures, and so on. In some Tarot decks, Jupiter (or Jove) is used as a symbol for the Emperor card, who also represents those qualities. (The Emperor is also card #4 of the Major Arcana in Tarot, and 4 is both a number representing structure and stability, and the number associated with the planet Jupiter.) Speaking of Jove, yet another name of the god associated with Jupiter, we have the word "jovial", meaning friendly and cheerful. Jupiter energy is considered generally convivial and helpful in nature.
Jupiter is also associated with education in astrology, so while Mercury is great for studying because it's all about the intellect, I have had success in the past with utilizing Jupiter's energy for studies because of its direct link with education. Also, as mentioned above, any time you're doing work to grow or increase something in your life, Jupiter might be a jolly good ally. And since the day associated with Jupiter is Thursday, which comes from Thor's Day (the Norse god), we may also connect Thursday's energy with thunder and lightning storms... Fire, Water, Earth (whatever is struck by lightning), and Air all come together in those moments, and the energy of a storm is, dare I say it...? Electric. Haha, but seriously! I've cleansed crystals and other magickal tools in a thunder storm, and the effect is palpably different than just cleansing in water, or wind, and so on. Extremely useful for certain things that need a big ZAP of energy.
Venus:
Ah, lovely Venus. From the commercials for "Venus" brand beauty products which played constantly when I was a kid, we get a sense of Venus as being related to femininity, women's bodies, and beauty standards. We also associate Venus with the feminine thanks to sayings/titles of things like "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus" which is a strange way that society attempts to use planetary correspondences to solidify gender roles. We even use the symbols of the planets Venus and Mars to represent "female" and "male". Don't buy it! None of that means that you have to identify with the feminine to work with and benefit from Venusian energy (and likewise, one need not identify with masculine energy in order to call upon Mars). But it comes from the fact that Venus is the Roman goddess associated with beauty and love. Freya, or Frig, the Norse goddess(es) from whose name we get "Friday", are also associated with love, beauty, sex, lust, even marriage. Venus in astrology deals with all sorts of relationships, including romantic ones. Of course, ancient cultures' standards of beauty were much different than western society's today, and so were the relationships described in many myths.
Witches and other Pagans working with Venus energy today know that it's not about sexism or selling products to change our appearance. Yet, we do associate Venus, and Fridays, with love and beauty, and practices like self care. If we're doing a spell for self love or to increase our capacity to love, Friday is a great day for it. If something we're working on needs a gentle, loving touch, instead of a more direct or harsh energy, perhaps sensual Venus is the way to go.
Saturn:
Saturn absolutely gets the worst reputation of the bunch, but it's not as bad as some people make it out to be! In medieval astrology, Saturn was known as the "Greater Malefic" (Mars being the Lesser), which basically means it was considered the worst... People thought it was bad luck, signaled misfortune, and all kinds of things. Since I'm currently experiencing my first Saturn Return (when Saturn makes a full orbit around the Sun and returns to the position it was in when you were born, which happens around age 29, and then again around age 58), I've been doing a lot of work with Saturn energy--I've even designed an online course to help other people out who are going through it with me! I've learned the reality behind these doom and gloom tales about Saturn. Basically, Saturn is all about limitations and boundaries. Some people refer to Saturn as "the great taskmaster". Others prefer the more positive-sounding term "life coach", but they both mean the same thing in this case: an influence that gets us on track with our lives and what we need to be doing in order to get where we want!
When its influence is at the forefront in our lives (like during our Saturn Return), things can get pretty difficult, because we're being asked to examine ourselves and how far off course we may have gotten since the last time we checked in. A lot of people really don't like change, and may not be too keen on having to give things up or change their tune in order to get on track with where Saturn thinks we should be. When my Saturn Return was approaching, I ended a long term relationship, quit a full time job, and moved... several times. There is definitely a lot of change involved with Saturn energy, particularly if we're not on track with our "purpose" and need to adjust. But it's largely about exploring and acknowledging our own limitations and boundaries -- both positive and negative, self-imposed or imposed upon us by others or society at large -- and if we're getting off track, Saturn knocks us back in line. I won't go on any longer in this post, since I have a plethora of Saturn related resources thanks to my Saturn Returns work, which you can also check out.
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Planetary Magick Review:
Sun - health, success, light, happiness, outer work, drying, warming, fire
Moon - dreams, reflection, inner work, secrets, hidden things, cooling, phases, water
Mars - strength, protection, courage, willingness to fight, aggression, passion, energy
Mercury - communication, knowledge, intellect, divination, travel, speed, technology
Jupiter - growth, expansion, increase, friendliness, education, luck, authority
Venus - love, beauty, gentleness, sex, lust, relationships (all kinds), self care
Saturn - limits, boundaries, goals, staying on track, change, expectations, ending of cycles
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How do we use all that to inform our magick?
Firstly, we can look at lists of "types of magick for each planet/weekday" and simply do certain types of magick on certain days. If you're doing a working for health, work with the Sun and/or do it on a Sunday. Love? Friday/Venus energy. It can be as simple as that.
But many things in life are more complicated, or sometimes our schedules don't work out so that we can always do something on a given day of the week.
The information given here, and all correspondences with certain times/days, are mainly for use as guidelines. These are not the ONLY times to do certain magick, they're just some of the "best times" for certain types of work, because of the energy of the planets and what we consider to be their area of expertise. But if you can't do something on a given day of the week, that doesn't mean you can't do it another day! The planets and stars are always up there, always influencing our lives here on Earth (if you believe that at all... if you don't, you probably aren't interested in this type of work and haven't found these posts very useful!).
We can do any kind of magick we want at any time.
Working with different associations is just thought to add even more oomph to the work, because we're choosing specific elements to add into the magick based on those planetary (or any other) associations. The more associations we include, the stronger that specific energy. But you don't have to stick strictly to any of them if you either can't with the timing you have, or simply don't want to. It can be really beneficial and even fun to learn about and work with these things, but it's optional to do so, not required universally.
This is my personal belief and the way I practice, but I'm far from the only person who believes or works this way. Other specific paths, groups, traditions, etc. may consider it required for the way they practice, and that will be up to you to determine for your situation. Individual or group preferences may vary! =)
Example:
Let's say I have a client who wants me to do a Tarot reading for them. I can do this on any day, and at any time that works for me. And generally, that is exactly what I do, because my schedule is often variable! But if I wanted to match it up with some correspondences, I could do it on a day when the Moon is in a certain phase or sign, or I could choose a certain day of the week.Using the information shared in this post, here are a few ways I could look at it:
- I could do the reading on Wednesday since Mercury energy is associated with divination, and I will want to communicate the reading clearly for my client
- If they want to know about their love life, I could do the reading on a Friday
- If they're asking about their new job,
- I could do the reading on Thursday to work with Jupiter energy surrounding authority and formal structures, which we may associate with careers
- or I could do it on Sunday to focus on whether they will be successful and happy at the new job
~What other options can you think of? Can you imagine different situations which would lead to a different day or planet's energy being better?~
Those are just a few ways to look at a situation and choose associations based on what we're focusing on. There are many angles to every circumstance, and many ways to alter our intention or goal to suit the time we have--IF working with weekday correspondences is something you really want to do!
Thanks so much for reading! I hope you've enjoyed this mini-series, even though I bit off more than I could chew thinking I could fit it into only two posts, and took QUITE a long time to finish this second one lol. I really wanted to avoid making it SO long that I had to add a third post! =)
Much love and many blessings on your workings, whatever they may be!
Blessings~
-C-
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