(Information compiled by Jenwytch – see references at bottom of page.)

The planetary hours are based on the ancient Chaldean astrological system. The order of the planets is Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury, Moon, then repeating endlessly Saturn, Jupiter, etc. The Chaldean order indicates the relative orbital velocity of the planets and the planetary hours use this system to divide time. Each planetary hour of the day is ruled by a different planet. The planet that rules the first hour of the day is also the ruler of the whole day and gives the day its name, so the first hour of Sunday is ruled by the Sun, the first hour of Monday is ruled by the Moon and so on.

The planetary hours are not the same as the sixty minute hours beginning at midnight that we use for normal timekeeping. The planetary days are divided into twenty four planetary hours with the first hour of the day beginning at sunrise and the last hour of the day ending at sunrise of the next planetary day. Planetary hours consist of 12 daylight hours (after sunrise) and 12 dark hours (after sunset), so, depending on the times of sunset and sunrise these hours can be more or less than the usual 60 minutes. Spell casting and even ordinary daily activities can be greatly enhanced when timed to correspond with the energies and influence of the appropriate planet.

There are three main methods of calculating the planetary hours:

  1. To find the daylight planetary hours we calculate the exact number of minutes between sunrise and sunset, for example if the sun rises at 04:18 and sets at 19:52 then there would be 15 hours and 34 minutes, therefore, the number of minutes between sunrise and sunset would be 934. This number is then divided by twelve to give twelve equal periods of time (the planetary hours for that day) 934 / 12 = 77.8 minutes. The dark planetary hours are found in much the same way, so if the sun sets at 19:52 and rises again the next morning at 04:20 then there would be 8 hours and 28 minutes. Therefore the number of minutes between sunset and sunrise would be 508. Divided by twelve this gives us dark planetary hours of 42.3 minutes each.
  2. Some people use the simpler method of assuming the planetary hours are 60 minutes and simply count forward from sunrise or sunset to work out the planetary hour.
  3. Others ignore the time of sunset and count forward 24 hours from sunrise to sunrise.

To find sunrise/sunset times for Australia go to Geoscience Australia

Or you can go to the Shadowplay Magickal Calculator where the planetary hours are calculated for you! Just select your location from the list, and the date you want to check up on, then press “Calculate” …it’s that simple!

OR… click on the link below to go to Lunarium – a Universal Planetary Hours Calendar. Once there, just select your city then “Change City”.

 

In the end it comes down to personal choice – use whichever method you feel comfortable with. The following charts can be used with any method.

Planetary Hours of the Day
Hour Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1 Sun Moon Mars Mercury Jupiter Venus Saturn
2 Venus Saturn Sun Moon Mars Mercury Jupiter
3 Mercury Jupiter Venus Saturn Sun Moon Mars
4 Moon Mars Mercury Jupiter Venus Saturn Sun
5 Saturn Sun Moon Mars Mercury Jupiter Venus
6 Jupiter Venus Saturn Sun Moon Mars Mercury
7 Mars Mercury Jupiter Venus Saturn Sun Moon
8 Sun Moon Mars Mercury Jupiter Venus Saturn
9 Venus Saturn Sun Moon Mars Mercury Jupiter
10 Mercury Jupiter Venus Saturn Sun Moon Mars
11 Moon Mars Mercury Jupiter Venus Saturn Sun
12 Saturn Sun Moon Mars Mercury Jupiter Venus

 

Planetary Hours of the Night
Hour Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1 (13) Jupiter Venus Saturn Sun Moon Mars Mercury
2 (14) Mars Mercury Jupiter Venus Saturn Sun Moon
3 (15) Sun Moon Mars Mercury Jupiter Venus Saturn
4 (16) Venus Saturn Sun Moon Mars Mercury Jupiter
5 (17) Mercury Jupiter Venus Saturn Sun Moon Mars
6 (18) Moon Mars Mercury Jupiter Venus Saturn Sun
7 (19) Saturn Sun Moon Mars Mercury Jupiter Venus
8 (20) Jupiter Venus Saturn Sun Moon Mars Mercury
9 (21) Mars Mercury Jupiter Venus Saturn Sun Moon
10 (22) Sun Moon Mars Mercury Jupiter Venus Saturn
11 (23) Venus Saturn Sun Moon Mars Mercury Jupiter
12 (24) Mercury Jupiter Venus Saturn Sun Moon Mars

 

The choice of which planetary hour will be best for your planned action is a matter of knowing which planet most favorably corresponds with your intent for that action. Here is a brief list of the energies of each of the planets. Because intents can be complex and each planet has many correspondences, additional study is highly recommended. Still, many activities can be matched with this simple summary:

Hour of the Sun: for career success, employment, promotion, making presentations, public speaking, improving social status, approaching authority figures, improving health.

Hour of the Moon: for doing things that are likely to change or are not intended to be permanent or binding, for increased intuition or imagination, for all domestic activities.

Hour of Mercury: for abstract thinking, mental alertness, speaking, signing papers, sending significant mail, fixing computer problems, or in general, for any activity related to communication, provided you are in the frame of mind to be logical and rational. (Mercury can be a trickster when you are mentally fogged or emotionally upset.

Hour of Venus: for social occasions, love, courtship, marriage, improving appearance, for financial investments, to reconcile after a disagreement, to mediate a dispute, to achieve calm after stress, to work for peace.

Hour of Mars: good for activities that require muscular exertion, boldness, courage and active enterprise, when your feelings are in check. Caution is needed if you are angry or stressed, and especially if a relationship is involved, for Mars can be confrontational.

Hour of Jupiter: for success in just about any activity you can imagine and for beginning anything important. The only downside would be where a tendency to over-indulgence or excess is a factor.

Hour of Saturn: for getting organized, plowing through tedious work, breaking unwanted habits, accepting and dealing with responsibilities, and for contemplation or meditation especially if you find yourself feeling tired and needing a respite from activity.

Here are a few examples of how planetary hours might be used in daily planning:

  • Schedule an appointment with your doctor for the hour of Sun.
  • Plan a dinner party in the hour of Moon. Try out a new recipe.
  • Install and learn a new computer program in the hour of Mercury.
  • Schedule an appointment for a new hairstyle for the hour of Venus.
  • Do your daily exercise workout in the hour of Mars.
  • Call a friend or business associate to ask for a favor during the hour of Jupiter.
  • Clear your desk of that piled up paperwork during the hour of Saturn. Get it done!
  • Ask your boss for a raise in the hour of the Sun.
  • Shop for ideas for redecorating your home during the hour of the Moon.
  • Send an important piece of mail in the hour of Mercury.
  • Meet with a friend in the hour of Venus to reconcile a disagreement between you.
  • Tackle that heavy clean-up job in the hour of Mars.
  • Open a new business or launch a new enterprise within your business in the hour of Jupiter.
  • Consult with an elder about how best to resolve a problem in the hour of Saturn.

The information on this page was provided by Jenwytch from
llewellynjournal.com/article/534
neworleansmistic.com/spells/primer/hoursofday.htm
renaissanceastrology.com/planetaryhoursarticle.html#A
“Witchcraft an Alternative Path” by Ann Moura, 2003, Llewellyn Publications, USA.