Planetary Hours
A traditional timing technique dividing day and night into seven-planet cycles for magic and ritual.
Planetary Hours
Planetary hours divide daytime (sunrise to sunset) and nighttime (sunset to sunrise) into seven-planet cycles. Each hour is ruled by a planet, beginning with the ruler of the day.
Rulers of the days
- Sunday: Sun
- Monday: Moon
- Tuesday: Mars
- Wednesday: Mercury
- Thursday: Jupiter
- Friday: Venus
- Saturday: Saturn
How hours are calculated
- Unequal hours: Divide daylight length by 12 for daytime hours; divide night length by 12 for nighttime hours
- Sequence: Chaldean order (Saturn → Jupiter → Mars → Sun → Venus → Mercury → Moon) repeats
- The first hour after sunrise is ruled by the planet of the day
Using hours in practice
- Choose the hour of the planet matching your intention
- Combine with the planet’s day when possible
- Favor hours when the planet is angular or dignified
- Avoid hours when the planet is severely afflicted
Quick examples
- Venus hour on Friday for harmony, love, and arts
- Mars hour on Tuesday for courage, heat, or protection work
- Mercury hour on Wednesday for study, commerce, and writing