The world has not to be put in order: the world is order incarnate. It is for us to put ourselves in unison with this order, to know what is the world order in contradistinction to the wishful-thinking orders which we seek to impose on one another.
—HENRY MILLER
If you plant tomatoes in Vermont in June, your chances of reaping a bountiful harvest are significantly better than if you plant them in March. Likewise, your magick work has a better chance of bearing fruit if you sow the seeds at the proper time, when cosmic energies are in sync with your intentions.
Life on earth is cyclical. We exist in a pattern of daily, monthly, and yearly cycles. The birth chart itself is a circle through which we experience the cyclic motions of the planets and the corresponding events in our lives. These cycles provide a framework upon which we can build, an energy system that we can draw from to fuel our magickal operations.
In chapter 6, we looked at the positions of the sun and moon, moon phases, and eclipses, and considered ways to tap their cycles. In chapter 9, we talked about the annual cycle known as the Wheel of the Year and how to connect with and celebrate the energies at each spoke in the wheel. In this chapter, we'll examine additional techniques astrologers use to time magickal practices.
The magician's intent is the most important part of any spell or ritual. Magickal tools, words, gestures, garments, and other accoutrements can enhance the work, but they don't generate the magick—they merely aid the magician by lending their energies and helping the magician to focus his or her mind.
In earlier times, people believed that the deities who resided in each of the then-known bodies in our solar system presided over the days of the week. Astrologers still link the seven planets visible to the naked eye and the luminaries with the days.
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
You can invoke the energy of a particular celestial body to aid your magick work by performing spells and rituals on the day that corresponds to that planet or luminary. Doing so adds a little extra octane to your spell.
Astrologers associate the sun with your identity, self-image, life purpose, and individuality. On the sun's day, do magick to improve your self-esteem, personal power, or public image. This is a good time to cast spells to advance your career, bless a business venture, strengthen your leadership skills, promote yourself, or attract good luck in any area. The sun's creative energy can benefit artistic endeavors and enhance your creativity. Also do spells to improve health and vitality on Sunday.
The moon rules home, family, and domestic issues. On the moon's day, do magick to protect your home and family. If you want to increase fertility or aid female health problems, Monday is a good day to tap the feminine nature of the moon. Astrologers also connect the moon with the emotions and intuition; therefore, spells that benefit emotional situations, love, harmony, or happiness are best performed on Monday. This is also an advantageous time to do psychic work or divination.
Mars, associated with assertiveness, action, bravery, and competition, presides over Tuesday. Now's the time to do magick to bolster courage, augment physical strength, and increase vitality. Spells to win a competition or conflict, or to overcome an obstacle, are best performed on Tuesday. Mars is linked with sexuality, especially in men, and with desire in general. Do spells to increase passion or potency on Mars's day. The planet's active nature can also stimulate action in a situation that has grown static or provide impetus to move forward in any endeavor.
Astrologers associate Mercury with communication and mental activity. On this planet's day, do magick to increase mental powers, facilitate communication, or negotiate business deals or contracts. This is a good time to study magick, write in your grimoire, or share ideas with like-minded people. Spells that involve affirmations or incantations can benefit from the energies in effect on Wednesday. Because Mercury also rules your near environment, you may want to enact spells now to provide protection and ease when traveling in your community, such as creating a travel amulet for your car. If you want to improve relationships with neighbors, do a spell on Wednesday.
Jupiter, the planet of expansion, long distance travel, higher knowledge, and good fortune, governs Thursday. Do magick on Thursday to increase prosperity, grow opportunities in business or personal areas, and attract success in any endeavor. Spells to provide protection and ease when traveling long distances are best done on Thursday. This is also a good day to pursue knowledge of the higher realms or study spiritual/metaphysical subjects. Good luck spells of all kinds can get a boost from Jupiter's expansive power too.
Friday is governed by Venus, the planet of love and relationships. This is the perfect time to do love spells, whether your goal is to attract a new partner or to sweeten an existing relationship. If you want to make new friends, get support from helpful people, or expand your social connections, perform magick on Friday. Prosperity spells gain positive energy from Venus too. Because this planet rules the arts, spells to spark creativity or boost success in artistic areas are best done on Friday.
Saturn rules on Saturday. Astrologers connect this planet with limitations, stability, persistence, and inner strength. Perform protection spells on Saturday. This is also a good time to do magick to bind an enemy, set boundaries, restrict growth, or bring about endings. Saturday is the day to do spells to establish stable foundations, increase discipline and willpower, eliminate unwanted habits, or banish harmful forces.
In A Time for Magick, Maria Kay Simms explains, “The ancients considered their ‘day’ to begin at sunrise and end at sunset. Hours were reckoned as divisions of the diurnal day (daylight) or of the nocturnal night (sunset to sunrise). Day and night both had twelve hours each, but the twelve hours were not neatly divided into sixty-minute sections. The planetary hour system clearly reflects the reality that in the summer, daytime hours are longer than nighttime hours, while in the winter, daytime hours become shorter and nighttime hours become longer.”
The system of planetary hours was devised by ancient Greek astrologers between 400 and 300 BCE. According to this system, the period between sunrise and sunset is divided into twelve equal portions, and likewise the period between sunset and sunrise. Therefore, the hours are only the same length on the equinoxes. (For ease of calculation, some contemporary practitioners simply align the planets with the hours according to clock time.)
A planet or luminary rules over each hour of the day and night. The first “hour” of the day is governed by the heavenly body that rules the day—the sun on Sunday, the moon on Monday, and so forth. Subsequent hours are presided over by planets or luminaries in the following sequence: sun, Venus, Mercury, moon, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars. And the cycle continues in this sequence until the next sunrise. For example, on Monday, the moon rules the first hour after sunrise, Saturn the second, Jupiter the third, etc. On Thursday, Jupiter's influence dominates during the first hour, Mars's during the second, the sun's during the third.
This system of division allows you to refine your magick work and blend planetary energies to suit your purposes. Many spells and rituals incorporate qualities of more than one heavenly body; for instance, both Venus and Jupiter can enhance prosperity spells. Therefore, you could perform a money spell during the fourth hour on Thursday or the fifth hour on Friday to take advantage of the favorable energies of both planets. A spell to strengthen a marriage could benefit from combining the energies of Venus and the moon; a spell to increase sexual passion might be done under the influences of both Venus and Mars. By mixing and matching celestial energies, you can draw upon whatever forces you need.
Perhaps it seems that all this is a lot to consider when you're trying to decide the best time to cast a spell. Before you start feeling overwhelmed, remember it may not be necessary to take everything we've talked about into account. Sometimes time is a factor and you can't wait for the perfect combination to line up.
Because the sun is the central body in our solar system—and the most important body in a horoscope—some people note its position first when planning magick work. However, I often consider the lunar sign and phase first. I wouldn't do an abundance spell when the moon was waning. And, because the moon moves through all twelve signs in its twenty-eight-day cycle, whereas it takes the sun 365 days to go through the zodiac, I don't have to wait long for the moon to enter a place that supports my intention.
Next, determine which of the heavenly bodies relate(s) to your intention. What sign is it in? How is it being affected by other planets at the time you plan to do your spell or ritual? If, for example, you're doing a love spell, Venus's placement will have a significant impact on your success. Ideally, you'll want to perform the spell when Venus is in a favorable position by sign (Taurus, Libra, Pisces, Cancer) and by aspect. Aspects, as discussed in Chapter 2, are relationships between two or more heavenly bodies; each of those bodies influences the action of the other(s). So, if your objective is to deepen a romantic commitment or bring stability to a relationship, you might choose a time when Venus forms a favorable aspect with Saturn. If you seek more excitement and stimulation in a love affair, perform your spell when Venus and Mars, or Venus and Uranus, are harmoniously joined. Of course, this depends on your time frame: because the planets travel at different speeds, the perfect alignment might not come about for months or even years.
It's a good idea to note whether the planet is moving in a direct or retrograde manner. As discussed in Chapter 6, planets periodically appear to shift direction and travel backward, as seen from our vantage point on earth. During these periods of retrogradation, a planet's energy is expressed in a somewhat different way. Consequently, your spell may take longer to develop, the results may be mixed or muddled, or the experience may be more inward than outward. Each planet's direct, retrograde, and stationary periods will be different—some remain retrograde for weeks at a time, some for many months. Check an ephemeris to determine planetary motions.
I consider the day of the week less significant in timing spells; however, other astrologers and magicians may not agree. If time is of the essence, the best course might be to enact a spell on the day ruled by the planet associated with your intention. You may not be able to wait until the sun—or even the moon—is in Taurus or Libra to cast a love spell. In this case, you can tap Venus's energy by doing your spell on Friday. And if you're really in a rush, find the planetary hour that supports your intention and do your spell then.
As you become more familiar with the basic natures of the planets and luminaries, as well as the signs they rule, you'll be able to time spells and rituals that successfully utilize cosmic energies to produce the results you desire.
