The Witching Hour Read online

  A little earlier in this chapter, I told you how knowing planetary hour information can really help you in your daily life, particularly when assisting other people. Used in conjunction with the moon in the signs, the phases of the moon, and the magickal day, planetary hours can give you amazing results in your workings in the least amount of time. You can even use this combination for fast predictive work. Let’s say you receive a telephone call with a surprise offer. Perhaps it involves some sort of risk, and you aren’t sure if you want to go in that direction. By looking at the phase of the moon, what sign the moon is in, the day you received the call, and the planetary hour in which the offer was made, you can see the general flavor of the offer. For example, if the offer came when the moon was void (where the moon has no dialogue with other planets), the situation will usually result in “nothing will come of it” unless the moon is in the sign of Cancer, Pisces, Taurus, or Sagittarius. In those signs the moon does perform, though sometimes not as well. Perhaps your offer came on a Tuesday (Mars day) when the waxing moon was in Aries, in a Mars hour. It could either blow up in your face, go forward full-tilt, or be a flash-in-the-cauldron (as Aries has a tendency to let go of things after the thrill has worn off). Much depends on your state of mind, your previous choices, and your goals. Regardless, with a prediction on the fly, with all that fire I would definitely be a bit wary and do a little research into that offer. Then, if it looks good, do the magick and take the risk, realizing the possibilities.

  Because you cannot move the planets into the best possible alignment for any given magickal operation—you could wait years drumming your fingers for this to never happen—you can use magickal days and planetary hours in your workings to make things go a whole lot faster or add an extra boost of power to your enchanted endeavor.

  The planetary hour system has its roots in the Ptolemaic system used in Greek astronomy, which placed the planets in list order divided into seven-hour intervals, each segment ruled by a specific planet. Although we think of an hour as equaling sixty minutes, the planetary hours are location and date specific and are based on the rising and setting of the sun on any particular day, which changes their length each day (or night). Each of those segments of the day/night is ruled by a planetary energy, and in that section (called a planetary hour) events and activities often coincide with the energy of that planet. In essence, the segments provide windows of opportunity, each flavored in a particular way that can blend well (or not so well) with your intent. There are seven classical planets (those planets that were visible to the naked eye in ancient times), so there are seven types of energy available for magickal activity: Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. As the technique of assigning planetary hours was conceived thousands of years ago based on the classical planets, there are no correspondences for Uranus, Neptune, or Pluto; those planets were not discovered until modern times. You will find those sigils along with their corresponding recipes in the formula section under planetary formulas.

  In the past, to work with the planetary hours, you needed three important pieces of information: the planetary tables, the times of the rising and setting sun on the day chosen for your magickal work, and your mathematical location. From there, you whipped out your trusty calculator (and before that relied on your searing mental math skills) using a series of steps to compute the hours for any given day or night. Mathematics were required because it was the only way to determine the length of the hour segments. For years, planetary hours were faithfully used by the few truly devoted who took the time to calculate those hours. Many saw these extra steps as a bother and not worth the effort. I get that; math is not my favorite either. Today, technology has taken a leap and generously offered us apps for your digital device (search “planetary hours” in your app store) that do all the math and location information for you. You can even set an alarm so that you can be notified when a particular planetary hour has begun. Finding the planetary hour today is a super snap and well worth adding the information to your magickal bag of goodies!

  General Guidelines for Planetary Hours

  The following information is by no means complete, but it can get you started working with each planet. Not only can you use this information for planning, but you can also use it for divinatory and sigil work. Notice that I have included magickal as well as mundane correspondences so that you can get a quick feel for each hour. As with the astrological signs, there are several angels that correspond to the planets; however, here I have chosen the most common. Feel free to change the association in your work. For more information on angelic magicks, please refer to my book Angels: Companions in Magick.

  Sun: Success in all ventures. Wealth, will, gain, prosperity, draw the favor of the rich or powerful, find love, bring and give kindness and compassion, focus your will, gain great fortune, make your presence psychologically invisible (especially during a moon void), dissolve painful situations reasonably. A good time for initiations, dedications, and spiritual path choices. Good for defending your reputation and asking for favors from males or individuals in authority (father, public officials, influential folks, the boss) and help from people who abhor violence and liars. The Sun planetary hour carries significant power when you choose to do the right thing. primary colors: yellow or gold. angelic power: michael.

  Moon: Situations that involve your mother, grandmother, or children (however, sometimes Jupiter is assigned to grandmothers) and herbalists and those that work with the land. The moon is the storehouse of energy. Protection, particularly for family members. Healing of emotions. Any issue having to do with water, travel over water, swimming, etc. Finding lost objects, sending emotional messages, speaking with the deceased. Visionary work, divination, house blessings, preparing any magickal item that involves water or liquid such as holy water, divinatory fluid condensers, potions for moon magick, or oil blends. The Moon hour is often chosen for nuptials, engagements, or the first date. Ribbon-cutting ceremonies, public announcements, and advertising of products associated with women, children, or spiritual pursuits find favor with the Moon. Also used for reconciling with enemies, spells and rituals for peace in the home or peace in general, all manner of healing magicks, and enchantments for your pets. primary colors: white, silver, or blue. angelic power: gabriel.

  Mercury: Communication of all kinds with the living or the dead. Find eloquence in speech, writing, or body language. Assistance in study, teaching, science, or divination. Mental activities of all types. Writing of all kinds including fiction, nonfiction (general), résumés, job applications, school or home schedules, etc. Working with computers, the internet, and networking through writing, speech, or film. Encouraging a situation to move quickly. Settling disputes among family members. Handling routine labor, errands, shopping, and general phone calls. Ideal for scheduling appointments (as long as the moon is not void). Contacting writers, philosophers, secretaries, designers, and those involved in mathematics, music, and astrology. Because of its quick nature, the Mercury hour is not normally the time for permanent or long-term situations. primary colors: blue, silver, or white. angelic power: raphael.

  Venus: Venus is the great attractor. She is, above all, a magnet. Matters of education, strategy, love, romance, fast cash, shopping for luxury clothing and beauty items, shopping for items to beautify the home and garden including flowers and eye-catching decor. Excellent for shopping spells to find the best value for your money or some type of price reduction or a deal (as long as there is no current afflicting planetary dialogue such as a square or opposition to Venus or Jupiter). Friendships, kindness, socialization, pleasant trips and parties, rid oneself of poison (physical and spiritual). Self-education and designing something incredibly beautiful. War (it is Mars who fights the wars; it is Venus who plans and orchestrates it). A Venus hour is a good time to ask a woman for a favor, particularly if she is related to you or is in a close energy bond with you (such as a best friend). The Venus hour is excellent for
the arts, imaginative writing, painting, crafting, theater, and all that glitters of talent and creativity. If you want to turn something old into something of beauty, use a Saturn day and a Venus hour. For asking favors from your mother, use a Moon day and the Venus hour. To engage help from a much older woman, such as your grandmother, ask on a Saturn day in a Venus hour. Venus repairs what the negativity of a Mars action may have brought. primary colors: green, aqua, or turquoise. angelic power: anael (or uriel).

  Mars: Mars is used to transform the negativity sent toward you by any negative person or act. It is the spiritual fire that disintegrates evil. Mars is also used for winning, sports of all kinds, to overcome or overthrow enemies, file a complaint, or call battle gods, goddesses, angels, or warrior spirits. Crafting anything of fire or metal. Resolve quarrels, gain courage, and work for success where drastic moves must be made. Find and instill personal strength. Remove submissive behavior from oneself and take right action in any given situation. Mars is the forward motion action planet. Uniquely, Mars is considered a bridge or pipeline to other planets—a connector and energy mover. Fire magick of all kinds. primary colors: red or orange. angelic power: camael.

  Jupiter: Expansion of all kinds and petitions for peace, kind words, good teachings, good philosophies, gratitude, honor, and right judgment. The growth of a project, spirituality, faith, and maintaining good health. Like the moon, this hour is also good for engagements and weddings. Jupiter is considered the Great Beneficent and covers the fulfillment of desires, wishes, and goals. Long-term prosperity. Growth of any type. Honor. Compassion. The abundance of food, general good fortune, and happiness. Asking favors from influential or wealthy people or receiving assistance from grandparents, aunts, uncles, or those involved in professional services (doctors, lawyers, bankers). Magicks for “opening the way,” finding favor from the universe, blessing anything, improving your own enthusiasm, or putting life back into an old project. primary colors: orange, purple, or lavender. angelic power: sachiel.

  Saturn: Banish negativity and overcome quarrels, hatred, or discord. Banish illness. Establish new rules, guidelines, and financial goals. Excellent for initiating ventures that you wish to last or for starting over after a bad experience. Protection of property. Sending criminals to jail. Receiving rewards for work well done. Although many folks see Saturn as “loss,” it isn’t. It is the result of what you think and what you do. Situations involving grandparents, fathers, the dominant parent or guardian, or those in authority. Career planning. House cleansings, ghost busting, and personal spiritual cleansings. Saturn’s energy is good for breaking ground for your garden or home, laying the foundations of all types, and making repairs. Saturn can also be used to bring a desire for a material object into form. Use the Saturn hour to write guidelines, rules, and structure for a particular project or bring closure to something unfortunate. Saturn also can be used to bind an issue before banishing it or to bind something to you temporarily. For example, if you are shopping and you aren’t sure you want to buy that blue coffee maker, envision the sigil of Saturn on it and continue shopping. The sigil holds the object in place until you return and release it.9 primary colors: brown (for wishes and earth), black (for banishing), midnight blue. angelic power: cassiel.

  To learn more about planetary rulerships, there are two books that cover classical information that can be extremely helpful in your work. They are The Book of Rulerships: Keywords from Classical Astrology by Dr. J. Lee Lehman, Ph.D., and The Rulership Book by Rex E. Bills. You may also enjoy Ivo Dominguez’s Practical Astrology for Witches and Pagans.

  There are a few other magickal timing pieces that you may find helpful, and they are taken from classical astrology as well. There are two dead spots in timing other than a moon void of course: when a planet is in the first few degrees of a sign and when a planet is in the last few degrees of a sign. Not everyone ascribes to this theory. In horary astrology when a planet is in the first few degrees of the sign, it is too soon to tell whether or not an issue will come to pass. It means that there are too many energies swimming around out there and the pattern has not been solidified. It is a time of choice and review of all the options before action. When a planet is in the last few degrees of a sign, the situation is already over, done deal, finished. It is time to move on and stop fiddling with the issue. Retrograde planets can also affect a working, but this depends on the subject, what rules it, and what else is happening with all the other planets. With a retrograde planet, change comes within, and then, when the planet turns direct, that energy is sent outward into the world. A retrograde planet can be very useful, particularly if you need time to adjust something within yourself such as working for more wisdom, studying a particular subject, eradicating a bad habit, etc. The high point power day of a retrograde planet is the day when that planet turns direct. The planet is waking from its work within; it stations (stops) and slowly gears up to send the energy out into the universe. (I should note that the planet doesn’t really do this at all—it is an illusion that it does so.) That hour of “gear up” is your slingshot period where, with all your effort, you send your intent out into the universe—in essence, your work rides the wave of the planet’s propulsion of its own energy.

  One way to prove to yourself how valid planetary days and hours are is to be mindful of them for an entire week, writing down in a notebook (or dictating on your phone) anything interesting that occurs on a specific day in a particular planetary hour. You may begin to see a pattern, and this pattern is most important because you will learn how you interpret the energies around you through your observation and behavior on any magickal day in any given planetary hour. Each of us is wired differently, and in the matter of planetary hours, one of those hours (or perhaps two) is your super hour—your winning hour—your achievement hour. Which hour is it? Only you will know. What makes that hour super for you? It is a combination of many factors, including your body chemistry, the day and time you were born, your current spiritual path, and how you process information. The hour will be unique to you, and the only way to know it is to pay attention to planetary hour information for at least a week, which will give you a general idea.

  Those of you who have a copy of your natal chart, make a note of the planetary hour in which you were born and the planet that ruled the day you were born; these two planets can give you a hint on where to start in determining your power hour. Both planets (or they may be the same) were highly active in the vibratory pattern of your birth. During your life they seem to be the times when things will go very smoothly for you, as a rule. For some people, both hours work very well. Others will find that one hour appears to work better than the other. To heighten your overall skills, track both planetary energies (the planet that represents the hour you were born and the planet that represents the day you were born) on a daily basis for three to six months. Yes, I know it means paying attention to data, but come on, the information is about you. How cool is that! And when you are done, you will have confidence that says, “This hour(s) is my super hour, and I’m going to use it in hundreds of positive ways!” Too, the power hours can lead to your power color, gemstone, etc. It will just take a little research to find them. Can your power hour(s) change? Yes, it can, particularly when you experience spiritual growth; what was useful for you before will fade away, and a new hour will help you along your path. The benefit of tracking the hours, even if only for a few days, helps you to become mindful of them.

  In some magickal traditions the planetary ruler of the day you were born carries special significance and can show the rulership of your life path. This hour is used for initiations, spiritual cleansings, and other applications. For example, my planetary ruler for the day I was born is Mars. Interestingly enough, Mars sits at the midheaven of my chart. In my life, I have often “gone where no person has gone before.” I will often quietly brood over information until I am ready, and then, when it is time? Meet the human volcano. What actually helps me (thou
gh many astrologers wouldn’t see it that way) is that my Mars is in Pisces; I can take that energy and apply it to the big picture of an issue or look for a more visionary solution rather than just aiming and blowing everyone to smithereens. Therefore, I’ve found that using red (the color of Mars) in my workings (even though the correspondences don’t call for it) helps to boost my applications. If I want to burn a protection candle for myself, I will use red rather than one of the other colors. On my general altar I will begin most workings with a red candle. Many of my personal herbal formulas contain associations to Mars or are red, as this energy works well for me, but it might not enhance the work of someone else.

  Using Planetary Energy and Their Glyphs in Magick

  I’d like to cover one more super boost tip before we move on, which is using planetary energies and symbols not just as an association for choosing the time of a working or the herbs in a powder or herbal blend, but as powers in their own right. Over the years I have found that the energies of the planets and their associated glyphs can boost your work in ways you never thought possible, and the techniques are so easy that once you understand the thrust of the planetary energies, they take only a few minutes (or even less) to employ. You will find these techniques in chapter five.

  For more information on astrological timing, including retrograde planets, lunar mansions, and more, you may enjoy my book Solitary Witch: The Ultimate Book of Shadows. If you are interested in learning general astrology, try The New Way to Learn Astrology by Basil Fearrington, which presents the Noel Tyl method. This is an excellent book for beginning students. You may also enjoy Jason Miller’s books or classes; see http://www.inominandum.com.

  Planning Your Magickal Powder Formulas or Recipes

  Although I’ve provided many formulas in this book for your use, let’s go through a checklist for the actual creation of a powder or herbal blend. Before you purchase any ingredients, you need to ask yourself a few questions, some that we have already covered and a few we have not: