Planetary Hours
What are Planetary Hours?
Planetary hours are an ancient astrological system for dividing the day into time segments, each ruled by one of the seven classical planets (Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn). This system is widely used in horary and electional astrology to select the most favorable time for events.
Unlike the familiar 60-minute hours, planetary hours have a variable length:
- Diurnal hours: The time from sunrise to sunset is divided into 12 equal parts.
- Nocturnal hours: The time from sunset to the next sunrise is also divided into 12 equal parts.
Because of this, in summer, when the day is long, diurnal planetary hours last longer than 60 minutes, while nocturnal hours are shorter. In winter the situation is reversed.
How the ruler of the hour is determined
The sequence of hour rulership always follows the “Star of the Magi” (the Chaldean order), from the slowest planet to the fastest: Saturn → Jupiter → Mars → Sun → Venus → Mercury → Moon, after which the cycle repeats.
The first diurnal hour (immediately after sunrise) is always ruled by the planet that rules the current day of the week. For example, on Sunday the first hour is ruled by the Sun, on Monday by the Moon, on Tuesday by Mars, and so on.
Practical application
It is believed that the energy of an hour favors matters associated with the nature of the ruling planet:
- The hour of Venus is auspicious for romance, shopping, and the arts.
- The hour of Jupiter is favorable for business, legal matters, and appeals to authority.
- The hour of Mars is suitable for active endeavors and sports, but caution is required due to the increased risk of conflicts.
- The hour of Saturn is good for bringing order, planning, and getting rid of the old, but is not suitable for new beginnings.
Implementation in the Zeus program
In the left column — diurnal hours, in the right — nocturnal. The current hour is highlighted.
Sunrise and sunset data, as well as the values of the diurnal and nocturnal hours, are also shown above the table.