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CONTENTS...
1. What are planetary hours? |
In magic, there is one variable not to be overlooked: the right moment. Behind this simple idea lies a calculation system over two thousand years old, used by astrologers, magicians, and herbalists to align their actions with the rhythm of the sky. Mastered by true magicians, we explain here how to calculate them yourself.
Note that this calculation is somewhat complex. Good news, our esoteric shop offers you a simple and free online planetary hours calculator by clicking here.
1. What are planetary hours?
Since Antiquity, magical traditions divide the day into twenty-four unequal hours, each ruled by a planet. This division relies on two pillars: the Sun's cycle and the so-called Chaldean order (traditional ranking of the seven celestial bodies visible to the naked eye according to their apparent speed in the sky, from slowest to fastest). The day is divided into two halves: from sunrise to sunset (daytime), and from sunset to the next sunrise (nighttime). Each half is divided into twelve segments called planetary hours. Unlike civil hours, their length varies depending on the season and geographic location.
The planets involved are the seven so-called "classical" ones, visible to the naked eye: Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury, Lune. This fixed order is called the Chaldean order. It is based on the apparent speed of the celestial bodies from Earth, from the slowest (Saturn) to the fastest (Lune).
The planet that rules the first hour after sunrise gives its name to the day:
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Sunday: Sun
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Monday: Lune
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Tuesday: Mars
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Wednesday: Mercury
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Thursday: Jupiter
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Friday: Venus
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Saturday: Saturn
This organization is attested by Vettius Valens (2nd century), Firmicus Maternus (4th century), and described in detail during the Renaissance by Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa in his De Occulta Philosophia, Book II, Chapter 34.
2. Why use them in magic?
In magical practices, planetary hours help strengthen a ritual, prayer, operation, or even a simple intention by aligning it with the symbolic influence of a planet. Each planet represents a set of qualities that guide the action:
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Saturn: separation, blockage, banishment, old age, end, mourning, limit, silence
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Jupiter: prosperity, success, authority, justice, growth, legitimacy, dignity
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Mars: combat, courage, sex, anger, sharpness, conflict, passion, vitality
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Sun: power, clarity, health, confidence, honor, radiance, success
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Venus: love, beauty, pleasure, harmony, sensuality, art, union, fertility
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Mercury: speech, writing, commerce, travel, cunning, intelligence, deception
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Moon: dream, cycle, emotion, fertility, water, memory, illusion, imagination
The goal is simple: choose an hour when the dominant planet fully supports the intended purpose. A love prayer becomes more powerful under Venus, a banishing under Saturn, a communication work under Mercury. This principle of temporal alignment runs through all Western natural magic.
3. How to calculate them?
The calculation is based on three times:
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T₁: sunrise time
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T₂: sunset time
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T₃: next day’s sunrise time
From this data, two formulas allow dividing the time:
- Duration of the day = Sunset time − Sunrise time
- Duration of the night = Next day’s sunrise time − Sunset time
Then, each portion is divided into 12 equal segments:
- Duration of a daytime planetary hour = Duration of the day ÷ 12
- Duration of a nighttime planetary hour = Duration of the night ÷ 12
Each hour obtained this way is assigned a planet following the Chaldean order. The first hour of the day starts with the planet of the day. The second hour takes the next planet, and so on. After the twelve daytime hours have passed, the nighttime hours continue this sequence without restarting it.
4. Which time zone to use?
To obtain accurate planetary hours, you must always base them on the local legal time of your location. This involves two things: knowing your official time zone and whether you are on standard time or daylight saving time.
That said, it is easy to get lost among all the measurements. But don’t worry, we’ll explain:
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UTC (Coordinated Universal Time): this is the global base time. It never changes, has no winter or summer. All time zones are expressed as differences relative to it (example: UTC+1, UTC−5). It is used for atomic clocks, aviation, astronomy, but does not correspond to any daily civil use.
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GMT (Greenwich Mean Time): historically corresponds to the mean solar time of the Greenwich meridian (0° longitude). It is equivalent to UTC but mainly serves as a historical reference. Used in the United Kingdom, especially in winter.
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CET (Central European Time): time zone used as the standard legal time (in winter) in many Central European countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Croatia, Slovenia,... → CET = UTC+1
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CEST (Central European Summer Time): summer version of CET, applied during the daylight saving period. → CEST = UTC+2
In other words: if you are in Paris in January, the local time is CET (UTC+1). In July, it is CEST (UTC+2). If you live in La Réunion, you are on UTC+4 all year round, as the island does not observe daylight saving time.
UTC time is only useful as a reference. Never use it directly to calculate your planetary hours unless you live on the zero meridian without daylight saving time. What matters are the sunrise and sunset times in your actual time zone, with seasonal adjustments included. This ensures an accurate calculation.
5. A small example?
Let's take an example if we are in Paris on June 21, 2025:
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T₁: 05:46 CEST
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T₂: 21:56 CEST
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T₃: 05:47 CEST (June 22)
Thus:
- Duration of the day = 16 h 10 min → 970 minutes, so 970 ÷ 12 = 80 minutes 50 seconds
- Duration of the night = 7 h 51 min → 471 minutes, so 471 ÷ 12 = 39 minutes 15 seconds
June 21, 2025, is a Saturday. Saturn rules the first hour. The following hours are Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury, L, then Saturn again, and so on. The thirteenth hour, which begins the night, continues the logical sequence in the same order.
