What are Planetary Hours?
Planetary Hours is an ancient astrological timing technique that divides each day into 24 unequal hours, each ruled by one of the seven classical planets. This system has been used for centuries to determine the most auspicious times for specific activities.
How It Works
1. Day and Night Hours
- Day Hours (1-12): From sunrise to sunset, divided into 12 equal parts
- Night Hours (13-24): From sunset to next sunrise, divided into 12 equal parts
- Hour lengths vary by location and season (longer days in summer, longer nights in winter)
2. Chaldean Order
Planets rule hours in the traditional Chaldean order, based on their apparent speed through the zodiac:
The first hour of each day is ruled by the planet that rules that day of the week:
- Sunday: Sun
- Monday: Moon
- Tuesday: Mars
- Wednesday: Mercury
- Thursday: Jupiter
- Friday: Venus
- Saturday: Saturn
3. Natal Chart Integration
When you calculate planetary hours for a specific birth chart, the system analyzes:
- Essential Dignities: How strong each planet is in the natal chart (rulership, exaltation, detriment, fall)
- House Position: Which house the planet occupies (angular houses are strongest)
- Planetary Nature: Benefic planets (Jupiter, Venus) vs. Malefic planets (Mars, Saturn)
Rating System
Each planetary hour receives a favorability score from 0 to 10 based on the natal planet's strength:
| Score | Rating | Icon | Description | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8-10 | Excellent | Highly favorable hour, planet is very strong in natal chart | Best time for important actions related to this planet | |
| 6-7 | Good | Favorable hour, planet is well-placed | Good time for activities related to this planet | |
| 4-5 | Neutral | Average influence, planet is neither strong nor weak | Proceed with normal caution | |
| 2-3 | Challenging | Difficult hour, planet is weakly placed | Use extra caution, may face obstacles | |
| 0-1 | Avoid | Unfavorable hour, planet is in detriment or fall | Best to avoid important actions during this time |
Scoring Factors
Base Score: 5 (neutral)
Essential Dignity Modifiers:
- Rulership or Exaltation: +3 points (planet is very strong in this sign)
- Detriment or Fall: -2 points (planet is weak in this sign)
- Other signs: +1 point (neutral placement)
House Position Modifiers:
- Angular Houses (1st, 4th, 7th, 10th): +2 points (most powerful houses)
- Other houses: No modifier
Planetary Nature:
- Benefics (Jupiter, Venus): +1 point
- Malefics (Mars, Saturn): -1 point
- Neutral (Sun, Moon, Mercury): No modifier
Final Score: Capped between 0 and 10
Example Output
Here's what the planetary hours analysis looks like for a sample birth chart:
Based on birth chart: New York, 1985-06-15
| # | Hour | Planet | Time | Score | Rating | Natal Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | Jupiter | 12:00-13:05 | 9/10 | Excellent | Cancer (Exaltation) |
| 2 | 14 | Venus | 18:30-19:40 | 8/10 | Excellent | Pisces (Exaltation) |
| 3 | 3 | Sun | 08:30-09:35 | 7/10 | Good | Leo (Rulership) |
| 4 | 10 | Moon | 15:10-16:15 | 6/10 | Good | Taurus (Neutral) |
| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| 22 | 19 | Saturn | 23:15-00:25 | 2/10 | Challenging | Cancer (Detriment) |
| 23 | 5 | Mars | 10:40-11:45 | 1/10 | Avoid | Cancer (Fall) |
Interpretation:
In this example:
- Jupiter hour (12:00-13:05) scores 9/10 because Jupiter is exalted in Cancer in the natal chart
- Venus hour (18:30-19:40) scores 8/10 because Venus is exalted in Pisces
- Mars hour (10:40-11:45) scores only 1/10 because Mars is in fall in Cancer (very weak)
- Best times: Use Jupiter and Venus hours for important activities
- Avoid: Mars hour is unfavorable for important actions
How to Use This Information
For General Activities (without birth chart)
- Sun hours: Leadership, authority, career, health, vitality
- Moon hours: Emotions, family, home, intuition, public matters
- Mercury hours: Communication, learning, writing, commerce, travel
- Venus hours: Love, relationships, beauty, art, pleasure, money
- Mars hours: Action, courage, competition, physical activities, surgery
- Jupiter hours: Growth, expansion, education, legal matters, spirituality
- Saturn hours: Structure, discipline, long-term planning, real estate
For Personalized Timing (with birth chart)
- Use Excellent (8-10) hours for the most important activities
- Use Good (6-7) hours for regular important tasks
- Neutral (4-5) hours are fine for routine activities
- Be extra careful during Challenging (2-3) hours
- Try to avoid critical decisions during Avoid (0-1) hours
Getting Started
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