Planets & Days of the Week
by Gary O'Toole
Excerpt from Cosmic Bodies.
Each planet rules a day of the week. Sunday is the Sun's day, Monday the Moon's day, Tuesday is Mars’ day, Wednesday is Mercury’s day, Thursday is Jupiter’s day, Friday is Venus’ day and Saturday is Saturn’s day.
Sunday
Traditionally for many, the Sun's day is a day for worship. The Sun was worshiped by ancient people by beating a drum. The Sun is rhythmic in its movement, moving one degree through the zodiac each day, giving us a sense of time through the seasons of the year. Pay more attention to the rhythm of life and exercise on this day. In yoga practice, you may wish to pay particular attention to the Sun salutations. If it is possible to feel the heat of the Sun on your body, then do so, knowing that you are a spark from our one source of light.
Monday
Resting your awareness at the heart will take you out of your head space and access the stillness of your being. The more time you spend at the heart, the more you can access a deeper awareness of self, beyond the mind's commentary. Spending time by the water, or simply taking a bath, will help bring you into more of a connection to nature and the water element. Learn to work with the waxing and waning phases of the Moon, as you learn to go with the flow of the natural world. During the new Moon phase, it is best to remain quiet and contemplative, as the previous two weeks of the waning Moon have been a time of letting go. The full Moon allows for more energy and expression, but is also a good time to step back a bit from too much activity, since the previous two weeks of the waxing phase have gradually increased our worldly concerns. This would apply to any physical activity also. Exercise with caution during a full Moon and a new Moon as the high energy of a full Moon can lead to injury, while the low energy of a new Moon can deplete you even further if you over-extend yourself.
Tuesday
This is a good day to take on a task that you have been putting off. Use the courage of Mars to tackle something uncomfortable in your life. Although this is not an auspicious day for new beginnings, if there is a situation where you need to tackle something you need to improve or completely remove from your life, then this would be a good day for it. Make sure to keep the toxic heat of Mars at bay by exercising in a way that allows the heat to be utilized and then released if needed. Exercise with courage and conviction, knowing that any discomfort you feel can help balance your tendency to luxuriate in an imbalanced state. Sometimes we have to do things that do not feel good to us, but they are necessary if we wish to destroy those things that keep us feeling weak or held back in some way.
Wednesday
If there is a need for stimulation of the mind, it would be best facilitated by studying something of value to you in your life, or by engaging with others in team sports. Mercury corresponds to our practical concerns. You may wish to use this day to deal with the practicalities of your life, which on other days may seem too trivial or tedious. This is a good day to learn something.
Thursday
Learning could be expanded upon to include more philosophical ideas and higher or more spiritual teachings. You could seek out a place you have never been before in order to expand your world view. Observe the beliefs you hold and how they serve you on your life journey. Tune into your ‘inner voice’ and know that you always have access to this guidance. You may wish to access this through listening to the sounds in your environment, before settling on the silence that is ever-present. Explore the space between the breaths as you dive deeper into a feeling of inner space and the innate intelligence of your body.
Friday
This is a good day to experience happiness and contentment in whatever form this comes in for you. In exercise, you may wish to enjoy your body more on this day. Feel the fluidity of your body through dance if you enjoy this type of exercise. Find what makes you happy and gives you a sense of contentment, and enjoy it today. However, instead of overindulging – which you will only have to work harder at paying for tomorrow – you may simply observe the ability to be happy without needing something to give you that feeling. There is no need for more things, situations, people or places to be present for you to feel content with what is right now.
Saturday
This is the best day to clear out the excesses and for chores around the house, as well as cleaning our mind and body with some form of cleansing. Appease Saturn and suffer voluntarily! Fasting allows you to experience limitation with a light touch and a clear mind. While you fast, you are detoxifying the body and clearing the mind to lighten up and refresh yourself for the week ahead. For those who need to keep an adequate amount of nutrients, a juice fast (though strictly not a fast) may be an alternative to a complete fast, although you would ideally use appropriate juices for your constitutional type. Failing that, a half-fast may be observed. This may mean consuming light foods throughout the day or having a simple meal in the evening, avoiding heavy and stimulating foods throughout the day. However, if you are an air type and are experiencing an aggravation of air, leading to further weight loss, it may not be advisable to observe a food fast. In such a case, a day of silence may suit.
Excerpt from Cosmic Bodies.
Each planet rules a day of the week. Sunday is the Sun's day, Monday the Moon's day, Tuesday is Mars’ day, Wednesday is Mercury’s day, Thursday is Jupiter’s day, Friday is Venus’ day and Saturday is Saturn’s day.
Sunday
Traditionally for many, the Sun's day is a day for worship. The Sun was worshiped by ancient people by beating a drum. The Sun is rhythmic in its movement, moving one degree through the zodiac each day, giving us a sense of time through the seasons of the year. Pay more attention to the rhythm of life and exercise on this day. In yoga practice, you may wish to pay particular attention to the Sun salutations. If it is possible to feel the heat of the Sun on your body, then do so, knowing that you are a spark from our one source of light.
Monday
Resting your awareness at the heart will take you out of your head space and access the stillness of your being. The more time you spend at the heart, the more you can access a deeper awareness of self, beyond the mind's commentary. Spending time by the water, or simply taking a bath, will help bring you into more of a connection to nature and the water element. Learn to work with the waxing and waning phases of the Moon, as you learn to go with the flow of the natural world. During the new Moon phase, it is best to remain quiet and contemplative, as the previous two weeks of the waning Moon have been a time of letting go. The full Moon allows for more energy and expression, but is also a good time to step back a bit from too much activity, since the previous two weeks of the waxing phase have gradually increased our worldly concerns. This would apply to any physical activity also. Exercise with caution during a full Moon and a new Moon as the high energy of a full Moon can lead to injury, while the low energy of a new Moon can deplete you even further if you over-extend yourself.
Tuesday
This is a good day to take on a task that you have been putting off. Use the courage of Mars to tackle something uncomfortable in your life. Although this is not an auspicious day for new beginnings, if there is a situation where you need to tackle something you need to improve or completely remove from your life, then this would be a good day for it. Make sure to keep the toxic heat of Mars at bay by exercising in a way that allows the heat to be utilized and then released if needed. Exercise with courage and conviction, knowing that any discomfort you feel can help balance your tendency to luxuriate in an imbalanced state. Sometimes we have to do things that do not feel good to us, but they are necessary if we wish to destroy those things that keep us feeling weak or held back in some way.
Wednesday
If there is a need for stimulation of the mind, it would be best facilitated by studying something of value to you in your life, or by engaging with others in team sports. Mercury corresponds to our practical concerns. You may wish to use this day to deal with the practicalities of your life, which on other days may seem too trivial or tedious. This is a good day to learn something.
Thursday
Learning could be expanded upon to include more philosophical ideas and higher or more spiritual teachings. You could seek out a place you have never been before in order to expand your world view. Observe the beliefs you hold and how they serve you on your life journey. Tune into your ‘inner voice’ and know that you always have access to this guidance. You may wish to access this through listening to the sounds in your environment, before settling on the silence that is ever-present. Explore the space between the breaths as you dive deeper into a feeling of inner space and the innate intelligence of your body.
Friday
This is a good day to experience happiness and contentment in whatever form this comes in for you. In exercise, you may wish to enjoy your body more on this day. Feel the fluidity of your body through dance if you enjoy this type of exercise. Find what makes you happy and gives you a sense of contentment, and enjoy it today. However, instead of overindulging – which you will only have to work harder at paying for tomorrow – you may simply observe the ability to be happy without needing something to give you that feeling. There is no need for more things, situations, people or places to be present for you to feel content with what is right now.
Saturday
This is the best day to clear out the excesses and for chores around the house, as well as cleaning our mind and body with some form of cleansing. Appease Saturn and suffer voluntarily! Fasting allows you to experience limitation with a light touch and a clear mind. While you fast, you are detoxifying the body and clearing the mind to lighten up and refresh yourself for the week ahead. For those who need to keep an adequate amount of nutrients, a juice fast (though strictly not a fast) may be an alternative to a complete fast, although you would ideally use appropriate juices for your constitutional type. Failing that, a half-fast may be observed. This may mean consuming light foods throughout the day or having a simple meal in the evening, avoiding heavy and stimulating foods throughout the day. However, if you are an air type and are experiencing an aggravation of air, leading to further weight loss, it may not be advisable to observe a food fast. In such a case, a day of silence may suit.
