kimberlysteele | Entries tagged with astrology

We live in a time where the concept of magic has become foreign and remote. Magic, the materialists claim, is a figment of the imagination. It is confined to mind tricks. Any time it works, it must be a coincidence put forth in a random, chaotic universe. The most bothersome statement to the devout atheist is "As above, so below", because that bon mot, originally written by Hermes Trismegistus, implies an ordered universe where God the highest is reflected in everything. It also implies there are beings capable of understanding it or at least figuring out a small part of it. The atheist would like to believe he or she sees it all, because only what is obvious is allowed to be truth. Magic must therefore be relegated to the denizens of make believe worlds. Magic could not possibly be in everything and all around us at all times: that would mean too much is possible and it would also mean that everything has sentience. Nope: magic must conform to Harry Potter expectations. "If it ain't levitating brooms and bastardized Latin, it ain't magic!" cries the atheist. All that is not plain as the nose on my face and easily grokked by materialism-indoctrinated humans is simply not magical -- this is what the Scientism believers claim.

Yet anyone who has given the study of Western magic more than a cursory once-over knows there is more to magic than meets Harry Potter's bespectacled eye. For when you open yourself to the possibility that perhaps neither you nor any human will ever be the smartest being in any given room, a transformation occurs. You begin to listen instead of constantly gibbering about your own expectations and needs. If you do enough occult work (none of which includes killing animals, doing drugs, or chanting in retarded Latin) you may even become so good at listening, a message from better beings than you might get through your thick skull. You might find out these beings have been trying to get a message through your thick skull this whole time.

Mundane Magic

The magical is everyday and every day is magical. Mundane means "before the temple". It is no surprise that we have come to see our entire lives as one long, mundane slog of Eat, Work, Sleep, Die. There are large forces and astral pyramids intent on keeping as many humans as possible in a materialistic trance from cradle to grave. The cleverest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing people he does not exist. But the mundane is the magical. Magic is the inception, process, and reverberation of intention. It is not about Doing What Thou Wilt because Do What Thou Wilt is a grandiose assumption that human will comprises the whole (of the Law). Instead, human will is a drop in the ocean of wills. As mere drops in the Ocean of Intention, we humans would do far better to work with natural forces instead of the alternative. Go with the flow, baby!

If scient~~ism~~ists still believed in actual science and observed the world around them like they did in the old days, they might notice the world as we know it is ruled by seasons. As above, so below being what it is, we can presume the great is reflected in the small. Just as there are seasons that play out over the grand arcs of millennia, there are seasons in the year and seasons of the week. It is the seasons of the week I want to look at in this moment and how to work with them in daily, mundane life.

Astrological Rulers of the Day: Timing Really is Everything

Each day is ruled by two main factors: planetary influence and status of the moon. Though there are smaller divisions of gradation known as planetary hours, I am going to omit them for the time being to keep it simple and to the point. Each day has its own planetary ruler. "Planet" is a generic term for celestial body in astrology. In order to court beneficial planetary influence, we can make a daily study and devotion of our own mundane activities by tuning them to the planet of the day. By this form of subtle adjustment, we become human radios, combing through the noisy static so we can find the good music and vibe to it.

The second factor is lunar status. Is the moon waxing or waning? The moon rules water and tides. Humans are mostly made of water, and that means we are profoundly affected by the moon whether we realize it or not. When the moon is waxing, it is a good time for starting new projects, expanding influence, and doing active work. A waning moon is better for resolutions, endings, tamping down energy, and doing quiet, secretive work.

MONDAY

Monday is ruled by the moon, hence the Mon- prefix. The moon is generally passive and receptive. Laundry is the most basic and passive of tasks. It is tailor made for Mondays because it involves a great deal of water. Another lunar aspect of laundry: it involves repetitive sorting and patience. Sorting, cycling, patience, and repetition are lunar. Like the waves of the ocean itself, they ebb, flow, and repeat ad infinitum. If it is repetitive and requires a chill attitude, maybe save it for Monday. Monday is my preferred day for walking meditation.

TUESDAY

Tuesday, ruled by Mars/Aries, is fiery and energetic. Tuesday is well suited to intense physical activity, strength building exercise, and reconnaissance of old skills via the defeat of one's own mental weakness. Tuesday is a day for facing your own regrets, debilities, and mea culpas, gritting your teeth, and overcoming them with stern determination. Invoke the fire necessary to torch your own bull**t on Tuesdays. Tuesday is excellent for take-no-prisoners cleanouts, especially of the type that involves heavy physical exertion. It is a great day to begin new, positive habits that require willpower to maintain.

WEDNESDAY

Wednesday is ruled by Hermes/Mercury. It is a day to contemplate, analyze, and communicate. Hermes is the god of communication and commerce. When you need to add power to your own written words, remember Wednesday is the premier day for writing and language. Buying and selling are also easier on Wednesday. Shopping online or offline, publishing on the internet or in paper, and engaging in discourse are a little easier and more productive on Wednesday. If you are lucky enough to be near a good library, Wednesday is the perfect day to visit.

THURSDAY

Thursday is ruled by Jupiter. It is vast, expansive, and fatherly. Anything legal or law-related is best done on a Thursday. If you want to have justice done (while being willing to accept the personal consequences) Thursday is the best day to pray for it. Thursday is a day of teaching, learning, mentoring, and being mentored. Tutoring is especially blessed on Thursday, whether you are on the giving or receiving end. Mediating conflict is easier on Thursdays, especially when you have made the Jovian connection. Thursday is great for encouraging your own will in daily practice. If you are in school, you might try implementing better homework habits starting on a Thursday. If you are a musician, Thursday is ideal for getting an extra hour of practice. For those who work with their hands, Thursday is perfect for extra work as well as cooperation. For instance, if you knit, sew, or quilt, Thursday would be a great day to host a sewing circle.

FRIDAY

Everyone looks forward to Friday. Ruled by Venus/Aphrodite, it is the sweetest day of the week by far. Friday kicks off literal and metaphorical shoes and gets footloose. It is a day for partying, celebration, and romance. Aphrodite is the restorer of the etheric body. She alone is the arbiter of true satisfaction on the material plane, as no physical urge can be satisfied without the cooperation of the etheric. Aphrodite is the most interactive of the gods. You can invoke her by simply keeping your living space clean and tidy and by thanking the items and spaces you use during and after their use. It goes without saying that single people are advised to do the majority of their exploratory expeditions on Friday night, preferably during a waxing moon.

SATURDAY

Saturday is a day of accounting and accountability, deliberate simplicity, and grace. Ruled by Saturn, Saturday is the true Sabbath and the week's blessed end. If I was Queen of the World, Saturday and not Sunday would be subject to blue closure laws. I would close everything on Saturday and give everyone the day off except for police, firefighters, and emergency medics. Saturday is for rest but it is also for closure. I have gotten decent results from scheduling my tax dealings on Saturdays during waning moons. Saturday is an ideal day for gardening and working with soil. It reminds us of where our food comes from and where are bodies go when they die. It is also a great day for paring down material possessions and either donating them or throwing them away. I prefer to donate to my local homeless shelter on Saturdays in hopes of gaining Saturn's potent blessing for the people I am trying to help.

SUNDAY

Sunday is the true beginning of the week. I always plan on working hard on Sunday, whether it is paid or unpaid. Ruled by Helios Apollo, who BTW bears a striking resemblance to one Jesus Christ, Sunday is a day of benevolence, understanding, and forgiveness for all. "Everything under the sun" is Sunday's motto. Of all the days, it is the most robust and varied in its activity and influence. Sundays are remarkable for their clarity: write down your grocery list, plan your projects, and contemplate the near and far future. Though I have often made Sundays lazy, I believe they should actually be full of activity and outings. If you need to travel, Sunday is the best day to do it. The Sun's influence is broader and more expansive than Jupiter's. Sunday is the finest day for friend and family gatherings. Sunday is great for its eclecticism. It is a "You do you" sort of day where you can be yourself and still enjoy your moment in the sun.

One word of caution... none of the suggestions offered here, or in anything else I have ever written, should be taken as gospel. If you do laundry on Tuesdays and found the love of your life on a Saturday, by all means full steam ahead. These suggestions are food for thought. Try them and see where they take you.

Hi Everyone, for this week's blog, I'm going to go in a lighter direction and talk about some of the things I have done to honor the deities of the planets that just happen to be free. In my upcoming book, Sacred Homemaking, I'll be going into detail about the subject of honoring the planets and why someone would want to do it. Here is the short version: honoring the planets is a way of respectfully acknowledging the forces that affect our lives as human beings. It's a natural outgrowth of the study of astrology. Being mindful of the planets is fun, creative, and helps us to connect with the world around us. It's a gentle escape from being glamoured via television and social media feeds. I believe honoring the planets pleases not only the gods, but also the vast array of non-corporeal intelligences and beings who correspond to specific gods. Unlike ceremonial magic, planet-honoring activities are safe around children, and personally I think it's a beautiful way of reconnecting kids to the unseen world around them while encouraging their natural mysticism.

The easiest way I've found to honor the planets is to focus on certain activities on specific days of the week. For me, w riting new music to some of the Orphic hymns was my initial dive into formal, regular planet-honoring. I began by composing music for Wednesday's Greek deity, Hermes, and then progressed to composing, arranging, and practicing hymns for the rest of the week days and beyond. Daily practice ensured that I was performing planetary devotions every day in the most literal sense. If you're not a composer, and most people are not, you can still easily honor the planets without spending a cent. Remember that honoring the planets is about conscious alignment with the gods, done in a respectful and dare I say ethical way, of course. The reason I say "ethical" is that all too many witches and mages go the septic route, especially in the case of invoking Hecate for some reason, and do absolutely awful things without so much as a prayer beforehand. As someone who takes the triple moon goddess/goddesses seriously, I think they are playing with fire. Hecate is (rightfully) merciless when the haughty and the arrogant presume Her will as their own. Honoring the planets, on the other hand, is the spiritual equivalent of the endearing toddler who picks wildflowers to give to Mommy. If we don't put ill will and greed behind our planet-honoring, I doubt we will earn the ire of the gods.

There are more planets than the ones that can be covered by the days of the week and far more deities that can be honored than the planetary ones, but for now, here are ideas for deity honoring activities for the day of the week's gods.

Sunday

Ruled by the Greek gods Helios and Apollo, Sunday is also the day of the solar Christian God and His son, Jesus, and the Archangel Michael. Wear gold, yellow, or white, especially jewelry with a starburst or cross theme. Burn frankincense, cinnamon, or lavender incense. Light a white candle while playing upbeat music. If you dance (I don't!) Sunday would be the perfect day to offer a dance to the gods. Sunday is a great day for relaxing with family, hosting brunch or dinner, or going on a day trip or outing. If it is sunny out, make sure to spend some time outside or by a sunny window and soak up some rays. I know this sounds silly, but Sunday is the best day to upcycle an item by spray painting it gold. If you are around children (or not), you could spend an afternoon creating God's Eyes out of yarn and sticks.

A good Sunday-themed recipe would be my chick'n soup with turmeric to get into a Sunday mood with that sunny, orange color.

Monday

Ruled by the Greek goddesses Artemis, Selene, and Hecate, Monday is lunar, receptive, and feminine. Wear white, silver, or light blue. Burn a white candle Monday is a great day to do something in honor of dogs, such as taking your dog to the park. For music, I would try something soothing and organic sounding, such as the songs of Loreena McKennit. Forests are sacred to the Artemis, "whom woods and dogs delight". Sacred incenses are aloes and camphor. I burn this one called White Cloud from Shoyeido. Monday is a great day for extended discursive meditation, ceremonial magic, and general contemplation. Obviously, if the moon is out, take some time to gaze at it every Monday. Making luminaries or lanterns out of paper bags, mason jars, or tin cans is an appropriate Monday activity. Making pies or cakes in round shapes is also fitting.

A good Monday-themed recipe is this one for Mild Tofu Curry. Tofu is very lunar, as is white rice.

Tuesday

Ruled by Ares the god of war, Tuesday is active and masculine. It's a good day to wear red. Burn a red candle -- the Christmas ones that are scented with cinnamon are perfect because cinnamon is sacred to Ares/Mars. Scents he likes are myrrh, cinnamon, and cypress. I often wear my Three Wolf Moon t-shirt. Dogs once again have their day on Tuesday as it is sacred to dogs and wolves. The most appropriate Tuesday music would be vintage war themes or heavy metal. Tuesday is good for collecting wild medicinal plants or for going to the dentist or having surgery. In general, it is the day to do chores that feel like a battle. It is also a good day for mentally confronting and working through one's own regrets and bad karma. Working out/exercising on Tuesday should not be missed. A good craft for Tuesday would be this origami throwing star.

A good recipe for Tuesday would be a bold, spicy, garlicky salsa. Garlic, hot peppers, and coriander/cilantro are all sacred to Mars/Ares.

Wednesday

Ruled by Hermes/Mercury, Wednesday is complicated and contradictory. Other Wednesday deities include Thoth and Wotan, from whence Wednesday gets its name. Wear gray, dusty blues (such as denim), taupe, and multicolors/patterns. Burn a gray, brown, or taupe colored candle. Scents of patchouli and frankincense are Mercury-appropriate. Music could be anything complex and multi-layered, from J.S. Bach to modern day trap beats. Wednesday is a great day to go to the library or for reading in general, writing/publishing blogs or submitting manuscripts to publishers, and talking to far away people via phone or internet. It's also a day for memory-building exercises, quizzes and games. Don't miss your language learning session on Wednesdays, for instance, via the free Duolingo app. For the tinkerers, machinists, inventors, and music engineers of the world, Wednesday is basically your day. My husband actually made a bucket air conditioner like the linked one five years ago when we lived with my parents and were confined to my stuffy old childhood bedroom. It really cranks.

Dill Potato Salad or Dill Potato Soup would make good recipes for Wednesday. Dill and celery are both sacred to Hermes.

Thursday

Ruled by Jupiter, Thursday is a happy, joyful day. Wear any blue from sky to royal to purple. Sage and cedar incense suit Jupiter the best -- think fresh and bracing aromas. Burning cedar or sage scented candles, or blue-colored candles, or both are Jupiter-appropriate. Music is anything bold and happy, such as Copeland's Appalachian Spring. Buying gifts, including those for oneself, is a good Thursday activity, as is doing one's banking or giving/receiving consultations. Thursday is an auspicious day to begin any new project or endeavor. Thursday is also well-suited to intellectual pursuits and the higher mind. Crafts might include making paper airplanes or making a mobile, or any hands-on way of honoring the spirit of air, such as flying kites.

Spiced almonds are decidedly Jupiterian -- almonds and aromatic spices are sacred to Jupiter.

Friday

Friday is ruled by Aphrodite, and is the day of friendship and love. Wear green or pink. Rose incense or floral scented candles are perfect for Fridays. Sandalwood also works. Music is anything easy on the ears and pleasant, for instance certain strains of jazz like Brad Melhdau's transcendently lovely Ode album. Friday night is the best night for dates, family time, and friends. Because Aphrodite is the goddess of the home, I believe Bastet shares her day, and it follows that pampering and caring for domestic cats is the perfect Friday pursuit. One could combine Friday activities by burning a floral candle, listening to pleasant music, and doing light chores or homey crafts such knitting or mending. Friday is an excellent day for cooking and baking. Propagating and planting in the indoor or outdoor garden are also Friday-appropriate. Almost any art or craft is congenial to a Friday schedule, though crafts that involve home decorating do the double duty of honoring both Aphrodite and Lady Bastet.

Chocolate covered cherries or strawberries, whether bought or homemade, honor Aphrodite. Cherries and strawberries are ruled by Aphrodite/Venus. Nobody is certain who is certain which deity (outside of the ancient Meso-Americans) rules chocolate, but my instinct is that chocolate in the form of candy is ruled by Venus.

Saturday

Saturday is ruled by Saturn as is the day of endings. Black, dark brown, or blue-black is the best color to wear. Candles should be black or brown. Cypress or myrrh incense is a good choice. Heavier scents that would not do on other days are fine for Saturdays. Saturday is a good day for white tornado/take-no-prisoners style house or office junk eliminations. It's a good day for visiting the graves of loved ones, hosting memorials, or generally memorializing past people and events. Hard work and odious tasks, such as filing a tax return, are best saved for Saturday. Saturday is also a good day for pruning plants. The music of Saturday is slow and graceful, for instance, processionals such as Pomp and Circumstance and Pachelbel's Canon. Hard work is more appropriate to Saturday than crafts, however, planting an indoor herb garden with bottles that would have otherwise ended up in the bin or the landfill is a Saturn-suitable activity.

Foodwise, simple flax-seed crackers are a Saturnine food, not only because of their dry, minimalist nature but also because flaxseeds are sacred to Saturn.

Does this post inspire you to devote some time to honoring the planets? Please share your ideas in the comments.