Kimberly Steele

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, writing 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.