Invocation and Message
I have prayed to Óðinn, the great King of the Aesir, Holy and Wise God, on whether it is right for me to share this with The Occult Mirror, and have felt it is right. So, great glory and praise to Óðinn, may you aid me in writing this post, and may this help those who read this and employ these rules, and lead them to wisdom and knowledge of divine and holy things. May this not be abused and lead them to suffering. Let this be pleasing to the Gods.
Now, firstly, if you are new, I would not recommend using this if you plan to curse anything or anyone without legitimate reason (That is to say, frivolously). Rather, seek peace and benefit for yourself, and see if you can resolve the quarrel or issue in another way. You will know what is right for yourself. This message regarding curses is primarily aimed at newer magicians, to give guidance to them.
The Planetary Hours
Now, the first thing we will discuss is the use of the Planetary Days and Hours for timing magickal ritual. The Planetary Days and Hours is a very ancient technique in traditional astrology that is used to time any action that can be done so that they may be blessed and lead to a good end. This naturally extends to magickal ritual and prayer.
The Planetary Hours is based on the Rising and Setting of the Sun, and follow an order called the Chaldaen Order, starting from Sunrise, with the First Hour of the Day being of the Planet that Rules the Day.
The Planets that Rule each Day are as Follows:
Saturday: Ruled by Saturn
Sunday: Ruled by the Sun
Monday: Ruled by the Moon
Tuesday: Ruled by Mars
Wednesday: Ruled by Mercury
Thursday: Ruled by Jupiter
Friday: Ruled by Venus
Here is an article with more explanation on the Planetary Hours, with a method to calculate them by hand, and another website that calculates the Hours automatically. There are also various apps that can calculate them, and I know the calculator given below to be accurate.
https://www.renaissanceastrology.com/planetaryhoursarticle.html
Now, the translation of the Lemegeton (Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis) that I am using is from F.C. Coneybear, Aleister Crowley, and S.L. MacGregor Mathers, from the Mockingbird Press Kindle edition.
The first observation for a magickal work would be the use of Planetary Hours. I would argue that the Hours are more important than the Day, as they seem more efficacious for any working, and cause more easily visible effects. Ideally, you would perform the ritual in both the Day and Hour, but this may not be possible as the Moon is also of great importance as we will speak of later in this post.
These are the works that should be done in each of the Planetary Days and Hours:
"In the Days and Hours of Saturn thou canst perform experiments to summon the Souls from Hades, but only of those who have died a natural death. Similarly on these days and hours thou canst operate to bring either good or bad fortune to buildings; to have familiar Spirits attend thee in sleep; to cause good or ill success to business, possessions, goods, seeds, fruits, and similar things, in order to acquire learning; to bring destruction and to give death, and to sow hatred and discord.
The Days and Hours of Jupiter are proper for obtaining honours, acquiring riches; contracting friendships, preserving health; and arriving at all that thou canst desire.
In the Days and Hours of Mars thou canst make experiments regarding War; to arrive at military honour; to acquire courage; to overthrow enemies; and further to cause ruin, slaughter, cruelty, discord; to wound and to give death.
The Days and Hours of the Sun are very good for perfecting experiments regarding temporal wealth, hope, gain, fortune, divination, the favour of princes, to dissolve hostile feeling, and to make friends.
The Days and Hours of Venus are good for forming friendships; for kindness and love; for joyous and pleasant undertakings, and for travelling.
The Days and Hours of Mercury are good to operate for eloquence and intelligence; promptitude in business; science and divination; wonders; apparitions; and answers regarding the future. Thou canst also operate under this Planet for thefts; writings; deceit; and merchandise.
The Days and Hours of the Moon are good for embassies; voyages envoys; messages; navigation; reconciliation; love; and the acquisition of merchandise by water." (The Key of Solomon the King, Book 1 Chapter II)
So we see here that any magickal working should be performed in the Hour of the Planet that rules the nature of that working. That is, Mars rules over courage, strength, and victory in battle, so a ritual for the same should be done in his Hour. Mercury rules over travel, knowledge, learning, and divination, so a working for those things should be done in his Hour.
This is because in that Hour, the Planet ruling it is bringing their power and qualities into the world strongly at that time. So, it is very common to see people be more loving and sociable in the Hour of Venus, for example. The Planet ruling the Hour is bringing their qualities strongly into that moment in time, and all things are affected.
Here are some further instructions from the Lemegeton, with one entry using a more complex electional instruction:
"Thou shouldest take care punctually to observe all the instructions contained in this chapter, if thou desirest to succeed, seeing that the truth of Magical Science dependeth thereon.
The Hours of Saturn, of Mars, and of the Moon are alike good for communicating and speaking with Spirits; as those of Mercury are for recovering thefts by the means of Spirits.
The Hours of Mars serve for summoning Souls from Hades, especially of those slain in battle.
The Hours of the Sun, of Jupiter, and of Venus, are adapted for preparing any operations whatsoever of love, of kindness, and of invisibility, as is hereafter more fully shown, to which must be added other things of a similar nature which are contained in our work.
The Hours of Saturn and Mars and also the days on which the Moon is conjunct with them, or when she receives their opposition or quartile aspect, are excellent for making experiments of hatred, enmity, quarrel, and discord; and other operations of the same kind which are given later on in this work.
The Hours of Mercury are good for undertaking experiments relating to games, raillery, jests, sports, and the like.
The Hours of the Sun, of Jupiter, and of Venus, particularly on the days which they rule, are good for all extraordinary, uncommon, and unknown operations.
The Hours of the Moon are proper for making trial of experiments relating to recovery of stolen property, for obtaining nocturnal visions, for summoning Spirits in sleep, and for preparing anything relating to Water.
The Hours of Venus are furthermore useful for lots, poisons, all things of the nature of Venus, for preparing powders provocative of madness and the like things.
But in order to thoroughly effect the operations of this Art, thou shouldest perform them not only on the Hours but on the Days of the Planets as well, because then the experiment will always succeed better, provided thou observest the rules laid down later on, for if thou omittest one single condition thou wilt never arrive at the accomplishment of the Art." (The Key of Solomon the King, Book 1 Chapter II)
In the above entry with the Hours of Saturn and Mars, for the operations it mentions, it suggests having the Moon conjunct or in Quartile (This is also called Square) aspect with the planets in question. Conjunct is when two Planets are on the same Degree as each other. You would want the Moon within 12 degrees of a conjunction of a Planet, which is her Orb. And Square (Quartile) is when two Planets are 90 Degrees from each other (With a range extending to the Orb of the Moon or Planets in question).
You may wish to research more on this from other articles if you do not understand what I have said above. Look into aspects, and it will be beneficial to look into applying and separating aspects as well.
Also, regarding the last note, it suggests that if anything is omitted you will “never arrive at the accomplishment of the Art”. Well, this is a bit excessive if the author meant that the magickal working will not succeed. These things are highly beneficial, but the next rules listed are going to be slightly more complex, so I would say even just using the Days and Hours would be very beneficial, even if you cannot use the others. I will say, the outcome and affect of any magickal working can be seen from the time the magician performed the working, so I do not mean to say that these heavenly cycles are not always in effect, but rather if you cannot follow all the electional rules, it is still beneficial to follow what you are able to. If you discover more complex electional rules, over time you will discover what should not be disregarded.
The Moon
Here are electional rules from the Lemegeton regarding having the Moon placed into various Signs and some additional rules to consider with the Moon.
"For those matters then which appertain unto the Moon, such as the Invocation of Spirits, the Works of Necromancy, and the recovery of stolen property, it is necessary that the Moon should be in a Terrestrial Sign, viz.:–Taurus, Virgo, or Capricorn.
For love, grace, and invisibility, the Moon should be in a Fiery Sign, viz.:–Aries, Leo, or Sagittarius.
For hatred, discord, and destruction, the Moon should be in a Watery Sign, viz.:–Cancer, Scorpio, or Pisces.
For experiments of a peculiar nature, which cannot be classed under any certain head, the Moon should be in an Airy Sign, viz.:–Gemini, Libra, or Aquarius.
But if these things seem unto thee difficult to accomplish, it will suffice thee merely to notice the Moon after her combustion, or conjunction with the Sun, especially just when she quits his beams and appeareth visible. For then it is good to make all experiments for the construction and operation of any matter. That is why the time from the New unto the Full Moon is proper for performing any of the experiments of which we have spoken above. But in her decrease or wane it is good for War, Disturbance, and Discord. Likewise the period when she is almost deprived of light, is proper for experiments of invisibility, and of Death.
But observe inviolably that thou commence nothing while the Moon is in conjunction with the Sun, seeing that this is extremely unfortunate, and that thou wilt then be able to effect nothing; but the Moon quitting his beams and increasing in Light, thou canst perform all that thou desirest, observing nevertheless the directions in this Chapter.
Furthermore, if thou wishest to converse with Spirits it should be especially on the day of Mercury and in his hour, and let the Moon be in an Airy Sign, as well as the Sun.
Retire thou then unto a secret place, where no one may be able to see thee or to hinder thee, before the completion of the experiment, whether thou shouldest wish to work by day or by night. But if thou shouldest wish to work by night, perfect thy work on the succeeding night; if by day, seeing that the day beginneth with the rising of the Sun (perfect thy work on) the succeeding day. But the Hour of Inception is the Hour of Mercury." (The Key of Solomon the King, Book 1 Chapter II)
On the above, “Combustion” Is a term for when a Planet is within 8 Degrees and 30 minutes conjunct the Sun, so for the Moon that is when she is in her New Moon phase.
Interestingly, we see above the Lemegeton advises against performing magick during the New Moon. Yes, this is something done in modern times but was generally considered very unfortunate in traditional astrology and magickal practice.
Combustion is considered the worst affliction a Planet can have. William Lilly says of it “The Combustion of any Planet is the greatest misfortune that can be” (Christian Astrology, 1st Edition, Page 111). So to have the Moon combust is very unfortunate for just about any working. When a Planet is within 16 Minutes Conjunct the Sun, however, this is different and is considered extremely fortunate. But I will not say much more on this here.
Here is an additional observation regarding the Moon from The Lesser Key of Solomon, which is our primary source regarding the 72 Demons of the Goetia, it says:
“FIRST, thou shalt know and observe the Moon’s Age for thy working. The best days be when the Moon Luna is 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, or 14 days old, as Solomon saith; and no other days be profitable.” (The Lesser Key of Solomon, Part One: Goetia, under the chapter titled “OBSERVATIONS”)
So, this observation is also when the Moon is Waxing, and starts on the 2nd Day of the Moon, when she is no longer Combust. It can be an interesting rule to experiment with.
Conclusion
All this is only a small part of Traditional Electional Astrology, and really much more can be said, including how to use the Moon in the Signs with more complexity, using the many qualities of the Signs, such as their quality of being Moveable, Fixed, or Common, as a small start. But this is what I have gathered from the Lemegeton. I have posted this for the benefit of other magicians, and hope this can serve you well. These instructions are easy to use, and can add great power to any working!
Great praise and Glory to Óðinn and to the Almighty. May this post aid others and be pleasing to the Gods.
