Hora: the planetary hours and what each is good for
A hora is a planetary hour — one twelfth of the daytime or one twelfth of the night. Since day and night are rarely equal, a daytime hora and a night hora usually differ in length, and neither is exactly sixty minutes.
The order of the lords
The first hora after sunrise belongs to the ruler of the weekday: the Sun on Sunday, the Moon on Monday, Mars on Tuesday, Mercury on Wednesday, Jupiter on Thursday, Venus on Friday and Saturn on Saturday. After that the lords follow a fixed cycle — Sun, Venus, Mercury, Moon, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars — and repeat. Count twenty-four horas through that cycle and the twenty-fifth lands exactly on the ruler of the next weekday, which is where the order of the days of the week comes from.
What each hora suits
- Sun — dealings with government and authority, applications, leadership matters
- Venus — marriage talks, jewellery, clothes, vehicles, the arts
- Mercury — study, writing, accounts, trade, communication
- Moon (especially when waxing) — travel, food, general auspicious work
- Jupiter — the most broadly favourable: education, finance, ceremonies, advice
- Mars — land, machinery, surgery, matters needing force; otherwise avoided for auspicious beginnings
- Saturn — labour, iron, oil, land; otherwise avoided for auspicious beginnings