Plan(et) Your Life
Life Planning According to the Planetary Rulers of the Days of the Week
True to my Virgoan form, I am an Organizing Queen. I’ve already mentioned my love of organizational stationery in My Birthday Wishlist; many people will buy one planner, optimistically, at the beginning of a calendar year, just to realize by mid-February their $25 went to waste- I am the opposite. I have a wall calendar, a planning diary, a few journals, and multiple scheduling notepads which include a weekly meal planner, another weekly meal planner which I use to schedule our various prepworks, as well as a weekly plan pad, and now, a weekly schedule pad just for social media content creation.
You might think this is overkill. Possibly, that I’m an insane, uptight, Type-A obsessive- which is understandable- but untrue. Left to my own devices, I’m chaotic and free-flowing- before Saturn blessed me with his Return, I was nowhere near as disciplined and organized as I am now. I was one of those people who would buy the planner and not use it- I just had way more fun making the purchase than most people do. I meal planned, haphazardly- I’d be consistent for a few weeks and then not come back to it for months. I’d create a cleaning schedule and stick to it for a solid month and a half, tops.
But things are different now. I have three children: one I homeschool, one who is a middle child determined to get her time in the Sun of my attention, and one a cantankerous boob-barnacle who demands contact naps more often than not. I also have a home to care for, a husband who I actually love to hangout with, and a fledgling career I’m working hard to push out of the nest. If I didn’t schedule each week into submission, you’d never be reading this now.
And I’m not alone. People are busy busy. But most people are spending a ton of time spinning their wheels- wasting time eaten up by their lack of foresight and structure. But creating these systems of structure doesn’t come as easily to everyone as it does to someone with a Virgo stellium in the Fourth House, which is to say, as easily as it comes to me (nor do most people derive so much pleasure from creating, implementing, and following through on those structural systems, but this is another issue entirely).
The biggest problem is also one of the easiest to solve- Where to begin? And the answer I propose here is to start by creating a central focus for each day of the week, and orienting your schedule around that. Each day has an astrological planetary ruler- a planet (or luminary, as is the case with Sunday and Monday) which rules over each day, making that specific day a proper container for the themes of that specific planet.
Start with the absolute basics of your schedule- work, school, religious services, standing appointments- whatever occurs in your life which must happen on that particular day, at that particular time. Then, write down everything else that needs to be done- such as various acts of cleaning and home maintenance, self-care, and caring for and socializing with the most important relationships in your life. Then, write down everything you would like to get done- goals you want to pursue, pursuits of pleasure you’d like to create more time for. Create themes for each day according to their planetary domains, and play scheduling tetris, fitting each piece wherever it makes the most sense. Take note of how things are moving for the first month or so, and rework as needed. As to those planetary domains, let’s take a look:
Sunday - Sun
Sunday has been revered in the Western world as a day of sacred rest since March 3, 321, when the Roman emperor Constantine the Great legislated it as dies Solis, “The Day of the Sun,” for the purposes of giving the Roman populace space with which to observe their vows to the Roman gods, the Sun god Sol chief among them.
In the natal chart, the Sun still has dominion over masculine figures in the chart holder’s life, namely your father and husband, and also over joy and children (being, naturally, an extension and source thereof,) which all makes Sundays wonderful days for connecting with your spouse and children, and for calling your Dad.
The Sun also represents the Self, our Ego, our Will, and our state of being- our health, energy, and vital lifeforce. So Sunday is an important day, especially as most of us will begin our week anew each Monday, to take time to restore our energy and engage in practices which replenish our vitality. Within this practice of revitalization, we can impose our Will- if not on the world, then certainly upon our own lives- which makes Sunday the proper time to assess what we seek to project from our solar plexus, the seat of our Will- and how exactly we might go about it.
Monday - Moon
The associations of the Moon hardly require introduction; they’ve been nearly uniform across cultures spanning millennia. Our emotional wellbeing, our Mother (Grandmothers, and all maternal and nurturing figures,) pregnancy, fertility, and childbirth- the Moon’s domain is as well known as any on this list. Of course this makes Monday the most obvious choice for emotional processing and endeavors which allow for a (somewhat) controlled, healthy catharsis.
Nurturing emotional wellness through your habits is the foundation of emotional stability; the Moon changes signs approximately every two and a half days, meaning our moods can and often do change with the same cyclical ebb and flow as the tides. Creating space in your week which shines a spotlight on fostering healthy mood stability and the habits that produce it is of utmost importance, and Monday is just the day to do it.
Tuesday - Mars
Tuesday is Mars’ day, and Mars certainly likes to take what is his. Passion, ambition, determination, aggression, sex- Mars is bold and forward, and deals with the friction of one force coming up against another, which can produce great and terrible things.
To make Mars work in your favor, harness the Martian capacity for destruction, intensity, competition, and passion for good- such as by removing things from your life which aren’t serving you; engaging in high-intensity physicality; pursuing your ambitions and passions; and if you’re partnered, having sex.
Especially for those among us for whom courage and confidence do not come easily, harnessing the passion of Mars can help us to take action if we initiate on Tuesdays, especially in doing that which requires uncharacteristic bravery, spontaneity, and audacity.
Wednesday - Mercury
Given that Wednesday is ruled by Mercury, the guidelines for what is optimal to do on a Wednesday follow all of the common advisements of what should be avoided during Mercury Retrogrades.
Writing, reviewing, and signing contracts and documents? Absolutely. Speaking, writing, reading, and digital and broadcast communications? Sure! Short trips and local travel? Wednesday is the day to begin planning these trips, or embark upon them. Start learning a language or schedule a large block of time to focus on them here. Exercise your intellect via logic, reasoning, learning, and researching, especially if you seek to find specific answers.
Mercury rules the acquisition, sharing, organization, and processing of information- and any and all pursuits which require these. Siblings are also the domain of Mercury, so if you have any, Wednesday is a nice day to get together or reach out.
Thursday - Jupiter
Jupiter is about expansion- of horizons, worldviews, and understanding. Often, Jupiter takes ‘expanding horizons’ literally, and rules long-distance travel (so much so that its home sign Sagittarius is ubiquitously known for jetsetting); as such, Thursday is a great day to begin planning long-distance travel, or to embark upon it. But Jupiter’s expansion is also metaphorical, and speaks to the philosophical and deeply spiritual nature of the planet. This makes Thursday an important day for philosophical inquiry and spiritual practice.
Jupiter is also jovial, and big- so Thursday is a day of good fortune and good luck, pursuing pursuits of leisure, or which require optimism, and making large, expensive purchases (and possibly for gambling, dependent upon the condition of your natal Jupiter, but you didn’t hear that from me).
Interestingly, Jupiter also has a special affinity for pets, so getting a pet, or caring for and connecting with the ones you have, is especially auspicious on Thursdays.
Friday - Venus
We all know Venus. She’s beauty, she’s grace- she’s sensuality, and all we enjoy with it. This makes Friday the quintessential day for beautification, from haircuts, to spa treatments and Everything Showers; and for pursuing sensual pleasures, from eating out at restaurants to walking in botanical gardens.
Venus doesn’t just rule beauty, but the appreciation of that beauty, and Art in all its forms, so Fridays are lovely days for consuming and creating art, whether that be by going to an art museum, ballet, or concert, or playing music, taking an art class, or spending time in a studio of your own, regardless of your chosen medium.
Being particularly concerned with relationships and the harmonization thereof, Friday is a wonderful day to socialize, whether within existing relationships or in order to establish new ones, and to care for partnerships by enjoying a romantic date night (if at all possible, first dates should be had on Fridays).
Especially if you are in a period of self-beautification (and most women are perpetually, are we not?) Friday is a good day to go shopping, for beautiful things, or things that make you feel beautiful- just make sure not to get too carried away, as Venus is concerned with value, and may be idealistic about the value that we place on beauty, and out of sync with the Saturnian reality of our bank accounts.
Saturday - Saturn
Saturn is all about order and structure: creating, upholding, maintaining, and where needed, enforcing. This makes Saturday an important day for the maintenance of the structures of your own life. For most of us, this will likely look extremely banal- as by running errands, cleaning the home, and catching up on laundry- fulfilling the commonplace obligations that create the order of our lives.
Saturn is also the Lord of Time and its keep- so writing and reviewing your meal plans and weekly schedules, setting appointments, and checking in with those you keep time with, such as partners, family, roommates, or close friends, are vital Saturday activities. Finally, Saturn deals with limitations: recognizing them, and finding ways to best live within them, such as by creating, reviewing, and checking in to make sure you’re living within a budget.
Save your fun for Venus’ day the night before, and your relaxation for the Sun’s day after- Saturday is for getting your stuff together so you can be successful in the week ahead. But Saturn’s discipline doesn’t need to be drudgery- from grabbing a latte to accompany you on your errands, to belting out your cleaning playlist while you scrub the shower, there are plenty of ways to enjoy Saturn’s discipline almost as much as the rewards of its upholding.
Of course, you can take all of this to the next level of customization by consulting the placements of these luminaries and planets within your own birth chart. For instance, Monday, being ruled by the Moon, is a great day for me to do an intense workout, since I have an Aries Moon which requires physical exertion on a regular basis for optimal mood enhancement and stability; and to connect socially- digitally or otherwise- with likeminded people and our similar interests, since my natal Moon resides in the Eleventh House. The Moon also rules my Second House, as my Second House holds Cancer, ruled by the Moon; and therefore, Monday is also a good day for me to acquire valuable possessions, check in on my finances, and take inventory of my self-worth, all of which are the domain of the Second House.
Similarly, the finer points of your scheduling can be found in your own chart. The specific practices which may revitalize you on Sundays can be found by looking at the placement and condition of your natal Sun; the artforms and inspirations you may be best suited towards would be gleaned by an inspection of your Venus, and then implemented on Fridays, and so on. Whatever the level of customization, planning your weeks according to the planetary rulers of the days can be a harmonizing, optimizing practice of keeping your personal time.