Look to the heavens
During the time I studied with Dr. Lad in India, our small class of ten began honoring the planets by wearing colors associated with the days of the week. Jyotish is a type of spiritual practice for understanding Universal Reality through the medium of the nine planets:
the five visible to the eye plus the two luminaries, the sun and the moon, which rule the days of the week.
The sequence of weekdays is an ancient tradition: Monday is “Moon day”, for example. For students of other languages, the roots are there, even though few of us learn the stories and mythology anymore. The Norse goddess Freya came to name Friday, or Freya’s day: Friday is Freitag in German. Dressing each day to honor that day’s planet became a way to connect with Nature and with our mythological inheritance.
Thousands of years ago man navigated by way of the heavens. Celestial navigation enabled Champlain to cross the Atlantic over 20 times arriving in New France with remarkable accuracy. Today we have GPS but I mourn the loss of our connection with our planetary family. We all carry the archetypes of each planet, but they are revealed, hidden, supported or obstructed, expressed or ignored in different combinations or measures for each of us. They are worthy of reintroduction.
the five visible to the eye plus the two luminaries, the sun and the moon, which rule the days of the week.
The sequence of weekdays is an ancient tradition: Monday is “Moon day”, for example. For students of other languages, the roots are there, even though few of us learn the stories and mythology anymore. The Norse goddess Freya came to name Friday, or Freya’s day: Friday is Freitag in German. Dressing each day to honor that day’s planet became a way to connect with Nature and with our mythological inheritance.
Thousands of years ago man navigated by way of the heavens. Celestial navigation enabled Champlain to cross the Atlantic over 20 times arriving in New France with remarkable accuracy. Today we have GPS but I mourn the loss of our connection with our planetary family. We all carry the archetypes of each planet, but they are revealed, hidden, supported or obstructed, expressed or ignored in different combinations or measures for each of us. They are worthy of reintroduction.
Moon, The Lord of the Night
Wearing white on Monday honors the Moon. The Moon rules Monday and white is its color. The Moon is Lord of the night and represents the feminine principle, symbolizing the strength of receptivity and vulnerability. The Moon receives and reflects light from the Sun; it is sensitive and changeable, connected with consciousness and emotions. It is said to have a Kapha-Vata constitution. The gemstone associated with the Moon is the pearl or moonstone.
Activities to engage in on Mondays are nurturing self and others, devotional activities, service work, food shopping, intuitive decision making, anything connected to family, community and connection to motherhood, mother or women.
Activities to engage in on Mondays are nurturing self and others, devotional activities, service work, food shopping, intuitive decision making, anything connected to family, community and connection to motherhood, mother or women.
Mars, The Fiery Planet
The color red honors the planet Mars, Mars, the fiery planet rules Tuesday. It is the planet of power, drive and passion. This day engage in hard work, building, design, training, farming, research and action that requires aggression. Red coral is Mar’s gemstone and the color is red.
Avoid delicate negotiations on Tuesday; save then for the following day. Lord Shiva is Lord Mars’ father and Mars is said to have a Pitta constitution.
Avoid delicate negotiations on Tuesday; save then for the following day. Lord Shiva is Lord Mars’ father and Mars is said to have a Pitta constitution.
Mercury
Mercury governs communication and exchange. Miercoles is Spanish for Wednesday, or Mercury’s day. Its color is green and gemstone is the emerald. Attributes of Mercury are quickness, communication, adaptability, diplomacy, and objectivity. Mercury rules the mind and the capacity for analysis, apprehension, and interpretation. Tasks having to do with information, writing, reading, studying, detail work, networking, sales and travel are best on this day. All three doshas are mixed in his constitution
Jupiter, The Benevolent Planet
Thursday, or “Thor’s” day, is ruled by the planet Jupiter. Jupiter is a benevolent planet, of expansion and evolution. Jupiter inspires optimism, wisdom, joy, abundance and fortune. Yellow, gold or orange honor Jupiter and its gemstone is the yellow sapphire, topaz or citrine. Spiritual practices, higher education, banking and finance, generosity, large purchases, celebrations and journeys are activities to undertake on Thursday. Lord Jupiter enjoys a Kapha constitution.
Venus, The Planet of Love
Refined, sophisticated and sociable is Venus. Venus is the planet of love, relationship, intimacy and beauty. The gemstone for Lord Venus is the diamond. Wear pink or purple to honor Venus on this day. Engage in socializing, devotional chanting, date night or spa day on Friday. Venus allows us to connect with others and feel the state of oneness. Venus is the son of Lord Shiva and is said to be of Kapha- Vata constitution.
Lord Saturn, The Taskmaster
Lapis lazuli appeases Lord Saturn Saturn rules Saturday. Lord Saturn is the taskmaster, ruler of contraction, limitation and detachment. He is tall, dark and thin with a Vata constitution. Saturn hands out tough lessons to lead us toward humility, surrender, service and Truth. Wear dark blue or grays, even black as long as the black is not against the face. Gemstones for pleasing Saturn are the blue sapphire, amethyst or lapis lazuli. Rest, seclusion, meditation and yoga, spending time in nature and self-care are activities for Saturday. Limit activity and travel on Saturn’s day. Saturn is the son of the Sun. Robert Svoboda writes in “The Greatness of Saturn” of the power of these myths: “Lord Saturn sits in front of each of us at every moment, inviting us to surrender moment by moment to Reality, that we may be free. If you can live your life in continual remembrance of Saturn’s presence, you will never need to mourn your fate, for you will have become truly conscious of the pervasiveness of the Realness of the Real.”
The Sun
The Sun represents the soul and the central purpose in life. Sunday is the Sun’s day and bright colors are in order. Time to bring out the Hawaiian shirt! The Sun also represents the connection with the father. As the center of our planetary system, the Sun encourages a balanced ego and we become a light to ourselves and others. He has a Pitta constitution. Good activities for this day are anything requiring courage and leadership. Being outdoors and following individual pursuits are good on Sunday. Surya is one of the names of this sun deity: Surya Namaskarasana is Sanskrit for the sun salutation yoga pose. Helios is the name of this god in Greek mythology, who climbs into his chariot and rides across the sky. The year is the wheel of his chariot and the wheel has twelve spokes representing the months. Gemstones honoring Surya are the ruby and garnet.
Vedic mythology, Honoring The Planets
Although we were just scratching the surface of this rich tradition, engaging with Vedic mythology by honoring the planets nourished central mythic symbols in me and generated a sense of the sacred in daily life. It made me relearn the therapeutic value of these myths and made me want to learn more.
To quote Robert Svoboda again:
“Mythic Nature’s urge to preserve and develop strands of living wisdom is as urgent as material Nature’s urge to maximize the survival, and recombination, of physical DNA....Sensation precedes interpretation in the natural order of things;...When you lower your sophistication defenses and open yourself to the tale, like a child opens itself innocently to the wonders in its world, the myth can enter you....When you can learn how to let go of yourself, the universe itself can become your teacher.”
To quote Robert Svoboda again:
“Mythic Nature’s urge to preserve and develop strands of living wisdom is as urgent as material Nature’s urge to maximize the survival, and recombination, of physical DNA....Sensation precedes interpretation in the natural order of things;...When you lower your sophistication defenses and open yourself to the tale, like a child opens itself innocently to the wonders in its world, the myth can enter you....When you can learn how to let go of yourself, the universe itself can become your teacher.”
