Day of Week, to determine v

Definition

Determining the day of the week means identifying whether a given calendar date fell on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, or Saturday. This can be established with a historical calendar, an ephemeris, or a mathematical calendar formula. Accurate work may require attention to location, time zone, whether the day is counted from midnight or sunrise, and the use of the Julian or Gregorian calendar.

Astrological Meaning

In traditional astrology, each weekday is governed by one of the seven classical planets: Sunday by the Sun, Monday by the Moon, Tuesday by Mars, Wednesday by Mercury, Thursday by Jupiter, Friday by Venus, and Saturday by Saturn. The weekday ruler provides a broad planetary tone for an event or undertaking. It also helps establish the sequence of planetary hours, whose first ruler traditionally matches the planet governing that day. Some systems begin the astrological day at sunrise rather than civil midnight, so a predawn time may belong to the preceding planetary day.

Why It Matters

Correctly identifying the weekday is especially relevant in electional astrology, planetary magic, and traditional timing practices. An astrologer may compare the day ruler with the purpose of an activity, the planetary hour, and the condition of that planet in the chart. In natal or event interpretation, the weekday ruler can add context, but it is usually a secondary consideration rather than a stand-alone judgment.

Related Encyclopedia Entries

• Planetary Days
• Planetary Hours
• Electional Astrology
• Traditional Astrology
• Ephemeris
• Julian Calendar