Cooking by Planetary Hours

Planetary hours are an ancient system of dividing each day and night into segments ruled by different planets. Each planet carries specific energy, and cooking during aligned hours can enhance your intentions.

Understanding Planetary Hours

How Planetary Hours Work

Each day is divided into 12 “hours” of daylight and 12 “hours” of nighttime, regardless of actual sunrise/sunset. The length of these hours varies by season—summer day hours are longer than winter day hours.

The Seven Classical Planets

In astrological tradition, the seven classical planets are:

• Sun ☉
• Moon ☽
• Mars ♂
• Mercury ☿
• Jupiter ♃
• Venus ♀
• Saturn ♄

Each rules certain activities, including food-related ones.

Calculating Planetary Hours

The first hour of each day (starting at sunrise) is ruled by the planet that rules that day:

• Sunday: Sun
• Monday: Moon
• Tuesday: Mars
• Wednesday: Mercury
• Thursday: Jupiter
• Friday: Venus
• Saturday: Saturn

After the first hour, planets rotate in a fixed order: Saturn → Jupiter → Mars → Sun → Venus → Mercury → Moon

(Hearthlight calculates planetary hours automatically based on your location.)

Planetary Energies in Cooking

Sun Hours ☉

Energy: Vitality, success, celebration, healing

Best for cooking:

• Celebration meals
• Food for energy and vitality
• Success dinners (job promotion, achievement)
• Healing broths and soups
• Gold/yellow/orange colored foods

Recipes: Golden turmeric dishes, orange citrus meals, bright yellow rice, honey-based dishes

Moon Hours ☽

Energy: Intuition, emotions, nurturing, home

Best for cooking:

• Comfort food
• Family meals
• Emotional nourishment
• Dairy-based dishes
• White and silver foods

Recipes: Cream sauces, milk-based soups, rice dishes, soothing teas, custards

Mars Hours ♂

Energy: Energy, action, passion, courage

Best for cooking:

• Quick, high-heat cooking
• Spicy dishes
• Meals before challenges
• Red foods
• Iron-rich ingredients

Recipes: Stir-fries, grilled meats, spicy curries, red sauces, beets

Mercury Hours ☿

Energy: Communication, intellect, travel, commerce

Best for cooking:

• Meals before meetings or travel
• Light, versatile foods
• Foods that aid thinking
• Communication-focused dinner parties
• Quick assembly meals

Recipes: Sandwiches, salads, finger foods, brain-boosting meals

Jupiter Hours ♃

Energy: Expansion, abundance, luck, generosity

Best for cooking:

• Abundant feasts
• Celebration meals
• Trying something new
• Foods to attract prosperity
• Rich, generous portions

Recipes: Roasts, abundance meals, holiday feasts, lucky foods

Venus Hours ♀

Energy: Love, beauty, pleasure, harmony

Best for cooking:

• Romantic dinners
• Beautiful presentations
• Sweet foods
• Foods to strengthen relationships
• Aesthetically pleasing meals

Recipes: Desserts, chocolate dishes, beautiful salads, romantic meals

Saturn Hours ♄

Energy: Discipline, structure, tradition, endings

Best for cooking:

• Traditional family recipes
• Foods for discipline/diet
• Ancestral foods
• Endings and completions
• Root vegetables

Recipes: Traditional dishes, hearty stews, root vegetable preparations, ancestral recipes

Practical Application

Check the Hour Before Cooking

Before beginning:

1. Note current planetary hour
2. Align intention with planetary energy
3. Or wait for better timing if possible

Work With What You Have

Can’t wait for perfect timing? Work with what’s available:

• Set intention aligned with current hour
• Add ingredients associated with desired planet
• Use color correspondence

Combine with Other Timing

Layer planetary hours with:

• Moon phases (see lunar cooking guide)
• Day of the week
• Seasonal timing
• Personal transits

Quick Reference Chart

A Day of Aligned Cooking

Ideal Sunday (Sun day)

• Sunrise hour (Sun): Make honey-citrus breakfast
• Moon hour: Prepare family comfort lunch
• Mercury hour: Quick snack prep
• Venus hour: Beautiful dinner presentation
• Evening Sun hour: Success toast with golden dessert

Ideal Friday (Venus day)

• Dawn Venus hour: Beautiful breakfast presentation
• Jupiter hour: Abundant lunch
• Moon hour: Comfort afternoon snack
• Venus hour: Romantic dinner preparation
• Evening hours: Sweet desserts

When Timing Isn’t Perfect

Real life doesn’t always align with planetary hours. When you can’t wait:

Alternative Approaches

• Add planetary ingredients to any meal
• Use colors associated with desired energy
• Stir in the direction that invokes planet
• Set verbal intention for desired energy

Intention Matters Most

Planetary hours enhance intention but don’t override it. Cooking with love during any hour is powerful.

Hearthlight Planetary Features

Our app makes planetary timing easy:

• Real-time planetary hours: Always know current hour
• Cooking suggestions: Recipes aligned with current energy
• Planning ahead: See future planetary hours
• Location-accurate: Calculated for your position

Time your cooking with the planets.