Weekly Ritual Cycle: Planetary Days + Rune Work

BY NICOLE LAU

The Seven-Day Sacred Cycle

The seven-day week isn't arbitrary—it's based on the seven classical planets visible to ancient astronomers. Each day is ruled by a planet, and that planetary energy shapes the day's quality and potential.

By aligning your weekly practice with planetary days AND pairing each planet with its corresponding Norse rune, you create a powerful integration of Hermetic and Norse systems—two independent traditions encoding the same archetypal constants.

This isn't just scheduling. It's living in rhythm with cosmic patterns.

The Planetary Week: Origins and Structure

Why Seven Days?

Ancient cultures observed seven "wandering stars" (planets) moving against the fixed stars:

1. Moon (Luna)
2. Mars
3. Mercury
4. Jupiter
5. Venus
6. Saturn
7. Sun (Sol)

These seven planets became the basis for the seven-day week, with each day ruled by one planet.

The Planetary Hour System

The day's ruler is determined by which planet rules the first hour after sunrise. This creates the sequence:

Sunday (Sun) → Monday (Moon) → Tuesday (Mars) → Wednesday (Mercury) → Thursday (Jupiter) → Friday (Venus) → Saturday (Saturn)

This sequence is based on the Chaldean order of planets by distance from Earth.

Planetary Days + Corresponding Runes

Each planetary day can be paired with a Norse rune that encodes the same archetypal energy:

Monday: Moon + Laguz (ᛚ)

Planetary energy: Emotion, intuition, cycles, subconscious, receptivity
Rune meaning: Laguz = Water, flow, intuition, the unconscious, dreams
Convergence: Both encode receptive, flowing, intuitive energy
Color: Silver
Element: Water
Body center: Crown chakra / Third eye

Tuesday: Mars + Tiwaz (ᛏ)

Planetary energy: Action, will, courage, conflict, assertion
Rune meaning: Tiwaz = Tyr (god of war and justice), warrior spirit, sacrifice for higher cause
Convergence: Both encode directed will, courage, warrior energy
Color: Red
Element: Fire
Body center: Solar plexus

Wednesday: Mercury + Ansuz (ᚨ)

Planetary energy: Communication, intellect, mediation, commerce, trickster
Rune meaning: Ansuz = Odin's rune, divine breath, communication, inspiration, wisdom
Convergence: Both encode communication, mediation between realms, intellectual power
Color: Orange
Element: Air
Body center: Throat chakra

Thursday: Jupiter + Jera (ᛃ)

Planetary energy: Expansion, abundance, wisdom, optimism, growth
Rune meaning: Jera = Year, harvest, cycles of growth, reward for effort, natural timing
Convergence: Both encode expansion, abundance, natural growth cycles
Color: Blue
Element: Fire (expansive)
Body center: Sacral chakra

Friday: Venus + Berkana (ᛒ)

Planetary energy: Love, beauty, harmony, pleasure, relationships
Rune meaning: Berkana = Birch tree, growth, nurturing, feminine power, new beginnings
Convergence: Both encode love, nurturing, beauty, creative fertility
Color: Green
Element: Earth (fertile)
Body center: Heart chakra

Saturday: Saturn + Isa (ᛁ)

Planetary energy: Limitation, structure, discipline, time, boundaries
Rune meaning: Isa = Ice, stillness, contraction, necessary pause, crystallization
Convergence: Both encode limitation, structure, necessary restriction
Color: Black / Deep indigo
Element: Earth (crystallized)
Body center: Root chakra

Sunday: Sun + Sowilo (ᛋ)

Planetary energy: Vitality, consciousness, self, creative power, illumination
Rune meaning: Sowilo = Sun, victory, life force, wholeness, spiritual power
Convergence: Both encode solar power, vitality, consciousness, divine spark
Color: Gold
Element: Fire (vital)
Body center: Heart chakra / Solar plexus

Weekly Practice Structure

Daily Ritual (10-15 minutes each day)

Each day, work with that day's planet + rune:

Step 1: Planetary Invocation (3 minutes)

Use the invocations from the Daily Practice article, calling in the day's planetary energy.

Step 2: Rune Meditation (5 minutes)

Sit with the day's rune:

1. Gaze at the rune (draw it, or use a rune card/stone)
2. Chant the rune's name 9 times (sacred number in Norse tradition)
3. Contemplate: How does this rune's energy manifest in my life today?
4. Embody: Feel the rune's quality in your body

Step 3: Daily Intention Aligned with Planet + Rune (2 minutes)

Set an intention that honors both energies.

Examples:

Monday (Moon + Laguz): "Today I flow with my emotions and trust my intuition"

Tuesday (Mars + Tiwaz): "Today I act with courage and fight for what is just"

Wednesday (Mercury + Ansuz): "Today I communicate with wisdom and clarity"

Thursday (Jupiter + Jera): "Today I trust the harvest and embrace abundance"

Friday (Venus + Berkana): "Today I nurture love and create beauty"

Saturday (Saturn + Isa): "Today I honor boundaries and build structure"

Sunday (Sun + Sowilo): "Today I shine my authentic power and celebrate life"

Step 4: Aligned Action (Throughout the day)

Choose activities that match the day's energy:

Monday: Dreamwork, emotional processing, intuitive practices, moon gazing
Tuesday: Physical exercise, assertive action, conflict resolution, warrior training
Wednesday: Writing, studying, communication, teaching, learning
Thursday: Expansion projects, gratitude practice, abundance work, teaching
Friday: Relationship work, art, beauty rituals, pleasure, self-care
Saturday: Deep work, structure-building, discipline, shadow work, boundaries
Sunday: Creative expression, celebration, vitality practices, integration

Weekly Ritual: Sunday Integration (30-60 minutes)

Sunday (Sun day) is the integration point—the day to review the week and synthesize insights.

Sunday Integration Ritual

Part 1: Weekly Review (15 minutes)

Review your week through the planetary lens:

Monday (Moon/Laguz): How did I honor my emotions and intuition this week?
Tuesday (Mars/Tiwaz): Where did I act with courage? Where did I avoid necessary conflict?
Wednesday (Mercury/Ansuz): How was my communication? What did I learn?
Thursday (Jupiter/Jera): What abundance did I receive? What is growing?
Friday (Venus/Berkana): How did I nurture love and beauty?
Saturday (Saturn/Isa): What structures did I build? What boundaries did I honor?

Part 2: Rune Casting for the Week Ahead (10 minutes)

Cast runes to gain insight into the coming week:

1. Shuffle your runes while asking: "What energy is most important for me this week?"
2. Draw one rune
3. Contemplate: How does this rune relate to the planetary energies of the coming week?
4. Journal: Insights and guidance

Part 3: Solar Vitality Practice (15 minutes)

Sunday is Sun day—work with solar energy:

1. Sun salutation (yoga) or sun-facing meditation
2. Visualize golden solar light filling your entire being
3. Affirm: "I am the Sun—center of my universe, source of my vitality, light of my consciousness"
4. Celebrate: What victories, joys, or growth from this week?

Part 4: Week Ahead Intention (5 minutes)

Set your overarching intention for the coming week, knowing you'll work with each day's specific energy as it comes.

Monthly Alignment: Tracking Planetary Patterns

Over a month (roughly 4 weeks), you'll cycle through the planetary days 4 times. Track patterns:

Monthly Reflection Questions

Which planetary day feels most natural to you? (This may indicate your natal chart emphasis)

Which planetary day is most challenging? (This may indicate shadow work needed)

How do the planetary energies interact with lunar phases? (e.g., Mars Tuesday during full moon vs. new moon)

What patterns emerge over multiple cycles?

Advanced Practice: Planetary Hours

Beyond daily planetary rulers, each hour of the day is also ruled by a planet, cycling through the seven in order.

How to Use Planetary Hours

1. Calculate sunrise time for your location
2. Divide daylight into 12 equal "hours" (they're not 60-minute hours)
3. The first hour after sunrise is ruled by the day's planet
4. Subsequent hours cycle through: Sun → Venus → Mercury → Moon → Saturn → Jupiter → Mars → Sun (repeat)

Use planetary hour calculators online for precision.

Practical Application

Schedule important activities during favorable planetary hours:

• Venus hour: Relationship conversations, art, beauty work
• Mercury hour: Important communications, contracts, study
• Jupiter hour: Expansion work, teaching, abundance rituals
• Mars hour: Physical training, assertive action, conflict resolution
• Saturn hour: Deep work, structure-building, discipline
• Sun hour: Creative work, leadership, vitality practices
• Moon hour: Intuitive work, emotional processing, dreamwork

Troubleshooting Common Challenges

Challenge 1: "I can't do a full ritual every day"

Solution: Minimal version—just chant the day's rune 9 times and set a brief intention (2 minutes total)

Challenge 2: "The day's energy doesn't match my schedule"

Solution: Work with the energy, not against it. If it's Mars Tuesday but you need to do gentle work, frame it as "I courageously choose gentleness today"

Challenge 3: "I forget which day is which planet"

Solution: The day names tell you! Monday = Moon day, Tuesday = Tyr's day (Mars), Wednesday = Woden's day (Mercury/Odin), Thursday = Thor's day (Jupiter), Friday = Freya's day (Venus), Saturday = Saturn day, Sunday = Sun day

Challenge 4: "I'm not feeling the planetary energy"

Solution: The energy is subtle. Track for a full month before judging. Also check: are you doing the practice consistently?

Integration with Other Practices

This weekly cycle integrates beautifully with:

• Daily Hermetic/Gnostic practice: The planetary invocation IS your morning Hermetic practice
• Monthly lunar cycle: Planetary days + moon phases create rich combinations
• Seasonal festivals: Planetary energies shift with seasons
• Tarot: Each planet corresponds to Tarot cards—draw the day's card

The Path Forward

The weekly planetary cycle provides:

• Structure: Clear rhythm and focus for each day
• Variety: Seven different energies prevent monotony
• Integration: Hermetic planets + Norse runes working together
• Verification: Two independent systems encoding same constants

Start this week. Notice which day you're reading this. Begin with today's planet and rune.

The week is not just a calendar convenience—it's a sacred cycle encoding cosmic rhythm.

Live it consciously.