Earlier, in 2001, I decided to keep a journal of a small bit of my daily life, noting the 'Planetary Hours' as they passed. Here are my notes for your perusal and enjoyment. I was doing Tarot Card readings as I traveled town-hopped in following my then-girlfriend's theatre life. (When I had hitchhiked around the USA, a few years before, I discovered that the Tarot attract business quicker than Astrology. People look at the cards and understand what they are for — they want to ask questions. When folks see me looking at an ephemeris they think I am a math geek and avoid conversing. So, putting out my cards and hoping for an Astrology client had become my habit. It is useful if I am not set up in a new age bookstore or my shop.

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I got to the Mayday Cafe in Minneapolis, Minnesota just after 2 p.m., a little later than I had intended. I didn't expect anyone to be waiting for me so I wasn't stressed. However, within five minutes of arriving a man, who had expressed interest the day before, showed up wanting an half-hour reading. This was during the planetary hour of Mercury on a Wednesday (Woden's Day, which is to say Mercury's day). According to some of the really old and really dead guys, Mercury rules givers of interpretation — that is a Tarot Reader's and Astrologer's profession. We commenced the reading at the end of the Mercury hour on a Mercury day and this boded well. About ten minutes later it became a Moon hour.

Moon hour: the client shuffled and started asking questions to alleviate some doubts and questions. He also wanted to tell me about two dreams he had. The moon can represent turbulence and dreams. I always peek at the card a client leaves on the bottom of the deck, after they choose the others. It was the Moon card! I felt rather attuned to the client and yet a little doubtful of what I was saying. The moon can represent doubt. In my natal chart it is in Aquarius in the sixth (w/ Aquarius on the cusp). The sixth can represents servants (employees in modern lingo) and my moon there is ruled by Saturn, one sign of occult studies. The Cards are definitely the occult. The reading proceeded to take longer than I expected, about a full hour. I stopped just about the beginning of the Saturn hour.

Saturn hour: Saturn is in my 10th house natally, right close to the Mid-heaven. Saturn finishes, stops and ends things – and I finished the reading. I had to work for the money, but got tipped an extra $15 for that reading! got paid for the toils. For the rest of the Saturn hour I was alone. Bob Zoller's work "Tools and Techniques of the medieval Astrologer" includes a modern translation of someone ancient and dead named Bethen, who worked with the planetary hours. Saturn hour can mean "Nor is it good to speak to [...] any friend." I sat alone in the cafe without a single person approaching me and read newspapers.

Jupiter hour: I was getting ready to close up shop, you could say. The cafe FILLED with people. Bethen said, "It is good for speaking of Concord and peace and friendship and power. [...] It is good to begin all good works in the hour of Jupiter." Jupiter is a convivial sign (though not a social as Venus, perhaps). Just as I was packing my cards away, about ten minutes early, a woman on a cell phone asked me to wait if I was leaving as she might want a reading. She only had six dollars in her pocket and wanted to pull a card for herself and a middle-school girl she was mentoring. I offered to give three cards each, just to make it a worthwhile experience. The readings turned well and she decided to write me a check for eight dollars more than I asked for. My natal Jupiter is in Capricorn, in my fourth, and so ruled by Saturn. I delayed going home (fourth house), to the friends home I am staying in (Sagittarius on the fourth house cusp) to do a reading (jupiter disposed by Saturn in the 10th of work and career). Then, I went home and got a big kiss from my busy sweetheart at the very tail end of the Jupiter hour.

Mars hour: Instead of fighting, I got kissed! Mars is in Libra for me, natally. I can either fight or make love, you could say. Of course, she had to run out the door to her work during the Mars hour (Mars in Libra: is that a nice picture of an active, running woman, going off to do her art). So, I was left alone to stew in my own creativity.

Sun hour: posted a long post, about me (quite unusual, actually), on an internet forum. My natal sun is in the third house of communications.

Venus hour: I left for a Cafe to chill out and work on a chart for a client. Decided not to buy shoes that I was sorely tempted to stop and buy (Venus does rule clothing!) Natally she is in my second house, in Libra, ruling my second house cusp. The second represents moveable possessions. Needless to say I DID buy something. I went into a bookshop next to the cafe and ended up chatting with the clerk. Very convivial (Venus can rule socialization and pleasures). The clerk was a women (Venus in Libra, natally). The book was on the ancient Cosmology of the Christians. The title is something like, "Jesus Christ, Sun of God." Couldn't keep from spending on a pleasure (cosmology and Astrology in a portable possession/book.) Got to the cafe just as it was beginning the mercury hour.

Mercury hour: began hand writing a natal chart interpretation for a client that I had been putting off. Again, mercury rules scribes and interpreters. She is opposed by my natal Saturn in Gemini (in the 10th) and I will earn money from this delineation. I got a lot done and wrote quickly — the ideas flew. I had a ton of books open for references to more obscure interpretations.

Moon hour: I finished up with my interpretation/delineation of the 12th house just at the end of the moon hour. I was troubled as a bunch of economics majors sat down loudly behind me and began acting like a Rush Limba ditto head, loudly talking about world economy to the point of troubling and distracting me from my twelfth house delineation. Then began the Saturn hour.

Saturn hour: finished the basic natal reading and packed my stuff. Another Older man (Saturn) sat down nearby and started LOUDLY AND RUDELY talking about politics and stalkers and the death penalty ... etc. He was so loud that the polite college students at the table separating him from me tried to ignore him but politely nodded their heads and got STOPPED from doing their studies/homework. He said, two or three times in a row, "I won't SAY I am a GENIUS BUT!!! ..." He started talking about how women are only attractive for a short period of time in their lives, when they are ready to get pregnant, then they get fat and ugly he said!!!! then he continued and told them LOUDLY how his mother ALWAYS blamed HIM for her being fat and UGLY. How she blamed him for her whole life... And I was finished packing my books and notes and out the door!

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