The Seven Planets of Traditional Magic

The seven stars of traditional planetary magic are the visible planets: the Sun, the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn — the only planets visible to the naked eye before the telescope revealed the rest of the solar system.

These seven have been in continuous conversation with magicians, shamans, astrologers and alchemists for longer than any single tradition can claim credit for. 

This is a field guide to each of the seven. Not exhaustive, just enough to recognize who's who, and which areas of life each planet enjoys getting involved with.

The Sun

The Sun loves to shine, in every sense of the word — illuminate, heal, lead, choose. It's the planet of identity and vitality, the thing all the other planets literally orbit. When the Sun is in his element, expect warmth, visibility, and confidence in being seen. He governs anything built around the day, leadership, health, or simply being at the center of one's own story, rather than supporting cast in someone else’s tale.

His colors are everything you associate with sunrise or sunset: golds, yellows, oranges and reds. All the minerals that fit those colors, such as amber, citrine or carnelian, are also beloved by the Sun. His metal is gold as well, since it never tarnishes. Flowers in those colors — sunflowers, marigolds, daffodils, St. John’s Wort — the Sun likes company that shares his instincts.  His day is Sunday. 

The Moon

The Moon loves to nurture and protect. She gathers and reflects the Sun's light rather than generating her own. She governs all cycles; she waxes, wanes, pulls the tides and emotions, and asks you to work in rhythms rather than straight lines. She loves the night, dreams and the altered states of consciousness that make magic possible — which is why she’s sometimes called the mistress of magic. She counsels receptivity, self-care and letting things go.

Her color is silver, along with the full range from moon-white to midnight — pale grays, deep blues, near-blacks. Her metal is silver. Moonstone and selenite (named for her directly) are hers, along with anything clear or misty-white. Plants with white flowers, soothing properties, or night blooms are her favorites. Her day is Monday. 

Mercury

Mercury loves to communicate, research, transact — and occasionally trick you into seeing something from an angle you weren't expecting. As the messenger, Mercury is the planet associated with anyone who moves between worlds: shamans, diviners, translators, teachers, anyone whose job is carrying meaning from one place to another. Because Mercury never strays far from the Sun in the sky, it's also the hardest of the seven to actually spot — fittingly, for a planet whose whole nature is quickness and slipperiness. He governs anything involving language, learning, or the deliberate scrambling of an old point of view.

His metal is mercury (quicksilver), the only metal that stays fluid at room temperature. His colors are green in the Indian tradition and orange in the European (the color quicksilver turns when it oxidizes). Stones Mercury enjoys are any that are spotted or multicolored, think labradorite or leopardite. Lavender and fennel are his — anything that clears the mind and sharpens the nerves. His day is Wednesday.

Venus

Venus loves to love — not only romantically, but as the broader principle of attraction: beauty, pleasure, harmony, the pull toward anything good enough to be worth wanting. Hermetic philosophers read this literally: tracked over eight years, Venus's path relative to Earth draws a nearly perfect five-petaled rose in the sky — beauty, quite literally, leaving a signature. She governs anything built around connection, aesthetics, or simply making peace instead of war.

Her metal is copper. In the Indian tradition, her color is white; in the European tradition, it's green (the color copper turns as it oxidizes). Her stones are diamonds, emeralds, and anything beautiful and sparkling. She loves all flowers because they are beautiful, but especially roses, jasmine, and other sweet-smelling blossoms. Apples are hers, too — slice an apple crosswise and the seeds form a five-pointed star, her own signature, hidden in the fruit. Her day is Friday. 

Mars

Mars burns red because his surface is covered in oxidized iron — the same element that gives human blood its color, a coincidence the ancients noticed long before anyone understood the chemistry. He's the force that actually gets things done: not the plan, but the moment of action, the willingness to push through resistance and begin something without knowing exactly how it ends. Where Venus pulls energy inward, Mars sends it outward. He governs courage, conflict, and the hard work of breaking out of a rut.

His color is red, without dispute across every tradition. His metal is iron; stones are anything strong, red, or with iron: hematite, red jasper, steel. Ginger, pepper, and anything sharp, hot, or bitter belong to him — if it bites you on the way down, Mars probably likes it.  His day is Tuesday.

Jupiter

Jupiter pulls your energy up and out — toward optimism, expansion, and a sense of connection to something larger than yourself. Traditionally associated with wisdom, justice, mercy and generosity, Jupiter is the planet of plenty, the one that teaches you to keep your chin up and take the wider view. He governs anything related to growth, opportunity, gratitude or simply believing things can get better.

Jupiter’s metal is tin, a non-toxic metal humans have used to store food and make utensils. In the West, his color is blue (the color of tin oxidation under certain conditions); In the Indian tradition, his color is saffron — the same warm yellow-orange worn by Buddhist monks. Stones are either blue, like sodalite and turquoise, or yellow, like citrine or yellow sapphire. As for plants, think tall and majestic like oak or redwood trees, or warm spices like cloves and cinnamon. His day is Thursday.

Saturn

Saturn pulls in the opposite direction from Jupiter, toward groundedness, discipline, and boundary-setting. It's the planet that counsels self-discipline, structure and responsibility. Saturn is also the slowest-moving of the seven; he governs anything to do with patience, time, or the long, unglamorous work of building something that lasts.

His colors are the dark ones — black, navy, brown — fitting for the dimmest of the visible planets. His metal is lead: dull, heavy, unglamorous, entirely Saturn. Patchouli, mushrooms, and anything earthy belong to him, along with plants that turn black when dried, like coffee and black tea. His day is Saturday.

Choosing Your Allies

The traditional logic doesn’t mean begging for help with your problems — it's closer to knowing which friend to call so you can enjoy common interests. 

So, the list above isn't a lookup table so much as a set of seven “flavors” you can start to recognize in your life and in yourself. A few examples:

• If you're feeling stuck and need to move, that's Mars territory. 
• If you’re feeling ill or lethargic, the Sun can give you a boost.
• If you're overextended and need a boundary, that's Saturn's expertise. 
• If you're anxious and need comfort and self-care, give the Moon a call
• If you're overwhelmed and can't see past the immediate problem, Jupiter offers the wider view. 
• If your thinking's gone foggy and you need clarity, that's Mercury's specialty. 
• And, if you’re looking for love or harmony, Venus is your friend.

But none of these are hard rules. They're a place to start — the way you'd start with "who do I know that's good at this" rather than opening a manual.

There are no “wrong” answers when it comes to sharing time with your friends; don’t be afraid to try what feels right to you.