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Planetary charity is an alternative to astrological talismans in working with the energy, or more precisely, the spirits of the planets. When planets are afflicted in a our natal or birth chart we need to cautious about using their talismans. Here is more information on Talismans and dignified and afflicted planets in the natal chart.
Planetary charity comes from the Vedic astrology of India and is a natural expression of the view of the planets as spirits or gods. By doing charity and dedicating it to a planet, we can work with the energy of the planet and help diminish its negative effects on us. Of course, planetary charity is not just for planets that are afflicted in our natal chart, it can be used to good effect with all planets.
In doing planetary charity we time the donation we make according to the nature of the planet we wish to propitiate, making the donation on the planetary day and hour ruled by the planet. We make the donation to a person, organization or thing ruled by the planet and ideally the donation itself is an item ruled by the planet. Typically, however, it is more practical to make a monetary donation. We start by invoking the planet and making a vow to make a set number of donations, at the appropriate time. We then carry out the planetary charity.
It is very important that all of the activities done as planetary charity be done respectfully. Most importantly, DO NOT fail to carry out the complete number of donations you have promised to the planet. Breaking your vow will have much worse consequences than never making the vow in the first place.



Planetary Charity Instructions

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The basic method of doing planetary charity is to decide on the planet that you wish to propitiate. You then invoke the planet, vow to do a set number of donations and then do the donations, giving a monetary donation or ideally an appropriate item ruled by the planet, to a person, organization or thing ruled by the planet. On the left side of the Planets page are links to planetary rulership lists by Al-Biruni, Cornelius Agrippa and William Lilly. I tend to go with Lilly as the final judge, but that is a matter of personal preference, all of the planetary rulerships listed are usable.
So if we wished to propitiate Jupiter, Lilly says Jupiter rules, "Judges, Senators, Councellours, Ecclesiasticall men, Bishops, Priests, Ministers, Cardinals, Chancellours, Doctors of the Civill Law, young Schollers and Students in an University or College, Lawyers." Christian Astrology page 63. We could, therefore give a donation to a priest or minister, or to a church, or to a student or professor, or a university, since these are all ruled by Jupiter.
Cornelius Agrippa in Book II, chapter 22 of Three Books of Occult Philosophy lists numbers appropriate to the seven planets:

• Saturn 3 or 9
  
• Jupiter 4 or 16
  
• Mars 5 or 25
  
• the Sun 6 or 36
  
• Venus 7 or 49
  
• Mercury 8 or 64
  
• the Moon 9 or 81

These numbers are appropriate for the number of times you should repeat the donation and can even be used in the amount donated, for example, making a Saturn donation 3 times of $9 or $27 (3 x 9).
The donation should be made on the planetary day and hour of the planet.

• Sunday is ruled by the Sun
  
• Monday is ruled by the Moon
  
• Tuesday is ruled by Mars
  
• Wednesday is ruled by Mercury
  
• Thursday is ruled by Jupiter
  
• Friday is ruled by Venus
  
• Saturday is ruled by Saturn

The first planetary hour of every day begins at Sunrise and is ruled by the planet that rules the day. For example, Sunrise on Monday is Moon hour. Renaissance Astrology sells a software program TPHP, the planetary hours program, which automatically calculates the planetary hours for the date and your location.
Here is an example of planetary charity for Saturn. We decide to give a donation to a homeless person, Lilly says Saturn rules, "Beggars" Christian Astrology, page 58. We decide to give the donation 3 Saturdays in a row on Saturn hour. We start with an invocation on an earlier Saturday at Saturn hour and invoke Saturn, then make our vow.
We can invoke the planets using the Hymns of Orpheus:

• Orphic Hymn to Saturn
  
• Orphic Hymn to Jupiter
  
• Orphic Hymn to Mars
  
• Orphic Hymn to the Sun
  
• Orphic Hymn to Venus
  
• Orphic Hymn to Mercury
  
• Orphic Hymn to the Moon

Alternatively, we can use the planetary invocations in Book III, chapter 7 of Picatrix which can be found in Secrets of Planetary Ritual, which is specifically set up for us in ritual or in our translation of the Complete Picatrix. If you work in another tradition that has planetary invocations you can use those rituals as well.




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Specializing in Horary Astrology, Electional Astrology Astrological Magic and Astrological Talismans.

Copyright 2010, Christopher Warnock, All Rights Reserved.