From: IMC@VAX2.UTULSA.EDU (I. Marc Carlson)
Subject: Days of the Week
Date: 27 Aug 1993 10:58:40 -0500

There has been some discussion on Alt.Pagan about the origins of the
names of the days of the week, and whether of not it was a Church
thing or a Jewish thing or what.  The Romans traditionally had an 8
day week, ending in a market day.  The OT would suggest that the 7 day
period is related to the Sabbath.  However, there is another
explanation, which should at least be considered.

The Roman names of the Gods were assigned to the various days, not
specifically because of the Gods, but rather because of the Planets,
referring to the Planetary Week.

	Regent
	Saturn's     Sun's       Moon's          Mars'       Mercury's
        Day          Day         Day             Day         Day
Saturn   1  8 15 22     5 12 19     2  9 16 23      6 13 20   3 10 17 24
Jupiter  2  9 16 23     6 13 20     3 10 17 24      7 14 21   4 11 18
Mars     3 10 17 24     7 14 21     4 11 18      1  8 15 22   5 12 19
Sun      4 11 18     1  8 15 22     5 12 19      2  9 16 23   6 13 20
Venus    5 12 19     2  9 16 23     6 13 20      3 10 17 24   7 14 21
Mercury  6 13 20     3 10 17 24     7 14 21      4 11 18   1  8 15 22
Moon     7 14 21     4 11 18     1  8 15 22      5 12 19   2  9 16 23

        Jupiter's   Venus's
        Day         Day
Saturn      7 14 21     4 11 18
Jupiter  1  8 15 22     5 12 19
Mars     2  9 16 23     6 13 20
Sun      3 10 17 24     7 14 21
Venus    4 11 18     1  8 15 22
Mercury  5 12 19     2  9 16 23
Moon     6 13 20     3 10 17 24

The seven planets are, of course, in their traditional positions from the
Earth at the center of the Solar system..
  
The numbers refer to the hours of the day, each of which is asigned to a 
specific planet.  Therefore, the planet which ruled the first hour of the
day, ruled the rest of that day.

Note that for traditional astrology, the actual minutes of
day light and night time are divided into 12 "hours" each.  These will almost
never match your actual clock's dial.  During much of the medieval period the 
day began at sunrise, or so it would seem from the sources.

Therefore 1 = Sunrise (say 6.00 am - 7 am)
	  2 = (7 am - 8 am)
	  3 = (8 am - 9 am)
	  4 = (9 am - 10 am)
	  5 = (10 am - 11 am)
	  6 = (11 am - 12 pm "Middday")

         12 = (5 pm - 6 pm)
	 13 = Sunset (6 pm - 7 pm)

	 18 = (11 pm - 12 pm)
         19 = "Midnight" (12 am - 1 am)

         24 = (5 am - 6 am)

So since this is not yet 11 am on Friday (CST), am writing this in the
first Hour of Jupiter on Venus's Day (2d hour of Saturn, GMT)

Sources:
	Albertus Magnus
	Francis COlson, The Week.


                                    Marc C.
      "I'm the best there is,       IMC@VAX2.UTULSA.EDU
         But I'm not available"     LIB_IMC@VAX1.UTULSA.EDU