Archetypal Days of the Week
Each day has a different flavor.
Why does Monday feel different from Tuesday?
Or Thursday from Sunday?
Perhaps it's related to the nature of your work...
Or perhaps it's due to larger unconscious forces. Here's my attempt at excavating those forces:
Sunday: the day of the Hero.
Sunday is the day of the Sun☉.
The Sun is associated with the Greek Titan, Helios, considered to be "the shining one above."
The Sun relates to the individual solar journey in life. In essence, it is the hero/heroine archetype.
Just as the Sun is at the center of the solar system, the archetype of the Sun represents the core of your being; it is your identity, your ego, and your personal will.
The Sun shines and radiates as strongly as it can blind and burn.
It's the moment when you say "This is who I am"; when you share your life story; when you feel so vitally alive to pursue your path in life; when you brilliantly shine on the world stage; when your ego wants to take charge; when you become the center of attention.
The Sun represents the yang side of ourselves.
It is bold, independent, and expressive.
Your will to exist and thrive can be felt in the presence of the almighty Sun.
In its purest form, the Sun is our vital energy.
Monday: the day of the Nurturer.
Monday is the day of the Moon ☽.
The Moon is associated with the Roman goddess, Luna, the divine entity of nocturnal mysteries.
The Moon relates to the hidden psychosomatic aspects of ourselves.
While the Sun leans on the side of external expression, the Moon tilts toward internal impression.
The archetype of the Moon has to do with everything that is close to home: family, ancestral lineage, emotions, imagination, and the body.
You literally feel the Moon's presence when you hug your dear mother; when you have a bowl of warm soup to nurture yourself back to health; when you find yourself in tears as you send your kid off to college; when you imagine a way in which you can cultivate a calm home for your family.
In essence, the Moon is our womb. The womb from which we all have come. The womb which we all wish to cultivate for our safety and comfort.
The Moon represents the yin side of ourselves.
It is soft, interdependent, and intuitive.
In all its tenderness, the Moon symbolizes the intricately woven matrix of our psyches.
Tuesday: the day of the Warrior.
Tuesday is the day of Mars ♂.
Mars is associated with the Greek god of war and courage, Ares.
When you feel competitive and combative, you are channeling the energetic force of Mars.
The archetypal warrior. It is that moment when you start speeding up toward the end of a sprint; when you feel angry because you did not score the goal; when you slap your partner across their face for cheating on you; when you take the risk to invest in an early-stage startup because you know it's at the cutting-edge.
While Venus receives, Mars penetrates.
Mars is always first because he is a pioneer.
It's that energy that has pushed our species to survive and thrive, no matter what.
Tuesday in Japanese is 火曜日 (Ka-yo-u-bi). The first character 火 symbolizes fire. And Mars' element is literally fire.
You can't stop it, you can't tame it, you can only energize it.
Mars is here to win.
Wednesday: the day of the Messenger.
Wednesday is the day of Mercury ☿.
Mercury relates to Hermes, the Greek messenger of the gods.
Felt in the activity of the mind; in the movement between ideas; in the way we express ourselves through our hands and fingers.
The archetype reflects itself in the Roman god Mercury.
Seen in the swift complexity of commercial activity; in the global connectivity of travel; in the analysis of patterns that move and interconnect our world.
When you think, speak, write, move, or engage in any form of communicative activity, you are being held by the archetype of Mercury.
Thursday: the day of the Philosopher-King.
Thursday is the day of Jupiter ♃. Jupiter is associated with the Greek god of the sky, Zeus.
The king of all other gods, Zeus rules Mount Olympus.
Like Zeus, the archetype of Jupiter evokes a sense of pride and prosperity as well as extravagance and self-indulgence.
To govern from the top of Mt. Olympus is both, honorable and excessive.
Thursday in Japanese is 木曜日 (Moku-yo-u-bi). The first character 木 literally signifies a tree, which is the most appropriate symbol for Jupiter.
Like the tree, Jupiter is felt in moments of growth and expansion; in the desire to learn and acquire knowledge; in the act of broadening one’s perspective through travel and books. In essence, it is the breadth of life.
When you feel joy, a sense that luck is on your side, and that your world is expanding, you are being held by the archetype of Jupiter.
When you feel like you ate too much, that you're drowning in an insatiable curiosity to learn different subjects, and you're getting concerned with wealth and status, you are being held by the archetype of Jupiter.
Friday: the day of the Artist.
Friday is the day of Venus ♀.
Venus is associated with Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, beauty, and pleasure.
Eros is Venus' lure.
The erotic gaze from a stranger, the romantic kiss shared between lovers, the irresistible smile on that friend's face, the sweet and warm taste of Fondant au Chocolat on your tongue.
The archetype of Venus lives and breathes the aesthetic realm.
It's that feeling when Monet's Water Lillies touches your heart; when the gentle sound of a violin in Central Park carries you in its direction; when the beauty of that woman is so alluring you cannot resist taking her picture or perhaps even painting her.
Venus wants to attract and be attracted.
She wants to give and receive all the beautiful loving pleasures of this world.
Saturday: the day of the Time-Keeper.
Saturday is the day of Saturn ♄.
Saturn is associated with the Greek mythic figure Cronos, the god of time.
The image of Saturn is that of the old, stern, but wise man.
Saturn governs the tough realness of reality:
The stop sign at the intersection, helpfully cautioning you.
The door that shuts before your eyes, painfully rejecting you.
The stern look on your teacher's face, instilling wisdom in you.
The ticking clock on the wall, patiently killing you.
The death of your grandfather, existentially defining you.
The failed business venture, ironically forging you.
The unlawful mistake on highway 1, lawfully judging you.
It is through the toughness that we become enduring humans.
Without Saturn, there is no reality. So in order to face reality we have to face suffering.
And in that process, a dignified, responsible, and gravitationally grounded being comes to be.
The archetype of Saturn is imperfectly perfect. Friday in Japanese is 土曜日 (Do-yo-u-bi). The first character 土 literally signifies the earth, the ground, and the soil on which we stand. Synchronistically, the character also looks like a cross above a coffin in a graveyard.
Like the ground, Saturn is solid. Like the coffin, Saturn is grim.
It is up to us, how best we want to participate with this archetype.
