Days of the Week - History - The White Goddess

Days of the Week

Days Of The Week - Mythology and History

The history of the days of the week is closely involved with the advancement of mankind throughout the centuries. Our present day seven day week is thought to have been developed by the Babylonians some 3000 years ago. The ancient Babylonians were accomplished astronomers, basing many of their mathematical systems, including their calculations of time, on the movement of the heavenly bodies. The month, one cycle of the moon, lasting around 29 and a half days was, after the day, the first easily observable division of time.

At some point in pre-history, the need arose for a period of time less than the month and greater than the day, this led to a major problem, because no whole number of days evenly divides the cycle of the moon. The best division would be 4 and so a seven day week was created, the problem of the extra days was to be solved at a future date in history.

With the adoption by the Hebrews of the seven day week and with its continued popularity in both Judaism and Christianity and later the Romans ensured the longevity of the seven day week and its continued use in modern times.

Sunday (dies solis - day of the sun)

Sunday is the first day of the week. For Christians everywhere, Sunday is the Lord's Day, a day of rest, this was the day the Christ rose from the dead. Yet the name Sunday has little to do with Christianity and more closely linked to the ancient Pagan religions.

From prehistoric times to the close of the fifth century, the worship of the sun was dominant, and Sunday celebrates the sun Gods, Ra, Helios, Sol, Apollo, Ogmios, Mithrias, and the sun goddess Phoebe.

In 321AD, Constantine the Great ruled that the first day of the week, 'the venerable day of the sun', should be a day of rest. It was the sun's old association with the first day of the week that was responsible for the Christians Lord's Day bearing the Pagan name of Sunday.

Around 500AD, Germanic tribes, the Angles and Saxon's, invaded and settled in England, indeed the origin of the word Sunday, is rooted in the Germanic 'Sonntag', they themselves probably acquired it from the Scandinavians. The Old English word for Sunday is 'sunnandæg', a corruption of the Germanic word, and later alterations led to the modern English Sunday.

In alchemy, Sunday is associated with both the Sun and Gold. In astrology Sunday is associated with the star sign Leo. In correspondences tables Sunday is associated with the colours Gold, Yellow, Orange and White; the gemstones and crystals, Carnelian, Citrine, Tiger's Eye, Amber, Quartz Crystal and Red Agate; and the plants and trees, Marigold, Heliotrope, Sunflower, Buttercup, Cedar, Beech and Oak.

There are several holidays that are traditionally held on Sunday. Mother's Day (second Sunday in May) and Father's Day (third Sunday in June) began to be celebrated rather recently, 1914 and 1924 respectively. Easter is an ancient holiday that was officially designated by the Church in the year 325. The date is calculated by taking the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the 21st of March.

Monday (lunae dies, day of the moon) Moon's-day.

Monday is the second day of the week, day of moon goddess, the Greek Selene, the Roman Luna and the Nordic Moon God Mani.

Derived from the latin Lunae Dies, day of the moon, the name reflects the ancient observance of feast days dedicated to moon goddess or planet. In Western and Southern European languages, the use of the latin "luna" is used as the derivative of the word, "moon", for example, the French "Lundi" and the Spanish "lunes". In northern European languages Monday is derived from the word "Mona", for example Anglo-Saxon/Germanic, "monandaeg".

In the Chinese lunar week Monday is the point of return (i.e. starting point), the Japanese name for Monday is "getsu-youbi ".

In Alchemy, Monday is associated with the metal Silver, and in Astrology Monday is is ruled by the zodiac signs Cancer (22nd June - 22nd July). In Magickal correspondences Monday is associated with the plants, Night Flowers, Willow Root, Orris Root, and Birch, flowers - Motherwort, Vervain, White Rose, White Iris and the crystals Moonstone, Aquamarine, Pearl, Quartz Crystal, Fluorite, and Geodes, in numerology the number 7. In Magickal workings Monday is a day for increasing your magick powers, psychism, past lives, divination, the feminine, intuition, dreams, psychic ability, and fertility spells.