"In the Beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth" (Genesis 1.1.)

In the beginning God created the heavens that were seven in number. These were the seven planets and their fields. In the beginning God created the planets and the Earth.

According to A.J.Pearce (1840-1923) the common and well-known version of the Biblical verse as found in Genesis 1.1 builds upon a misrepresentation. This is because the Hebrew words "ath he shemin" means markers or dispositors of the original matter, which is expressed in plural. The plural of "shem", markers or dispositors, has incorrectly been translated to "heaven".

The Earth was empty and barren. There was darkness across the great deep, and the Spirit of God soared above the waters.

The First day

On the first day occurred the first creative act and received its name, Sunday, from the creative and life-giving Sun. His angle is called Michael. The Hebrew word for the number one is Atched, or Ashed. This is a corruption of the words Ash, which means fire or star, and Shed, to pour forth. From this derivation comes also Sheddai, which means the All-Bountiful fire, and which is the name of God, the "All Bountiful". Iaum Atched, the first day is therefore assigned the Sun. In Latin the day is called Domonica dies or Solis dies. In English, Sunday, or in German, Sonntag.

The Sun is the principle of the planets and reigned above the others who gave no light of their own and were in darkness. In the beginning there was darkness, but God said: "Be Light", and according to the Sun there was light. The Sun is exalted in the first sign, Aries. Aries is the first seed. The landscape described by this sign is barren and uncultivated.

The Second day

The second day was that of the Moon and become known as Monday. The Moons angle is called Gabriel. In Hebrew the word for the number two is Shemin or Ashnem. This is composed of the words Ash, fire, and Nem, slumber, and means the Star of Slumber. This determines the Moon's office to the second day of the week and also gives reference to her domain during night. The Latin name of the day is Lunae dies. In English the weekday is called "Monday" and in German, "Monntag"; which is quite apparently derived from the Moon.

The Moon rules the water element and reflections. On this day God sent a plough through the waters to separate water from water. God called the expanse Sky. The moon is exalted in the second sign, Taurus. Manilius says that the bull is wearied by the weight of the plough! Maybe this offers an explanation to why Taurus is defected and has a halt.

The Third day

The third day was assigned to the planet Mars and called Tuesday. The name is inherited from the Norse god of battle, Tyr. The angle of Mars is Samael. The Hebrew word for the number three is Shelesh or Ash-lesh, which means the flaming star. Shelesh also means a general or leader within the army. Mars, the red planet, is according to mythology the god of war and influences all military affairs. From the Hebrew word for number three it becomes obvious that Mars is assigned to the third day of the week. In Latin the day is called Marties dies. In German, Dienstag.

Mars is exalted in the sign Capricorn. On this day God forced the dry land up above the waters. It is a good job the scapegoat had both tail and hooves!! The mountains rose and God said: "Let the land produce vegetation!" and Pan, the god of nature, did oblige

The Fourth day

The fourth day is Wednesday and ruled by Mercury. The day receives its name from the chief of Norse gods, known as Wotan or Odin. The angel of Mercury is called Raphael. In Hebrew the word for the number four, Arabo, is composed of the words Ar, light, i.e. as the light from a star, and Rabo, which means activity, business or employment. Thus, Mercury is the "star of employment". Arabo can also mean a finger, or a grasshopper. The root of the word "rab" means "to discuss or argue". The word Arabo, the number four, therefore refers to Mercury as the guardian of the fourth day, Wednesday. In German the day is named Mitterwoch, which means middle-week.

In Norwegian the day is called "Onsdag", which is a simple derivation from the day of Odin. In Norse mythology Odin has two ravens; Hugin - thought, and Munin - memory. Odin became All-knowing by drinking from the fountain of Mimir, but this cost him his one eye, that ruled by the Moon. This story is reflected in the symbol for Mercury, which is corrupted. According to observation Mercury appears to move in both the sphere closest above the Moon and the sphere closest below the Sun. The cross marks the planetary sphere. The circle should appear above the cross and the semi-circle below (ref. my article on the planetary symbols), but then Mercury can only appear with the Moon when the Moon is closely joined to the Sun. Therefore the Mercury glyph shows the Sun and Moon placed on the same side of the cross, a new Moon, but at which time the Moon is invisible. This is also why ancient astrological texts say that Mercury corrupts the Moon. Scientific method (and to become "all-knowing") attempts to separate from the emotional and subjective, but logic and reason reigns at the expense of feelings and personal needs.

The Greek name for Mercury was Hermes, which means the interpreter or mediator of the gods. Mercury is the messenger and common to all. In fact, he is so strongly coloured by those planets he associates with that he would easily get lost amongst the contradictions. So to suit him for his task he receives his exaltation in the same sign as his natural home, the purifying and dutiful Virgo. This gives him restraint and self-command regarding his identity.

The first three days God used to break up new ground. For this He called upon Aries, Taurus and Capricorn, who all are armed by their horns. These signs also belong to the ruminant or cud-chewing signs that have an incomplete digestion (and may be accompanied with digestive troubles). On the fourth day there were a lot of details to be attended to and that which God so far had created was put into an order or a system. On the fourth day God coughed up the building bricks of the Universe and the material of the first three days was digested. The digestive system is, of course, under the rulership of Virgo. And thank heavens for Virgo's sense of order!

According to Norse mythology, in the beginning Odin regulated the periods of day and night and the seasons by placing the Sun and Moon in the sky and assigning them to their respective orbits or spheres. Mercury is the planet of duality, therefore God let there be two lights to separate Day from Night. The Sun was set to rule during Day and the Moon during Night. God gave his instructions to the Sun, Moon and (wandering) stars, for these were to be the signs of information. The seasons were determined and calendar time co-ordinated. (Note: I have some observations that suggest that transits are of Mercury and directions of the Moon. This may have some meaning when timing is to be judged from a horary chart).

The Fifth day

The fifth day was assigned to Jupiter, receiving its name Thursday from the Norse god Thor. Thor is the god of thunder and a parallel of the Roman Jupiter. The angel of Jupiter is called Sadkiel. The Hebrew word for the number five, Chemash, is formed by Chem, warmth, and Ash, a star - meaning the warm star. Ptolemy emphasises in his treaty of the planetary powers that the influence of Jupiter is primarily warm rather than moist. By reversing the first letter in the Hebrew Chemash, we arrive at Meshech, which means to anoint with oil. The root of this word relates to Mech, fat. Of Mech comes Meschich; Messiah - the anointed one. By reversing the first and last letter of Chemash, we arrive at Shemach, which means the star of joy. In Latin the day is called Jovis dies.

God exalted Jupiter in the sign of Cancer and in particular set him to rule large animals. Cancer is a water sign and the home of the Moon. On the day of the Moon God separated the waters. Today he said: "Let there be an abundance of life in the water, and birds fly above the Earth below the expanse. God created the birds in the sky and the great creatures of the sea and everything living in which the water teems. The water signs of the zodiac are termed fruitful and God said: "Be fruitful and increase in number". Jupiter is the Greater Benefic and God blessed that what he created on this day.

The Sixth day

On the sixth day God completed the creation. Venus holds her service and rulership to this day, which receives the name Friday, The name is derived from the Germanian Freya, which again is a corruption of the Scandiavian Froya and Frigg, and equivalent to Venus. The angel of Venus is called Anael. In Hebrew the number six, Shish, is an abbreviation of Ash-ish which means the star of existence. On the sixth day Man was created and creation completed. In this manner the day gave the uprise to existence. According to Job (38:6-7) the cornerstone or capstone of creation was lay down; while the mourning stars sang together and all the angles (or Sons of God) shouted for joy. Music and happiness are both virtues of Venus. From the Hebrew Shish, or number six, it is therefore apparent that Venus rules the sixth day. In Latin the day is called Veneris dies.

Venus is exalted in Pisces, the last sign of the zodiac. Hence it was a good day for completing and putting the crown on the work, so to speak. Venus is the Lesser Benefic. So also on this day God created living creatures and then blessed them. God said: "Let us create Man in our image", and Man and Woman were created (Pisces indicates the diversity or opposites of sex), and therefore Venus is the ruler of the Human race. (Venus has her fall into the humane sign Virgo, and has Taurus and Libra as her domains.) The heavens were God's likeness and Man was created in the likeness of the heavens according to the instructions laid down on the fourth day. Pisces is a water sign and once again God said: "Be fruitful and increase in number".

Pisces is the last sign and the capstone of the zodiac. Friday belongs to the Son of Man. Jesus becomes identified with the capstone and was crucified on a Friday (Psalms 118:22, Luke 9:22, Acts 4:11) (To add some detail; It is Gabriel, the angel of the Moon and planet of fertility, that comes to Mary and says she is to be with child. While Jesus is to have given up his ghost on the 8th hour of a Friday which is the planetary hour of Mercury. At this moment he gives out a cry (Mercury) and hence a circle is completed). Pisces is the sign representing the Christian principle. While the natural ruler of Pisces, Jupiter, signifies anointment, it is the feet, ruled by Pisces, which is the part of body commonly associated with anointment. Jupiter and Venus, God (Jove) and Man, share dignity, or friendship, in the sign of Pisces, which represents Heaven, or the Garden of Eden.

The Seventh Day

The seventh day, Saturday, receives its name from the planet Saturn. His angel is Cassiel. Shebo, the Hebrew word for the number seven, is a combine of the words Ash, a star, and Sheb, old age. Thus, Saturn is the star of old age. Shebo also means to have plenty or be full, with reference to Saturns rulership over the products of the earth. The expression to be saturated (or flooded) stems from the meaning of Saturn. The word Sheb also means to return or restore, and is also used in appliance to the turn of the year, the ending and the new beginning. (Saturn has his two heads, or signs of rulership placed at the turning of the year. Saturn is closely related to Janus, the two headed god, that gives name to the first month of the calendary year, January) Also in regard of the week-end and beginning of a new week.

The root of the name Saturn comes from the Hebrew term Sater, which means to hide or conceal. The other name of Saturn, Kronos, arises from the Hebrew word Kron, a horn, which in the East is recognized as a symbol of power. In English the day bears the easy recognizable name Saturday, which lies close up to the Latin Saturni dies. But in Norwegian the day is called lördag, which comes from the Norse laugardagr, which means washing day and refers to the ancient rinsing customs of the church.

Table 1.

Table 1. shows how Creation was sown with alternate superior and inferior stitches, as shown by the planets. The planets are placed in order according to their motion. The Sun comes first because he is the swifter of the superior planets. The Moon is the swiftest of the inferior planets.

The first three days God used to break up the ground. Therefore we may look to Aries, Taurus and Capricorn, who are all characterized by their horns. They go under the category ruminant, or cud-chewing signs. This may be symbolic of how God produced, or "coughed up, the building blocks of the world which lay latent within his bosom. In our terms, the ruminant signs have trouble with digestion. It was on the fourth day that the material produced on the first three was digested, a typical trait of Virgo.

Mars, who has his office on the third day, offers his home sign, Aries, for the exaltation of the first planet, the Sun, on the first day of the week. But he receives the sign of his exaltation, Capricorn, from the last planet, Saturn, who rules the last day of the week, Saturday. For this reason, the Sun, who is the receiver of both Saturn and Mars, cannot be termed fruitful and benefic in the same way as the Moon. This is a principle found inherit in powers of the planets.

Venus gives her home signs, Taurus and Libra, to the second and last day of the week. The Moon and Saturn receive their exaltations in the signs assigned to the signifer, or angle, of the Human race. In this sense, Man does also move from womb to tomb.

Mercury, exalted in his own sign, was placed in the middle of the week and did in this manner gain a superior view over the other days. This is why Odin appears as chief in Norse mythology. On Mercurys right side are located the two lights and the lesser infortune. To the left are located the two fortunes and the greater malefic. In this manner there was achieved a balance on either side of the weeks midpoint.

(c) 1989 Andrew J. Bevan, QHP, DMS Astrol.

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