With its charts and precise calculations, its house systems and degrees, astrology can sometimes seem too complicated and esoteric to be of practical, daily use. But the symbols used in astrology are practically imbedded in our cells. Each planet corresponds to goddesses and gods who are the central figures in countless myths filled with certain essential truths about our humanness and the cosmos. Stories of underworld journeys, harrowing adventures, and quests for sacred objects pop up across wide spans of time and culture with similar themes, characters, and lessons.
 
Using our imaginations and a few key tools of astrology, we can relate the themes of great myth to the events of our lives. Astrology then becomes a powerful medium for reclaiming symbols to give our lives meaning. It’s only a matter of learning to trust the storyteller inside of us.
 
With such busy and complicated lives, how can find the time to connect to the sacred through story and myth? Oddly enough, many of our daily choices are myths in disguise and potent symbols masquerading in pretty packages: Saturn cars, Mars candy bars, Red Bull drinks, Apple Computers, Goddess Salad Dressing, Arm & Hammer baking soda. We can literally feed ourselves, dress ourselves, and drive ourselves in myth. We are surrounded by it, and yet these brand-name symbols are divorced from their power and leave us feeling empty.
 
In order to reclaim the true power of symbols, we only need to tap into our imaginations and creativity. When you do, you’ll discover that you know way more than you think you do about the deepest truths of our sacred stories.

To tap into your deeper self during this darker, more introspective time of year, try an experiment for one week. Start each day with curiosity and ask yourself some general questions. Who is the god of this day? What energy does it hold? What stories do I know or imagine about this deity and/or this energy? How can I honor this energy in the world around me and inside of myself?

The suggestions and questions that follow are intended to open your imagination and get you thinking about how you might like to honor spirit in the everyday.

Monday - Ruled by the Moon

The spirit of home, family and the body.

Deities: Triple Goddesses (maiden, mother, crone).   Colors: Silver and Orange

Simple sacred act: Take a healing bath.  Imbue the water with a wish or specific energy. Questions: What’s your inner rhythm and how do you honor it? What do you need to feel at home?

Tuesday - Ruled by Mars

The spirit of desire and self-assertion.

Deities: Ares, Hercules, Artemis, Atalanta    Colors: Red and Yellow

Simple sacred act: Move your body. Stretch, do yoga, dance, have sex.

Questions: What can’t you live without? How do you connect with your desire? When have you taken courageous action in your life?

Wednesday - Ruled by Mercury

The spirit of communication and knowledge.

Deities: Hermes, Ganesh, Thoth, the Magician.   Colors: Yellow and Green

Simple sacred act: Take 10-20 minutes to journal. Write about your dreams, from the perspective of an animal you associate with, or the past week.

Questions: What are you here to serve? How does the divine communicate with you? What are you here to be a voice for?

Thursday - Ruled by Jupiter

The spirit of sacred truth and justice.

Deities: Athena, Thor, Justice               Colors: Purple and light Blue

Simple sacred act: Pull some Tarot cards or throw the I-Ching for guidance from your Higher Self.

Questions: What gives you faith? How do you remind yourself of the abundance of life?

Friday - Ruled by Venus

The spirit of art, beauty, and relationship.

Deities: Freya, Aphrodite, Ishtar             Colors: Green and Purple

Simple sacred act: Spend time in a wild place or cook a special meal with a loved one.

Questions: How do you express love? What is beautiful to you? What do you value above all else?

Saturday - Ruled by Saturn

The spirit of discipline, time, and responsibility.

Deities: Chronos, the Devil, The Fates, Kali.    Colors: Black and Indigo

Simple sacred act: Make a to-do list of things you love.

Questions: What are you committed to? What is your relationship with time? How about death?

Sunday - Ruled by the Sun

The spirit of creativity and self-expression.

Deity: Apollo, Bast, Surya                   Colors: Gold and Red

Simple sacred act: Make art – an altar, a painting, a potholder. Spend today seeing with the eyes of a child.

Questions:  What energy do you radiate? What is your personal mission? Or as poet Mary Oliver says, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”