Seven Classical Planets

  • The Seven Planets are described in detail in Ptolemy's Almagest and are the seven moving stars whilst all the other stars are fixed.
  • The Greek word for planet means ‘wanderer’, and these were the seven stars that moved across the sky in contrast to the fixed stars.

The Seven Planets of the Classical World

    1. Moon
    2. Sun
    3. Mercury
    4. Venus
    5. Mars
    6. Jupiter
    7. Saturn

The Chaldean Order of the Planets

The Outer Planets, then the Sun, then the inner Planets between the Sun and Earth, starting with the slowest outer Planet and ending with the fastest inner Planet, as seen from Earth.

    1. Saturn
    2. Jupiter
    3. Mars
    4. Sun
    5. Venus
    6. Mercury
    7. Moon

The Seven Planets were associated with the Greek (and Roman) Gods

    1. Sun: Apollo (Sol)
    2. Moon: Artemis (Diana)
    3. Saturn: Kronos (Saturn)
    4. Mars: Ares (Mars)
    5. Venus: Aphrodite (Venus)
    6. Mercury: Hermes (Mercury)
    7. Jupiter: Zeus (Jupiter, Jove)
    8. Earth: Gaia (Terra)

The Seven Days of the week were named after the Seven Planets

    1. Monday: Dies Lunae  (Moon Day)
    2. Tuesday: Dies Martis (Mars Day)
    3. Wednesday: Dies Mercurii (Mercury Day)
    4. Thursday: Dies Iovis (Jupiter Day)
    5. Friday: Dies Veneris (Venus Day)
    6. Saturday: Dies Saturni (Saturn Day)
    7. Sunday: Dies Solis (Sun Day)

The Seven Planets were associated with the seven metals of the Classical World

    1. Moon: Silver
    2. Mercury: Mercury
    3. Venus: Copper
    4. Sun: Gold
    5. Mars: Iron
    6. Jupiter: Tin
    7. Saturn: Lead

The Seven Planets were associated with the Seven Musical Notes in the Octave

    • A: Moon
    • B: Saturn
    • Middle C: Jupiter
    • D: Mars
    • E: Sun
    • F: Venus
    • G: Mercury

Diatonic Scale:

  • On the piano keyboard, this gives seven white keys, the Diatonic Scale.

Chromatic Scale:

  • When the five black keys are added, the sharps and the flats, we have the 12 notes of the Chromatic Scale.
  • This is the same as the number of signs found in the Zodiac.

The Orbits of the Seven Planets have Geometrical relationships

  • Five pointed star:
    • The conjunctions of Venus and Earth form a five pointed star over a period of 8 years.
  • Equilateral Triangle:
    • The conjunctions of Jupiter and Saturn form an equilateral triangle every 20 years.
  • Equilateral Triangle:
    • The oppositions of Jupiter and Saturn also form an equilateral triangle every 20 years.
  • Six pointed star:
    • Combined over a period of 120 years, Jupiter and Saturn form a six pointed star.

The Seven Planets appear to have been associated with each of the Seven Oracles of the Ancient World

Ancient Greece:

  1. Delphi
    • in Achaea was the most famous Oracle in Greece, dedicated to Apollo, the Sun.
  2. Dodona
    • in Epirus, the oldest Oracle in Greece, identified with the Zeus.
  3. Trophonius
  4. Delos
    • dedicated to Apollo and considered to be his birthplace.

Ancient Egypt:

  1. Karnak
    • Thebes, The Oracle of Amun, considered by the Ancient Egyptians to be ‘The Mother of all Oracles’.
  2. Behdet
    • Ancient Capital of Egypt before 3,100 BCE.
  3. Siwa Oasis

The Seven Planets were associated with Gemstones

    • Sun: Diamond
    • Moon: Rock Crystal
    • Saturn: Turquoise
    • Mars: Emerald (oddly)
    • Venus: Amethyst
    • Mercury: Lodestone
    • Jupiter: Cornelian
      • (Ancient Source remains unconfirmed)

 

Delphi

 

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