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"Voodoo Hours" for Enhancing Your Magical Powers - Famous Spell for Real Magick

a ticking magic clock
Jim Haskins, reportedly taking his information from the Voodoo Museum of New Orleans, reports on the "Voodoo Hours" that are used for spell enhancement. He then prints a list of the hours of Venus, used to enhance love spells. Now, one familiar with European grimoire magic quickly recognizes these are the same as the planetary hours from the Petit Albert.

I know from some comments I've gotten about my translation of the Albert as well as my other works that there are some people who really resent the idea that hoodoo and voodoo have any bookish European influences in them, but this is in an instance where we have undeniable evidence that, at least in the modern practice, this piece of European grimoire magic made it into the ritual repertoire. (Probably through the Petit Albert which was extremely well-known in the French speaking parts of the Americas, and spells from which actually pop up all the time in folk magic practices.)

Traditional planetary hours are reckoned by the time of the sunrise and can vary in length depending on how many hours of daylight are actually available in a day (the "hours" thus rarely span sixty minutes.) The Voodoo Hours are evidently a simplified version, reckoned by the hours of the clock, which eliminates the need to recalculate the hours for each day of the year and to account for location when doing the math. However, the hours are different for each day of the week. 

Sunday's hours
Sun: 1 AM, 8 AM; 3 PM, 10 PM
Moon: 4 AM, 11 AM; 6 PM
Mercury: 3 AM, 10 AM; 5 PM, 12 PM
Mars: 7 AM; 2 PM, 9 PM
Saturn: 5 AM, 12 AM; 7 PM
Venus: 2 AM, 9 AM; 4 PM, 11 PM
Jupiter: 6 AM; 1 PM, 8 PM

Monday's hours
Sun: 5 AM, 12 AM; 7 PM
Moon: 1 AM, 8 AM; 3 PM, 10 PM
Mercury: 7 AM; 2 PM, 9 PM
Mars: 4 AM, 11 AM; 6 PM
Saturn: 2 AM, 9 AM; 4 PM, 11 PM
Venus: 6 AM; 1 PM, 8 PM
Jupiter: 3 AM, 10 AM; 5 PM, 12 PM

Tuesday's hours
Sun: 2 AM, 9 AM; 4 PM, 11 PM
Moon: 5 AM, 12 AM; 7 PM
Mercury: 4 AM, 11 AM; 6 PM
Mars: 1 AM, 8 AM; 3 PM, 10 PM
Saturn: 6 AM; 1 PM, 8 PM
Venus: 3 AM, 10 AM; 5 PM, 12 PM
Jupiter: 7 AM; 2 PM, 9 PM

Wednesday's hours
Sun: 6 AM; 1 PM, 8 PM
Moon: 2 AM, 9 AM; 4 PM, 11 PM
Mercury: 1 AM, 8 AM; 3 PM, 10 PM
Mars: 5 AM, 12 AM; 7 PM
Saturn: 3 AM, 10 AM; 5 PM, 12 PM
Venus: 7 AM; 2 PM, 9 PM
Jupiter: 4 AM, 11 AM; 6 PM

Thursday's hours
Sun: 3 AM, 10 AM; 5 PM, 12 PM
Moon: 6 AM; 1 PM, 8 PM
Mercury: 5 AM, 12 AM; 7 PM
Mars: 2 AM, 9 AM; 4 PM, 11 PM
Saturn: 7 AM; 2 PM, 9 PM
Venus: 4 AM, 11 AM; 6 PM
Jupiter: 1 AM, 8 AM; 3 PM, 10 PM

Friday's hours
Sun: 7 AM; 2 PM, 9 PM
Moon: 3 AM, 10 AM; 5 PM, 12 PM
Mercury: 2 AM, 9 AM; 4 PM, 11 PM
Mars: 6 AM; 1 PM, 8 PM
Saturn: 4 AM, 11 AM; 6 PM
Venus: 1 AM, 8 AM; 3 PM, 10 PM
Jupiter: 5 AM, 12 AM; 7 PM

Saturday's hours
Sun: 4 AM, 11 AM; 6 PM
Moon: 7 AM; 2 PM, 9 PM
Mercury: 6 AM; 1 PM, 8 PM
Mars: 3 AM, 10 AM; 5 PM, 12 PM
Saturn: 1 AM, 8 AM; 3 PM, 10 PM
Venus: 5 AM, 12 AM; 7 PM
Jupiter: 2 AM, 9 AM; 4 PM, 11 PM


Venus hours are best for love magic; Jupiter for money and luck; Mars for hatred or protection; Saturn for death and also for wealth; Mercury for changes, swift results and mystic rites; Moon for safe travel and protection from disease; Sun for success, eloquence, friends and purification.

sinister magical spell casting hours

There is another special timing system for spellcasts, reported by Zora Neale Hurston after what kind of magic she had practiced during the 1920s -- these are the "Good and Bad Hours."

Good Hours:


2 o'clock
4 o'clock
5 o'clock
6 o'clock
7 o'clock
9 o'clock
11 o'clock
12 o'clock

Bad Hours:


8 o'clock
3 o'clock
10 o'clock
1 o'clock


Bad hours are for performing evil or "bad" work, and good hours are for good, beneficial works. Note that love spells were usually considered to be good work, at this time.

(It may be of note that the Bad Hours align to Saturn's Saturday Hours in the Planetary/Voodoo Hours system.)

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