What is Hora?
Hora divides the day into 24 planetary hours — 12 from sunrise to sunset and 12 from sunset to sunrise. Each hora is ruled by one of the seven planets in the Chaldean order (Sun, Venus, Mercury, Moon, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars), and the first hora of the day belongs to the planet that rules the weekday. Choosing an hour ruled by a planet friendly to your task is a simple, effective muhurat.
What each planet's Hora suits
- Sun — government and authority work, court matters.
- Moon — travel, property, family, water-related work.
- Mars — land, machinery, disputes, surgery.
- Mercury — business, study, writing, communication.
- Jupiter — auspicious and religious work, education, finance.
- Venus — marriage, arts, luxuries, relationships.
- Saturn — labour, iron/land, long-term work.
Jupiter, Venus and Mercury horas are generally the most favourable for new work; the Moon hora is good for travel; Sun, Mars and Saturn horas suit their specific tasks.
Day and night Hora
Each hora is roughly an hour but varies with the day/night length at your place. The sequence repeats every seven hours, and the pattern is what fixes the weekday's planetary ruler in classical astrology.
Using Hora
Pick an hour ruled by a planet suited to your task, kept clear of Rahu Kaal. For a broader good/bad reading of the day, see Choghadiya.