#thursdaythemes

It’s Thor’s Day, let’s get Hammered!

Thursday is another strongly masculine day like Tuesday. As the bad joke above says, it is named for the Norse God of Thunder, Thor, and his Greco-Roman counterparts Zeus and Jupiter (jeudi and jueves as examples from Romance languages). It is a day strongly associated with thunder, honor, and leadership.

I can’t get through a Thursday without thinking of Sailor Jupiter from Sailor Moon....

As with Wednesday, prosperity and abundance are auspicious themes for Thursday, as are success and harvest (reaping rewards for hard work and good deeds). In a way, Thursday is a day of rewards for the work you have done in the week leading up to this day. It does not mean it is a day of rest of course, simply the day when our success begins to show and manifest.

Whereas Tuesday was a day of wild power and raw strength, often causing turmoil, Thursday is a day of stable power and confidence. In Tuesday’s power, we see the idea of, I want so I will take, but in Thursday’s power, we see the idea more in line with I need so I will receive, or I need so I will create. It is a quiet, steady strength that we gain from this day. It is a calming day much like Monday after the power and business of Tuesday and Wednesday. I see this day as Tuesday’s more mature older brother. Which, when thinking about the gods after which this day is named, simultaneously makes sense and is nonsense at the same time.

In Chinese Folk Religion, the number of deities associated with thunder and the heavens are astounding, such that I could not even begin to list them all. There are Thunder Emperors, Kings, and Generals of the Five Regions, five Marshals of Thunder, Twelve Lords each of Heaven’s Thunder, Earth’s Thunder, and Man’s Thunder, Thirty-Six Lords of Thunder and Thirty-Five Gods of Thunder, not to mention the three primary deities of thunder, including a Goddess of Lightning. In Shinto, there are also various deities associated with thunder.

Generally speaking, there are few goddesses associated with this element or this day of the week. The two I’ve mentioned are not so much thunder goddesses by their own right as much as by right of their husbands.

Animals; cow, eagle, peacock

Colors; dark blue, dark green, earthy colors, royal colors, yellow (Hinduism)

Crystals; amethyst, aventurine, brown jasper, lapis lazuli, lodestone, malachite, peridot, turquoise

Elements; air (storms), earth

Energies; abundance, allegiance, career, fealty, generosity, growth, happiness, honor, leadership, loyalty, optimism, protection, strength, success

Foods; banana, breads, cinnamon, clove, dandelion, dill, fig, maple, mint, nutmeg, sage, star anise

Goddesses; Dianmu (also Leizi), Juno Moneta

Gods; Amun, Raijin, Shangdi, Taranis, Thor, Vishnu, Zeus