Therapeutic Use of Pythagorean Musical Modes: Enhancing Their Effects by Time of Day

My previous articles covered the Pythagorean method of using musical modes to create balance of mind .



This knowledge is grounded in:-

1) Astrology;



2) The ancient concept of the Four Elements (earth, air, fire and water) held to be the basic constituents of the universe; and …



3) The Four Humours, each of which was associated with one of the four elements.



I should just say a word about the Four Humours:

It was noticed that blood, stored outside the body, separates out into four different colours:



They associated a white substance, "Phlegm", with the "Water" element. The term "phlegmatic" was used to describe people who were apparently affected mainly by Phlegm, from the Greek "phlegmatikos", meaning "abounding in phlegm".



A yellow liquid was associated with the spleen and "Fire". People who appeared to be mainly affected by this yellow substance were called "choleric", (from "khole", meaning "bile").



A red substance was identified with the liver and "Air" element. People who appeared to be mainly affected by this red substance were called "sanguine" (from "sanguis", meaning "blood").





A dark substance was identified with the gall bladder and "Earth" element. A person in whom the black bile predominated was known as "melancholic" from the Greek "melas" (black) and "khole" (bile).



Despite its popularity, Astrology is not taken seriously by scientists, for obvious reasons. However, it appears, even without the backing of science, that tags such as "Jupiter" or "Mars" can be useful to sum up different personality traits – even though they are probably quite unconnected with the planets.



As for the Four Elements: We now know there are far more than just 4 elements. But they still describe the world of the five senses, so we can overlook the objection.



Although the Four Temperaments, are now accepted states of mind, I would have thought, (as a complete medical layman), that they have nothing at all to do with separated blood products!



There is a certain logical consistency, however, in the sequence of Planet – Humour – Temperament: In the way the "Sun dries up the watery Phlegmatic" or the "damp coolness of the Moon" increases it;



… Or how "Mars, the Bringer of War, fans the flames of the Choleric" while "Mercury, the Messenger, makes negotiation possible."



Or how Jupiter, "the Bringer of Jollity", inspires sanguine extroversion, while Venus, "the Goddess of Love" allows us to experience less frivolous relationships.



Or how Saturn (traditionally responsible for stooping our frail bodies in old age) pulls us down by means of the Black Bile, ("earth element") into the mire of melancholia. (There is no balancing planet for Saturn).



Having justified the usefulness of planetary terms, I would like to explain how certain influences that can affect us at certain times of the day may also be understood or even predicted by the use of astrological terminolgy.



I refer to the system of Planetary Hours.



The period between sunrise and sunset is divided into 12 equal portions, or planetary hours, and so is the period of darkness between sunset and sunrise. Each planetary hour has its planetary ruler. Planetary Hour Calculators are easily found on the Internet.



If we want to use one of the modes to create inner harmony (according to Pythagorean principles) we may find that the mode is more effective when played during the appropriate planetary hour. For instance, the dorian mode might lend us more power if we play it during the solar hour. Taking account of the weekday may help to draw further power from the mode. So the dorian might be more effectively played on a Sunday, during the Solar hours, or the hypodorian, on a Monday, during the Moon hours.



Sometimes one of the temperaments may affect us more, during the associated planetary hour. For instance, the hour of Mars may further irritate a choleric person. In this case, it would probably be a good idea to calm the Mars effect by playing the hypophrygian, as outlined in my earlier articles. (As Planetary hours fall at different times each day, it is unlikely that negative association is the cause).

I can't explain how planetary hours might be able to affect our moods. I frequently have personal experience of this myself, and I know that the same is true for others working in the same field . … Perhaps there’s something in this old Astrology thing after all!



In my next article I shall reveal some ways of enhancing the effects of different modes by using them in combination.