The diurnal {or day} planets are th

The diurnal {or day} planets are the Sun, Jupiter and Saturn. The nocturnal {or night) planets are the Moon, Venus and Mars. Again, Mercury can be either depending on the circumstances.The benefic {“works good effect”} planets are Jupiter, Venus and the Sun. The malefic {“works bad effect”} planets are Saturn and Mars. But you will have noticed that the Moon is listed in both. When the Moon is waxing {increasing in light, as it appears to grow daily larger until it becomes a Full Moon} it is considered benefic. However, when the Moon is waning {decreasing in light, as it appears to grow daily smaller until it becomes a New Moon – which is when it cannot be seen at all} then it is considered malefic. Mercury can be either a benefic or a malefic planet depending on the circumstances of each case. When dealing with malefic and benefic planets the question is “ good for what and bad for what” and this we will explore later. But for now it is important that you understand basics.