The Houses

Signs affect HOW a planet operates. HOUSES show WHERE planets are working, in WHAT AREA of your life they are having an effect. Houses have no special names to memorize. They are simply numbered one through twelve, and each house has similarities to its corresponding sign. For instance, sign number five, Leo, is the SIGN of romance and creativity in general. In your horoscope, HOUSE number five shows in particular what your romantic life is like. Astrologers probably get asked more about this house than any other.

First House: This begins with the Ascending Sign (also called the Rising Sign) at the left side of the horoscope wheel. This house shows your outward and superficial traits. It is what people see when they first meet you, as opposed to the Sun-Sign which shows your inner traits. This house corresponds to the 1st sign, Aries, which is the sign of new beginnings.

Second House: Money and possessions. But it goes beyond these. The second house also shows the VALUE you place on things, including yourself, so it includes your sense of self-worth. This house corresponds to the 2nd sign, Taurus, which is the sign of material goods.

Third House: Communications, and one’s style of communicating, the “lower mind” (the ability to perceive facts and communicate them), short journeys, brothers and sisters, neighbors, and anything within arms reach. This house corresponds to the 3rd sign, Gemini, the sign of communications.

Fourth House: Your home, the domestic environment in general, your early years, and the parent of lesser influence, usually the father. I’m frequently asked whether the early environment has more influence than the horoscope.

My answer has always been that the formative years are shown by the 4th house. This house also shows what we become during the last third of our life. The older we get, the more we become like the sign and the planets in our 4th house.

This house corresponds to the 4th sign, Cancer, sign of the home. It is also the only house where the correspondence breaks down a bit. Cancer is the sign of motherhood, but the 4th house usually indicates the father.

Fifth House: Romance and children (there is a connection), creativity, gambling and speculation, hobbies, sports, fun and games. This house corresponds to the 5th sign, Leo, sign of romance, creativity, and children.

Sixth House: Work and service, both given and received. This is not career (ruled by the 10th house) but rather your style and quality of work. It also shows health matters. This house corresponds to the 6th sign, Virgo, sign of work, service, and health.

Seventh House: Marriage and partnership. Any time you approach anyone else as an equal, you are using your 7th house, so it rules more than marriage and business partners. It rules open enemies as well. It may seem contradictory for marriage and open enemies to be shown by the same area of the horoscope, but if that’s what you think, you probably have never been married. This house corresponds to the 7th sign, Libra (not that terrible movie with Demi Moore), sign of partnership.

Eighth House: Sex, death, rebirth (in the sense of regeneration). Since this is opposite the 2nd house (which rules YOUR money, possessions, and values) the 8th house rules other people’s money, possessions, and values, your ability to utilize the possessions of others for your own ends. By extension, it rules insurance and tax matters, as well as the influence that the values of others have on you (social values). It can also indicate what influence, if any, you can have on the values of those around you, including the society you live in. As far as sex goes, the 5th house may rule romance, but the 8th house gets down to the sex act itself, your style of sex, your tastes, what turns you on. This includes any fetish you may have. Now you see why astrology readings are confidential. By the way, if you like to play music during sex and you happen to get involved with someone who has the planet Mars in the 8th house AND the sign of their Mars is Gemini, well the music you should play is the Minute Waltz! This house corresponds to the 8th sign, Scorpio, sign of sex, death, regeneration, and other people’s money.

Ninth House: Religion, philosophy, higher education, “higher mind” (the ability to grasp general principles as opposed to the “lower mind” ability to perceive and communicate individual facts). In general, it shows the principles (or lack of principles) that we were raised with. Since the 9th house is opposite the 3rd, it shows long journeys (requiring an overnight stay) as opposed to short ones. This house corresponds to the 9th sign, Sagittarius, sign of higher mind, religion, philosophy, and long journeys.

Tenth House: Career (as opposed to day-to-day work), public image (as opposed to your private image), the goals of your life. The 10th house begins with the Mid-Heaven, the highest point in the horoscope. Additionally, the 10th house rules the parent of “greater influence”, usually the mother. This house corresponds to the 10th sign, Capricorn, sign of ambition and organizing skills.

Eleventh House: Traditionally assigned to Friends, Hopes, and Wishes. It goes beyond that, however. The 11th house indicates how we deal with groups of people. This house corresponds with the 11th sign, Aquarius, sign of friendship.

Twelfth House: Self-undoing, psychological problems, restrictions and places of restriction, hidden enemies (as opposed to the open enemies shown by the 7th house). I know, it doesn’t sound like a nice house, but strong placements here usually increase one’s intuition. This house corresponds with the 12th sign, Pisces, sign of intuition, dreams, and compassion.

Remember, at this point, we are only covering the Alphabets of Astrology.

In Section 8.0 Read more about ” Houses and House Types “– and much more will be revealed.

Later in the courses ( Intermediate and Advanced), I’ll be showing you how to put it all together.