The 8th House : Metamorphosis
- Attached to Scorpio, symbolizing “We have”
- Axis of Possessions
- Mode : Fixed (Succedent)
- Element : Water (psychology)
The 8th House corresponds exactly to the responsibilities born from the mutuality of relationships, as such it corresponds to crises, to the deep transformations, regeneration, evolution, losses (real or symbolic, material or spiritual, often followed by Depression). It is our personal unconsciousness where are repressed the unexploited affective experiences which can crystallize in Complexes.
The 8th House also represents the money coming from the “others” (credits, donations, shares, sometimes inheritances, or even hidden treasures) and more generally the money management of unions and associations of the 7th House (joint account, sales, investments, expenses, taxation, all related), therefore the consecutive losses, all the lawsuits inherent to these same unions or associations, and by extension all the things hidden secretlyto the “others” : double life, dissimulation, the hidden facet of personality…
The 8th House is finally marked by sexuality (see Anima and Animus), the interest in the occult (the mysteries, the invisible, magic, reincarnation, miracle, resurrection), the withdrawal into the unconscious (psychology), the taste for secrecy, jealousy and possessiveness, as well as death : self-destruction, anguish, anxiety, a taste for the morbid, even surgery…
The 8th House is a complex house, ambivalent, seeking both the emotional security but wanting to delve into the depths of humanity and its psyche. Its symbolism is directly related to the planet Pluto. It is the “catabolism” of the Other, the transforming and destructive reactions intervening in human relationships (see in particular Pluto : The Evolutionary Journey of the Soul by Jeff Green).
The Sign in the 8th House in your birth chart will bring its character to this complexity, either by accentuating or minimizing it. Earth signs for example will bring their concrete materialism, while air signs will introduce volatility. Signs of fire will tend to be “triggers” while signs of water will intensify the perceptions mentioned above.
The Planets in the 8th House and their Aspects will impose their dynamics on this corner of the sky, which in the case of a planetary cluster, can quickly be complex to interpret for the astrologer given the multiple attributions of this house.
In the same way, transits in the 8th House can be ambiguous and delicate to deal with in interpretation, the harmonic or dissonant notions being subjective, especially with implications of slow planets.
Analyzing the 8th House :
- First look at its opposite house, the 2nd House, the possessions.
- Then look at the Squares : the 11th House, the 5th House (Succedent Houses, representing security)
- Take into account the Trines : the 12th House, the 4th House (Water Houses, representing psychology)
Planets Rulerships Analogy :
With the 8th House we enter the collective hemisphere of extroversion, social appearance, spirituality, and public life, in short, maturity.
See the Astrological Houses.