The Astrological Houses : overview
The 12 Houses of Astrology reflect each of the “areas” of human life, its practical life and daily concerns, all of which form a cycle that is dependent on the axial rotation of the earth.
This House cycle is truly unique to each individual, and even if they were born on the same day, it is the Houses that differentiate the personal birth chart, hence the importance of knowing the precise time of birth (see below, read in particular The Twelve Astrological Houses by Dane Rudhyar).
The Houses are psychic forms of expression, they show us the relevant areas of existence, they’re a little bit like the “backdrops” in which the “actions” take place, the setting where Signs and Planets are evolving, the places of fulfillment of individuality, it is said that “houses receive what the planets in sign emit”.
As opposed to the Signs represent the “character and the willingness with which we are going to approach the relevant area” and the Planets correspond to “the energies that are active in the relevant fields of life“.
Note that it is also very important to analyze your astrological houses currently updated by the lunations and transits of the moment, to better grasp the profound meaning that emerges, in which “sectors of life” events can best be objectified, and in this my Premium newsletter subscriptions can help you better plan your daily schedule in advance, better anticipate and prepare for things.
The Houses are to the Earth somewhat what the signs of the zodiac are to the Sun in terms of spatial division, they are the “individual zodiac” (in relation to the universal zodiac of the stars, refer to the “House system” for more information).
The list of Astrological Houses and the various rankings that follow make their analysis easier.
Don’t forget that all the Houses are measured in relation to the other Houses on which they depend, e.g. if you analyze 1st House, you should look especially at 7th House, but also at 4th House, 10th House and take into account 5th House and 9th.
- 1st House, “I am” : the ascendant, self-esteem, perceived social personality, vitality….
The analogy with Aries, and the planet Mars… - 2nd House, “I have” : the belongings, money from hard work earned by oneself, material goods…
Analogy with Taurus and the planet Venus - 3rd House, “I’m thinking” : communication, reflection, elementary studies, brothers and sisters
Analogy with Gemini, and the planet Mercury - 4th House, “I feel” : Imum Coeli, the bottom of the sky (the Nadir), roots, heredity, home, family, private life, mother…
Analogy with Cancer, and the Moon - 5th House, “I like” : the creations, children, love, pleasures, passions, games…
Analogy with Lion, and the Sun - 6th House, “I serve” : the daily obligations and duties, daily work and beyond that which represents “social utility” in the broadest sense, health (common or acute illnesses).
Analogy with Virgo, and the Mercury planet - 7th House, “We are” : the descendant, other people, relationships, associations, marriage, contracts and declared enemies…
Analogy with Libra, and the Venus Planet - 8th House, “We have»: the crisis, change and evolution, losses, and inheritances, investments, money from “others”, sexuality, lawsuits, hidden things and interest in the occult.
Analogy with Scorpio, and the planet Pluto - 9th House, “We think” : Philosophy, religion, spiritual ascension, higher education, law, travel, the distant, the stranger…
Analogy with Sagittarius, and the Jupiter planet - 10th House, “We achieve” : the midheaven (the Zenith), social fulfillment, public life, professional career, celebrity potential, the father…
Analogy with the Capricorn, and the planet Saturn - 11th House, “We love” : group projects, friendships, support, shared goals and hopes, which makes one feel loved…
Analogy with Aquarius, and the planet Uranus - 12th House, “We serve” : The Inner Self, self-reflection, solitude, secrecy, sacrifice, psychological crises, spirituality, retreat, trials, imprisonment, hidden enemies, chronic illnesses (certainly the most complex)…
Analogy with Pisces, and the planet Neptune
+ The opposing Houses are in a relationship of duality and of synergy(aspect of Opposition), a division based on the 2, creating 2 hemispheres :
- 1st House / 7th House :
The axis of the personality, of the Individuation
Here are born the social confrontation and capacities of discrimination which allow to build oneself individually, one understands better what one is oneself by defining from a very young age more finely what is “other”, then by extension one is also able later in adulthood to look for complementary parts in one’s emotional partner. - 2nd House / 8th House :
The axis of possessions
Here are born the functions of attachment and detachment deriving from our different senses (what attracts us / pushes us away), all our sense of values, our need to belong, but also the fears of loss that can lead later to renouncement, letting go, to transpersonal sublimations (notions of dispossession, questioning the deep meaning of our values). - 3rd House / 9th House :
The axis of studies, intellect and reflection
Here are born the opening to one’s environment but also the mental and social questioning, the need for exchange and interaction, but also for the transmission of all that will be understood, there is a function of transmission and reception, a need at the same time to absorb what others send, a function of “personal sorting” on what has to be kept there, then also of perpetuation of one’s own concepts, patterns and phylosophies of life, generally as one advances in age. - 4th House / 10th House :
The axis of incarnation, of the fulfillment of life
Here are born the fundamental foundation, the link between what one has inherited and received from one’s clan, all the bases that have formed us personally, and what one will be able in turn to bring socially to others through our “social function”, a notion much broader than “work”, which is fundamentally linked to the fulfilment of our deepest destiny, the influence that one wants to have on others. - 5th House / 11th House :
The axis of plans, of ego, of the “I love / I am loved” duality
Here are born the confrontation phase of individuality with collective, the time has come to present the different personal qualities to the world and to harvest the fruits, the recognition, the approval, but also the understanding of the need for collective integration, the predominant interest that this can have for personality, the reciprocal exchanges that can operate, and the social power strength that can emerge from it. - 6th House / 12th House :
The axis of health, duties, devotion to others
Here are born the reality trial, both in the need to anchor personality and collective in the matter, to face in a responsible and altruistic way in everyday life, but also to be able to reach a spiritualization of life and incarnation, a the fundamental goals perspective, an understanding of the more Absolute and universal aims of existence…
+ The cardinal hemispheres are :
- Northern Hemisphere (Imum Coeli side, turned towards the earth, houses 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) : Individuation, introversion, our secret world, materialism, inner life
- Southern Hemisphere Midheaven side, facing the sky, houses 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12) : collective, extroversion, social appearance, spirituality, public life
- Western Hemisphere (Descendant side, houses 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) : outgoing, sociable, extroverted, passive, turned towards others
- Eastern Hemisphere (Ascendant side, houses 10, 11, 12, 1, 2, 3): ego-oriented, individualistic, independent, introverted, active
+ The Houses classified by crosses, split based on the number 4 (hemisphere cut in two) :
- Angular Houses or Cardinal cross, the action :
1st House, 4th House, 7th House, 10th House
These houses really represent the “driving principle”, they are at important turning points in the cycle that initiate and/or reactivate the dynamics of change, evolution, movement, they force to modify the initial state. - Succedent Houses or Fixed cross, coordination, reassure oneself, stability, security :
2nd House, 5th House, 8th House, 11th House
These houses represent a “decantation” phase, that which was previously initiated in the Cardinal phase must now find an anchorage that will allow a development in time, the action spark must be perpetuated, it must find a substrate for its structuring. - Cadent Houses or Mutable cross, mutation, learning, changes, adaptability, flexibility :
3rd House, 6th House, 9th House, 12th House
These houses represent the need for transformation and evolution, they form a kind of transition between the balance of the known and mastered bases, and the need to open up to novelty and change to avoid the sclerosing parts, and finally the lack of adaptation to one’s environment and the death…
The Angular Houses are reputed to be the most important in the cycle and at the level of our personal incarnation, however it is obviously important to understand that all of them have a capital function and are part of an indivisible Whole, and that we need, according to the different moments, each of these energies.
+ The 4 astrological quadrants are :
- Northeast quadrant : personal growth (houses 1, 2, 3)
Driving element : Fire; Missing element : Water; - Northwestern quadrant : family development (houses 4, 5, 6)
Driving Element : Water; Missing Element : Air; - South-West quadrant : social progress (houses 7, 8, 9)
Driving Element : Air; Missing Element : Earth - South-East quadrant : transpersonal development (houses 10, 11, 12)
Driving Element : Earth; Missing Element : Fire
+ The Houses by Elemental Trine and their domains, a division that is based on the number 3 :
- Fire Houses, the life philosophy :
1st House / 5th House / 9th House - Earth Houses, the matter :
2nd House / 6th House / 10th House - Air Houses, the relational, the exchange, the sociability :
3rd House / 7th House / 11th House - Water Houses, psychology :
4th House / 8th House / 12th House
The Astrological Houses : General Things
+ The place of birth or place of establishment of the chart is decisive, the positioning of the Houses which evolve during the day with the axial rotation of the Earth, once again, it is crucial to have good coordinates to set up a reliable chart (date, time, hour, city, country).
+ An update on systems of house division :
The Houses in Astrology are determined either according to a temporal method, which is the case for the Placidus system for example, either by a spatial method in the case of the equal houses system, as are the zodiac signs, by dividing the circle of the ecliptic into 30° portions.
Analyses and interpretations of charts carried out on passion-astro.com usually retain Placidus or equal Houses systems, unless otherwise specified.
+ The peaks starting each House are called the “Cusps” (Houses cusps). Their location indicates the Sign ruling the house. The house is running in a counter-clockwise direction.
A house may have two rulers, if for example the house is divided over several Signs, the control will be in proportion to the occupation of each one, we speak of secondary ruler. The analysis of this second ruler can give good indications (change of Astrological Elements, new planetary rulerships, change of operating mode, cardinal, fixed, mutable, etc…).
+ A “Empty” house in a chart – i.e. with no Planets – does not mean at all that it is useless or that the domain concerned is “absent” from the given life… by inference the astrologers are able to interpret this “emptiness” in various ways, thanks to the Signs, the midpoints or the planetary drawing and its focal point for example.
Moreover obviously, an “empty house” lives by updating through transits.
See Emptiness in Astrology.
+ For the Intercepted Signs they match to the signs that have no House cusp in their sector, and the tied houses to signs that have 2 cusps, which is common in Placidus house system – type temporal. See Intercepted signs.
For further :
Wikipedia article : Houses (astrology)