Houses in Astrology

First Housekeywords | more

The first house determines a lot about what makes you unique -- what you look like, your personality, your drive, your goals, and your priorities.

It covers your ego, natural tendencies, the way you present yourself to the world, your energy, vitality and your deepest desires.

The first house, when viewed along with conditions in the sixth house also reflects the state of your health and your vitality.

We look to the first house for any new, important trends and cycles.

The first house is the hardest house for an astrologer to read, because your desires are so personal!

It also rules your strength of will, your individuality and determination.

The first house reveals the sign rising on the horizon at your birth, also called the ascendant sign.

The sign on your ascendant is the sign whose characteristics you express naturally.

This explains why all those born under the same sun sign are not alike; most of us are actually a combination of the sun sign and the ascendant.

Once you know your ascendant, you should read both your Sun sign and your ascendant sign, whether in forecasts or personality outlines; reading both will give you a more accurate picture.

The first house is ruled by feisty, entrepreneurial, energetic Mars and by the first sign of the zodiac, individualistic ♈Aries.

Second Housekeywords | more

The second house rules your earned income, financial obligations and material possessions. Material gains and losses are dictated by this house.

You may be interested to learn that it also presides over your sense of security and overall self-confidence.

This house is ruled by the planet of love and finances, Venus, and by the practical and stability-minded ♉Taurus.

Third Housekeywords | more

The third house rules your mind and intellect.

It reveals how you approach and analyze problems, and how you perceive information. Basically, it drives your overall learning and communicative processes.

For example, this house administers skills in writing, editing, speaking, thinking, reading, and conducting research.

It covers your ability and desire to learn, and brings study opportunities your way. Under the influence of this house, someone would decide to learn languages or become a teacher.

Other endeavors covered here are the drafting of contracts and agreements, presentation of ideas and proposals, and commerce, including sales, marketing, public relations and self-promotion.

This house covers your neighborhood, short-distance trips, and all means of local transportation and shipping.

The third house also regulates fundamental education (nursery school through high school), drives your relationships with siblings, cousins and neighbors and, finally, covers your perception of childhood experiences.

This house is ruled by the intellectual, communicative planet, Mercury and by the versatile ♊Gemini.

Fourth Housekeywords | more

The fourth house covers your home -- what it looks like, where it is located, and with whom you share your space.

This includes any houseguests or visitors who stop by to visit or to help you with home-improvement projects or for babysitting.

It also rules individuals who challenge domestic harmony.

Family life comes under this fourth house, as would all property matters such as the real estate -- buying or selling houses, condos, co-operatives, or the leasing of an apartment.

This house also rules your parents and your relationship with them, the foundations of your life.

Finally, the fourth house indicates the lifestyle you will have much later in life, for the fourth house is a metaphor for the end of the day.

The fourth house is ruled by the sentimental sign of ♋Cancer, and its nurturing Moon.

Fifth Housekeywords | more

Your love life, romance, fun, and pleasure are covered in the fifth house, as are your present children, pregnancies, and the birth of new children.

This house also rules creativity, new ideas, hobbies and sports.

Any leisure activity, from attendance to social events to rest and relaxation come under this house.

So do games of chance and finance, from gambling to investment in the stock market.

This house is ruled by creative ♌Leo and our fun-loving, life-creating Sun.

Sixth Housekeywords | more

The state of the sixth house indicates your daily routine and the methods you use to get your work done.

The cusp of this house describes the nature of your work and the general environment of your workplace. This house also rules people you employ, whether at home or at work.

This house rules the conscious mind and the proactive measures we take to keep our bodies healthy. (Remember, the first house of the horoscope rules health in terms of overall energy level and vitality, so both have to be considered.)

Diet, fitness, and exercise are covered in this sixth house, as are checkups and visits to the dentist.

Finally, all domestic pets and small animals come under this house, too.

The sixth house is ruled by intellectual, news gathering Mercury and by the meticulous and service-oriented sign, ♍Virgo.

Seventh Housekeywords | more

The seventh house rules marriage, business partnerships and any serious contractual agreement between two people or entities.

This house holds both the possibility of completion of an agreement or of conflict.

Your open enemies and detractors would be covered here, as would your staunchest allies.

This house also manages experts you hire: attorneys, agents or others who represent or collaborate with you.

For most people, the seventh house is most significant as an indication of the status of a marriage partner.

This house describes what you need most from your significant other, and the rapport that develops between you.

Please note that romantic love is reflected in the fifth house, but once a commitment is made, that promise moves the relationship to the seventh house. The 'contract' made between two people, or two entities, may be written or verbal.

The seventh house is ruled by gentle, refined Venus and by the partnering sign of ♎Libra.

Eighth Housekeywords | more

This house is about rebirth, regeneration and the transformation of energy.

Joint financial matters also come under the eighth house. (To the ancients, money is a form of concentrated energy.)

The financial dealings in this house do not include earned income (that would be covered by the second house), but do cover money you lend and also owe others.

Prizes, gifts, inheritances, tax payments and refunds, bonuses, commissions, royalties, child support, alimony, mortgages, credit, loans and venture capital are the kinds of transactions ruled by the eighth house.

Any time you need money to fund a big idea, your chances for success would all come under this house.

This house also would indicate the state of your partner's prosperity.

Gifts and transactions of all kinds are included in this house, and physical love-sex and reproduction is also included here.

(Note that in astrology, the fifth house is love, the seventh house is marriage and the eighth house is sex, all different houses.)

Spiritual and highly intuitive or even psychic experiences are often found in this house too (along with the twelfth house).

Finally, this house rules endings and things to be discarded. As such, surgery is covered here.

This house is ruled by Mars and co-ruled by catalyst Pluto and by the intense sign ♏Scorpio.

Ninth Housekeywords | more

This is the house that encourages us to think big and bold, and to consider the future in the broadest terms.

There always seems to be a certain amount of preparation required before one can take full advantage of all that the ninth house has to offer.

Long distance travel, international communication, interactions and relationships with foreigners, distant relatives and in-laws, and higher education are the key areas covered by this important house.

It also rules your attitudes and viewpoints on all topics, and your efforts to understand complex issues, including morals and ethics.

This house drives discussions on philosophy, religion, publishing, legal and academic matters.

It emphasizes the higher mind and mental exploration.

The ninth house is ruled by fortunate Jupiter and by the philosophical and scholarly sign of ♐Sagittarius.

Tenth Housekeywords | more

Fame, promotion, honors, career awards and professional opportunities, reputation, kudos from your company and your status in the community are covered by this high-powered house.

Located at the Mid-heaven (tip top) point of the horoscope, the cusp of this house (and the first house) indicates your profession and where you excel.

The tenth house also dictates your professional image.

This house covers judges, high-level VIPs, and government officials. It is here where such figures are preordained to help you.

The tenth house is ruled by hard-working, serious Saturn and by the hard-working, focused ♑Capricorn.

Eleventh Housekeywords | more

Friendships and all your platonic relationships fall in this house, as do memberships in any kind of group or club.

Even attendance at a trade show or a theme park -- presence in any congregation of people sharing an interest -- would constitute an eleventh house activity. In that regard, even casual contacts, associations and networking efforts come in here.

The action in this house can reveal clues about your employer's financial reality. It can show you where you are most likely to make profits.

This house governs humanitarian causes and any efforts to correct social ills and injustices.

Finally, this is the magical house of hopes and wishes, where higher aspirations and dreams come true.

While that might sound over-blown, just you wait and see when you have an important aspect occur in this house -- you may be pleasantly surprised!

The eleventh house is ruled by creative and scientific Uranus and by idiosyncratic ♒Aquarius.

Twelfth Housekeywords | more

The twelfth house rules the subconscious mind, dreams, intuition, instinct, and secrets.

In fact, it dominates all that's hidden, including activities going on behind the scenes and confidential engagements.

Psychotherapy and psychic phenomena both fall under this house as part of its rule over the subconscious mind. Dynamics acting on this house can heighten our hunches and intuition.

The ancients wrote that 'self-undoing', meaning anything we do to undermine ourselves, also comes under this house.

It governs of rest, reaching the end of long cycles - and the termination of any and all confinement, such as hospital stays, nursing home residences or even jail sentences.

This is the house we go to to heal ourselves.

It also rules self-sacrifice, inner suffering, limitations and secret enemies. Lastly, this house rules charity, especially on a one-on-one basis.

A little known fact is that all large animals come under the domain of the twelfth house.

The twelfth house is ruled by spiritual and self-sacrificing Neptune and by compassionate ♓Pisces.