The 12 Houses for Beginners

The structure of astrology is a simple circle divided into 12 segments. Patterns are formed as planets are placed within each segment based on date and time of birth, and latitude and longitude of birthplace.    Pythagoras, the mathematical genius, recognized the number twelve’s capacity to encompass the entire foundation of the mathematical language. Twelve holds within its essence the ability to fundamentally express life itself.

The bolded line that cuts the circle in half horizontally is important because it defines where the houses begin.  As you’re looking at the chart,  the left hand side of this horizontal line represents the cusp of the first house.  The houses proceed numerically in a counter clockwise direction.

Each house is naturally ruled by a sign and a planet.  Those are illustrated in the chart and I have included a table for you to translate the symbols if you’re interested, but the focus of this article is the meaning of each house.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The first house:  The first house is birth, beginnings, and first impressions.  It represents your most natural style and the way you present yourself to the world. New projects, leadership, and your physical body are defined here.

The second house:  The second house represents all of your resources including talents.  It represents income, self-worth, net-worth, what you value and how you prioritize, and how you stabilize yourself.

The third house:  This house represents your mind, your mental attitude, your immediate environment, your communication style, what you know, your neighbors, neighborhood, and siblings.  It represents vehicles (your car) and getting from one place to another, short trips, and primary school.

The fourth house:  Your home, family and the qualities you inherit from your family.  Your roots, ancestors, and what you need in order to feel emotionally secure and well nourished. This house represents endings and real estate, your mother, and the foundation on which you build your life.

The fifth house:  Love given, love affairs, romance, sex, child-like joy, children, self-expression, creative drive, theatre, investments, your first child.

The sixth house:  Work, your work environment, co-workers, self-improvement, service, humility, responsibilities, your health, and small pets.

The seventh house:  Partners, your first marriage, commitments, contracts, clients, your second child, what you attract, balance, love, refinement, beauty.

The eighth house:  Intimacy, sharing power and resources, inheritances, taxes, resources you obtain from partners, passive income, trust, humiliation, manipulation, motivation that arises from deep psychological conditioning, business partnerships, intensity, death, and transformation.

The ninth house:  Higher education, the law, lawsuits, foreign countries, the risks you take to expand your life,  beliefs, religion, race, ethnicity, overseas travel, freedom, higher mind, your third child, your second marriage, large animals.

The tenth house:  Your public life, reputation, life direction, career, your boss, authorities, your father, the struggle to achieve, businesses, business activities, stature.

The eleventh house:  Friends, love you receive, tolerance, groups, group affiliation, communities, belonging, insider/outsider status, astrologers, eccentric and brilliant people, social life, dreams, hopes, wishes, 4th child and third marriage.

The twelfth house:  The end of a cycle, loss, things that you hide or that remain hidden from you, hidden enemies, undermining, unconditional love, compassion, spirituality, art, artists,  subtle energy, intuition, fog, film, vagueness, dissolution. hospitals, prisons, convents, monasteries, solitude, and everything you don’t want to deal with.

 

TESTING YOUR KNOWLEDGE.  THE ANSWERS ARE AT THE END.

1.  If someone questions their lack of trust and an inability to form satisfying business partnerships which house would you want to examine?

2.  Where would you look to find information for someone who wanted to become an actress?

3.  In what house would you look to find the reason for being passed over for professional promotions?

4.  Where would you look to explain an emphasis on foreign travel in someone’s life?

5. Where would you look to find a preference for being alone?

6.  If a woman wants to know when or if she will marry which house would you examine?

7. If you’re feeling like you’d like to find a group to belong to which house may be emphasized?

8.  If starting a new project is very fulfilling for you what house might explain that?

9.  If you’re children are a cause for concern which house might give you some clues as to how to handle it?

10.  If you’re having some trouble with co-workers which house might be activated?

 

ANSWERS

1) 8th house 2) 5th house 3) 10th house 4) 9th house 5) 12th house 6) 7th house 7) 11th house 8) 1st house 9) 5th house 10) 6th house

 

2 Comments

  1. This is so interesting to me. I only have plaents in the 4th throught hte 9th house. Does that mean the issues of th eother houses are especially challenging for me, or are non–existant, or what? I am confused about that.

    • Admin:

      Planets located in 4th through the 9th indicate more energy, possibly challenge and opportunity in the areas of life signified by these houses. A natal chart reading is the best way to interpret its meaning. Which planets fall in which house is obviously very important. An empty house does not mean nothing is happening there.
      Holly

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