Houses

Houses can be explained as the "where" in astrology! The Planets have to show their symbol of action "somewhere, and that "where" is The Houses. The signs then describe the houses and the planets within them. Think of the houses as a slice of life.

So, what ARE the Houses? Since the earth is round, it is surrounded by sky. Pretend, if you will, for a moment that you are the earth herself, and you can look out in every direction, and sky and space around you is divided into 12 Astrological sections. Those sections together make 360 degrees, a full circle, surrounding you. These sections of sky are what we call the houses. Now, as a human being, we cannot see through the earth, so some of these houses would be visible at different times of the day if we could see them, and others would not, because as the earth spins on its axis, the houses stay where they are. (The Houses will change in some house systems, however, this example is for visualization purposes. We will get more in-depth in a related article...look for it!) If we look at the sun, we can see that it seems to move, though we know it does not, through the sky during day and hiding at night. It is the same principal with the houses. Unfortunately, we cannot see the houses with human eyes or current technology. I assure you, however, that philosophically speaking, they are real and make an incredible impact on how Astrology works. The beginning line of each house is called a cusp (Notice: "Born On The Cusp" does not apply here, either, as the planet would be in one house or the next…NOT BOTH!).

~~~The First House: The first house represents the physical body you inhabit, how you look and feel physically. It also represents the personality, and how others see you. In the natal chart, the first house is the beginning of the chart, and the first house cusp and the sign there is called the ascendant or rising sign. The rising sign is calculated by finding the time of your birth (a must to know sign and house placements with accuracy), and then deciding what House and Sign were on the eastern horizon (rising, like a sun rise) when and where you were born. This will tell you about your personality and how others view you. Planets in the first house will show what additional actions you will also take in this area. To find out hoe to explain your own ascendant, just look at the sign tendencies, and apply it to outward personality. What you see will be how others view you! The natural rulers are Mars and Aries.

~~The Second House: The second house will show where you have values, where in your life you feel the importance of money and nice things, and where you love beauty. This is a house where you tend to shop, buy, or indulge in the material. Rulers are Venus and Taurus.

~~The Third House: The Third house shows your communication skills, your travels of short distance. This also rules neighbors, everyday life, siblings, and community. This will also show something of your childhood education and schooling. Rulers are Mercury and Gemini.

~~The Fourth House: The Fourth house rules your home, and shows what king of home environment you wish for. This is where you are grounded, wherever you are. This house will also rule the mother, or the nurturing parent. The point on the 4th house cusp, is called the I.C. and had a significance, like the Ascendant. The IC shows where you are coming from, what your background is. This can be viewed as the starting point of life. The best way to explain it is where you chose to begin life in this incarnation. Rulers are The Moon and Cancer.

~~The Fifth House: The fifth house rules the conditions under which you view or have children, where you are creative, and how you view sex, and where you like to be center of attention. Rulers are The Sun and Leo.

~~The Sixth House: The 6th House rules work, service, and health. The sign and planets placed here will show how you work and what kind of work you enjoy, how you serve others, and you attitude toward health issues. The rulers are Mercury and Virgo.

~~The Seventh House: The 7th house is what I call the house of "others" What ever sign and planets placed here, this is what we are looking for other people to be FOR us. We choose partnerships, business, marriage, or pleasure, which usually reflect our 7th house placements. This cusp point is called the descendant, as it is what sign and house were setting on the western horizon when we were born. While we show our outward personality at the ascendant, the descendant is usually our hidden tendencies, which we choose others to live out for us. This is one of the factors that cause some of us to get into those reoccurring pattern relationships, and the part of the answer to why we get caught up with the same type of people again and again. The best thing to do is own try to own up to these tendencies in oneself, attempt to live them, and that would be a factor in breaking bad partnership habits. Ruled by Venus and Libra.

~~The Eight House: This is the house that rules the areas in our lives we seem to have no control over or have no explanation for. These things include: other people’s money, taxes, inheritances, and occult studies. This house also rules regeneration, it will show where you are capable of coming back from downfall or illness. Rulers are Pluto and Scorpio.

~~The Ninth House: This house rules spirituality, higher education, college, mind expansion, and religious beliefs. This is, pardon the plug, your "Reality Box". This is where you strive to learn, and it also shows your interest in travel to distant places. Rulers are Jupiter and Sagittarius.

~~The Tenth House: The 10th House shows where you stand on the ladder to material success, what your social status is, and what your career choice may be. The Point on the 10th house cusp is called the M.C. or Mid Heaven, this was the point directly above you at the time and place of birth. The Mid Heaven shows your Social or Celebrity Persona, in other words, how you are seen in the public’s eye, whether you be at you career, your school, or celebrity, this point will describe how you are seen on a large scale by those who don’t know you personally. Rulers are Saturn and Capricorn.

~~The Eleventh House: The placements in this house will describe how you view friendships, and what kind you choose. This will also reflect your personal hopes and dreams for yourself and those you love. This house also reflects you socially, but has to do with the personal side of sociability, rather than the status. Rulers are Uranus and Aquarius.

~~The Twelfth House: The twelfth house rules the unconscious, the subconscious, and the Higher self, the memory (especially memory suppression), and where we can be deceived by others and ourselves. When we have placements in the twelfth, these tend to be things we are normally unaware of, that come out in dreams and visions. This is also the place for psychic activity. The twelfth also rules the conditions our birth mother was in just before our birth. And it also rules all institutions, like prisons and hospitals.

Sub-Map of Beginner Pages

|Tips on Learning Astrology|Signs|Planets|Rulers|
|Elements|Masc. & Fem.|Qualities|Houses|
|Aspects|Astrology Chat/Class|Rising Signs|

Next Pages

© 1998-2001 Astrological.Net. All Rights Reserved. Do Not Copy Without Permission.