Astrology Houses
What are astrology houses?
There are 12 houses in an astrology chart, each one represents an area of life. Each house has a cusp which shows where one house finishes and the next house begins. The sizes of the houses vary (unless the equal house system is used where each house is 30 degrees). There are different house systems but I use the Placidus house system. The sizes of the houses vary according to the time and location used for a chart.
Houses have essential rulers, accidental rulers and occupying planets. Essential rulers are planets which rule the sign where each house cusp is located; if the house cusp is in Aries its essential ruler is Mars. Accidental rulers are planets which rule the sign which is associated with the house; Aries is associated with the 1st house so the accidental ruler is Mars. Planets that are located in a house are the occupying planets of that house. There are also intercepted signs which are completely contained in one house, an intercepted sign can also influence a house. A house can also be influenced by a planet that is in aspect to the house cusp. When a planet in one house is in aspect with a planet from another house both planets can affect both houses.
In a birth chart a house without any occupying planets may indicate an area of life that is ignored or a lot of effort has to be used to compensate for what is missing.
1st House
ANGULAR HOUSE; ASSOCIATED WITH ARIES
Appearance, attitude, beginnings, first impression to others, head of state, how others see you, new projects, optimism, personality, personal environment, personal matters, personal style, physical characteristics, physical wellbeing, royalty, self-awareness, vitality, your behaviour, your view of the world
2nd House
SUCCEDENT HOUSE; ASSOCIATED WITH TAURUS
Ability to be productive, ability to raise funds, attitude to money, attitude to own possessions, available resources, budgeting, buying, capability to manage own money, financial bonuses, financial security, gifts, how you give and receive, income and expenditure, luxury, occupations that focus on finances, personal debt, personal resources, profit, psychological need for possessions, self-worth, selling, shopping, tendency to spend money, urge to start collections, wealth, what you value, your own money, your own possessions.
3rd House
CADENT HOUSE; ASSOCIATED WITH GEMINI
Ability to learn, ability to use reason and logic, acquiring language, close relatives (not parents, children or grandparents), communication, commuting, conscious thought, curiousity, daily matters, discrimination using perception and logic, exchange of ideas, exploration of ideas, familiar environment, how you relate to siblings, information, intellect, intellectual interests, interaction with others, language, local matters, media, mental ability, mental function, messages, neighbours, networking, perceptive ability, radio, short journeys, siblings, speech, study, television, thinking, training, writing.
4th House
ANGULAR HOUSE; ASSOCIATED WITH CANCER
Family background, your past, family roots, home, domestic environment, anything that gives you a feeling of security, family, property, land, heredity, private life, desire to settle down, parental influence, conditioning, the past, family traditions, what you think of your parents, establishing foundations, heritage, where you feel at home, family origins, base of operations, immovable possessions (house), end of life, nurturing parent, childhood, land, end of a matter, base of operations, ancestors, native country, burial.
5th House
SUCCEDENT HOUSE; ASSOCIATED WITH LEO
Creativity, children, leisure, hobbies, enjoyable activities, holidays, entertainment, love affairs, enjoyment, love life, romantic experiences, lovers, celebrations, risks, pleasure, love, creative ability and potential, attitude to children, pets that are treated as a member of the family, sport, speculation, escape from reponsibilities, celebrations, weddings, entertainers, gamblers.
6th House
CADENT HOUSE; ASSOCIATED WITH VIRGO
Health, work, employment, service, diet and exercise, work associates, chores, routine, illness, discipline, hygiene, attitude to employment, being an employee, being an employer, paid work, those who are not employees but are paid to do a job, slavery, attitude to work, self-improvement, servants, grandparents, employees, obligations, health and care of pets.
7th House
ANGULAR HOUSE; ASSOCIATED WITH LIBRA
Attitude to relationships, partnerships, type of person you're attracted to, partners, known enemies, close friendships that are like partnerships, commitment to a relationship, relating to others, how you view your partner, desire for a relationship, acting as an advisor or counsellor, marriage, lawsuits, those who oppose you, competitors, those in the legal profession.
8th House
SUCCEDENT HOUSE; ASSOCIATED WITH SCORPIO
Attitude to money that belongs to other people, inheritance, sex, attitude to death, legacy, possessions that belong to other people, surgery, shared finances, the occult, ability to manage money that belongs to other people, deepest need for intimacy, passion, psychological changes, regeneration, obsessive feelings, sexual nature, a feeling of being "born again", recovery after loss, other peoples values, transformations, investments, partners money, matters concerning the dead, shared resources and possessions, rehabilitation, investigation, insurance, crime, research, wills, joint finances, debt, tax, loans, divorce, occupations associated with death, occupations associated with investigation.
9th House
CADENT HOUSE; ASSOCIATED WITH SAGITTARIUS
Further education, beliefs, religion, long distance travel, desire for freedom, urge for travel, possibility of living abroad, philosophy, study in depth, philosophy, beliefs, religion, foreigners, strangers, spiritual tendencies, partner's siblings, urge to find meaning to life, cultural experiences, morals, broadening the mind, urge for adventure, choosing to live abroad, foreign travel, in-laws ( mother in law, father in law, etc).
10th House
ANGULAR HOUSE; ASSOCIATED WITH CAPRICORN
Career, reputation, status, fame, occupation, ambition, authority, success, achievements, employers, social status, promotion, aspirations, dominant parent and their influence, aim to achieve recognition, choice of profession, occupation, fame, people in a position of power, large organisations, authority figures, how you're seen in your career, those in authority.
11th House
SUCCEDENT HOUSE; ASSOCIATED WITH AQUARIUS
Hopes and wishes, alliances, ideals, friendship, associations, social life, clubs, societies, acquaintances, humanitarian activities, groups you associate with, need for friendship, altruism, associates, social contacts, ability to make friends, your social circle, assistance from friends, money made by business or career, adoption, stepchildren.
12th House
CADENT HOUSE; ASSOCIATED WITH PISCES
Need for privacy, spirituality, dreams, limitations, hidden matters, secrecy, escapism, being own worst enemy, confinement, sacrifice, sorrow, restraint, suffering in silence, solitude, how solitude is dealt with, fantasy, imagination, self-destruction, secrets, private needs, hidden things, subconscious mind, personal difficulties, hidden resources, repression, hidden side of your life, hidden enemies, ending old cycles and initiating new ones, imprisonment, overcoming your past, institutions, isolation, prisons, hospitalisation, spending time alone, spies, conspiracies