Understanding the 12 Astrological Houses

In astrology, houses are the 12 unique segments of the zodiac wheel that are governs by one of the 12 zodiac signs.  The houses are orderly and numbers run counterclockwise, that represent a certain aspect of your life.  The first house is home to Aries.  Houses also have ruling planet that tie-in with corresponding sign.

The 12 Houses

Meanings behind each house

The twelve houses split into two main categories.  The first six houses rule aspects pertaining to yourself.  The final six houses rule the areas in which you relate to your external environment.

• First House: The Self – Aspects of your appearance, health, and lifeforce.  It governs how you perceive the world, the way you project yourself, and how people perceive you.
• Second House:  Material wealth – money, possessions, and valuables.  It reflects incomes from salary or investments and one’s ability to accrue wealth.
• Third House:  Communication whether thinking, speaking, listening, or touch.  This house involved receiving education or knowledge.  It represents close relationships like family, dear friends, and close neighbors.
• Fourth House:  Home – either your physical or metaphorical sanctuary. Family is governed by this house especially in regards to parents, land, family treasures, unconscious childhood patterns, foundation, emotional attachment, and the life cycle.
• Fifth House:  This house rules creativity, self-expression, parenthood, love, romance, and dating.  It is often called the “fun house” since drinking, fun, gambling, risk-tasking, and sports fall under this house.
• Sixth House:  This house governs health, service, rituals, and daily routines.  It also rules distressing events, workplace conditions, employees, coworkers, bosses, and small animals (including pets).
• Seventh House:  Partnerships including both business and personal. Marriage, one-on-one relationships, contracts, agreements and legal concerns are reflected as well.
• Eighth House:  Transformation like death, sex, taxes, inheritances, other people’s money, debt, and alimony.  It governs aspect not noticeable from the outside, especially in terms of what you share with partners, private interactions, and personal relationships.
• Ninth House:  This house rules long-distance travel, higher education, and exploration other cultures first-hand.  Other aspects include religion, philosophy, foreign perspectives, and how you relate to your in-laws.
• Tenth House:  Career – your profession, goals, reputation, and service to both the community as well as globally.  It highlights the dominant and most influential parent in your life, authority figures, and public persona.
• Eleventh House:  Your sense of belonging – your friend group, peers, world view, humanity, and the environment.  It also represents unforeseen situations, sudden change, hopes, dreams, and wishes.
• Twelfth House:  Secrets – Hidden truth and lingering shadows in your subconscious.  It governs solitude, karma, and hidden adversaries and large animals.

Birth Charts

A birth or natal chart is based off your exact time, date, and location of birth.  It captures the location of the planets in the sky at the moment of your birth.  What house each planet fall into on your birthday can greatly influence your personality, hopes, ambitions, and emotions.  If you are looking to gain a better perspective on your life path, consider analyzing your birth chart.