The Meaning of the Houses
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1st House - Naturally like Aries, the 1st sign
Me, me, me, so goes the 1st house. This is the house that signifies the self. (See note below under transits for connection with the 5th and 9th houses as a "safe haven") Here are some of the major significations of the 1st house. The self, the self-image, the self-projection: What kind of person am I? What kind of things about myself do I most identify with? What am I proud of about myself? How do I like people to see me, and what qualities do I like them to identify me with? View to the World: How do I tend to see people and things? What color are the glasses I am peering out of? How do I think people and life should be? Self-Confidence and Social Success: One's ability to project oneself boldly, confidently, and naturally into social environments is a 1st house concern--and through this self-projection to be recognized when necessary. The ability to make a good first impression, and be well-received by others is included here. Personal Interests: What do I like and love to do? What are my passions? Fresh beginnings, new starts: Especially in the case of transits, progressions, etc. that move from the 12th to the 1st house, the 1st house will signify a new beginning, or a fresh start on life, or a time of reemerging into the outer world. Early Life: Especially in natal analysis, information about the very beginning of life is a 1st house matter. The Body: In Vedic astrology, the 1st house is considered the major house when it comes to all things concerning the body, including health and longevity (although the 6th is also health to them, and the 8th is also longevity). Does the 1st house have the same 'body' connotations in Western astrology? I think it does for the most part, though perhaps not as much as in the Vedic system. The 6th and 2nd houses are also body-oriented in western astrology. Transits to the 1st house will primarily influence or change our sense of self, our self-projection, and our sense of who we are and what we are about. Also influenced could be our direction in life, and our pursuit of personal interests. Generally speaking, the first house per se (i.e. not necessarily the ascendant per se), like the other fire houses, the 5th and 9th, acts as a kind of safe haven in the chart, where transitting planets are more likely to show opportunity, and less likely to show difficulty.
2nd House - Naturally like Taurus, the 2nd sign
Along with the 4th, 6th, 8th, and 12th Houses, the 2nd House has a very esoteric meaning. Thus it has two dimensions, one is very material and the other is very spiritual.
The Essence: Esoteric: Can you calm down and be present, to realize that you already have it all? Intimate: Can you be strong within and love yourself, not needing to lean so much on others? Material: Can you provide for all of your material needs by yourself? Esoteric/Spiritual significance: The highest fulfillment of this house is inner peace, grounded and relaxed in the body in the present moment. That is why this house can be so difficult, because every deep issue, addiction, and external distraction that prevents us from this rest is met here. For most people, events in this house often coincide with relationships, because relationships are often misused to prevent us from being able to be self-sufficient. The Danger: Depending on a drug, Leaning too much on our relationships, Not slowing down, Over-indulgence, Avoiding your feelings. Intimate significance: This is one of the big houses that involve relationships, in addition to the 4th, 5th, 6th (read below!), 7th, and 8th. This is usually a more negative house for relationships, like the 6th. That's because many of us form very interdependent relationships with others before being sufficiently independent. But unlike the 6th, the 2nd doesn't have to be negative zone for relationships. If two people really love their own selves first, and are strong within their own selves, then the 2nd can be a very solid place for relationships. If two people need each other and are addicted in and to the relationship, then the 2nd refers to this negative kind of relationship. Material significance: This is the traditional house of money, finances, and resources. Basic material self-sufficiency and bodily wellness is the issue. Can you save money? Do you have a mature approach to your finances? Can you make money? Can you provide for yourself, enjoying a comfortable and beautiful home? Can you take care of your body? Can you relax and take-it-easy? Can you slow down? Hard transits to the 2nd house are likely to bring crises and challenges of our selfsufficiency, usually in our relationships. Through these experiences we are challenged to either find some peace and strength solely within ourselves, or we put off these positives by turning more deeply to the addictions that distract us. Material opportunities and/or material challenges are another major ingredient of 2nd house transits. For more on the 2nd house, read my article: Taurus, A Holistic View Vedic Notes: The 2nd House in Vedic Astrology is also about at least two other interesting things. 1) the happiness of the family, and 2) speech, including the mouth itself. I do not use these significations for the 2nd House in Western Astrology, however.
3rd House - Naturally like Gemini, the 3rd sign
(under the 11th house) for an important way of understanding the air houses (3, 7,
11) as a group. The third house, like it's natural sign, Gemini, covers a variety of different areas. In keeping with its Gemini nature, I'll list the diverse possible connections. Amazingly, the third house has a very different meaning in Vedic astrology. There, it has a lot to do with one's energy, courage, and martial prowess. In other words, someone with a strong third house in their Vedic chart is someone who is dynamic, bold, super-charged, adventurous, and full of vitality. The third house in Vedic astrology has a much more Martian flavor to it (in keeping with its rulership of brothers). Someone with a truly strong (i.e. having a stellium or planets in the third doesn't necessarily make it "strong," it just makes it emphasized) 3rd house in Western astrology is someone who has good social skills and ability to be very active and involved in city-life with people and commerce. In either system, a healthy third house will bring good relationships with siblings and buddies. Thinking/Writing/Speaking/Education/Communication/Theorizing: Yep. Short-Distance Travel: The travel associated with the third house is usually local travel, like taking a road trip or journeying within your own country. It's about getting around and being stimulated by new things, not really as much about going to another country and being totally blown away by another culture (that's more like the 9th or 11th houses). Occasionally, though it is international, but this is rarely the case. Siblings and sibling-like relationships: Gemini is an air sign, so relationships and people are significant here. Mainly it's with people who are like brothers and sisters to us. Business and commerce: Mercury, in Greek myth, is the patron of merchants. The third house can have a very business-like dimension to it. It can be about practical realities and making money, and about "city-life." The Arts: The third house and Gemini are not usually given enough credit for connection with all of the arts, including music. Gemini rules the hands, and almost all music is played using the hands, and much of the other arts are done with the hands, too. In Vedic astrology, the third house has a lot to do with the arts. Anything done with the hands: You name it. Massage therapy can even fit in here because it's a combination of hands and commerce. Energy, Passion, Courage, Will, Martial Prowess - A Vedic Consideration : One of the more important and little understood aspects of the third house is that it actually can have a very Martian flavor to it, as Vedic astrology explains. This probably seems rather strange to you if you are used to Western astrology, but I would encourage you to watch and notice if you see a high level of energy, passion, and zeal amongst strongly third-house people. Admittedly, this is probably more true in Vedic astrology than it is in Western astrology, but it is still worth paying close attention to. There's a lot listed there, huh? Welcome to the third house. Any significant transits to the third house will probably coincide with much or most of the above.
4th House - Naturally like Cancer, the 4th sign
Along with the 2nd, 6th, 8th, and 12th Houses, the 4th House has a somewhat esoteric meaning. Thus it has at least two dimensions, one being very human, intimate, and grounded, while the other is very spiritual. The Essence: Esoteric: Can you realize that all things of this world pass, and so find your home within yourself and depend on the spiritual dimension of existence more than anything else? Intimate: Can you value and enjoy the realm of human and family relationships? Material: Can you be a responsible provider to your family or community, and can you make your home a financially solid and comfortable place to live? Esoteric/Spiritual significance: All of the water houses (and some of the earth houses) are strongly related to the spiritual dimension of life. (This helps us see one reason why Jupiter is exalted in Cancer, for those who speak astrology). And even though the 4th house is a very 'human' house, it also has a very esoteric dimension. Particularly we see this through the I.C. or cusp (beginning) of the fourth house. The I.C. can be one of the most significant points of crisis in all the houses. It is the very bottom or base of the chart, and it sometimes symbolizing being brought to a kind of personal bottom, for the purpose of refilling ourselves with reliance on the spiritual dimension of life. What sometimes coincides with transits to the I.C. is some kind of crisis in our relationships or families that forces us to go within and depend on our relationship to Spirit for our survival and sustenance. Other transitting possibilities are below. Intimate significance: The fourth house is naturally associated with the sign Cancer, which is ruled by the Moon. The Moon is the most down-home, down-toearth, human 'planet.' The Moon is all about humanness and human relationships, and the fourth house is also a place of human intimacy, both family closeness and partnership closeness. So all elements of close emotional relating are connected with the fourth house. Mom, Home, and Family: Mom is powerfully symbolized in the fourth house, as is one's literal home or dwelling. The family, in general, is also symbolized by the fourth house. The Past and Family Psychology: The fourth house, like Cancer and the Moon, governs 'the past' including whatever positive benefits or difficult issues the past has given us. This also relates to patterns we inherit through our families's psychological inheritance (the other water houses, the 8th and 12th, also relate to psychological family inheritance). Personal significance: All of the cardinal, or angular, houses have to do with our basic self and self-projection. So any transits to the fourth house can have to do with incorporating certain qualities more deeply within ourselves. I like to say "getting certain qualities deep within our souls." For example, Jupiter in the fourth could be about getting more spiritual and light forces deeply within us. Saturn in the fourth
could be about getting more responsibility, groundedness, and discipline deeply within us. The 4th is a basically reclusive house, and whenever planets come through here, we tend to become more withdrawn, pulling into our own shells and homes, and our focus moves more towards our most intimate human relationships. Transits to the IC, when not like the crisis scenario discussed above, can bring an emphasis on the home, whether that mean moving, selling, buying, refinancing, remodeling, or furnishing, for example.
5th House - Naturally like Leo, the 5th sign
The 5th house is similar to the 3rd house in that it is the province of a great many things, owing to the creative natures of their ruling signs and planets. The 5th house is a bit easier to unify under a single essence, though: The Essence: Having a secure sense of self allows one to play, love, have fun, and express oneself creatively, all with the innocence of a child. Another extremely important note about the essence of the 5th house is that it shares a lot in common with the 9th house. For those who speak astrology, the 9th house is the 5th house from the 5th house, and the 5th house is the 9th house from the 9th house. Together, these are the most "auspicious" houses of abundance, grace, and good fortune. Yummy. In many ways, I consider the 5th house even more lucky and positive than the 9th. But in Western astrology, the 5th house doesn't often get this credit that it deserves. The 5th and 9th houses are the real safe havens of the chart, along with the 1st. There are some specific matters which both the 5th and 9th houses pertain to, however, that does distinguish them from each other. Fun and Play: One's capacity for fun and play, or one's idea of fun and play, are primarily the province of the 5th house. Travel is therefore one of the many things that can be shown by the 5th house, because the 5th house includes easy, good fortune and having fun. Love and Romance: The 5th house is also a major house of romantic relationships. The interconnections between romance and the rest of the 5th house show up in various ways. Romance is fun, and enjoying romance is one way to experience that one is lovable. Relationships imply sex, and sex is a creative force, and can also result in children. For women, relationships with men will of course mirror many facets of their relationships with their father(s), and a woman's relationships with men can be shown largely by her fifth house indicators. Self-Expression and Creativity: Creative self-expression optimally arises out of confidence and faith in one's own gifts and goodness. Various kinds of creativity are of course possible here-including the arts and writing. Authority and Leadership: Inner authority is the province of the 5th house; this includes trusting and believing in oneself in all possible ways--confidence. Therefore positions of authority and leadership also come in to play in the 5th house, including politics.
Dad: The 5th house is the house of Leo and the Sun, some evidence of the fact that this is the one house that one can always look to for information about one's relationship with one's father figures (the 4th and 10th houses can be either father or mother, depending on the person, although the 4th will also always signify the mother). The father is naturally meant to be a symbol in our lives of self-esteem, power, and positive authority, and the influence of our father(s) upon the development of these qualities within ourselves is indicated by the fifth house. Teaching and Teachers: Combining the elements of authority and self-expression (and sometimes children), we can see that one manifestation of these qualities is in teaching roles. The role of teachers in our own lives can also be read largely through the 5th house. Children: One of the biggest provinces of the 5th house relates to children (including miscarriages and abortions in the case of some hard afflictions and transits), as seen by the combining of Dad (parenthood) and creativity. Healing of the ego: An important 'umbrella' understanding of the 5th house is that it refers to the many ways that one might go about healing the ego, or a lack of selfesteem. Games: Athletic sports and mental games (like board games, video games, etc.) are also the province of the 5th house, in keeping with the spirit of fun and free time. "Past-life credit": In Vedic astrology, the 5th house is also considered a house of past-life credit, and generally a very auspicious and positive house. I have seen this to work very well in the western context as well. I find that past-life gifts can be read through the 5th house, and probably good things owed to us from "good karma." Transits through the 5th house will generally give a kind of grace period filled with fun, leisure, and opportunities for creativity and self-expression. Hard transits can, however, bring up issues with father figures or children, creative struggles, or difficulty with conceiving a child.
6th House - Naturally Like Virgo, the 6th Sign
Along with the 2nd, 4th, 8th, and 12th Houses, the 6th House has a very esoteric meaning. Thus it has at least two dimensions, one is very material and the other is very transformational in nature. In Hindu or Vedic astrology the 6th, 8th, and 12th houses are known as the 'dusthana' or grief-causing houses. They are recognized as usually difficult on the external plane, but they are crucial to the development of true spiritual awareness. Like the outer planets, these houses only become totally positive when valued for their transformational potential, when one values spiritual awakening more than the personality's desires. There is always a material level of the 6th, 8th, and 12th houses that are no better or worse than the material levels of other houses. But then additionally there are also 'karmic' or spiritual processes that these houses refer to which are more complex, esoteric, and usually difficult. The same can also be true of the 2nd and 4th houses, to an important, but lesser extent.
The Essence: Transformational: The transformation of our self-esteem through projecting our lack of self-esteem onto relationships and working situations that end up feeling unequal, abusive, or unfulfilling to us. The question is: Can you raise your standards for yourself so that you insist on having mutually supportive relationships and work that is creatively nourishing? Material: Can you take good care of and heal your physical body? Can you commit and focus yourself on your work, studies, or service to others? There are also other ingredients to the 6th house, as listed below. Transformational: Negative Relationships: The 6th house is the ultimate house of negative relationships. This includes all varieties of unequal, unfair, unhealthy, and even abusive relationships. When we meet with these kinds of relationships in the 6th house, it is for the purpose of encouraging us to stand up for ourselves, put ourselves first, and set better boundaries and limits for what we are willing to accept in our lives. Health: The physical health of the body is a major element of the 6th house. However, to understand whether or not a hard transit would bring health issues, the natal chart has to be properly understood first. For some people, relatively minor transits to the 6th could bring health problems. For others, major and heavy transits to the 6th might not affect health much at all. Work, Discipline and Work Ethic: The 6th house can easily bring us work opportunities, however these opportunities are often ones where we will have to work too hard, and/or where we will have problematic relations with our boss (or employees). So we should be aware that 6th house work opportunities may bring us problems in the end, and so we should be prepared to let go of them if necessary. One’s capacity for committing to hard work and discipline is also shown in the 6th. Teachers, Mentors, Healers, Gurus, Studies: The 6th house is a place of learning, and of all varieties of unequal relationships. However, some fundamentally unequal relationships like teacher-student, mentor-mentored, and healer-healed, can be very positive here. This also means that apprenticeship and the mastery of skills related to our work is connected with the 6th house. The Mind: The left-brained, logical strength of the mind is signified by the 6th House and its mental significator, Mercury. Pets: The 6th house, remember is the house of "unequal relationships." Probably for this reason, it also signifies pets and our relationships with them. Transits to the 6th house bring opportunities for the transformation of our selfesteem, and for healing and purification. It’s best to work with these transits in a few ways. 1) Become exceedingly conscious of exactly what you want in your relationships, work, home, etc. Write these things down as a kind of manifestation list. 2) Give yourself time to focus on healing, particularly towards the end of the 6th house transit. It’s good to have time to just be with your experience, rather than letting your schedule get so busy that you don’t have time to yourself. 3) Physically fasting or cleansing can be very constructive ways to work with 6th house transits
also.
7th House - Naturally Like Libra, the 7th Sign
The 7th house is the eye of the hurricane between the transformational processes of the 6th and 8th houses; its experience is basically and generally pleasant, especially compared to the houses on either side of it. It is the traditional house of marriage, although the 8th house may be even more accurate as a house of marriage. It is definitely true that the 7th and 8th are both houses of intimate relationships and marriage. Here are some of the major themes and meanings of the 7th house. Partnership: The 7th house is meant to be a house of the partnership of equals. So all relationships that operate on a fundamentally equal plane are signified here. Of course this primarily indicates one's predominant intimate relationship. Relationship with Self, God: The 7th house is a house of all kinds of positive relationships, and this really does begin with oneself. When a planet transits into one's 7th, it is very common to experience at least an initial period of having a very nice and smooth time alone with ourselves. For some, the choice to have a deeper relationship with God rather than a human being, is the way of the 7th house. More on the relationship with God is below with the 12th house. Social Emergence: The 7th House marks the beginning of the second half of the chart, which is more outward and socially directed. This is why "coming before the public" is an important part of the 7th house (the 7th house is also the 10th house from the 10th house, for those who speak astrology). It is very common to see people with planets transiting over their Descendant (the beginning of the 7th house in most house systems) to emerge very powerfully and positively in social spheres. When this happens one usually comes across as radiant, beautiful, and impressive to others. Open Enemies: When the planetary influences are more hard and conflicting to the 7th house (particularly when they involve Mars), one can meet "the other" (the 7th) as being in literal opposition to oneself (the 1st), as some kind of enemy working against us. Generally speaking, transitting planets entering the 7th bring us a fresh and clean break from the issues we worked on in the 6th. When the end of the 6th is marked with conflicting relationships, the entry into the 7th usually brings a nice time of freedom and aloneness, to be followed by new relationships. When the end of the 6th is marked by an emphasis on being alone and healing oneself, the 7th usually brings a positive new relationship into one's life. Transits to 7th house planets (or the 7th house ruler, if you speak astrology) will often manifest as effecting our partners more than ourselves.
8th House -- Naturally like Scorpio, the 8th sign
Along with the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, and 12th Houses, the 8th House has a very
esoteric meaning. Thus it has two dimensions, one is of matters pertaining to purely physical life, and the other to matters that include the depths of spirituality. In Hindu or Vedic astrology the 6th, 8th, and 12th houses are known as the 'dusthana' or grief-causing houses. They are recognized as usually difficult on the external plane, but they are crucial to the development of true spiritual awareness. Like the outer planets, these houses only become totally positive when valued for their transformational potential, when one values spiritual awakening more than the personality's desires. There is always a material level of the 6th, 8th, and 12th houses that are no better or worse than the material levels of other houses. But then additionally there are also 'karmic' or spiritual processes that these houses refer to which are more complex, esoteric, and usually difficult. The same can also be true of the 2nd and 4th houses, to an important, but lesser extent. The 8th House is, to me, the repository of humanity's darkness, guilt, and shame after countless centuries of treating one another in frequently evil and despicable ways. Our own connection with that collective darkness is shown through the 8th, including how mired down in it we may initially be in life, and how much potential we have to work with others to help turn this darkness and pain into healing and light. The first place where these 8th house matters are going to manifest in life is within our own families. The Essence: Psychological/Esoteric: Can you totally face the dark and painful parts of yourself and your past, thereby liberating deep shame? Can you transmute darkness into light using the power of loving awareness? Intimate: Can you expose yourself and experience a beautiful closeness with another? Physical: Can you have successful financial partnerships with others? Psychological significance: This is the house of all deeply buried psychological issues, the house of 'skeletons in the closet.' Also this is the true house of one-toone intimacy, and also therefore our blockages to this intimacy. As such, the 8th house is always a sticky, sensitive, and very personal house, as it is the storehouse of our most personal psychic 'garbage.' This garbage is not bad, but fundamental to our humanness, and requires persistent and loving investigation to become conscious and liberated from the shadows. 'Power struggles' can be an eighth house way of acting out our own lack of power over ourselves, by attempting to have power over something outside of us; they are simply a convenient way to avoid oneself, and come up with an excuse for doing so. Esoteric/Spiritual significance: This house can be seen as 'the dark night of the soul.' It symbolizes the deepest psychological healing processes that we can undergo and facilitate, to free up our consciousness from being split and divided. The next house, the 9th, is generally the most positive house while the 8th is the most difficult. This shows that by courageously integrating our unconscious and painful aspects into a wholeness, that the natural results are positive spiritual qualities, such as joy, abundance, friendliness, and freedom. The 8th house can represent the death of ego. Ego is the fundamental false way of living that involves identifying with our minds rather than our silence, being consumed with past and future rather than right now, being out of our bodies,
avoiding our feelings, and being resistant to these truths. The fullness of the 8th house is true spiritual power, guided by our inherent oneness with Truth itself, which is the only place where real power comes from. 8th house spiritual power is also guided by profound love, healing, sincerity, and transformational honesty. Intimate significance: This is the primary house of sex and intimacy, per se. The 8th house could be considered the true house of marriage, because it is about ALL the nitty gritty of intimacy and shared finances. The 8th house takes partnership to a much deeper level than the 7th house. Physical significance (Other People's Money): The 8th is the most significant money house, along with the 2nd. In particular, the 8th has to do with money that is in some way shared or involved with two people. This is the house of inheritances, of married couples, of wealthy spouses, of spouses' inheritances, and of business partnerships. In general, any relationship that significantly or primarily involves money can fall under the domain of the 8th house. This would include roommates, bosses and employees, and in some cases, parents and children. Healing: Whereas some have said that a motto of the 12th house is "serve or suffer," a similar motto for the 8th house would be something like: "heal or selfdestruct." Those with an 8th house emphasis are forced to one extreme or another: healing of self and others (transforming darkness into light) or self-destruction. Having a spiritual source to turn to is invaluable in the 8th house where those selfdestructive forces threaten to keep us mired down in vicious cycles unless we have something very positive, powerful, and transformational to turn to to get us spiraling upwards in the positive direction. In the 8th house, we are quickly forced to choose the low road or the high road. Research and Insight: The 8th house is all about going deep, and it can be a very powerful house for going deeply with the mind into scientific or intuitive matters. Esoteric Mysteries: The realm of the esoteric itself is ruled by the 8th, which governs the occult, or the 'mysteries.' These esoteric realms can be sources of power which can be guided by compassion, wisdom, surrender, and awareness, or by selfserving, controlling, and other negative motives. A knife can be used to kill or heal. The knife isn't the problem or the boon, it's the intention of the one who uses the knife, and one's skill with using the knife, that are the important factors. Transits through the 8th house are generally speaking the most difficult of the transits through any given house. These are generally times when we are most struggling against our own inner darkness. The beautiful thing about these times is that if we can keep meeting our difficulties with consciousness and keep turning to spiritual and healing solutions we can make great progress in liberating ourselves from our inner "demons." One of the main ways that these challenges can be triggered is through experiences of scandal. However, if we use a transit going from the 7th house to the 8th house to go deeper into a marriage-like connection (perhaps by getting married), then much of the difficult 8th house energy will typically greatly diminish; this is one of the most "easy" ways of handling an 8th house transit, though it doesn't mean that the challenging parts of it will not also be present.
9th House -- Naturally like Sagittarius, the 9th sign
Like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, so is the 9th house. Of course this house has its shadow, too, and this really has to be emphasized because the 9th house, like the sign Aquarius, sometimes only gets good press. Still, no astrologer has ever looked upon a planet transitting from the 8th to the 9th house and felt a sense of dread. Let's return to that pot of gold theme for a moment. Did you know that the 9th house is the 5th house from the 5th house? And that the 5th house is the 9th house from the 9th house? Translation: the 9th and the 5th houses are probably more fundamentally similar than any other two out of the twelve houses. They are both the houses of abundance, grace, luck, and good fortune. Yummy. There are some specific matters which both the 5th and 9th houses pertain to, however, that does distinguish them from each other. The Essence: Spiritual Growth that comes through ease rather than difficulty; this particularly includes travelling, leisure, studying to gain understanding rather than information, philosophizing, and religious experiences. Another important key essence to the 9th is that of the theoretical unperpining of societies. This includes law, morality, ethics, rights, and social or spiritual principles. This also makes the 9th house the territory of groups that organize around such principles, including activist groups. Here are some comments on some of the major domains of the 9th house: Travel Abroad: Spiritual growth never felt so good. Relax, have fun, and open your mind to other realities. In addition to the 9th house, the natal condition of Jupiter will tell you a great deal about someone's experience of travel abroad. Unlike ... Higher Education: Don't work. Just learn. I want to personally shake the hand of whoever came up with the concept of higher education. However, in addition to the 9th house, the natal condition of Mercury will tell you a great deal about someone's experience of higher education. Most people probably assume that Jupiter would give us this information, but that is not what I have found to be the case. Laziness and the rich kid syndrome: The shadow of the 9th house is that is such a place of opportunity, that it can also become a place of laziness, childishness, and overindulgence. It can be like the bratty rich kid who has things so easy in life that they do not develop important qualities like responsibility, compassion, and the ability to work. This can also be a shadow of the 5th house. Guru's/Spiritual Teachers: While it is not the best idea to polarize mundane daily life from the spiritual life, there are certainly valuable things that can be gained from those who specialize in the "spiritual" side of life. Our relationship to such spiritual teachers (or even just regular professors) is indicated in the 9th house. Philosophizing: Philosophy is certainly the realm of the 9th house as well as the
sign Sagittarius. The 9th house can give us an indication of how "spiritual" or material a person's life philosophy is. But be careful, having a strong spiritual philosophy in life does not insure that someone understands what spirituality really is (hint: it's not in the mind). Publishing and Teaching: Got something to say? You've come to the right house. Shout it on the mountaintops, publish it in a magazine, or just write an entire book about it. The dissemination of ideas is a vital part of an intelligent and evolving society. Don't forget that the fifth house has a lot to do with these affairs as well, especially teaching. Social Gatherings: Along with the 11th house, the 9th house also has a lot to do with social gatherings. Sometimes these are for more "party" purposes, and sometimes these are for more social purposes, like activist gatherings and organizations. Nature and Retreat: Not fully in the world as the 10th is, the 9th house is in many ways the opposite of this. The 9th house is the country as opposed to the city (3rd house). The 9th house also often indicates spiritual, meditative, contemplative, and nature-centered retreat rather than being in the hustle and bustle of public life. Animal-Focused Organizations: Like the ninth sign Sagittarius, the 9th house has something to do with animals, and sometimes pertains to groups such as a Humane Society. The 6th house, however, is the house of "pets." Basically, transits through the 9th give an emphasis on pure fun (exactly like the 5th), or on studying, often in order to have a credential or degree in order to do work later on. Transits to 9th house planets indicate hard or expansive experiences with regards to the above affairs.
10th House -- Naturally like Capricorn, the 10th sign
The 10th house is certainly straight forward in one respect. It's the realm of career, fame, and recognition. Many Vedic astrologers consider the 10th to be the most solid and strong house in the chart. The worth of the 10th house probably depends a great deal on what you really value. In many ways, the trappings of the 10th house can potentially subtract from things like family, relationships, leisure, and spirituality (humility, simplicity, etc.). The Midheaven has some very interesting elements to it, but the Midheaven and the 10th house are not necessarily synonymous. The Midheaven is the cusp of the 10th house in most, but not all, Western house systems. I'll discuss the Midheaven below as well. The Essence: Dedication to social responsibility and/or working hard as an individual has its rewards: success, fame, and recognition (though not necessarily money). Here are some of the affairs of the 10th house:
Career: Simply, the 10th house can tell us a great deal about someone's career. Descriptively, it can tell us how we go about our work. Concretely, it can tell us how successful and stable we are likely to be in our careers. It can tell us about assets that we possess and the obstacles in our career paths. Fame and Recognition: The 10th house does not tell us how much recognition our personality will tend to get in social situations (the 1st house tells us that), but it does tell us about the recognition that our work is likely to give us. It is possible to have a powerful social charisma (1st), but little fame (weak 10th). It is also possible to be meek as a mouse (weak 1st), but be incredibly famous (10th). Transits to the 10th house will affect the above matters in hard or expansive ways, depending on the aspect involved, and the planets and signs involved. Transits through the 10th will mark times where independent hard work is highlighted. It is as if those times are times when we are fated to give back to our communities through hard work and service; however this hard work in the 10th normally also comes with a large share of social and public recognition.
The Midheaven
The Midheaven signifies at least two very interesting things: Moving: Time and time and time again I have seen moving related to the Midheaven moreso than any other part of the chart (such as the 4th house). The planets involved will give a good sense of what the move is about, i.e., Jupiter could be moving to a fun, leisurely place or for these reasons; Saturn could be moving for career, work, or dutiful reasons. Another ingredient of the Midheaven is "where are you going in life?" and this of course fits in with this theme of moving. Learning to have the Confidence to Project Certain Qualities to Others: The Midheaven can show us important evolutionary needs, particularly things that we are working on learning how to express comfortably to others socially with confidence or clarity. Planets transiting over the Midheaven will bring changes to our public and working life, in accordance with the planets involved.
11th House -- Naturally like Aquarius, the 11th sign
The 11th house has everything to do with our relationship with humanity as a whole. Thanks to some clues given by Hilarion in his channeled book, Astrology Plus, I've been able to put together a somewhat unorthodox, but telling, view of the 11th house. It tells us a lot about how we will relate to humanity as a whole, including such an obvious manifestation as how we will tend to relate to groups of people. Remember that the air houses tell us, primarily about our social skills and natures. The 3rd tells us about our relationship with close friends, people who are like (or literally are) brothers and sisters; the 3rd also gives a picture of basic social skills. The 7th tells us about our interactions with close partners, rather than 3rd house buddies. And the 11th tells us about our social relations with more than one person at a time, as well as all people, in general. In another respect the 11th house is like a continuation of the 10th house. It's very public and career-oriented in nature, though it involves more cooperation than the 10th house, In another respect the 11th house is like a continuation of the 10th house. It's very public and career-oriented in nature, though it involves more cooperation than the 10th house, because the 10th is a very independent house when it comes to work. The Essence: What do you tend to do when gathered together in groups of three or more people? What can people do together when gathered in groups of three or more people? In working together with others, can you do so with the highest, most universal, and all-inclusive motives? Or is your focus on self-aggrandizement and sowing division between people? Groups of People: The 11th house is the first house to consider when it comes to any affair involving a group of people (the 9th is the other). Thus the 11th signifies a diverse number of social gatherings such as: your poker buddies, a concert of 100,00 people, the corporation or business you work for, your church, and the charitable group you work for. Particularly, the 11th house is connected with groups that have a common identity of sense of there being an "us" to belong to in some way. One's Relationship with People in General: Do you tend to like most people? Do most people tend to like you? How you do feel about and get along with most people, in general? Be sure to look at how planets in the 11th are aspected. For example, an 11th house Venus (using Porphyry houses) with hard aspects generally shows difficult relationships with women in general; an 11th house Venus with positive aspects generally shows positive relationships with women in general. Working with Others and "Passing the Torch": Whereas the 10th represents the rugged individual working like a dog and doing all of the work by themselves, the 11th shows the potential for people to each have different roles or jobs working together for the same end. It also represents the time when an individual can take all of their own 10th house experience and teach or train someone else how to do what they do, thus insuring that their work will live on beyond them. Reaching the Masses: If it involves humanity or large numbers of people, it's related to the 11th house. This includes everything from being on television to
In Vedic Astrology the 11th house is the house of gains (whereas the 12th is loss), particularly material gains from one's work. Jyotishi's consider the 11th one of the most positive and desirable houses in the chart, one where abundance comes about and where matters gain in strength over time. This same meaning does not particularly seem to apply in Western astrology. Transits to 11th house planets will give hard or expansive opportunities with some grouping of people, depending on the aspects and planets and signs involved. Transits of planets through the 11th tend to indicate a kind of social or career culmination or fullness of activity in these areas.
12th House -- Naturally like Pisces, the 12th sign
Along with the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, and 12th Houses, the 12th House has a very esoteric meaning. But unlike these other houses, the 12th house has an almost entirely spiritual meaning, without much of a mundane, physical meaning. In Hindu or Vedic astrology the 6th, 8th, and 12th houses are known as the 'dusthana' or grief-causing houses. They are recognized as usually difficult on the external plane, but they are crucial to the development of true spiritual awareness. Like the outer planets, these houses only become totally positive when valued for their transformational potential, when one values spiritual awakening more than the personality's desires. The Essence: Spiritual/Esoteric (Only): Can you recognize how powerless you are next to God? Can you surrender your life to Spirit, and let it be guided by Spirit? Through this surrender, can you either humbly serve in the way that God directs you, or let an inspired artistic creativity flow through you? Life crises may force the above questions upon us in the 12th house. In keeping with this grand metaphysical picture of the 12th house, here are some of the things that tie in directly to the unity of the 12th house: Aloneness: Because the 12th house wants us to tune into the spiritual dimension of ourselves, it often brings us time alone so that we can look within and relate to a higher spiritual power. When we are surrounded by people, as we typically are in the 11th house that precedes the 12th, our focus will obviously be on the manifest human reality rather than the more unmanifest inner dimension. Sorrow: The 12th house is the house of sorrow. It is the house where we are meant to meet the experience of sorrow, and hopefully do something constructive with this experience. Those who are willing to meet their inner sadness and pain with compassion and a desire for healing can then better reach out to others in compassion and service or through artistic inspiration. This theme of sorrow has a direct connection with family patterns/karma/psychology and difficult family issues. Escapism and Drug and Alcohol Addiction: Because the 12th house forces us to meet our pain and the emotional issues of our families (as all of the water houses 4, 8, and 12 do), one's first response early in life to this pain is usually to avoid it. There are so many ways to attempt to escape from our emotions, including work, co-dependency, television and mass media. But drug and alcohol addiction is probably the greatest and most dangerous escape associated with the 12th house. Those who master the 12th house are those who commit to a sober lifestyle and attempt to clear their minds rather than muddy them, and then do something positive out of this mental and spiritual clarity. Spiritual Humility: The famous crises and challenges of the 12th house seem to me to be mainly about remembering that we are not in complete control of
Me, me, me, so goes the 1st house. This is the house that signifies the self. (See note below under transits for connection with the 5th and 9th houses as a "safe haven") Here are some of the major significations of the 1st house. The self, the self-image, the self-projection: What kind of person am I? What kind of things about myself do I most identify with? What am I proud of about myself? How do I like people to see me, and what qualities do I like them to identify me with? View to the World: How do I tend to see people and things? What color are the glasses I am peering out of? How do I think people and life should be? Self-Confidence and Social Success: One's ability to project oneself boldly, confidently, and naturally into social environments is a 1st house concern--and through this self-projection to be recognized when necessary. The ability to make a good first impression, and be well-received by others is included here. Personal Interests: What do I like and love to do? What are my passions? Fresh beginnings, new starts: Especially in the case of transits, progressions, etc. that move from the 12th to the 1st house, the 1st house will signify a new beginning, or a fresh start on life, or a time of reemerging into the outer world. Early Life: Especially in natal analysis, information about the very beginning of life is a 1st house matter. The Body: In Vedic astrology, the 1st house is considered the major house when it comes to all things concerning the body, including health and longevity (although the 6th is also health to them, and the 8th is also longevity). Does the 1st house have the same 'body' connotations in Western astrology? I think it does for the most part, though perhaps not as much as in the Vedic system. The 6th and 2nd houses are also body-oriented in western astrology. Transits to the 1st house will primarily influence or change our sense of self, our self-projection, and our sense of who we are and what we are about. Also influenced could be our direction in life, and our pursuit of personal interests. Generally speaking, the first house per se (i.e. not necessarily the ascendant per se), like the other fire houses, the 5th and 9th, acts as a kind of safe haven in the chart, where transitting planets are more likely to show opportunity, and less likely to show difficulty.
2nd House - Naturally like Taurus, the 2nd sign
Along with the 4th, 6th, 8th, and 12th Houses, the 2nd House has a very esoteric meaning. Thus it has two dimensions, one is very material and the other is very spiritual.
The Essence: Esoteric: Can you calm down and be present, to realize that you already have it all? Intimate: Can you be strong within and love yourself, not needing to lean so much on others? Material: Can you provide for all of your material needs by yourself? Esoteric/Spiritual significance: The highest fulfillment of this house is inner peace, grounded and relaxed in the body in the present moment. That is why this house can be so difficult, because every deep issue, addiction, and external distraction that prevents us from this rest is met here. For most people, events in this house often coincide with relationships, because relationships are often misused to prevent us from being able to be self-sufficient. The Danger: Depending on a drug, Leaning too much on our relationships, Not slowing down, Over-indulgence, Avoiding your feelings. Intimate significance: This is one of the big houses that involve relationships, in addition to the 4th, 5th, 6th (read below!), 7th, and 8th. This is usually a more negative house for relationships, like the 6th. That's because many of us form very interdependent relationships with others before being sufficiently independent. But unlike the 6th, the 2nd doesn't have to be negative zone for relationships. If two people really love their own selves first, and are strong within their own selves, then the 2nd can be a very solid place for relationships. If two people need each other and are addicted in and to the relationship, then the 2nd refers to this negative kind of relationship. Material significance: This is the traditional house of money, finances, and resources. Basic material self-sufficiency and bodily wellness is the issue. Can you save money? Do you have a mature approach to your finances? Can you make money? Can you provide for yourself, enjoying a comfortable and beautiful home? Can you take care of your body? Can you relax and take-it-easy? Can you slow down? Hard transits to the 2nd house are likely to bring crises and challenges of our selfsufficiency, usually in our relationships. Through these experiences we are challenged to either find some peace and strength solely within ourselves, or we put off these positives by turning more deeply to the addictions that distract us. Material opportunities and/or material challenges are another major ingredient of 2nd house transits. For more on the 2nd house, read my article: Taurus, A Holistic View Vedic Notes: The 2nd House in Vedic Astrology is also about at least two other interesting things. 1) the happiness of the family, and 2) speech, including the mouth itself. I do not use these significations for the 2nd House in Western Astrology, however.
3rd House - Naturally like Gemini, the 3rd sign
(under the 11th house) for an important way of understanding the air houses (3, 7,
11) as a group. The third house, like it's natural sign, Gemini, covers a variety of different areas. In keeping with its Gemini nature, I'll list the diverse possible connections. Amazingly, the third house has a very different meaning in Vedic astrology. There, it has a lot to do with one's energy, courage, and martial prowess. In other words, someone with a strong third house in their Vedic chart is someone who is dynamic, bold, super-charged, adventurous, and full of vitality. The third house in Vedic astrology has a much more Martian flavor to it (in keeping with its rulership of brothers). Someone with a truly strong (i.e. having a stellium or planets in the third doesn't necessarily make it "strong," it just makes it emphasized) 3rd house in Western astrology is someone who has good social skills and ability to be very active and involved in city-life with people and commerce. In either system, a healthy third house will bring good relationships with siblings and buddies. Thinking/Writing/Speaking/Education/Communication/Theorizing: Yep. Short-Distance Travel: The travel associated with the third house is usually local travel, like taking a road trip or journeying within your own country. It's about getting around and being stimulated by new things, not really as much about going to another country and being totally blown away by another culture (that's more like the 9th or 11th houses). Occasionally, though it is international, but this is rarely the case. Siblings and sibling-like relationships: Gemini is an air sign, so relationships and people are significant here. Mainly it's with people who are like brothers and sisters to us. Business and commerce: Mercury, in Greek myth, is the patron of merchants. The third house can have a very business-like dimension to it. It can be about practical realities and making money, and about "city-life." The Arts: The third house and Gemini are not usually given enough credit for connection with all of the arts, including music. Gemini rules the hands, and almost all music is played using the hands, and much of the other arts are done with the hands, too. In Vedic astrology, the third house has a lot to do with the arts. Anything done with the hands: You name it. Massage therapy can even fit in here because it's a combination of hands and commerce. Energy, Passion, Courage, Will, Martial Prowess - A Vedic Consideration : One of the more important and little understood aspects of the third house is that it actually can have a very Martian flavor to it, as Vedic astrology explains. This probably seems rather strange to you if you are used to Western astrology, but I would encourage you to watch and notice if you see a high level of energy, passion, and zeal amongst strongly third-house people. Admittedly, this is probably more true in Vedic astrology than it is in Western astrology, but it is still worth paying close attention to. There's a lot listed there, huh? Welcome to the third house. Any significant transits to the third house will probably coincide with much or most of the above.
4th House - Naturally like Cancer, the 4th sign
Along with the 2nd, 6th, 8th, and 12th Houses, the 4th House has a somewhat esoteric meaning. Thus it has at least two dimensions, one being very human, intimate, and grounded, while the other is very spiritual. The Essence: Esoteric: Can you realize that all things of this world pass, and so find your home within yourself and depend on the spiritual dimension of existence more than anything else? Intimate: Can you value and enjoy the realm of human and family relationships? Material: Can you be a responsible provider to your family or community, and can you make your home a financially solid and comfortable place to live? Esoteric/Spiritual significance: All of the water houses (and some of the earth houses) are strongly related to the spiritual dimension of life. (This helps us see one reason why Jupiter is exalted in Cancer, for those who speak astrology). And even though the 4th house is a very 'human' house, it also has a very esoteric dimension. Particularly we see this through the I.C. or cusp (beginning) of the fourth house. The I.C. can be one of the most significant points of crisis in all the houses. It is the very bottom or base of the chart, and it sometimes symbolizing being brought to a kind of personal bottom, for the purpose of refilling ourselves with reliance on the spiritual dimension of life. What sometimes coincides with transits to the I.C. is some kind of crisis in our relationships or families that forces us to go within and depend on our relationship to Spirit for our survival and sustenance. Other transitting possibilities are below. Intimate significance: The fourth house is naturally associated with the sign Cancer, which is ruled by the Moon. The Moon is the most down-home, down-toearth, human 'planet.' The Moon is all about humanness and human relationships, and the fourth house is also a place of human intimacy, both family closeness and partnership closeness. So all elements of close emotional relating are connected with the fourth house. Mom, Home, and Family: Mom is powerfully symbolized in the fourth house, as is one's literal home or dwelling. The family, in general, is also symbolized by the fourth house. The Past and Family Psychology: The fourth house, like Cancer and the Moon, governs 'the past' including whatever positive benefits or difficult issues the past has given us. This also relates to patterns we inherit through our families's psychological inheritance (the other water houses, the 8th and 12th, also relate to psychological family inheritance). Personal significance: All of the cardinal, or angular, houses have to do with our basic self and self-projection. So any transits to the fourth house can have to do with incorporating certain qualities more deeply within ourselves. I like to say "getting certain qualities deep within our souls." For example, Jupiter in the fourth could be about getting more spiritual and light forces deeply within us. Saturn in the fourth
could be about getting more responsibility, groundedness, and discipline deeply within us. The 4th is a basically reclusive house, and whenever planets come through here, we tend to become more withdrawn, pulling into our own shells and homes, and our focus moves more towards our most intimate human relationships. Transits to the IC, when not like the crisis scenario discussed above, can bring an emphasis on the home, whether that mean moving, selling, buying, refinancing, remodeling, or furnishing, for example.
5th House - Naturally like Leo, the 5th sign
The 5th house is similar to the 3rd house in that it is the province of a great many things, owing to the creative natures of their ruling signs and planets. The 5th house is a bit easier to unify under a single essence, though: The Essence: Having a secure sense of self allows one to play, love, have fun, and express oneself creatively, all with the innocence of a child. Another extremely important note about the essence of the 5th house is that it shares a lot in common with the 9th house. For those who speak astrology, the 9th house is the 5th house from the 5th house, and the 5th house is the 9th house from the 9th house. Together, these are the most "auspicious" houses of abundance, grace, and good fortune. Yummy. In many ways, I consider the 5th house even more lucky and positive than the 9th. But in Western astrology, the 5th house doesn't often get this credit that it deserves. The 5th and 9th houses are the real safe havens of the chart, along with the 1st. There are some specific matters which both the 5th and 9th houses pertain to, however, that does distinguish them from each other. Fun and Play: One's capacity for fun and play, or one's idea of fun and play, are primarily the province of the 5th house. Travel is therefore one of the many things that can be shown by the 5th house, because the 5th house includes easy, good fortune and having fun. Love and Romance: The 5th house is also a major house of romantic relationships. The interconnections between romance and the rest of the 5th house show up in various ways. Romance is fun, and enjoying romance is one way to experience that one is lovable. Relationships imply sex, and sex is a creative force, and can also result in children. For women, relationships with men will of course mirror many facets of their relationships with their father(s), and a woman's relationships with men can be shown largely by her fifth house indicators. Self-Expression and Creativity: Creative self-expression optimally arises out of confidence and faith in one's own gifts and goodness. Various kinds of creativity are of course possible here-including the arts and writing. Authority and Leadership: Inner authority is the province of the 5th house; this includes trusting and believing in oneself in all possible ways--confidence. Therefore positions of authority and leadership also come in to play in the 5th house, including politics.
Dad: The 5th house is the house of Leo and the Sun, some evidence of the fact that this is the one house that one can always look to for information about one's relationship with one's father figures (the 4th and 10th houses can be either father or mother, depending on the person, although the 4th will also always signify the mother). The father is naturally meant to be a symbol in our lives of self-esteem, power, and positive authority, and the influence of our father(s) upon the development of these qualities within ourselves is indicated by the fifth house. Teaching and Teachers: Combining the elements of authority and self-expression (and sometimes children), we can see that one manifestation of these qualities is in teaching roles. The role of teachers in our own lives can also be read largely through the 5th house. Children: One of the biggest provinces of the 5th house relates to children (including miscarriages and abortions in the case of some hard afflictions and transits), as seen by the combining of Dad (parenthood) and creativity. Healing of the ego: An important 'umbrella' understanding of the 5th house is that it refers to the many ways that one might go about healing the ego, or a lack of selfesteem. Games: Athletic sports and mental games (like board games, video games, etc.) are also the province of the 5th house, in keeping with the spirit of fun and free time. "Past-life credit": In Vedic astrology, the 5th house is also considered a house of past-life credit, and generally a very auspicious and positive house. I have seen this to work very well in the western context as well. I find that past-life gifts can be read through the 5th house, and probably good things owed to us from "good karma." Transits through the 5th house will generally give a kind of grace period filled with fun, leisure, and opportunities for creativity and self-expression. Hard transits can, however, bring up issues with father figures or children, creative struggles, or difficulty with conceiving a child.
6th House - Naturally Like Virgo, the 6th Sign
Along with the 2nd, 4th, 8th, and 12th Houses, the 6th House has a very esoteric meaning. Thus it has at least two dimensions, one is very material and the other is very transformational in nature. In Hindu or Vedic astrology the 6th, 8th, and 12th houses are known as the 'dusthana' or grief-causing houses. They are recognized as usually difficult on the external plane, but they are crucial to the development of true spiritual awareness. Like the outer planets, these houses only become totally positive when valued for their transformational potential, when one values spiritual awakening more than the personality's desires. There is always a material level of the 6th, 8th, and 12th houses that are no better or worse than the material levels of other houses. But then additionally there are also 'karmic' or spiritual processes that these houses refer to which are more complex, esoteric, and usually difficult. The same can also be true of the 2nd and 4th houses, to an important, but lesser extent.
The Essence: Transformational: The transformation of our self-esteem through projecting our lack of self-esteem onto relationships and working situations that end up feeling unequal, abusive, or unfulfilling to us. The question is: Can you raise your standards for yourself so that you insist on having mutually supportive relationships and work that is creatively nourishing? Material: Can you take good care of and heal your physical body? Can you commit and focus yourself on your work, studies, or service to others? There are also other ingredients to the 6th house, as listed below. Transformational: Negative Relationships: The 6th house is the ultimate house of negative relationships. This includes all varieties of unequal, unfair, unhealthy, and even abusive relationships. When we meet with these kinds of relationships in the 6th house, it is for the purpose of encouraging us to stand up for ourselves, put ourselves first, and set better boundaries and limits for what we are willing to accept in our lives. Health: The physical health of the body is a major element of the 6th house. However, to understand whether or not a hard transit would bring health issues, the natal chart has to be properly understood first. For some people, relatively minor transits to the 6th could bring health problems. For others, major and heavy transits to the 6th might not affect health much at all. Work, Discipline and Work Ethic: The 6th house can easily bring us work opportunities, however these opportunities are often ones where we will have to work too hard, and/or where we will have problematic relations with our boss (or employees). So we should be aware that 6th house work opportunities may bring us problems in the end, and so we should be prepared to let go of them if necessary. One’s capacity for committing to hard work and discipline is also shown in the 6th. Teachers, Mentors, Healers, Gurus, Studies: The 6th house is a place of learning, and of all varieties of unequal relationships. However, some fundamentally unequal relationships like teacher-student, mentor-mentored, and healer-healed, can be very positive here. This also means that apprenticeship and the mastery of skills related to our work is connected with the 6th house. The Mind: The left-brained, logical strength of the mind is signified by the 6th House and its mental significator, Mercury. Pets: The 6th house, remember is the house of "unequal relationships." Probably for this reason, it also signifies pets and our relationships with them. Transits to the 6th house bring opportunities for the transformation of our selfesteem, and for healing and purification. It’s best to work with these transits in a few ways. 1) Become exceedingly conscious of exactly what you want in your relationships, work, home, etc. Write these things down as a kind of manifestation list. 2) Give yourself time to focus on healing, particularly towards the end of the 6th house transit. It’s good to have time to just be with your experience, rather than letting your schedule get so busy that you don’t have time to yourself. 3) Physically fasting or cleansing can be very constructive ways to work with 6th house transits
also.
7th House - Naturally Like Libra, the 7th Sign
The 7th house is the eye of the hurricane between the transformational processes of the 6th and 8th houses; its experience is basically and generally pleasant, especially compared to the houses on either side of it. It is the traditional house of marriage, although the 8th house may be even more accurate as a house of marriage. It is definitely true that the 7th and 8th are both houses of intimate relationships and marriage. Here are some of the major themes and meanings of the 7th house. Partnership: The 7th house is meant to be a house of the partnership of equals. So all relationships that operate on a fundamentally equal plane are signified here. Of course this primarily indicates one's predominant intimate relationship. Relationship with Self, God: The 7th house is a house of all kinds of positive relationships, and this really does begin with oneself. When a planet transits into one's 7th, it is very common to experience at least an initial period of having a very nice and smooth time alone with ourselves. For some, the choice to have a deeper relationship with God rather than a human being, is the way of the 7th house. More on the relationship with God is below with the 12th house. Social Emergence: The 7th House marks the beginning of the second half of the chart, which is more outward and socially directed. This is why "coming before the public" is an important part of the 7th house (the 7th house is also the 10th house from the 10th house, for those who speak astrology). It is very common to see people with planets transiting over their Descendant (the beginning of the 7th house in most house systems) to emerge very powerfully and positively in social spheres. When this happens one usually comes across as radiant, beautiful, and impressive to others. Open Enemies: When the planetary influences are more hard and conflicting to the 7th house (particularly when they involve Mars), one can meet "the other" (the 7th) as being in literal opposition to oneself (the 1st), as some kind of enemy working against us. Generally speaking, transitting planets entering the 7th bring us a fresh and clean break from the issues we worked on in the 6th. When the end of the 6th is marked with conflicting relationships, the entry into the 7th usually brings a nice time of freedom and aloneness, to be followed by new relationships. When the end of the 6th is marked by an emphasis on being alone and healing oneself, the 7th usually brings a positive new relationship into one's life. Transits to 7th house planets (or the 7th house ruler, if you speak astrology) will often manifest as effecting our partners more than ourselves.
8th House -- Naturally like Scorpio, the 8th sign
Along with the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, and 12th Houses, the 8th House has a very
esoteric meaning. Thus it has two dimensions, one is of matters pertaining to purely physical life, and the other to matters that include the depths of spirituality. In Hindu or Vedic astrology the 6th, 8th, and 12th houses are known as the 'dusthana' or grief-causing houses. They are recognized as usually difficult on the external plane, but they are crucial to the development of true spiritual awareness. Like the outer planets, these houses only become totally positive when valued for their transformational potential, when one values spiritual awakening more than the personality's desires. There is always a material level of the 6th, 8th, and 12th houses that are no better or worse than the material levels of other houses. But then additionally there are also 'karmic' or spiritual processes that these houses refer to which are more complex, esoteric, and usually difficult. The same can also be true of the 2nd and 4th houses, to an important, but lesser extent. The 8th House is, to me, the repository of humanity's darkness, guilt, and shame after countless centuries of treating one another in frequently evil and despicable ways. Our own connection with that collective darkness is shown through the 8th, including how mired down in it we may initially be in life, and how much potential we have to work with others to help turn this darkness and pain into healing and light. The first place where these 8th house matters are going to manifest in life is within our own families. The Essence: Psychological/Esoteric: Can you totally face the dark and painful parts of yourself and your past, thereby liberating deep shame? Can you transmute darkness into light using the power of loving awareness? Intimate: Can you expose yourself and experience a beautiful closeness with another? Physical: Can you have successful financial partnerships with others? Psychological significance: This is the house of all deeply buried psychological issues, the house of 'skeletons in the closet.' Also this is the true house of one-toone intimacy, and also therefore our blockages to this intimacy. As such, the 8th house is always a sticky, sensitive, and very personal house, as it is the storehouse of our most personal psychic 'garbage.' This garbage is not bad, but fundamental to our humanness, and requires persistent and loving investigation to become conscious and liberated from the shadows. 'Power struggles' can be an eighth house way of acting out our own lack of power over ourselves, by attempting to have power over something outside of us; they are simply a convenient way to avoid oneself, and come up with an excuse for doing so. Esoteric/Spiritual significance: This house can be seen as 'the dark night of the soul.' It symbolizes the deepest psychological healing processes that we can undergo and facilitate, to free up our consciousness from being split and divided. The next house, the 9th, is generally the most positive house while the 8th is the most difficult. This shows that by courageously integrating our unconscious and painful aspects into a wholeness, that the natural results are positive spiritual qualities, such as joy, abundance, friendliness, and freedom. The 8th house can represent the death of ego. Ego is the fundamental false way of living that involves identifying with our minds rather than our silence, being consumed with past and future rather than right now, being out of our bodies,
avoiding our feelings, and being resistant to these truths. The fullness of the 8th house is true spiritual power, guided by our inherent oneness with Truth itself, which is the only place where real power comes from. 8th house spiritual power is also guided by profound love, healing, sincerity, and transformational honesty. Intimate significance: This is the primary house of sex and intimacy, per se. The 8th house could be considered the true house of marriage, because it is about ALL the nitty gritty of intimacy and shared finances. The 8th house takes partnership to a much deeper level than the 7th house. Physical significance (Other People's Money): The 8th is the most significant money house, along with the 2nd. In particular, the 8th has to do with money that is in some way shared or involved with two people. This is the house of inheritances, of married couples, of wealthy spouses, of spouses' inheritances, and of business partnerships. In general, any relationship that significantly or primarily involves money can fall under the domain of the 8th house. This would include roommates, bosses and employees, and in some cases, parents and children. Healing: Whereas some have said that a motto of the 12th house is "serve or suffer," a similar motto for the 8th house would be something like: "heal or selfdestruct." Those with an 8th house emphasis are forced to one extreme or another: healing of self and others (transforming darkness into light) or self-destruction. Having a spiritual source to turn to is invaluable in the 8th house where those selfdestructive forces threaten to keep us mired down in vicious cycles unless we have something very positive, powerful, and transformational to turn to to get us spiraling upwards in the positive direction. In the 8th house, we are quickly forced to choose the low road or the high road. Research and Insight: The 8th house is all about going deep, and it can be a very powerful house for going deeply with the mind into scientific or intuitive matters. Esoteric Mysteries: The realm of the esoteric itself is ruled by the 8th, which governs the occult, or the 'mysteries.' These esoteric realms can be sources of power which can be guided by compassion, wisdom, surrender, and awareness, or by selfserving, controlling, and other negative motives. A knife can be used to kill or heal. The knife isn't the problem or the boon, it's the intention of the one who uses the knife, and one's skill with using the knife, that are the important factors. Transits through the 8th house are generally speaking the most difficult of the transits through any given house. These are generally times when we are most struggling against our own inner darkness. The beautiful thing about these times is that if we can keep meeting our difficulties with consciousness and keep turning to spiritual and healing solutions we can make great progress in liberating ourselves from our inner "demons." One of the main ways that these challenges can be triggered is through experiences of scandal. However, if we use a transit going from the 7th house to the 8th house to go deeper into a marriage-like connection (perhaps by getting married), then much of the difficult 8th house energy will typically greatly diminish; this is one of the most "easy" ways of handling an 8th house transit, though it doesn't mean that the challenging parts of it will not also be present.
9th House -- Naturally like Sagittarius, the 9th sign
Like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, so is the 9th house. Of course this house has its shadow, too, and this really has to be emphasized because the 9th house, like the sign Aquarius, sometimes only gets good press. Still, no astrologer has ever looked upon a planet transitting from the 8th to the 9th house and felt a sense of dread. Let's return to that pot of gold theme for a moment. Did you know that the 9th house is the 5th house from the 5th house? And that the 5th house is the 9th house from the 9th house? Translation: the 9th and the 5th houses are probably more fundamentally similar than any other two out of the twelve houses. They are both the houses of abundance, grace, luck, and good fortune. Yummy. There are some specific matters which both the 5th and 9th houses pertain to, however, that does distinguish them from each other. The Essence: Spiritual Growth that comes through ease rather than difficulty; this particularly includes travelling, leisure, studying to gain understanding rather than information, philosophizing, and religious experiences. Another important key essence to the 9th is that of the theoretical unperpining of societies. This includes law, morality, ethics, rights, and social or spiritual principles. This also makes the 9th house the territory of groups that organize around such principles, including activist groups. Here are some comments on some of the major domains of the 9th house: Travel Abroad: Spiritual growth never felt so good. Relax, have fun, and open your mind to other realities. In addition to the 9th house, the natal condition of Jupiter will tell you a great deal about someone's experience of travel abroad. Unlike ... Higher Education: Don't work. Just learn. I want to personally shake the hand of whoever came up with the concept of higher education. However, in addition to the 9th house, the natal condition of Mercury will tell you a great deal about someone's experience of higher education. Most people probably assume that Jupiter would give us this information, but that is not what I have found to be the case. Laziness and the rich kid syndrome: The shadow of the 9th house is that is such a place of opportunity, that it can also become a place of laziness, childishness, and overindulgence. It can be like the bratty rich kid who has things so easy in life that they do not develop important qualities like responsibility, compassion, and the ability to work. This can also be a shadow of the 5th house. Guru's/Spiritual Teachers: While it is not the best idea to polarize mundane daily life from the spiritual life, there are certainly valuable things that can be gained from those who specialize in the "spiritual" side of life. Our relationship to such spiritual teachers (or even just regular professors) is indicated in the 9th house. Philosophizing: Philosophy is certainly the realm of the 9th house as well as the
sign Sagittarius. The 9th house can give us an indication of how "spiritual" or material a person's life philosophy is. But be careful, having a strong spiritual philosophy in life does not insure that someone understands what spirituality really is (hint: it's not in the mind). Publishing and Teaching: Got something to say? You've come to the right house. Shout it on the mountaintops, publish it in a magazine, or just write an entire book about it. The dissemination of ideas is a vital part of an intelligent and evolving society. Don't forget that the fifth house has a lot to do with these affairs as well, especially teaching. Social Gatherings: Along with the 11th house, the 9th house also has a lot to do with social gatherings. Sometimes these are for more "party" purposes, and sometimes these are for more social purposes, like activist gatherings and organizations. Nature and Retreat: Not fully in the world as the 10th is, the 9th house is in many ways the opposite of this. The 9th house is the country as opposed to the city (3rd house). The 9th house also often indicates spiritual, meditative, contemplative, and nature-centered retreat rather than being in the hustle and bustle of public life. Animal-Focused Organizations: Like the ninth sign Sagittarius, the 9th house has something to do with animals, and sometimes pertains to groups such as a Humane Society. The 6th house, however, is the house of "pets." Basically, transits through the 9th give an emphasis on pure fun (exactly like the 5th), or on studying, often in order to have a credential or degree in order to do work later on. Transits to 9th house planets indicate hard or expansive experiences with regards to the above affairs.
10th House -- Naturally like Capricorn, the 10th sign
The 10th house is certainly straight forward in one respect. It's the realm of career, fame, and recognition. Many Vedic astrologers consider the 10th to be the most solid and strong house in the chart. The worth of the 10th house probably depends a great deal on what you really value. In many ways, the trappings of the 10th house can potentially subtract from things like family, relationships, leisure, and spirituality (humility, simplicity, etc.). The Midheaven has some very interesting elements to it, but the Midheaven and the 10th house are not necessarily synonymous. The Midheaven is the cusp of the 10th house in most, but not all, Western house systems. I'll discuss the Midheaven below as well. The Essence: Dedication to social responsibility and/or working hard as an individual has its rewards: success, fame, and recognition (though not necessarily money). Here are some of the affairs of the 10th house:
Career: Simply, the 10th house can tell us a great deal about someone's career. Descriptively, it can tell us how we go about our work. Concretely, it can tell us how successful and stable we are likely to be in our careers. It can tell us about assets that we possess and the obstacles in our career paths. Fame and Recognition: The 10th house does not tell us how much recognition our personality will tend to get in social situations (the 1st house tells us that), but it does tell us about the recognition that our work is likely to give us. It is possible to have a powerful social charisma (1st), but little fame (weak 10th). It is also possible to be meek as a mouse (weak 1st), but be incredibly famous (10th). Transits to the 10th house will affect the above matters in hard or expansive ways, depending on the aspect involved, and the planets and signs involved. Transits through the 10th will mark times where independent hard work is highlighted. It is as if those times are times when we are fated to give back to our communities through hard work and service; however this hard work in the 10th normally also comes with a large share of social and public recognition.
The Midheaven
The Midheaven signifies at least two very interesting things: Moving: Time and time and time again I have seen moving related to the Midheaven moreso than any other part of the chart (such as the 4th house). The planets involved will give a good sense of what the move is about, i.e., Jupiter could be moving to a fun, leisurely place or for these reasons; Saturn could be moving for career, work, or dutiful reasons. Another ingredient of the Midheaven is "where are you going in life?" and this of course fits in with this theme of moving. Learning to have the Confidence to Project Certain Qualities to Others: The Midheaven can show us important evolutionary needs, particularly things that we are working on learning how to express comfortably to others socially with confidence or clarity. Planets transiting over the Midheaven will bring changes to our public and working life, in accordance with the planets involved.
11th House -- Naturally like Aquarius, the 11th sign
The 11th house has everything to do with our relationship with humanity as a whole. Thanks to some clues given by Hilarion in his channeled book, Astrology Plus, I've been able to put together a somewhat unorthodox, but telling, view of the 11th house. It tells us a lot about how we will relate to humanity as a whole, including such an obvious manifestation as how we will tend to relate to groups of people. Remember that the air houses tell us, primarily about our social skills and natures. The 3rd tells us about our relationship with close friends, people who are like (or literally are) brothers and sisters; the 3rd also gives a picture of basic social skills. The 7th tells us about our interactions with close partners, rather than 3rd house buddies. And the 11th tells us about our social relations with more than one person at a time, as well as all people, in general. In another respect the 11th house is like a continuation of the 10th house. It's very public and career-oriented in nature, though it involves more cooperation than the 10th house, In another respect the 11th house is like a continuation of the 10th house. It's very public and career-oriented in nature, though it involves more cooperation than the 10th house, because the 10th is a very independent house when it comes to work. The Essence: What do you tend to do when gathered together in groups of three or more people? What can people do together when gathered in groups of three or more people? In working together with others, can you do so with the highest, most universal, and all-inclusive motives? Or is your focus on self-aggrandizement and sowing division between people? Groups of People: The 11th house is the first house to consider when it comes to any affair involving a group of people (the 9th is the other). Thus the 11th signifies a diverse number of social gatherings such as: your poker buddies, a concert of 100,00 people, the corporation or business you work for, your church, and the charitable group you work for. Particularly, the 11th house is connected with groups that have a common identity of sense of there being an "us" to belong to in some way. One's Relationship with People in General: Do you tend to like most people? Do most people tend to like you? How you do feel about and get along with most people, in general? Be sure to look at how planets in the 11th are aspected. For example, an 11th house Venus (using Porphyry houses) with hard aspects generally shows difficult relationships with women in general; an 11th house Venus with positive aspects generally shows positive relationships with women in general. Working with Others and "Passing the Torch": Whereas the 10th represents the rugged individual working like a dog and doing all of the work by themselves, the 11th shows the potential for people to each have different roles or jobs working together for the same end. It also represents the time when an individual can take all of their own 10th house experience and teach or train someone else how to do what they do, thus insuring that their work will live on beyond them. Reaching the Masses: If it involves humanity or large numbers of people, it's related to the 11th house. This includes everything from being on television to
In Vedic Astrology the 11th house is the house of gains (whereas the 12th is loss), particularly material gains from one's work. Jyotishi's consider the 11th one of the most positive and desirable houses in the chart, one where abundance comes about and where matters gain in strength over time. This same meaning does not particularly seem to apply in Western astrology. Transits to 11th house planets will give hard or expansive opportunities with some grouping of people, depending on the aspects and planets and signs involved. Transits of planets through the 11th tend to indicate a kind of social or career culmination or fullness of activity in these areas.
12th House -- Naturally like Pisces, the 12th sign
Along with the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, and 12th Houses, the 12th House has a very esoteric meaning. But unlike these other houses, the 12th house has an almost entirely spiritual meaning, without much of a mundane, physical meaning. In Hindu or Vedic astrology the 6th, 8th, and 12th houses are known as the 'dusthana' or grief-causing houses. They are recognized as usually difficult on the external plane, but they are crucial to the development of true spiritual awareness. Like the outer planets, these houses only become totally positive when valued for their transformational potential, when one values spiritual awakening more than the personality's desires. The Essence: Spiritual/Esoteric (Only): Can you recognize how powerless you are next to God? Can you surrender your life to Spirit, and let it be guided by Spirit? Through this surrender, can you either humbly serve in the way that God directs you, or let an inspired artistic creativity flow through you? Life crises may force the above questions upon us in the 12th house. In keeping with this grand metaphysical picture of the 12th house, here are some of the things that tie in directly to the unity of the 12th house: Aloneness: Because the 12th house wants us to tune into the spiritual dimension of ourselves, it often brings us time alone so that we can look within and relate to a higher spiritual power. When we are surrounded by people, as we typically are in the 11th house that precedes the 12th, our focus will obviously be on the manifest human reality rather than the more unmanifest inner dimension. Sorrow: The 12th house is the house of sorrow. It is the house where we are meant to meet the experience of sorrow, and hopefully do something constructive with this experience. Those who are willing to meet their inner sadness and pain with compassion and a desire for healing can then better reach out to others in compassion and service or through artistic inspiration. This theme of sorrow has a direct connection with family patterns/karma/psychology and difficult family issues. Escapism and Drug and Alcohol Addiction: Because the 12th house forces us to meet our pain and the emotional issues of our families (as all of the water houses 4, 8, and 12 do), one's first response early in life to this pain is usually to avoid it. There are so many ways to attempt to escape from our emotions, including work, co-dependency, television and mass media. But drug and alcohol addiction is probably the greatest and most dangerous escape associated with the 12th house. Those who master the 12th house are those who commit to a sober lifestyle and attempt to clear their minds rather than muddy them, and then do something positive out of this mental and spiritual clarity. Spiritual Humility: The famous crises and challenges of the 12th house seem to me to be mainly about remembering that we are not in complete control of
