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The
Houses Zone has detailed descriptions of half
of the houses and was written in 2000. To see
the updated versions in 2004, which includes
all twelve houses, subscribe to my newsletter
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of this page.
The Houses
are described in order. Just scroll down to the descriptions
of the house(s) you are looking for.
1st House -- Naturally like Aries, the 1st sign
Me, me, me,
so goes the 1st house. This is the house that signifies
the self. 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 Presence: 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 respected
and 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 a major
house when it comes to all things concerning the
body, such as health and longevity. Does the 1st
house have the same 'body' connotations in Western
astrology? I think it does somewhat, though not as
much as in the Vedic system, in my opinion. 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
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 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?
3rd House
-- Naturally like Gemini, the 3rd sign
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.
Thinking/Writing/Speaking/Education/Communication/Theorizing:
Yep.
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 house). Occasionally, though it is international.
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.
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 two
dimensions, one is very human and intimate, and 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?
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 why Jupiter is exalted in
Cancer, for those who know what i am referring to).
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. is one of the most significant points of
crisis in all the houses. It is the very bottom or
base of the chart, and it is usually where we are
brought to a kind of personal bottom, for the purpose
of refilling ourselves with reliance on God/Goddess/Spirit.
Often what coincides with transits to the I.C. is
some kind of crisis in our relationships families
that forces us to go within and depend on our relationship
to ourSelves and our relationship to a higher power
for our survival and sustenance. If we depend too
much on other people, then a transit to the I.C.
will usually show us that.
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-to-earth, 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 emotional relating are connected
with the fourth house.
Other, basic
significances: The
fourth house, like Cancer and the Moon, governs 'the
past' including whatever benefits or issues we have
from the past. It is also a reclusive house, and
whenever planets come through here, we tend to become
more withdrawn, pulling into our own shells and homes.
Everything related to 'home' is also associated with
this house.
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.
Summary of
major influences: Inner
security, home, family, intimate relationships, the
past, and incorporating qualities deeply within our
souls.
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,
express oneself, and exercise authority.
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). The father is naturally meant to be a symbol
in our lives of self-esteem, power, and authority,
and the influence of our father(s) upon the development
of these qualities within ourselves is indicated
by the fifth house.
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.
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 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.
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 abortions), 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 trying to heal the ego, or a lack of self-esteem.
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 well in the western context as well. I find
that past-life gifts can be read through the 5th
house, and perhaps past-life 'credit' as well.
6th House -- Naturally like Virgo, the 6th sign
7th House -- Naturally like Libra, the 7th sign
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. As such 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:
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-to-one 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: The
8th is the most significant money house, along with
the 2nd. (the 11th, 3rd, and 9th are the other most
significant houses relevant to money). 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.
Additional
significance: 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 self-serving, 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.
9th House
-- Naturally like Sagittarius, the 9th sign
10th House -- Naturally like Capricorn, the 10th
sign
11th House -- Naturally like Aquarius, the 11th sign
12th House -- Naturally like Pisces, the 12th sign
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