When exploring astrology and reading your horoscope, you may come across the term "Houses." What are these Houses, and what do they mean? In astrology, your birth chart is divided into 12 Houses, each representing a different area of your life. Planets in each House can affect your life in unique ways, and understanding the energy of each House can help you interpret your birth chart.
In this beginner's guide, we will discuss the different energies of each House and how they can impact your life. We'll cover the First House, which represents identity and self-awareness; the Second House, which deals with material possessions and self-worth; the Third House, which focuses on communication and early education; the Fourth House, which represents home and family; and the Fifth House, which is associated with creativity and pleasure.
First House
The first house is said to be ruled by Aries. This is the house of identity, the awareness of self, and discovering who you are as an individual. It also speaks to our determination and drives. The first house deals with the development of your personality as well as your physical appearance. Thus, planets in the first house heavily influence how others see you.
The first house cusp is known as your ascendant or rising sign. Some say your rising sign is like your mask. It’s the version of you that people meet when you introduce yourself for the first time. The Ascendent can also tell you your chart’s ruling planet. For example, if you’re an Aries rising, your chart’s ruling planet is Mars. If you’re a Sagittarius rising, your chart’s ruling planet is Jupiter.
Your first house gives you important details about what makes you...you!
Second House
The second house is ruled by Taurus, and it deals with your material possessions. This includes how you go about making, saving, and spending money as well as the things you physically own. Planets in this house and the sign on the house cusp can color your relationship to money. Are you cheap, counting every single penny? Or do you give your resources freely? This can all be discussed by viewing the second house.
This house not only deals with our “stuff” but also with our self-worth and self-esteem. It’s in this house where we learn how to use our material possessions to help us feel safe. In the first house, you’re you. In the second house, you begin defining what “you” means.
We can also look to the second house as a place of manifestation. Taking our thoughts and dreams and turning them into something tangible. The magic of the second house is learning how to work with its energy to create your physical reality.
Third House
The third house is ruled by Gemini. This house is about communication, language, and short-distance travel. It also deals with your siblings, neighbors, and people who are generally close to you. In the first and second houses, we become aware of ourselves and our basic needs for safety and security. In the 3rd house, we start relating to those around us in our homes and communities.
Planets in this house and the sign on the house cusp tell you about your communication style and how you receive information. Technology also falls under this house, especially in the modern era where we use tech more and more to connect with each other. Looking at the planetary energies in this house can tell you if expressing yourself is easy or a bit more difficult.
This house also rules early education. This is where we learn how to work and cooperate with others. We hone and sharpen our analytical skills so that we can contribute to being a functioning member of the collective.
Fourth House
The fourth house in Astrology is ruled by Cancer. Here, you can learn about your physical and emotional home. This house tells you about the more nurturing parental figure from your childhood. It also rules things that get passed down from your family. This includes physical things such as heirlooms but also the traditions that keep your family together. With that in mind, you can see the 4th house rules our ancestral roots. Furthermore, you can learn about the foundation of your spiritual beliefs from this house. Even if we deviate from some practices as we get older, what we learn as children from our family helps guide us.
Childhood and early family life fall under the fourth house as well. Continuing with the theme of the past, the fourth house rules the feeling of nostalgia and the things we hold onto from time gone by. Looking toward the future, the fourth house tells us the type of home we wish to create as adults.
Fifth House
Ruled by Leo, the fifth house has a bright, fun, and creative energy. This is where you begin to explore hobbies and interests for the sake of enjoyment. Houses one through four were all about solidifying your identity within yourself and your family unit. The fifth house is where you start to get out in the world and have some fun! It's where and how we seek creative expression and pleasure. You can look to the fifth house to discover the things that make you feel happy and fulfilled. The fifth house is fairly lighthearted and easy-going. It rules casual relationships, fun flirty flings, and casual sex. The fifth house also rules children. This includes your own children, but also your relationship with kids who are not related to you. Since this house is linked to the arts, many famous artists, actors, musicians, etc. have active placements here.
Sixth House
The sixth house is ruled by Virgo. This house rules the mundane things we need to accomplish in our day-to-day life. For example, your chores, your workout routine, and the things you have to accomplish at work. Additionally, you can look to this house to learn about how you can serve others and also how others can serve you. If you are looking to start volunteer work, study the 6th house to figure out where you might be the most helpful. The sixth house tells you about your health and what you need to do to stay in tip-top shape. Often, people who experience difficult, ongoing health issues have a lot of activity in this house. On a lighter note, the sixth house rules our pets! You have to have a pretty solid daily routine to care for your animals. And often our pets provide healing and comfort to us when we need it the most.
Seventh House
The Seventh House is ruled by Libra. This house is all about our relationships, both romantic and otherwise. Where the fifth house deals with casual connections, the seventh house deals with more serious and long-term relationships. It’s often referred to as the house of marriage.
This house can tell you about the type of relationships you attract, and what you need to thrive when interacting with the close people in your life. You’ll look at the seventh house to learn about the type of partnership that allows you to feel balanced and supported.
We can’t all get along with everyone, and that’s totally okay! This house can also let you know why you might not mesh with certain individuals. Knowing what you need in relationships based on your 7th house can help you set boundaries or cut ties with those whose energy doesn’t serve you.
Eighth House
Ruled by Scorpio, the Eighth Households all of our deep, dark secrets. This is the house of the things we like to keep hidden and the stuff that we don’t like to talk about in public. The Eighth house rules death and mysteries. Here we find information about our experiences with other people’s money. Think loans, debts, and inheritances.
Transformation is a major theme of the Eighth House. When we’re talking about death here, we’re not only talking about the act of literally dying. Death of the self happens many times over the course of a person’s life. Transits in the Eighth House often trigger major events that can completely change an individual.
This house also rules sex as the act of creation and re-birth. When we “die”, we’re reborn as someone brand new. This can be a difficult house to deal with, but it’s absolutely necessary as part of our evolution. There’s power in transformation.
Ninth House
The Ninth House is ruled by Sagittarius. This house deals with long distance travel and learning about cultures and people outside of the one you were raised in. Ninth House is also associated with publishing and media, as it governs the dissemination of ideas and information. This includes not only traditional forms of publishing, such as books and newspapers, but also modern forms of communication, such as social media and online content creation. Additionally, the Ninth House is often associated with legal matters, including court cases and legal disputes. This is because legal systems are often based on a society's shared values and beliefs, which are reflected in the Ninth House's themes of higher learning and philosophy.People with an active Ninth House absolutely love to travel. They’re the globe hopping nomads, never settling down and never wanting to.This house also governs the expansion of your soul’s pursuits. Higher learning (college), philosophy, spirituality, and religion all fall under the Ninth House. This house tells us about our search for meaning and it’s where we solidify our beliefs.
Finally, this house rules luck! The planets or sign on the Ninth House cusp can tell you how you can access your good fortune.
Tenth House
Ruled by Capricorn, the Tenth House rules how we leave our mark in the world through our profession. Where the 6th house rules the day-to-day "work," the Tenth House rules our actual career and the aspirations surrounding that. If you’re unsure about what career would suit you, look to the Tenth House to help you figure it out. This house is all about how you build your reputation.
This house rules positions of power and how you show up in leadership positions. Often, people who have careers in the public eye, and especially those that deal with the government, will have a lot of Tenth House activity. The Tenth House also tells you how you can contribute to society as a whole.
The Tenth House also rules your more domineering or masculine parent, the one who was a disciplinarian and always enforced the rules.
The Eleventh House
The Eleventh House is ruled by Aquarius. This is known as the house of friendship. It deals with showing up for and contributing to your community. In the Sixth House, we talked about physically volunteering as an act of service. The Eleventh House asks you to put your money where your mouth is! It’s the house of philanthropic work, where you share what you’ve earned with others who need it and for the greater good of the community.
This house also rules larger groups, clubs, organizations, networking groups, and the community as a whole. The energy here is working together for the success of the collective. It rules our hopes and dreams, our visions and aspirations, and it speaks to how we can use the collaboration of those around us to make those dreams come true. Look to the Eleventh House to find your own special community.
Twelfth House
The final house on the Zodiacal wheel is the Twelfth House. This house is ruled by Pisces and rules over secrets and the shadow, concerning itself with the things we want to keep hidden. People with an active Twelfth House are often extremely intuitive and can display psychic abilities. The Twelfth House is associated with dreams and the subconscious mind.
The Twelfth House also deals with escapism, which could be as innocent as escaping into a good book or TV show or as intense as escaping into a drug or alcohol addiction. Additionally, the Twelfth House governs illusion and deception and therefore, rules over social media. It does not govern the actual technology (that would be the Third House), but rather the facade people portray with their filters and carefully curated posts, making you believe that their life is something that it may not be.