The 12 Houses of Astrology: How They Affect Your Life
Listen. If you're here, it's safe to assume that you understand that astrology contains multitudes more than just your Sun sign horoscope.
You, my friend, are far more dimensional than the quippy 10-word sentence describing your fate, according to the stars, that lives on the back page of the Lifestyle section of your local paper. Thank god.
Because you're a sentient being in 2019, you've probably downloaded Co—star and allowed it to drag you almost daily with its snarky push notifications. And maybe you tried Sanctuary World, the sweeter, more vanilla horoscope app. And you've double-tapped an IG post from astrology activist Chani Nicholas, right? Obvi.
So we can assume that you understand the next level of astrology — aspects like your Moon, Rising, Mercury, and Venus signs, and how they affect the way you interact with the world. But let's be real; this is where most people plateau when it comes to understanding their natal chart.
Most of us, though, are overlooking a majorly important feature of the astrological natal chart: The 12 houses of the zodiac wheel. A considerable aspect of natal chart interpretation is understanding the organization of planets in the 12 houses of the zodiac wheel.
Depending on where each planet and sign falls in your natal chart, the interpretation of your chart can vary dramatically. A Leo Sun in the first house is very different than a Leo Sun in the eighth house — but we'll get to that.
And if you’re worried that this already sounds kind of … complicated … don’t worry — I’ve got a free download for you at the end of this article that will help you make sense of it all.
The Order of the 12 Houses
Before we get started, I recommend pulling up your natal chart. It will make this process easier to understand because it will be more relatable. When something we're learning applies to us personally, it tends to stick in our memories for longer.
There are plenty of places to grab a free natal chart, but here are some of my favorite places to start. Cafe Astrology is excellent for beginners, as is Astro-app.net! It really doesn't matter, though, as long as the 12 houses are notated on your chart.
Take a look at your natal chart. You'll see that it's organized like a clock — as in, it's laid out in a circle — that runs counterclockwise. And it starts at 9 o'clock instead of 12 o'clock. But whatever, it runs like a funky clock. You get it.
Whatever sign is in your First House, the house in the 9 o'clock position, is your Rising sign. The houses align with Earth's 24-hour rotation around its axis. At the time of your birth, the sign that was rising in the east becomes your first house; hence, your Rising sign, where the Sun rises, is where the zodiac wheel begins.
12 houses Astrological Rulers
There are 12 houses (First House, Second House, so on), 12 signs (Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, and so on) and ten planets (Sun, Moon, Mercury ...)
In the same way that each sign and planet has an associated meaning, each house has a purpose, too. Makes sense, yeah?
OK, here's where things get slightly more complicated. Houses are associated with ruling over different areas of our lives, but a planet also rules each house. You can tell which planet rules which house by looking at the outside of your natal chart for the astrological glyphs on the border of your wheel. These always follow the order of the zodiac.
For example, if you were an Aries Rising, Aries would be your First House ruler. Your Second House ruler would be Taurus because Taurus comes after Aries in the zodiac.
How Planets and Signs Work Together
Once you understand which the astrological rulers of each of your 12 houses, you'll look at where all of your planets fall in your natal chart. Maybe you have the Sun in the Third House, Venus in the Eighth House, and Pluto in the Twelfth House. And from our example above, you know that your First House ruler is Aries, your Second House ruler is Taurus, which means Gemini rules your Third House, Scorpio governs your Eighth House, and Pisces rules your Twelfth House.
Translated, that means:
You have your Sun in the Third House in Gemini
Your Venus in the Eighth House in Scorpio
Your Pluto in the Twelfth House in Pisces
Planets have pretty specific functions — the Sun is about ego and self, Venus is about love, Pluto is about death and dying. But how its zodiac sign influences the planet affects how it functions in your chart.
For example, if you have Venus in the Eighth in Scorpio, holy shit. Your love life is deeply influenced by Scorpio energy, bc #Venus, and lives in the house of sex, death, and transformation. It could be that you're a freak in the sheets ... or it could mean that you go so deep with your romantic partnerships a la Scorpio that you recreate yourself every time you enter a relationship.
Astrology not a perfect mathematical calculation, and like many intuitive arts, the planets and zodiac ask us to interpret meanings of placements ourselves.
Finally, when you're looking at your natal chart, consider which houses have lots of planets and which houses are empty. Notice the balance of your chart. Typically, when we have many planets clustered in an area of our chart, it could represent that that area is critical in our lives. But, a dearth of planets in a house doesn't mean that you don't have anything going on in that area of your life. It just means that there are fewer influencing powers or variables.
OK, without further ado, let's get into it — the 12 houses of the apocalypse! Er, I mean, the 12 houses of Astrology!
The 12 Houses of Astrology
First House: House of the Ascendant Mask
Your first house is sort of like your cosmic first impression. Whatever lives in this house helps you understand how the people around you perceive you. It can also help explain your physical appearance, your body, and your general temperament and approach to life.
Second House: House of Resources
Make it rain! The second house is all about material goods, money, and personal resources. Personal resources aren't just wads of cash in your safe deposit box — they're the aspects of your life that help you feel secure and supported. You know, life skills, self-esteem, confidence, and the like. When planets transit through this house, it can mean that there is a change in our self-esteem or our resources.
Third House: House of Open Perception
The third house is all about how we communicate with the world — even in the subtle ways we don't realize. Communication can be transmuted to our immediate community of people who surround us and how we interact and communicate together. When planets transit through the third house, we might learn valuable information about the people around us.
Fourth House: House of Nadir
When you're looking at the natal chart, the fourth house sits at the very bottom. It's the foundation of our natal chart — so it makes sense that it represents home and roots. In this house, you'll learn more about what makes you feel comfortable, safe, and cozy. You'll also learn about the literal home environment that you'll create for yourself.
Fifth House: House of Joy and Bliss
Fun house! This is the house related to creativity, joy, pleasure, and children. I know — pleasure and children in the same sentence??? (KIDDING.) But really, this house all about having the joy and enthusiasm of a kid. Think about your natural creativity and sense of freedom — the kind you had as a child. That often manifests in this area of the chart.
Sixth House: House of Legacy, Health, Lineage, and Service
The Sixth House is all about serving the world using your unique gifts — being helpful in the most you way possible. This house also rules health and exercise. Although they might not feel like they make sense together, this house is kind of focused on how you show up physically in the world. If you're a wellness freak, you might have many planets or transits in this house.
Seventh House: House of the Descendant, Relationships, and Other People
Look to the Seventh House to understand the nuances of your intimate relationships. The information in this house helps us understand more of where our dependencies or habits in close relationships might kick up. When there are transits through this house, the way you interact with your loved ones might be affected.
Eighth House: House of Transformation and Death
OK, I've gotta be honest — the Eighth House is my favorite! It might be because my Sun and a whole boatload of other planets live here, but this house always feels so magical and celestial to me. The Eighth House is the ruler of all things birth, death, sex, transformation, mysteries, merged energies. It's represented by Scorpio ... so like, go deep, son. If you have planets in this house, like me, it could mean that you're keenly interested in magic and mysticism and the unconscious aspects of the planets that roll through this house.
Ninth House: House of Paradigms
Journeys, expansion, inspiration, philosophy — the Ninth House pertains to all in things personal evolution. This house represents the journey, both literally and metaphorically. Transits in this house could bring a big international trip or describe a considerable departure from ordinary life. Look to this house to understand what might surprise, delight, and inspire you.
Tenth House: House of Midheaven
Your Midheaven is the astrological placement that tells us your ideal purpose, career-path, and destiny. NBD! The Tenth House sits at the top of the chart, meaning it's the most obvious and apparent to us. Some of the traits or characteristics that go along with the planets in this house might be what people first see or understand of you when they initially meet you. Pay close attention to your Midheaven if you're seeking clarity on your career.
Eleventh House: House of Friends and Future
BFFs for life. The Eleventh House rules all things friendship. Teams, social groups, communities, networks — all of it. Interestingly enough, the Eleventh House also rules future things, like electronics and technology.
Twelfth House: House of Spiritual Liberation
The best house. The last house. The Twelfth House is the end of the zodiac — the darkness before the dawn. In traditional astrology, the Twelfth House was viewed quite negatively. It was scary, spooky. But the Twelfth House isn't bad. It's a place where unseen things come to light. It rules the imagination, creativity, arts, the subconscious mind, secrets, and mysteries.
Conclusion
Looking at your natal chart — and understanding the nuances of the 12 Houses of the zodiac — can provide you so much helpful information about yourself! It's also useful to look at your natal chart's current transits (as in, what's happening in the sky right now as the planets orbit). If you're having difficulty in your life, or great success, and aren't quite sure why it's worth taking a peek at your natal chart!