We’ve covered the zodiacs and the planets and now we are covering the houses of astrology. The houses are on a wheel similar to the zodiacs, but they are not the same wheel. The zodiac wheel is based upon the sun’s year-long orbit around the earth and the wheel is based upon a full rotation of the earth on its own axis in a 24-hour period. This is why it is so important to know the exact time of your birth when creating a birth chart. Just like the twelve zodiac signs, there are also twelve houses. Your first house will start with your ascending or rising sign. This is the sign that was rising on the Eastern Horizon at the time and place of your birth. The houses then move in a counterclockwise manner from the first house.
The Twelve Houses
The first six houses are called the personal houses. They are concerned with self-image, habits, ancestry, and values. The seventh through the twelfth houses are called the interpersonal houses. They deal with relationships, career, travel, and community. Each house is representative of an area of our life. Below are the twelve houses and what each of them represents:
First House: The house of self. Deals with our physical appearance, ego, traits, and beginnings.
Second House: The house of value. It deals with income, money, and self-esteem.
Third House: The house of sharing. This relates to all ways of communication and the tools that we use for communication, such as cell phones. It also pertains to siblings, local travel, and community affairs.
Fourth House: This is the house of home and family. This is your security, house, family, and nurturing.
Fifth House: The house of pleasure. It’s about drama, romance, and fun.
Sixth House: The house of health. It rules schedules, organization, exercise routines, healthy living, and service to others.
Seventh House: The house of balance. It’s over partnerships, contracts, marriage, and business deals.
Eight House: The house of transformation. It governs birth, death, mysteries, and merged energies. It also rules other people’s money and real estate.
Ninth House: The house of purpose. This house rules over higher thinking, inspiration,, optimism, foreign travel, higher education, broadcasting, publishing, philosophy, and religion.
Tenth House: The house of enterprise. It rules structures, corporations, public image, fame, awards, boundaries, rules, and discipline.
Eleventh House: The house of blessings. It governs groups, teams, friendships, technology, the future, and orginiality.
Twelfth House: The house of sacrifice. This rules the afterlife, finishing stages of a project, old age, institutions, hospitals, jails, imagination, subconscious mind, and creativity.
House Classification
Just as the zodiac signs are classified as cardinal, fixed, and mutable modes, the houses have the following modes: Angular, Succedent, and Cadent.
Angular Houses: The angular houses are those houses found in the angels of the chart. They are the first, fourth, seventh, and tenth houses. The angular houses are considered to be the most ardent, forceful, and have the greatest impact in our charts.
Succedent Houses: The succedent houses are that follow the angular houses. They are the second, fifth, eighth, and eleventh houses. They are the areas of your life which do best to remain steady and consistent.
Cadent Houses: The cadent houses are the last houses of each quadrant of the zodiac. They are the third, sixth, ninth, and twelfth houses. Because of their position, these are considered weaker placements.
This was a very basic overview of the houses of astrology. Next, I’ll go over the aspects.