House Significations in Astrology
Introduction to Houses
Hello everyone. I’ve put together some basic significations of each of the 12 houses. I will eventually go into further depth with each house, in separate posts, but for now: here is an overview of each of the 12 houses
The 1st House in Astrology
1st House: Angular, Joy of Mercury, The Helm
The first house is also known as the rising sign, and it is where planets rise above the horizon and make themselves known. Because it is angular, and angular houses are critical points in the sky, planets here have a desire to make themselves known, particularly in regards to the native. This is the house that is traditionally most associated with the native, so any planets in the first house will definitely be prominent in the physical appearance and psychological attitude of the individual. If there are no planets in the first, look to who the ruler of the 1st house is— it will describe just as much about the individual. The 1st house is also the joy of Mercury, because Mercurial ruled things like speaking, interacting, etc are all done by the native. Mercury having joy in the first unites the day part of the sky with the night, Anything below the Ascendant degree in the first house is in the night part of the sky, while anything above the Ascendant degree is in the day part of the sky; the upper part of the chart seems to rule spirit (11th, good spirit; 12th house bad spirit), while the lower half was based in the physical world (5th house good fortune; 6th house bad fortune). Mercury having joy in the first is able to bring these two components together, spirit and physicality. This is house was also called the Helm, in terms of a ship, of the chart, and had an influence, like the helm of the ship, of where the general direction of the native’s life would steer towards.
The 2nd House in Astrology
2nd House: Succedent, Gate of Hades
The Second house is a succedent house, with no planets in planetary joy, in aversion to the Ascendant, and the Gate of Hades. This house is a succedent house, so it will naturally support the Ascendent, aka the native. It can often show the livelihood of the individual, and the support they’re given, as succedent houses represents areas of life that support the Angular houses. It’s important to mention that not everyone is supported or has the best livelihood, but this is still a signification of this house. Ruler of the 2nd afflicted could indicate this (just a theory). Usually this is the house ruling money, possessions, and property— your own assets and personal wealth. One thing about the second house is that it is an aversion to the 2nd house, which seems contradictory since the 2nd house is usually the assets of the native, and thus can be associated with inactiveness, ineffective, or inoperative. However, because the 2nd house is succedent to the first, it is supporting the native, which makes it less unproductive in nature. This house is also known as the “Gate of Hades”, mainly because this is the last house that is completely submerged in darkness, after descending from the 7th house. One other signification for this house being associated with wealth is that Hades in greek was Pluto, who was said to be associated with wealth (Pluto in Astrology might share the same connotation, it’s worth looking into, but I would like to make it clear that I personally do not think Pluto is a significator for wealth at this point in my Astrological career. This also doesn’t mean that Pluto rules the second house— this is merely just the name for the house: the Gate of Hades).
The 3rd House in Astrology
3rd House: Cadent, Joy of the Moon, Goddess
The 3rd house is a cadent house, with the Moon having her joy here, along with being labeled the house of “Goddess”. Cadent houses usually have connotations of decline attached to them (12th House, decline of spirit, 6th house decline of health, etc), but because the 3rd house is configured in a sextile to the Ascendent, it is considered beneficial decline, amongst the 4 cadent houses. Cadent houses are usually associated with straying away from the angular house they fall away from, and because the 3rd house falls from the 4th, ruling family and the home, the 3rd house is associated with short distance travel that would make it easy to return home, as opposed to long-distance travel that makes it difficult to return home (the 9th house is in aversion to the 4th). Additionally, this is the joy of the Moon because the moon moves swifter than any other planet. This also describes the energy of the 3rd house, moving around swiftly, which is where the attribution of the native’s daily routine originates from. One other topic that comes up occasionally, is religion with the 3rd house, mainly the practice of going to a place of worship, as this is the house of the goddess. It’s possible that someone with the ruler of the 10th in the 3rd could work as a priest or an authoritative religious figure. Normally authority figures are assigned to the 10th house, however you could make an argument for kings/queens to be assigned to the 3rd/9th house, as the Sun and Moon are believed to have more power to govern and carry authority.
The 4th House in Astrology
4th House: Angular, Subterranean
The 4th house is known as the subterranean angle, as it represents the lowest, astronomical, section of a chart that a planet can descend too. Being that this is the lowest part of the chart, it is said to be the most private part of the native’s life, and that planets here are not directly visible parts of the native. Additionally, the symbolism of the 4th being the lowest part is indicative of the natives roots. This can be carried over into representing the natives family, the living situation, whether this be favorable or unfavorable. The 4th house is commonly associated with inheritance, according to Lily, other than from death. Death and inheritance— a will— is usually associated with the 8th house. However, the type of inheritance that is 4th house ruled is through being born into it. Some people with an auspicious 4th house may be born into wealth, while others might be born into poverty. Death comes up as an 4th house topic. I will have to do more research as to why this is, and where this signification originates from. Often the idea of secrets are assigned to this house, as they are in the most hidden part of the sky; planets here almost feel like treasure to be found— also another common signification, especially in Horary.
The 5th House in Astrology
5th House: Succedent, Joy of Venus, Good Fortune
This house is often a controversial one, due to its significations, one commonly being sex, which I believe is rightly ascribed to the 5th house. For basics, this is a succedent house, the joy of Venus, and the place of Good Fortune. As a succedent house, it represents something that supports the angles, in this case the 4th house; the 5th house shows the livelihood that supports our home life. The 5th house having Venus in it’s joy there shows a lot about why the 5th house does signify hobbies and art. Art, dance, love, and sex are all very Venusian, and Venus is happy there because it can do all of those things in this house, without restriction that is. Venus is a planet that brings things together to form cohesion, because of this, the 5th house can be representative of diplomats or peacemakers to bring Good Fortune, another common name for the 5th house, due to Venus having a benefic nature. Naturally the 5th house is in a trine aspect to the ascendant, promising good fortune for the native. Planets in the 5th house, especially benefics, are considered to be more benefic, while malefics are considered to be less malefic. Aside from sex, art, and diplomats, one of the most common significations is that the 5th house is indicative of children.
The 6th House in Astrology
6th House: Cadent, Joy of Mars, Bad Fortune
On the contrary, compared to the 5th house, the 6th house is a cadent house, the joy of Mars, and the house of Bad Fortune. Whereas Venus brought benefice to the 5th house, as a benefic planet, Mars will bring malice to the 6th house, as a malefic planet. Additionally, this house is in aversion to the ascendant, already putting planets here at a disadvantage. Some common 6th house significations are: illness, injuries, and subservients. The signification for illness comes from the fact that Mars is often associated with injuries and ill health, additionally because it is aversion to the ascendant. As for subservients, part of this rational can be that since the 7th house is acknowledged as the other person, or partner, the 6th house, being the 12th from the 7th, would probably be represented as “other”, in a degrading position. Sometimes the idea of slaves falls under this house for that reason. One other common signification is that work is associated with this house, because it is in a superior trine to the MC, the house of career. Sometimes work can be physically beneficial to your reputation, but detrimental to your health and livelihood, since the 6th is in aversion to the 1st. As we spoke about in the first house, there seems to be a huge difference between the upper half representing the spirit, while the lower half represents the physical. So the type of illness that would result from the 6th house would be more physical, especially since it is Mars rules, than mental troubles. The opposite of of Venus takes place in this house: malefics in this house become more malefic, and benefits become less benefic. Modern Astrologers seem to associate this house with daily routine, mainly because it is cadent, but the house of Bad Fortune is a poor significator for these types of topics— not to mention Mars moves relatively slow— but better suited for the 3rd house. Lastly, some authors do say that the 6th house, 7th, and 8th house are all connected to death in one way or another. For the 6th house, it is represented by being what comes before death, which is usually falling ill.
The 7th House in Astrology
7th House: Angular, Setting
The 7th house is a lot like the 1st house, in the sense that it borders between the day and night. However, it loses the same “benefic” quality that the 1st house has, because planets here, astronomically, fall into the depths of the night. Nonetheless, common significations for this house are often marriage, contracts, legal agreements, and other people. If the 1st house is the self, the logical opposite of the self is the other. There is often the idea of contractual binding associated with this house, which is where the idea of marriages come, because it is a contractual bond between two people. It is also good for business if you’re married, which makes me think more and more this house is less about love and relationships. This house is in direct opposition to the 1st, which can lead to signify open enemies. Some authors associate this house, along with houses 8 and 6, with death, because this is the part of the sky where the planets dive into the depths of the night, signifying the nature of how one dies, and the actual event of it happening. One other signification that seems to pop up is sexual union, although I would personally attribute the 5th for sex. The 7th house is really one of the more basic houses, as it just represents other people, or in horary it represents opposing teams/parties.
The 8th House in Astrology
8th House: Succedent, Inactive
When we take a look at the 8th house, this seems to be one of the more controversial houses, especially amongst most Astrologers of this generation. Basic significations for the 8th house are: death, inheritance from death, and other people’s assets. When using derived houses, the 8th house takes on financial issues; it is the 2nd house from the 7th house of others, representing other people’s money and assets. The 7th house can represent marriage, so the 8th house would describe the assets shared in marriage: money, land, livelihood, etc. The 8th house is a succedent house to the 7th house, so planets here are naturally going to support the descendent, or share similar themes of descendent and decline. As I’ve previously stated, houses 6 7 and 8 all deal with death and illness, according to ancients. Planets in the 8th are in a part of the sky that comes just before their descent into the underworld, houses 1 through 6, thus creating a feeling of suspense or preparation. On the contrast, the 2nd house is the Gate of Hades, where planets prepare to rise and ascend into the sky. This is the idle place, or an inactive place, which further adds to the signification of death, but this can also mean literal inactivity and laziness for planets in these houses. One other signification that also pops up is the idea of fears and anguish of the mind, that can be created from the suspense of descending into the underworld. A lot of Astrologers will try to attribute sex to this house, when the significations aren’t the best for sex. This house is inactive, idle, and is most closely associated with death, while there was the frequent attribution of ‘le petit morte’ with the 8th, I’m starting to think this was less and less of a reference to sex, but more of a reference to the loss of consciousness that comes with death, or near-death experiences. Additionally, this house is in aversion to the ascendant, signifying that it is never inherently beneficial or cooperative for the native.
The 9th House in Astrology
9th House: Cadent, Joy of the Sun, God
When we move into delineating the 9th house: this is a cadent house, the Joy of the Sun, and the house of God. One feat about this house is that, while it is cadent, it is the most pleasurable house of cadency, since it is aspected to the ascendant by a superior trine. I’ve had conversations on Twitter about what house college represents, and even though some Astrologer do ascribe the 9th house to college, which is not wrong, I’m wondering if these significations make sense in the Modern world. College’s initial goal was to promote higher education, to seek some sort of knowledge, but nowadays, it has been associated with a requirement to have a job. This does not make sense as the 9th house falls away from the 10th house, of career, meaning it does not support the angle, but declines from it. Theres significance in that and the way college is perceived in this culture, and for this reason I think it is plausible to assign the 11th house to rule over college. I will explain this more once we talk about the 11th house. As for other signification, since it is a cadent house, and cadency is often associated with travel, this is another house that deals with travel. Opposite to the 9th is the 3rd house where the Moon has it’s joy with short distance travel: this can lead us to believe that the 9th house must rule long distance travel. Additionally, it is important to note that the 4th house is in aversion to the 9th house, representing that long distance travel and home life are naturally averted to one another, because there is no stability. Usually the travel that is associated with the 9th house is travel with a purpose or to find a purpose. One common example of this is pilgrimage, which often falls under a 9th house topic. This is also labeled as the house of God, I suspect because the Sun was often portrayed as the most supreme God. There may be other significations that I am unaware of, nonetheless, the 9th house themes can often involve religion, god, and priest, very similar to the 3rd. However, the difference with this is there is a search for God, or purpose, in order to gain fulfillment or validation of one’s self. Some people go to Church to worship, a 3rd house topic, while the 9th house is about trying to connect to God and to reach them. Divination, Astrology, prophets, and other spiritual practices often fall under the 9th house. I could suspect that a possible reasoning for this is that the Sun illuminates all that is dark, and these divinatory and religious practices help illuminate the other side and what it unbeknownst to the native by natural means. The 9th and 3rd house, as I mentioned earlier represented authority figures like kings/queens, priest/priestess, because the Sun and the Moon were deemed the most fit to rule, due to their impact as luminaries, which is why sometimes rulership figures, such as priest were expected to rule over the land, as religion and politics are often intertwined in history.
The 10th House in Astrology
10th House: Angular, Midheaven
The 10th house is the last angle we encounter in our journey through the 12 houses. This angle is the highest point in the sky— it’s the midheaven— and it symbolically represents the highest position a planet is in, in terms of being seen. Planets in the 10th house have a desire to be seen, and will make themselves known, because they are at the summit. This is part of where the signification of presidents, rulers, and governors of the land come from, because this is regarded as the highest position in the land. More modernly, it is associated with your boss and those authority figures in higher positions than you. One popular signification of the 10th house is career and your occupation, and the ruler and planets in it can often indicate what your occupation involves. While this house is called the Midheaven, it’s important to make the distinction that this is not the degree of the midheaven, which can fall in the 10th, 11th, 12th, 9th, and 8th house, however in the context of this portion: the Midheaven is only used to represent the 10th house. Having the Midheaven degree in another house other than the 10th can show what themes are also tied into career, reputation, and your rank in society.
The 11th House in Astrology
11th House: Succedent, Joy of Jupiter, Good Spirit
The 11th house is the last succedent house, is the Joy of Jupiter, and the House of Good Spirit. I made the argument in the 9th house topic that I thought the 11th house would be more properly suited for the 11th house, mainly because there seems to be a quest for knowledge or enlightenment with the 9th house, that is separated from obtaining a degree for work. The 9th declines from the 10th house of career, but the 11th house is succedent to the 10th house, signifying that 11th house themes are there to support the natives career. College, in a modern context, is often a requirement for most careers, whether it be a bachelor degree, masters, etc; it helps support the success of the individual. Additionally, while the 11th house isn’t associated so much with knowledge, it is where Jupiter joys, and Jupiter does signify the idea of expansion and growth, this could be expansion of the mind, and is often where the idea of Jupiter and “the Big Picture” comes from— the ability to open one’s mind and pan outwards. A common signification of the 11th house is the idea of friendship and allies, as this house makes a superior sextile to the ascendant. This is the house of good spirit after all, and thats what friends are typically supposed to do: make your spirit feel good and generally share the same ideas as you, which is why Jupiter seems to rejoice in this house. Another common signification is hopes and dreams with the 11th house, deriving from the fact that it is succedent to the 10th house, meaning it shows where the planets want to eventually reach, or aspire to be: at the summit. The benefic planet Jupiter rejoicing here means it will bring expansion and growth for the native, in terms of supporting their career, since it is the house of Good Spirit. There is an idea of financial support with the 11th house, as it is the 2nd house from the 10th house, so this is the support for the career.
The 12th House in Astrology
12th House: Cadent, Joy of Saturn, Bad Spirit
Contrasting with the 11th house, the 12th house is regarded as the most negative houses for a few reasons: it is in aversion to the ascendant, it is the house of bad spirit, and the house where the greater malefic, Saturn, rejoices. Where as being around friends and likeminded people represented good spirit, being alone, isolated, and behind a wall represents bad spirit. This is often the theme of the 12th house: it represents constriction, restriction, and isolation from the rest of the world. People often associate the 12th house with what is hidden from the native— the blind spot— because it is in a superior aversion to the 1st house. This could be what you cannot see right in front of you. A good phrase to represent the relationship between the 1st, 11th, and 12th houses is “Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer”; the common signification for the 12th is hidden enemies. The idea of jail and being behind bars is Saturn related because Saturn literally builds walls and prisons. Sometimes these bars can be out of necessity, because one is unaware of what they’re doing. The 12th house falls from the 1st house, due to its cadency, so its seen as a house that lacks vitality, but not so much on a physical level. As I’ve discussed before, the houses above the horizon seem to be associated with spirit, while the house below seem to be represented closely with physicality. This means that the lack of vitality is not physically, an anguish of the mind and spirit. This is where the signification of witchcraft can come from; it’s an attack on the spirit. Planets in the 12th can often feel imprisoned or restricted from doing exactly what it is they want to do. Another interesting signification that sometimes comes up with the 6th and 12th house is that because they’re cadent, they represent travel, but for negative reasons: aka banishment from one’s place of residence. Mental affliction can be a signification of the 12th house, since this is an anguish of the spirit, whereas physical affliction is the 6th house. The 12th house is generally a negative house, but the positive is while you’re ‘in jail’, you do have a lot of time to reflect and be inside your thoughts.
Conclusion
If you’ve made it this far, I appreciate you taking the time to read my post. I wanted to create a resource that was easily accessible and reliable to new students of Astrology. A lot of the significations listed above come from ancient Hellenistic Authors and Chris Brennan’s “Hellenistic Astrology: The Study of Fame and Fortune” complies all of them into one handy place. If you want more content like this, visit my Twitter, @maxhiigli, and tweet me your suggestions, questions, and comments.
