The 12 houses in astrology are areas of life where action takes place
The houses in an astrology chart helps us look more deeply into different areas of our lives. Usually they correspond to one or more signs, depending on what system you use.
In the past it was not uncommon that astrologers simply use an equal house system. That is not the case anymore, or it is a very rare practice. It is the Placidus system that is mostly used.
Houses are ruled by a sign and its corresponding planet, but they can fall into any signs. The first house is also the ascendant.
The first house is ruled by Aries and Mars. It is also the ascendant in your chart, showing you what you are preoccupied with and what you want to do. What you aspire towards. What you like to do. What you are interested in and what comes naturally. Some astrologers call this house the personality house.
The second house is ruled by Taurus and by Venus. This house shows what we value and our possessions in life. If we are going to have money and what challenges await. This is a house of basic needs too and a house of creativity. The energy of this house helps us mold something with no value whatsoever into something that you can sell, or something that means something. Food is ruled by this house too.
The third house is ruled by Gemini and by Mercury and shows our communication ease and how we communicate with others. It is a house of learning and study. Neighbors and siblings are also ruled by this house.
The fourth house is ruled by Cancer and the Moon. It represents our family and roots, our mother and what makes us safe.
The fifth house is ruled by Leo and the sun. It is an attention seeking house that also represents the roles that we play in life and our romantic life. It is a house of fun, play and games. Creativity and children are also ruled by this house. But this is also a house that wants us to be our authentic selves.
The sixth house is ruled by the sign of Virgo and Mercury. It is a house of service and work. It shows how this are of our life will be and eventually what we will work with. Our health is also ruled by this house.
The seventh house is ruled by Libra and Venus. It is the house of marriage, relationships, and partnerships. It is also a house of known enemies. Enemies are most time first friends or lovers. This house can also represent social skills and our ability to follow social codes and norms.
The eighth house, ruled by Scorpio and Pluto, is the house of pain and sorrow. It is a house where we battle our shadow self, our inner demons. But it is also a house of investigation, of finding out the truth, and of deep psychological transformation that makes us feel reborn as whole new human beings. It is a house of business and great power.
The ninth house is ruled by Sagittarius and Jupiter. It is a house of higher education and long-distance travel. It can show us how far we get in life with studies and how well we come to understand the world. This house also helps us embrace some form of life philosophy.
The tenth house is ruled by Capricorn and Saturn. It is a house of success in the world and in business.
The eleventh house, ruled by Aquarius and Uranus is the house of friends, groups, and social life in general. It can represent groups we are part of, and it is associated with our social identity. Yet it is a house of rebellion because we can only change society with others, through people power. It is a house of genius and intelligence and of channeling and all kinds of divination including astrology.
The twelfth house is ruled by Pisces and Neptune. It is a house of our inner world. This is a house of sleep, bedrooms, dreams, and seclusion but also of insights, intuition, and revelations.