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Lesson 7

The 12 Houses

Discover the twelve life areas where planetary energies manifest in your chart.

While signs describe how planets express themselves, houses describe where in your life this expression takes place. The twelve houses divide the birth chart into twelve domains of experience, from your sense of self to your connection with the collective.

The Twelve Houses

The houses begin with the Ascendant (your Rising sign) and proceed counterclockwise around the chart.

1st House - Self & Identity

Keywords: Self-image, appearance, first impressions, vitality The mask you wear when meeting the world. Your Rising sign is the sign on this house cusp.

2nd House - Values & Resources

Keywords: Money, possessions, self-worth, talents What you value and how you acquire and use material resources.

3rd House - Communication & Learning

Keywords: Siblings, short trips, early education, daily communication How you communicate, learn, and connect with your immediate environment.

4th House - Home & Family

Keywords: Family, roots, home, emotional foundation, private self Your deepest private self, your home, and your relationship with family and ancestry.

5th House - Creativity & Joy

Keywords: Creative expression, romance, children, pleasure, play What brings you joy, your creative output, romantic affairs, and relationship with children.

6th House - Health & Service

Keywords: Daily routines, health, work, service, pets Your daily habits, health practices, and how you serve others through your work.

7th House - Partnerships

Keywords: Marriage, business partners, open enemies, one-on-one relationships Your approach to committed partnerships and how you relate in one-on-one relationships.

8th House - Transformation

Keywords: Shared resources, intimacy, death/rebirth, psychology, inheritance Deep merging with others, transformation, taboo topics, and other people's resources.

9th House - Expansion & Wisdom

Keywords: Higher education, philosophy, long-distance travel, publishing, beliefs Your quest for meaning, higher learning, and expansion beyond your familiar world.

10th House - Career & Reputation

Keywords: Career, public image, authority, achievements, life direction Your public role, career path, reputation, and relationship with authority.

11th House - Community & Future

Keywords: Friends, groups, social causes, hopes, technology Your friendships, community involvement, future goals, and humanitarian interests.

12th House - Spirituality & Unconscious

Keywords: Solitude, spirituality, hidden matters, self-undoing, dreams The hidden realm, your unconscious patterns, spirituality, and need for solitude.

House Rulership

Each house has a "natural ruler" (the sign that shares its themes), but in your chart, any sign can be on any house cusp, creating your unique life structure.

Key Points

  • 1Houses 1-6 are personal houses (self-development)
  • 2Houses 7-12 are interpersonal houses (relationship to others/world)
  • 3Angular houses (1, 4, 7, 10) are most visible and impactful
  • 4The sign on each house cusp colors that life area

Planets in Houses

Venus (love) in the 10th house (career) might indicate finding love through work, or a career in beauty, art, or relationship fields. The same Venus in the 4th house (home) would suggest a beautiful home is essential, or that you find love within family settings. Same planet, different life expression based on house.

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Reflect & Practice

What planets do you have in your 1st, 7th, and 10th houses? How might these shape your identity, relationships, and career?

The Social & Outer Planets