You are here: Home · astrology · House (astrology)

Share    Tweet

House (astrology)

Most Western astrological systems divide the horoscope into a number (usually twelve) of houses whose positions depend on time and location rather than on date.

The houses are divisions of the ecliptic plane. They are numbered counter-clockwise from the position of the eastern horizon (the cusp of the first house) at the time of the event being charted. Houses one through six, therefore, are below the horizon, while houses seven through twelve are above the horizon.

There are a range of approaches to calculating these divisions and opinions among astrologers over which house system is most accurate.

To calculate the houses, it is necessary to know the exact time, date, and location of the event being charted. In natal astrology, some astrologers will use a birth time set for noon or sunrise if the actual time of birth is unknown. An accurate interpretation of such a chart, however, cannot be expected.

In astrological terms, the houses are different spheres in our lives, described in terms of physical surroundings as well as personal life experiences. The Babylonians were the first to set out the twelve houses. The houses were numbered from the east downward under the horizon, and represented areas of life on the following pattern with their areas of influence. These are their traditional Latin names first with their translations followed by other associated influences:

1. Vita Life ;
2. Lucrum Profit and loss;
3. Fratres Brothers ;
4. Genitor Parents ;
5. Nati Children ;
6. Valentudo Health and illness;
7. Uxor Spouces;
8. Mors Death;
9. Iter Journies and journey like things i.e. religion, education
10. Regnum Kingdom and dignities;
11. Benefacta Friendship;
12. Carcer Prison and enmity. These represent the basic outline of the houses as they are still understood today.

The twelve houses are usually interpreted as follows :

1st House: The self, one's appearance, the body, physical characteristic etc. The Ego. The start of anything.

2nd House: Money and Possessions, values and priorities. Growth of anything.

3rd House: Communications, siblings, neighbors and neighborhood matters, local travel and transport, education, everyday matters.

4th House: The home and family, the mother or mother figure, caring for someone or something. Conservation. The beginning and end of life.

5th House: Pleasures and leisure, holidays, games and gambling. Children. Creativity. Love affairs and sex for fun rather than a deep relationship.

6th House: Work, duties and chores. Employers, employees and one's job. Health and well-being.

7th House: Relationships, marriage and business partnerships. Agreements and treaties. Also open enemies and war.

8th House: Birth, death, beginnings and endings. Sexual relationships and deeply committed relationships of all kinds. Joint monies, taxes, legacies, and corporate finances. The occult and psychic matters.

9th House: Foreign travel and foreign countries and cultures. Religion, the law and higher education. All things which seek to expand one's experience. Freedom.

10th House: Aims and ambitions, direction in life. Your status in society, your career. The house of celebrity.

11th House: Detached relationships such as friends and acquaintances. Groups, clubs and societies, especially with a charitable or humane aim.

12th House: Mysticism, the occult, psychic matters. Places of seclusion such as hospitals, prisons and institutions. Retreat and reflection and self-sacrifice.

Many modern astrologers assume that the houses relate to their corresponding signs, i.e. that the first house has a natural affinity with the first sign, Aries, and so on.

In quadrant systems houses are classified as:

Angular (1st, 4th, 7th, and 10th)
Succedent (2nd, 5th, 8th, and 11th), and
Cadent (3rd, 6th, 9th, and 12th).
Angular houses are points of initiation and represent action.
Succedent houses are points of purpose and represent stabilization.
Cadent houses are points of transition and represent change and adaptation.

Further, houses are grouped together by Triplicity, one of four elements (fire, earth, air, and water) in which the zodiacal sign that rules the house is placed. There are three zodiacal signs that fall within one of these four elements, hence the moniker, "The Triplicities".

The Fire Houses are: the 1st House (the house of Aries), the 5th House (the house of Leo), and the 9th House (the house of Sagittarius).

The Earth Houses are: the 2nd House (ruled by Taurus), the 6th House (Virgo), and the 10th House (Capricorn).

The Air Houses are: the 3rd House (Gemini), the 7th House (Libra), the 11th House (Aquarius).

Finally, there are the deep and powerful Water Houses: the 4th House (Cancer), the 8th House (Scorpio), and the 12th House (Pisces).

In old astrological writings (e.g. William Lilly), house could also be used as a synonym for domicile or rulership, as in the sentence "The Moon has its house in Cancer" meaning that Cancer is ruled by the Moon.

It may be helpful to think of a ruling planet, in this case the Moon, as the "owner of the 4th House", and the sign, e.g.Cancer, as the CEO or landlord who runs the house. In an individual horoscope, whatever sign occupies any given house can be thought of as the house's tenant. (See section heading Rulership below.)

In Vedic (Indian) astrology, the twelve houses are called Bhava and have meanings very similar to their Western counterparts.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

01.03.2007. 13:01

Comments

This article hasn't been commented yet.