All My Houses

In my last astrology related post What Does Mars Really Have to Do With Men? I reviewed the planets that are included in a standard natal chart. Now I will review the Houses. There are many different House systems options out there, over 20 I believe and it is the calculation and where the initial division is that is the point of contention. The Placidus house system is going to be used in this post.  When I do individual posts moving forward, I plan to compare Placidus vs. the Whole house systems.

One article I read online had the most logical recommendation when it came to choosing a house system. It suggested to analyze results of different ones to help determine which to use because we all use and interpret astrology from our individual perspectives and opinions. That is why I will be reviewing both in my analysis and summary through my blog. Hopefully, by the end of it, I will decide for myself, based on the results, which House System I will gravitate to.

The Placidus House system utilizes movement over time based on the sun’s path through the sky, resulting in uneven degreed segments, with the Ascendant based on time of sunrise and Midheaven based on high noon. This system is most commonly used in Western astrology. The Whole Sign House System is based on equal 30° segments with the ascendant being the designation for the rising sign, the Midheaven fixed at 90° at the cusp of the 9th and 10th houses and is the main system used in Hellenistic astrology. Of what I’ve read, I’ve chosen these two since they seem to be quite popular and those on each side will argue that the system they use is more “accurate”.

I will dive further into each one in future posts using myself as a real life example and commenting whether what astrology says seems to ring true to me personally or not.  I also plan to provide another chart for another female who is born on the same month and day as I am, but a different year and different location as a point of reference and comparison. While we both are considered Scorpios, I’m looking forward to identifying the similarities and stark differences between the both of us. For future reference, I will refer to her as Kali, who is the Goddess of Death And Sexuality in Hindu religion, making her the epitome of all things Scorpio.

Now I will take you through the Houses with brief descriptions based on books I’ve read (Use Your Planets Wisely by Jennifer Freed and You Are More Than Just Your Sun Sign by Joan Zodianz) as well as other various online sources. As I mentioned before, there are different branches and they can vary greatly, so what I list below may not match other sources about house systems.  It also will not be comprehensive and may leave out some characteristics since I am only including what I am aware of based on my limited knowledge. 

1. 1st House is related to the Aries sign and called the House of Self and has the most authority versus the other houses because it is the start of all horoscopes. It’s energy spreads to the other houses to help learn and develop the other parts of our personality, but is not more dominant than your sun sign. It is the area of self identity, how you come off to others from first impressions, your personality, instincts, values, habits and traits, the way you dress, to how you interact. Also the attitude that one has towards life and self-awareness.
   • My 1st House is in Capricorn
   • Kali’s 1st House is in Aquarius
2. 2nd House is related to the Taurus sign and called the House of Value. It is the area of material security and values. It rules money and personal finances, sense of self-worth & basic values, and personal possessions. It shapes what, who and why we value certain things.
   • My 2nd House is in Pisces
   • Kali’s 2nd House is in Pisces
3. 3rd House is related to the Gemini sign and called the House of Sharing. It is the area of social and intellectual learning. It guides how you perceive, think, analyze, believe and how that translates in communication with others.
   • My 3rd House is in Aries
   • Kali’s 3rd House is in Aries
4. 4th House is related to the Cancer sign and called the House of Home and Family. It is the area of home, family, roots, and deep emotions/sense of self-worth. Your upbringing and the emotional basis influences how you feel fulfilled. This also influences the way you imagine your domestic life and home based on what makes you feel good and feel at home.
   • My 4th House is in Taurus
   • Kali’s 4th House is in Taurus
5. 5th House is related to the Leo sign and called the House of Pleasure. It is the area of creative self-expression, willpower, drive, passion, strength and value of our skills and talents. It eludes to what you find fun, makes you happy and gives you personal fulfillment.
   • My 5th House is in Gemini
   • Kali’s 5th House is in Gemini
6. 6th House is related to the Virgo sign and called the House of Health. It represents how you analyze all types of health including mental, spiritual and physical. This also determines how you help and serve others, the community and the world.
   • My 6th House is in Gemini
   • Kali’s 6th House is in Cancer
7. 7th House is related to the Libra sign and called the House of Balance. It is the area of one-to-one relationships such as marriage and partnership, and of social and intellectual action as well as how you balance self in relation to others.
   • My 7th House is in Cancer
   • Kali’s 7th House is in Leo
8. 8th House is related to the Scorpio sign and called the House of Transformation. It looks to the values from the 2nd house and how you apply that and pursue your desires. This area of emotional security also influences how you relate your desires to spiritual meaning.
   • My 8th House is in Virgo
   • Kali’s 8th House is in Virgo
9. 9th House is related to the Sagittarius sign and called the House of Purpose. It is the area of learning that shapes your identity and references the 3rd house to govern how you use your communication skills to expand your perspective and theories. Also known for how you expand your spiritual horizons and through higher education.
   • My 9th House is in Libra
   • Kali’s 9th House is in Libra
10. 10th House is related to the Capricorn sign and called the House of Enterprise. Citing the 3rd House of home, it can impact how you gain finances, such as through career, to build your home, status and success in life. The Midheaven which can be here and/or the 9th House represents the work you will do in your life and the place you will take in the world of society, with this becoming more important as you grow older.
    • My 10th House is in Scorpio
    • Kali’s 10th House is in Scorpio
11. 11th House is related to the Aquarius sign and called the House of Blessings. It is the area of search for social and intellectual security through the application of creativity, skills, talents, and drive from the 5th House. This leads to how you share knowledge at individual friendship levels all the way up to greater humanitarian purposes.
    • My 11th House is in Sagittarius
    • Kali’s 11th House is in Sagittarius
12. 12th House is related to the Pisces sign and called the House of Sacrifice. It is the area of education and of emotion. This is where we meet our karma, deal with endings, and sometimes where we bury things. Shows how you value spiritual and emotional beliefs based on the sense of community from your 6th House.
    • My 12th House is in Sagittarius
    • Kali’s 12th House is in Capricorn

I did not include which houses the different planets are located for my or Kali’s chart in this overview, but it will be included in the future more specific individual house posts. It is believed that houses with any planet within it is of significance and those houses without any placement of a planet don’t have enough energy to pay too much attention to it. However, others believe even without a planet in a house, the zodiac sign that it is aligned to (as I noted with my and Kali’s chart previously) should be used to interpret the energy and influence of that house. I included those in this post because I do believe that the sign impacts the area that the house is associated to.

In my own chart I have 6 houses that do not have any planets in them. The 11th House that governs how I apply my creativity and skills for humanitarian purposes of my chart has two planets while my 10th House, which influences career, has 4 out of the 10 major planets all placed there. Kali on the other hand has 4 Houses without planets, 5 houses with 1 planet and 3 houses with 2-3 planets in them. I am excited to see how both the heavy concentration and lack of any presence of planets in houses impact my life compared to the more even distribution of planets in Kali’s chart.