TonytheRainbowHealer

Welcome to part 3 of my Astrology 101 series! Part one is here and part two is here.

HOUSES

Another basic part of looking at an astrological chart besides looking at planets and zodiac signs is looking at the houses.  The planets represent the what in a chart, while the zodiac signs represent the how, and the houses represent the where.  The AstroTwins, two of my favorite astrologers, describe this as a movie or play with the planets being the actors, the zodiac being the roles they play or costumes they wear, and the houses being the settings or scenes. Here is a picture of what the houses look like:

You can see from the picture above that an astrological chart looks somewhat like a clock divided up into 12 sections or houses.  The first house starts about halfway down the left side of the circle (9 on a clock) and then the numbers of the houses move chronologically counterclockwise around the circle from that point.  The first house corresponds to the first sign in the Zodiac year (Aries) and then moves chronologically counterclockwise around the circle until you get to the twelfth house which corresponds to the last sign in the Zodiac year (Pisces).  This is an easy way to know which sign rules each house and to get a gist of what each house pertains to.  For example, the first house is ruled by Aries and Mars; Aries is the sign of self; the first house is thus known as the house of self. Please note that any planet and sign can fall in any house in a chart. What I am saying is that the energy of the first house is like the energies and archetypes of Mars and Aries. Why are houses important?  In the natal chart, the location of planets in houses tend to indicate where an individual will face challenges and opportunities for growth and learning in life.  The following is a brief description of each of the houses.

First House – Self:  The cusp of this house (or the point between the 12th and 1st houses) is known as the Ascendant or Rising sign (see previous post), and it is one of the most important points in a person’s astrological chart.  This is the most personal and powerful house in a chart.  As the house of self, it will indicate how you present yourself to the world and how others see you.  It can indicate personality, mannerisms, temper, likes and dislikes, physical appearance, what you want in life, and how you get what you want.  It is the Aries house and is ruled by Mars.

Second House – Possessions and Money:  This is the house of money and possessions. This house rules over what you own, will acquire, your income, your financial outlook, and what sort of objects you surround yourself with, collect, and take through your life with you.  It indicates how you feel about material possessions and wealth in general.  It can hint at your earning power and financial potential and how good you are with money.  It can show what activities and hobbies could be lucrative sources of income for you.  Self-worth and basic values are also seen in this house.  It is the Taurus house and is ruled by Venus.

Third House – Communication:  This is the house of communication.  It relates to self-expression, family ties, and day-to-day travel.  This indicates how you speak, write, and think.  Logic, memory, skills, early education, studying and learning abilities and habits, and interactions with the media are shown here.  Short trips (especially for work and education) and the vehicles that transport you for this type of travel are governed here.  The nature of relationships with sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, cousins, and neighbors are shown here.  It is the Gemini house and is ruled by Mercury.

Fourth House – Family and Home:  This is the house of home, family, and roots.  This house shows the type of home you had in your childhood and your relationship with your parents as well as what comes from your ancestors.  It indicates the type of home you make for yourself in the present including domestic affairs, real estate holdings, and ownership of land.  This house dictates the type of housing you seek in the future and rules the closing years of your life and the security you seek in old age.  Home may also not be physical in that this house also represents what you keep protected and secluded from the world (be it physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual).  Generally, this is the house that pertains to our mother and the maternal aspects in all of us.  It is the Cancer house and is ruled by the Moon.

Fifth House – Creativity and Sex:  This is the house of creativity, sex, and pleasure.  This is the house that rules children, entertainment, holidays, amusements, the arts and artistic expression, love affairs and romance, new undertakings in life, speculation, gambling, games, hobbies, fun, drama, costumes, and adornments.  This is the house that indicates our ability to enjoy ourselves in life.  It is the Leo house and is ruled by the Sun.

Sixth House – Service and Health:  This is the house of service to others and of our personal health.  It represents our need to be useful in the world.  This house rules our relationships to those we work with (work does not necessarily mean only paid employment and can include volunteer work or other unpaid work), our subordinates, and our employers as well as our daily routines and how we order and organize our lives.  It also relates to our health (physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual), food, nutrition, self-improvement, and can indicate chronic illnesses and diseases as well as our general constitution.  This is the house of pets and animal companions.  It is the Virgo house and is ruled by Mercury.

Seventh House – Partnerships and Marriage:  This is the house of partnership and marriage.  It is the house that rules your life partner(s)/husband(s)/wife(s), It can indicate what kind of marriage(s) you have, as well as counseling, mediation, divorce and remarriage.  This is the house of business partnerships and can indicate legal affairs, contracts, and politics surrounding work partnerships.  This house indicates how we work with and relate to others to achieve shared goals.  This is also the house of our open enemies, adversaries, and those that oppose us.  It is the Libra house and is ruled by Venus.

Eighth House – Death and Transformation:  This is the house of death, transformation, intimacy, and regeneration.  It governs the powers and life forces that surround us and influence and control us.  Sex and sexuality, birth, death, the afterlife, crisis, change, addictions and psychological issues, legacies, property, and money you inherit from the dead are all governed here.  This is the house of other people’s money so that also means debts, bills, taxes, and your partner’s resources are indicated here.  Surgeries can be shown here as well as the conditions surrounding physical death.  Psychic powers, occult studies, and spiritual knowledge can be seen in this house.  It is the Scorpio house and is ruled by Pluto.

Ninth House – Belief Systems and Higher Learning:  This is the house of belief systems, higher learning and mental exploration.  Higher education, philosophy, and religion are governed here as well as adventure, exploration, morals, and personal truths.  Long distance travel of the mind and of the physical body are ruled here so this can include foreign travel for business or pleasure.  This is the house of foreign languages and cultures, publishing, international affairs, and commerce.  It is the Sagittarius house and is ruled by Jupiter.

Tenth House – Career and Public Standing:  This is the house of career and public standing.  It is the house that rules everything outside of your home – your profession, status in the community, and public reputation. It is the house of our ambitions, aspirations, attainment, and it reflects our image as shown in the power, position, honors, and successes you achieve.  It shows our attitudes towards governments, bosses, the law and those in power.  It is the outward expression of our talents, the way you accept responsibility, and the place you arrive at through your own efforts.  This house is tied in to how well you do materially in life.  It also governs our fathers and anything paternal.  It is the Capricorn house and is ruled by Saturn.

Eleventh House – Hopes, Wishes, and Friends:  This is the house of hopes, wishes, friends, idealism, and vision.  It is concerned with long term dreams and goals, intellectual pleasures, involvement with groups and organizations, clubs, societies, and political associations.  This house indicates the kind of friends and acquaintances who can best further your interests and objectives in life.  It represents groups of people harmonizing and working towards a shared goal.  It is the Aquarius house and is ruled by Uranus.

Twelfth House – Soul Growth, Self-Undoing, and Secrets:  This is the house of soul growth, self-undoing, and secrets.  It is the most mystical house in a chart.  It defines limitation placed on one’s life both from life in general and from yourself through self-undoing behavior.  It governs disappointments, accidents, trouble, self-defeat, unseen forces, secret enemies, escapism, asylums, hospitals, prisons, lost items, the dream world, karma and spiritual debt, and spiritual studies.  It is associated with psychic powers and the ability to discover the meaning of life through soul growth.  It is the Pisces house and is ruled by Neptune.

Other Important Points:

• Imum Coeli (IC)/Nadir – The Imum Coeli or nadir is the point between the 3rd and 4th houses at the bottom of the chart. This point represents our roots and how we are nurtured by our families, both as a child and throughout our lives. It shows our habits and thought patterns we picked up from our childhood. It is our private selves and where we feel most at home. It is the parts of us that we often don’t share with or show to the public.
• Descendant (DC) – This is the point between the 6th and 7th houses on the right side of the chart across from the ascendant. While the ascendent is about our relationship with ourselves, the descendant is about our relationship with others and how we approach people. This is the shadow part of ourselves. This is where we find the qualities which we seek out in our relationships, particularly because we have trouble finding these in ourselves. This point is especially useful for determining the qualities you seek out in a partner, particularly for romantic love and in business.
• Midheaven (MC) – This is the point between the 9th and 10th houses at the top of the chart. It represents our public image and outer facing persona. We often grow into our midheaven over time as we get older and wiser. This is the point that indicates what our professional lives are like, our ambitions, and what careers we will find most success in based on what talents come more naturally to us.

ASPECTS

An aspect is the relationship between two planets. It depicts how their energies interact with each other, both within a person’s natal chart at the time of their birth and as the planets transit across the sky at any given point in time. Within a person’s birth chart an astrologer might say, “The Sun was conjunct Venus at the time of your birth.” Or they might say, “Transiting Pluto is squaring a person’s natal Mars currently,” and this is basically saying where Pluto is in the sky at this given time is squaring where Mars is in the person’s birth chart (in other words the place where Mars was at the time of that person’s birth). This info is used by the astrologer to determine the conditions and energies currently at play in the person’s life or in the solar system at large. This is helpful because it can be used to find possible good time frames for planning future events while avoiding challenging energies. The planets, houses, and signs involved as well as the aspects themselves can be used to explain personality traits or past events, to determine possible future outcomes, and to help an individual know when they are working with the energies of the Universe and their chart or when they are working against the energies of the Universe and their chart.

An astrological chart is made of 360 degrees (being that it is a circle), and each zodiac sign gets 30 degrees before it switches to a new sign. The following is a list of the major and minor aspects astrologers use. The major ones tend to be more impactful.

Major Aspects

• Conjunction – Two planets in the same degree in the same sign (or within 10 degrees of each other). Extremely powerful and strongest aspect in astrology. Generally beneficial but really depends on the other aspects in the chart and whether or not the energies of the two planets mesh well when they work together.
• Trine – Two planets 120 degrees apart (generally the planets are in signs of the same element so water, earth, air, or fire). Most harmonious aspect. This aspect brings ease and advantage. Sometimes they work so well together that it can lead to laziness.
• Opposition – Two planets 180 degrees apart (so the sign opposite of each other on a chart). Unharmonious. Can bring strain, discordance, separation, and challenges to growth and achievement. Sometimes this can also bring balance as the two sides get a little of what the other has that they each need.
• Sextile – Two planets 60 degrees apart (generally air signs and fire signs are sextile and water signs and earth signs are sextile). Harmonious and favorable but can require some effort by both parties to get the beneficial influences.
• Square – Two planets 90 degrees apart (generally the planets are in signs of the same quality so mutable, cardinal, or fixed). Challenging and stressful. A square places obstacles and teaches lessons but is beneficial for a person’s growth.

Minor Aspects

• Quincunx – Two planets 150 degrees apart or about five signs away. Unpredictable. Mildly adverse or can bring offbeat wisdom.
• Semisquare – Two planets 45 degrees apart. Mildly adverse. Brings tension.
• Sesquisquare (or Sesquiquadrate) – Two planets 135 degrees apart. Mildly adverse. Brings tension.
• Semisextile – Two planets 30 degrees apart. Usually the signs right next to yours in the zodiac. Mildly favorable.

The next post will be the final one for this tour through my Astrology 101 course. Stay tuned!