The First House - Astrological Houses

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The First House is where it all begins -- it's You, making an entrance.  It relates to how you carry yourself, your gait, hand movements and other unique quirks of your presence.  

In our virtual world, this is the rare meeting in person, and in the flesh.  It's interesting to look at how that might diverge from your online persona, and this is a wholly new phenomenon with the rise of "selfies" and avatars.  It's the real and vulnerable you in physical dimensions, as opposed to your highlight reel, or a photoshopped version of your image.  

There are twelve Houses and you can see what's in your First House by looking at your birth chart.  You'll see planets there, or perhaps yours is empty.  You still get the flavor of the House by looking at the sign on the cusp, which in this case is also your Rising Sign.    

Stephen Arroyo describes the First House as Identity in Action, in his book The Chart Interpretation Handbook.  He writes, "People recognize us and are influenced by our most characteristic manner of physical movement and expression.  The keywords also point toward the forms of creativity, intitiative, leadership and self-expression that are uniquely ours and show by First House factors."

It's an angular House, meaning it's on one of the primary angles, and makes a big impact.  It's active.

The First House is a fire (element) house -- to do with initiative, impact and the power of image.  It's how you "dawn" on others, before they get a fuller picture.      

Rising Signs 

With the Rising sign (or ascendant) on the cusp, the First House is considered the entry point for understanding the entire birth chart. This House influences the sense of self and personal image that others see, through mannerisms, style and attitude.

Zodiac Signs and planets here have a big impact on what I'll call the personal atmosphere.

With the Sun in the First House, you've got a lot of physical vitality, and come on strong.  You can be known for your "brand," which is unique in some striking way.  

If the Moon is in the First House, your heart goes out to others, all the time.  You have such an empathic instinct, that it can be tough to hold back from reacting to the feelings of others, as if they're your own.  

The First House is the whole package of the Self, experienced by others. Someone with high vitality could have Mars in this house, while Saturn here acts to restrain energy, and lends a seriousness to the personality.

Hard aspects in this house show up as behavior issues that are out there for all the world to see. Favorable aspects are gifts that may make you particularly attractive, or well-liked by others.

The First House includes physical attributes that shape your sense of who you are. Health issues that impact your personal journey show up here in the birth chart.

This means both your physical and psychological make-up, with a special focus on the face and head. But the First House holds keys to your overall appearance, including grooming habits, and tastes in dress and carriage.

First Years of Life 

As the First House, there's an associative link to childhood, and the experiences that have shaped your sense of Self. Hard aspects here hint at difficult early obstacles, sometimes parenting, that had an impact on your self-image, and ability to act in the world.

The long shadow of childhood presents a series of challenges for such a person, the journey to overcome a rough start. Favorable aspects, on the other hand, may have laid a strong foundation for later success.

Transits to the First House may cause changes to your self-image, and impact you on a personal level. Your very being gets altered, depending on the energies lighting up this house.

An obvious example is a childhood illness or injury that is a game-changer.  It's something that affects how you go after what you want.  It can seem to diminish possibilities, or rein in your focus to particular talents, like a blind child becoming gifted in music.  

House of:

Aries and Mars

Key descriptors:

early childhood, persona, temperament, behavior, personal atmosphere, appearance, physical attributes, self-interest, style, image, quirks, the Ego