The Houses (Astrological)

Twelve Spheres of Life

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The birth chart is a big pizza pie with twelve slices.  And each represents very particular expressions and experiences.  

These are called houses in astrology. Where are your planets? The Zodiac sign of the planet will show you the particular way it's directed. The house placement of a planet, shows you the realm of life where it plays out.  

In The Astrological Houess, the astrologer Dane Rudhyar called the birth chart a mandala, and one that "tells an individual how he can best fulfill his destiny."  And the house of that planet is the field of experience where that force is likely to find its fullest expression.  

First House: (House of Aries and Mars)

Includes the all-important Rising Sign (or Ascendant), and is the first impression given to the world. The house of identity, here are clues to our overall outer package, including behavior, physical traits, social mask, health and well-being. Planets here shape how others perceive you, and the "vibe" you put out there.

Second House: (House of Taurus and Venus)

This is often referred to as the arena of money and values. It's the province of stability, resourcefulness and slow, steady progress. Here you're shown how a grounded life can be created, one that is self-sufficient and in line with your values.

Third House: (House of Gemini and Mercury) 

The house of education, short travels, the family tribe (siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles), neighborly exchanges and more. The style of sharing life observations comes through here. It's the arena of filtering info in, and sending it back out into your community.

Fourth House: (House of Cancer and the Moon)

The arena of family, ancestral roots, the unconscious, Mother, and your sense of home. Planets here influence how you nest, and the experience to be had in the home base. Linked to our earliest moments in the womb, and even before that, in the undercurrents inherited from sources beyond this lifetime.

Fifth House: (House of Leo and the Sun)

The house of creativity, and the Self radiating confidently outward. It's the arena of loving life through play, love affairs, self-expression and relating to children. Planets here also shape the way your Father is perceived, as well as risk-taking and the exuberant thrust into new creative fields.

Sixth House: (House of Virgo and Mercury or Chiron)

The realm of routine in the service of a healthy, fulfilled life. Exercise, diet, our daily work, all fall in this arena. Planets here reveal your approach to daily life, discipline, colleagues and your own physical well being.

Seventh House: (House of Libra and Venus)

This house holds clues to the tenor, style and lessons of your major relationships. That includes marriage, business partnerships and the big friendships in your life. Relationships are a mirror of the Self and planets here show what kinds of self-growth happens for us in that arena of life.

Eighth House: (House of Scorpio and Pluto)

The house of regeneration through sex, and personal periods of death & rebirth. This realm deals with all things dark, hidden and potentially destructive, including our own unacknowledged psychic undercurrents. Planets here influence how we deal with the unknown -- whether with fear, attempting to control or surrendering to be transformed.

Ninth House: (House of Sagittarius and Jupiter)

The arena of higher education, seeking knowledge, traveling and exploring the world. Planets here show how we expand our field of experience, and integrate all we know into a philosophy of life. This sphere reflects personal vision quests, dreams, aspirations and how we search for higher wisdom.

Tenth House: (House of Capricorn and Saturn)

The house of personal authority and long-range career ambitions. Planets here influence how you create real change, and become an authority in your area of expertise. It determines things like persistence and endurance toward your big goals.

Eleventh House: (House of Aquarius and Uranus)

The house of friendships, networks and the collective currents. Planets here show what kinds of alliances you create based on shared hopes, dreams and visions for the future.

Twelfth House: (House of Pisces and Neptune)

This house deals with hidden realities, and planets here are vulnerable to illusion. Called the "house of undoing," because planets placed here are immersed in the All, and hard to see clearly. Growth in this house happens at the soul level, and often far below the radar.