All About the 12 Houses of Astrology
You know about your Sun sign or zodiac sign, which is based on your birth date, but do you know about your astrological houses? Just like there are 12 signs of the zodiac, there are 12 astrological houses that relate to certain areas of your life and personality.
Think of it like a clock. At each “hour” lies a different astrological house, all of which can tell us about influences on our personalities—like how we manage wealth, how we feel about family, and how we communicate.
Each house rules a different area of our lives:
- 1st House: Self
- 2nd House: Wealth
- 3rd House: Communication
- 4th House: Family
- 5th House: Pleasure
- 6th House: Health
- 7th House: Partnerships
- 8th House: Rebirth
- 9th House: Philosophy
- 10th House: Career
- 11th House: Friendships
- 12th House: Endings
The houses can also be grouped together to reveal commonalities, just like the zodiac signs:
- The Relationship Houses: 3rd House, 7th House, and 11th House
- The Intuitive Houses: 4th House, 8th House, and 12th House
Learn More About the Houses
1st House
The 1st house (first house) is the house of self, which rules your personality and countenance. Often, this house is referred to as “the mask you wear.”
The mask refers to how others see you before getting to know you, which is related directly to your Ascendant or Rising sign. The first house holds your Rising sign and has great significance in understanding your appearance and conduct.
2nd House
The 2nd house (second house) is the house of value, meaning that it rules income and how you support yourself.
This house has themes of possessions, materialism, wealth, and finances. If you want to look at your potential wealth options, this is the house to look at.
3rd House
The 3rd house (third house) is the house of sharing, which rules communication and intellect. This house has themes of travel, education, and home life.
Often we see elements of how we form our character and what played a role in how we grew up.
4th House
The 4th house (fourth house) is the house of home, meaning it rules family and traditions. The themes associated with this house are structure, roots, domesticity, and comfort.
The placements in your 4th house will determine how you feel about society and if you decide to “settle down.”
5th House
The 5th house (fifth house) is the house of pleasure, meaning it rules creativity and your leisure time. This house centers around themes of romance, hobbies, and child-like wonder.
Often when we look at this house, we see how we express ourselves and what we do with the time we are given.
6th House
The 6th house (sixth house) is the house of health, which means it rules your daily routine, wellness, and health matters.
While you may be thinking of health in the traditional sense, the sixth house looks at your workload, environment/living situation, pets, and mental health as well as your physical health.
7th House
The 7th house (seventh house) is the house of balance, meaning it rules partnerships; romantic, business, and platonic.
This house reveals how you interact with other people, whether they are friends or enemies. It also acts as a mirror to keep your social equilibrium in check.
8th House
The 8th house (eighth house) is the house of transformation, meaning it rules the occult and the support you get from other people. This house looks at ritual and rebirth in our lives as it relates to sex, spiritual activity, death, and intimacy.
All things are shadowy and common. How we perceive our 8th house depends on the generation, society, and the culture we were raised in.
9th House
The 9th house (ninth house) is the house of purpose, which rules philosophy and higher education.
How we write, learn, and grow lives in this house, displaying how we feel about travel and exploring new concepts, criticism, and change.
10th House
The 10th house (tenth house) is the house of enterprise, meaning it rules your career and social standing. In addition, this house focuses on our relationship with authority, time-management, ego, deadlines, and discipline.
The way we acknowledge our role in society is found here, differentiating between those who strive for more and those who are happy where they are.
11th House
The 11th house (eleventh house) is the house of blessings, meaning it rules your wishes and circle of friends. This house helps us find other people like us to associate with, such as organizations, clubs, and friend groups.
This house also relates to our aspirations and destiny as it shows how we feel about progress and the status quo.
12th House
The 12th house (twelfth house) is the house of sacrifice, endings, and hidden things. This house reveals what is unconscious in our lives—our fears, natural responses, talents, and undeveloped skills.
In this house, we find what is holding us back and get unstuck through uncovered secrets and personal transformation. Since this is the last house, it also relegates endings and how we grow into the final and most evolved version of ourselves.
How to Find the Astrology Houses in Your Birth Chart
You can learn about your house placements by looking at your birth chart (also known as a natal chart). A birth chart goes beyond the day and month you are born, which is why astrologers will also ask you for your birth time and location. Think of your birth chart as a snapshot of the sky at the exact time and place you were born. Where was Taurus? Where was Capricorn?
The 1st house, also known as the Ascendant (or your Rising sign), represents the zodiac sign that was ascending on the eastern horizon at the exact time and location of your birth. It is the anchor point in your chart. Every other sign can then be placed counterclockwise in the rest of the houses.
What Can Astrological Houses Tell Me About My Personality?
Getting your birth chart and seeing where your houses line up can be incredibly insightful, especially if you feel like you don’t fully connect with your Sun sign horoscope. Do you have a friend with whom you share a Sun sign but feel your personalities are entirely different? You probably have different Ascending signs.
If you and your partner look great on paper regarding love compatibility but can’t seem to agree on anything, your 7th house of partnerships may reveal a less compatible match. This doesn’t mean you aren’t meant to be, but it can help you understand how to get on the right track toward harmony.
For example, if you have Virgo in your 2nd house but your partner has Sagittarius, you may often find yourselves arguing about money. Earth sign Virgo tends to be more responsible and conservative with money, while spontaneous, adventurous Sagittarius has a harder time planning ahead.
How does this work?
Basically, the energy of the house tells you the theme. Then the sign in that house, based on your birth chart, will tell you the traits you may apply to that theme.