5. Astrological Houses in a Nutshell

The astrological chart wheel is broken down into twelve equal 30° houses and each represent specific areas. In the traditional method, the first six are the personal houses and the last six, the social. Just a note, if you’re looking at your chart and you have no planets in say your second house, it does not mean you don’t value anything, or that you won’t be able to make money. However if you have a group of planets (known as a stellium) in one house, this is something that would catch an astrologer’s attention. Here are the keywords, philosophical as well as traditional meanings to each of the 12 houses.

1^st House – Ascendant (also known as the Rising Sign)

Philosophical interpretation:  Awareness of self; the particular destiny

Keywords:  Person outlook

Traditional interpretation: Personality, body form, outlook

2^nd House

Philosophical interpretation: Life substance to be used by self, the social substance, unable to work out destiny, wealth

Keywords:  How you make money

Traditional interpretation: Health, wealth, possessions, financial gain or loss

3^rd House

Philosophical interpretation: The environment, relationship of personal self to physical, substance

Keywords: Communication, family

Traditional interpretation: Brethren, neighbors, short journeys, letters, lower mind

4^th House -- Nadir

Philosophical interpretation: The soul, base of operations, father, concretization of self

Keywords: Home, parents, land

Traditional interpretation: Home, parents, father, end of life, land and real estate

5^th House

Philosophical interpretation: Exteriorization of self, creative and procreative activity, recreations

Keywords: Recreation, procreation, creation

Traditional interpretation: Children, artistic creations, speculations, recreations

6^th House

Philosophical interpretation: Conflicts, resulting from H5, enmity of other personal selves, including the cells of one’s own body

Keywords: Employment, illness

Traditional interpretation: Sickness, service, private enemies

7^th House -- Descendant

Philosophical interpretation: The sense of human relationship on a basis of giving & taking. Interchange of vital energies and ideas

Keywords: One to one relationships

Traditional interpretation: Marriage & Partnerships

8^th House

Philosophical interpretation: Destruction of personal limitations as a result of human interchange. Enlargement of viewpoint, regeneration

Keywords: Rebirth, sometimes death, joint finances

Traditional interpretation: Death & legacies

9^th House

Philosophical interpretation: The abstract mind, mental adjustment to racial ideas and collective needs

Keywords: Religion & Education

Traditional interpretation: Religion, philosophy, science, writing, distant travels

10^th House -- Midheaven

Philosophical interpretation: base of operation in human society, business, mother in whom racial consciousness and the rational soul are concretized

Keywords: Profession, self discipline, sacrifice

Traditional interpretation: Honor, fame, public position, mother

11^th House

Philosophical interpretation: Circle of acquaintances and the friends, new ideals of human and social relationships, dreams and efforts

Keywords: Friends, dreams

Traditional interpretation: friends, wishes, hopes, flatterers

12^th House

Philosophical interpretation: Conflict with the inertial forces of society, forces which brought the self into incarnation, overcoming of karma

Keywords: Self undoing

Traditional interpretation: Hidden enemies, fate, confinement