The 12 Houses of Astrology, Explained

A person's birth chart is a snapshot of where the planets were at the moment of their birth. The 12 houses of the zodiac are one piece of the natal chart puzzle, from which you can gain interesting intel.

For instance, someone can be born with the sun in the first house of self or the twelfth house of spirituality. Understanding what each means can help you understand why you're such an extrovert while your bestie or S.O. is far more reserved.

Astrological houses represent areas of our lives. Where each planet is and in which sign can offer insight into what may make us tick or the areas we're poised for success.

Keep scrolling to find out what the basics of the houses in astrology can tell you about yourself and your path.

The Astrological Houses, Defined

The 12 houses show where in the sky each luminary (that’s the sun and the moon) and the planets appeared when you were born, wherever on Earth you were born. Houses represent the rotation of the earth around its axis over 24 hours.

As it rotates, the sun, moon, and all the planets appear to be moving through the 12 houses clockwise. They rise in the east (on the cusp of the first house, or the ascendant), hang out around the top of a chart at midday, set in the west (the right-hand side of your chart), and then spend time at the bottom of a chart in the middle of the night.

You can think of this as a personalized star map — but it’s more than that. The house location of the luminaries and planets colors how they express themselves (more on that in a bit).

How to Find the Houses in Your Birth Chart

As with many astrology concepts, when it comes to understanding the houses, it helps to have a visual. What better visual than your own birth chart? If you don't already have it handy, you can run one on an app like TimePassages or the website astro.com.

Note that the chart is divided up into 12 slices. Each of these slices represents a house, and the first house is where your ascendant or rising sign (the sign that was ascending on the eastern horizon at the time of your birth) falls on the left-hand side of the chart. 

From the first house, you'll want to follow your chart counterclockwise to note your second, third, fourth house, and so on. As you move through the houses, you'll notice that each is ruled by one of the 12 zodiac signs. You'll also glean that your planetary placements — including your sun sign, moon sign, and Mercury sign — reside within a particular house.

Related: What Is Astrology? A Beginner's Guide to the Language of the Sky

What Each of the 12 Houses in Astrology Mean

The First House of Self

This house is the location of your ascendant or rising sign, which speaks to how you present yourself in the world. Associated with assertive Mars and cardinal fire sign Aries, the first house is the terrain of your personal brand, identity, appearance, and self-image. Look to the sign that rules this house in your birth chart to inform your hairstyle, wardrobe, and how you make a first impression.

Related: A Guide to Fire Signs: Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius

The Second House of Income

The second house's terrain is moneymaking, material possessions, and self-worth. It's associated with the fixed earth sign Taurus and Venus, the planet of beauty and values. Consider the sign that rules this house in your chart to understand how you think about and approach earning a living.

Related: It's Time You Unpacked Your Venus Sign

The Third House of Communication

The third house, associated with mutable air sign Gemini and Mercury, the planet of communication, oversees how you think and express yourself with others — when speaking out loud and through the written word. It colors how you interact with friends and anyone else in your immediate environment. It also involves siblings and short-distance travel.

Astrological houses represent areas of our lives.

The Fourth House of Home Life

The fourth house speaks to your family life, inner world, and domestic sphere. It's associated with the cardinal water sign Cancer and the intuitive moon. Explore any placements and the ruling sign of this house for intel on your relationship with your parents and how you'll act as a parent. It also informs home life and what brings you a sense of security.

Related: A Guide to the Water Signs: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces

The Fifth House of Romance and Self-Expression

The fifth house — associated with fixed fire sign Leo and the sun — oversees romance, self-expression, fun, pleasure, creativity, and kids. Look at any placements and which sign rules the house in your chart for clues on how you incorporate playfulness into your life, express your artistic visions, and own your voice.

The Sixth House of Wellness and Daily Routine

The sixth house, associated with mutable earth sign Virgo and information-gathering Mercury, is the house of health and your day-to-day hustle. Planetary placements and the ruling sign here inform how you check off your to-do list and care for your physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Fun fact: It's also the house of pets.

The Seventh House of Partnership

The seventh house, associated with cardinal air sign Libra and Venus, the planet of relationships, involves one-on-one bonds — romantic, platonic, and professional. Any placements in this house, as well as the ruling sign, color how you approach pairing up. Because it sits opposite the first house of self, lessons from the seventh house can bolster self-awareness. How do you show up for others, and what does that say about your sense of self?

Related: A Guide to Air Signs: Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius

The Eighth House of Intimacy and Joint Resources

Associated with the fixed water sign Scorpio and transformative Pluto, this house is one of the most complex. It oversees sex, death, rebirth, joint resources, transformation, and our most intimate emotional bonds. Look to the sign ruling this house in your chart as well as any placements for how you contend with these heavier — but also deeply fulfilling — aspects of life.

The Ninth House of Adventure and Higher Learning

The ninth house, associated with mutable fire sign Sagittarius and fortune-bringing Jupiter, is the house of long-distance travel and higher education. Placements here, as well as the sign that rules the house in your chart, can tell you about your sense of wanderlust, how you aim to broaden your horizons, and how you soak up knowledge and approach philosophical conversations. It's also the house of publishing, foreign languages, and religion.

The Tenth House of Career

Associated with the cardinal earth sign Capricorn and taskmaster Saturn, the tenth house cusp is referred to as the midheaven (MC), which speaks to your professional path, social standing, and public persona. Similarly, the whole tenth house offers intel on how you get after your greatest ambitions in life, how you deal with authority figures — and may act as one, and how you feel about taking on responsibility, particularly in a very public way.

Related: All About Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn — the Grounded Earth Signs of the Zodiac

The Eleventh House of Networking and Long-Term Wishes

The eleventh house, associated with fixed air sign Aquarius and rebellious Uranus, is all about friends and colleagues, although not on a one-on-one basis (the seventh house) or how you connect (the third house). Instead, the eleventh house informs the teams, groups, and networks you associate with. It can also indicate the greater audiences you appeal to. It also involves hopes, wishes, and how you express your humanity and sense of community.

The Twelfth House of Spirituality and the Unconscious

The twelfth house of spirituality and the unconscious is associated with mutable water sign Pisces and illusion-loving Neptune. It oversees karma, what's lying beneath the surface of your life, your unconscious mind, dreams, and spiritual growth. You can get a sense of your shadow self and your relationship with spirituality by exploring the sign that rules this house in your chart, as well as any placements that might reside there.

The Bottom Line

There's a case to be made for getting comfy with the houses of your chart. Working with this astrological building block — which represents different areas of our lives — can lay the groundwork for even more success, joy, and self-understanding.

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