The 12 astrological houses: what they are and what each one means
The houses divide your birth chart into twelve areas of life. Discover what each house represents and why you need your birth time to know them.
4 min read · Updated
What the houses are in astrology
“If planets are the what and signs the how, houses are the where.”
The astrological houses are twelve sectors of the birth chart representing specific areas of life: money, family, partnership, career... They are calculated from the horizon and meridian of the birthplace, so they depend on the exact birth time.
The 1st house starts at the ascendant and the rest follow counterclockwise. A planet in a house shows that its energy plays out mainly in that area.
- Angular houses (1, 4, 7 and 10): the most visible and active
- Succedent houses (2, 5, 8 and 11): resources and consolidation
- Cadent houses (3, 6, 9 and 12): learning and adaptation
From the 1st to the 6th house
The houses about you, your resources and your daily life.
1st house: identity and personality
Starts at the ascendant. Your character, physical appearance, the way you present yourself and start things. Associated with Aries.
2nd house: money and values
Your material resources, income, talents and self-worth: what you own and what you value. Associated with Taurus.
3rd house: communication and learning
Everyday mind, how you communicate, basic education, siblings, neighbors and short trips. Associated with Gemini.
4th house: home and family
Starts at the IC. Your roots, family of origin, home and private life. Associated with Cancer.
5th house: love, creativity and children
Romance, pleasure, fun, creativity, hobbies and children: everything you do for joy. Associated with Leo.
6th house: daily work and health
Your routines, daily job, coworkers, health habits and service to others. Associated with Virgo.
From the 7th to the 12th house
The houses about others, the world and the transcendent.
7th house: partnership and relationships
Starts at the descendant. Marriage, committed partners, business partners and open rivals. Associated with Libra.
8th house: transformation and shared resources
Intimacy, sexuality, inheritances, debts and other people’s money, crises and rebirths. Associated with Scorpio.
9th house: travel, study and beliefs
Long journeys, foreign lands, university, philosophy, religion and the search for meaning. Associated with Sagittarius.
10th house: career and reputation
Starts at the midheaven. Your vocation, career, status, goals and public image. Associated with Capricorn.
11th house: friends and future plans
Friends, groups, networks, community, collective causes and your hopes for the future. Associated with Aquarius.
12th house: unconscious and spirituality
The hidden, retreat, dreams, intuition, spirituality and patterns that act without you noticing. Associated with Pisces.
The 12 houses at a glance
1st house
- Keywords
- Self, body, character
- Natural sign
- Aries
- Type
- Angular
2nd house
- Keywords
- Money, values, talents
- Natural sign
- Taurus
- Type
- Succedent
3rd house
- Keywords
- Communication, siblings, study
- Natural sign
- Gemini
- Type
- Cadent
4th house
- Keywords
- Home, family, roots
- Natural sign
- Cancer
- Type
- Angular
5th house
- Keywords
- Love, creativity, children
- Natural sign
- Leo
- Type
- Succedent
6th house
- Keywords
- Daily work, health, routines
- Natural sign
- Virgo
- Type
- Cadent
7th house
- Keywords
- Partners, spouses, contracts
- Natural sign
- Libra
- Type
- Angular
8th house
- Keywords
- Intimacy, inheritance, crises
- Natural sign
- Scorpio
- Type
- Succedent
9th house
- Keywords
- Travel, philosophy, university
- Natural sign
- Sagittarius
- Type
- Cadent
10th house
- Keywords
- Career, status, vocation
- Natural sign
- Capricorn
- Type
- Angular
11th house
- Keywords
- Friends, groups, projects
- Natural sign
- Aquarius
- Type
- Succedent
12th house
- Keywords
- Unconscious, retreat, spirituality
- Natural sign
- Pisces
- Type
- Cadent
| House | Keywords | Natural sign | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st house | Self, body, character | Aries | Angular |
| 2nd house | Money, values, talents | Taurus | Succedent |
| 3rd house | Communication, siblings, study | Gemini | Cadent |
| 4th house | Home, family, roots | Cancer | Angular |
| 5th house | Love, creativity, children | Leo | Succedent |
| 6th house | Daily work, health, routines | Virgo | Cadent |
| 7th house | Partners, spouses, contracts | Libra | Angular |
| 8th house | Intimacy, inheritance, crises | Scorpio | Succedent |
| 9th house | Travel, philosophy, university | Sagittarius | Cadent |
| 10th house | Career, status, vocation | Capricorn | Angular |
| 11th house | Friends, groups, projects | Aquarius | Succedent |
| 12th house | Unconscious, retreat, spirituality | Pisces | Cadent |
Houses FAQ
Common questions about the astrological houses.
Because houses depend on the Earth’s rotation: the ascendant, and with it every house, moves one sign about every two hours. Without the time you cannot know which house each planet is in.
That it has no planets, which is very common since there are twelve houses and ten planets. It is not negative: that area is read through the sign on its cusp and its ruling planet.
There are several: Placidus is the most widespread in modern astrology; Koch, Equal and Whole Sign houses are other common options. Each calculates the cusps differently.
Romance and falling in love belong to the 5th house and committed partnership to the 7th. Personal money is in the 2nd house, shared money in the 8th and career in the 10th.
Find out which planets you have in each house
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